The departing footsteps suddenly halted.

Sakazuki swept his gaze over the stiffened Elder Nyon, then walked to the shore and picked up the Den Den Mushi.

As he looked at the Den Den Mushi that kept ringing, he released a thread of Conqueror’s Haki that bore down on Elder Nyon, leaving her unable to move or speak.

Crack—

He answered, and an anxious voice came from the other side:

“I’ve already set out from here.”

“How’s the situation, Elder Nyon?”

“You must hold Hancock back!”

“Sakazuki won’t show any mercy.”

“Elder Nyon?”

Sakazuki glanced at her, then withdrew his Conqueror’s Haki. His finger aimed at her shoulder where the arm was missing.

Whoosh!

A Shigan shot out, instantly bursting into another spray of blood.

“Ahhhhhh!!!!”

A shrill scream tore from Elder Nyon’s mouth.

Crash—

The Den Den Mushi was crushed directly in Sakazuki’s palm, shattering into pieces on the ground.

Sakazuki chuckled lightly.

“Interesting. So reinforcements are on the way, hm?”

“Well then, no need to rush.”

He turned to look at the entrance to Amazon Lily, where a large number of warriors were charging forward.

Murderous intent and waves of Conqueror’s Haki pressed down layer after layer upon the entire island.

It pounded the nerves of the warriors and residents like a scythe cutting wheat, felling them in batches.

“Quiet now. Be still.”

His eyes shifted to Elder Nyon, who was still struggling faintly.

“For the sake of Amazon Lily’s future, don’t be foolish.”

“Forget about trying to send word. Stay here quietly.”

…

Sabaody Archipelago.

On a speedboat that had just departed not long ago.

Hearing Elder Nyon’s screams through the Den Den Mushi, Shakky’s heart went cold.

Then the line went completely silent.

“Damn…”

Without another thought, she abandoned the speedboat altogether.

Using her martial arts, she stepped rapidly through the air, rushing toward Amazon Lily.

…

East Blue, Foosha Village.

Inside Makino’s bar.

The Red-Haired Pirates were drinking and horsing around.

Lucky Roux and Benn Beckman were trading punches, while the others gathered around, jeering loudly.

At the counter, a young boy in a white T-shirt grinned wide with excitement.

He turned toward the leisurely drinking Shanks.

“Shanks!!!”

“I want to be a pirate!”

Shanks sighed.

“Day after day… you’re really persistent, huh.”

“Pirates aren’t anything good, you know.”

The boy in the white T-shirt looked up dreamily.

“But they say pirates are strong, fun, and free!!!”

Shanks turned helplessly to the others.

“Oi, oi, who was it?”

“Who’s been filling this brat’s head again?”

Lucky Roux and Benn Beckman immediately stopped fighting. In a flash, they were back in their seats, eating as if nothing had happened at all.

The boy in the white T-shirt looked expectant.

“Test me for joining the crew again today!”

At the bar, young Makino gave a wry smile.

“Again? Maybe it’s about time you gave up, Luffy.”

Luffy scowled, refusing to back down.

“Today I’ll definitely pass!”

…

The World Government’s secret prison.

A tall man, covered in wounds with no patch of unbroken skin left, was bound inside.

His tattered suit was little more than shreds. Some wounds had even begun to rot—clearly, they hadn’t been treated for a long time.

It was the CP9 agent Fūzu Fū, who had failed to deliver the Gum-Gum Fruit.

He had expected his fate to be grim, but never imagined it would become like this.

When the rescue team had arrived, they hadn’t treated him. Instead, they had shackled him immediately, followed by endless torture and punishment.

Sustaining himself on sheer willpower, he was now near his limit…

His thoughts were muddled, slipping in and out of awareness.

One prison guard, watching the man who had been tortured for so many days yet still clung to life, sneered:

“I say, what are you holding out for?”

“Wouldn’t it be easier to just die quietly?”

“Because of you, bastard, my vacation this month got canceled.”

“You think someone’s coming to save you?”

At the word save, Fūzu Fū stirred, mumbling hoarsely.

“Save… save…”

“Save… me…”

At the door, the guard casually picked up a whip and lashed him.

Crack—Crack—

Several more bloody welts appeared.

“Bastard, who would save you?”

“Better if you just died already.”

“Still dreaming of rescue? Hah…”

“If you’re expecting salvation, you’d be better off praying to the Sun God Nika.”

“They say in ancient times, slaves believed in a Sun God called Nika who would rescue them.”

“Bring smiles and freedom to their suffering lives.”

“Go ahead, pray. Maybe it’ll work, bastard.”

Crack—Crack—

After whipping him for a while, the guard lost interest once Fūzu Fū fainted again, and went off to eat.

No one knew how much time passed.

When Fūzu Fū woke again, he began praying desperately to Nika.

“Nika… If someone can just save me… no matter who…”

“Just save me…”

…

That night, drunk on booze, the guard bragged to his comrades about mocking Fūzu Fū.

No one noticed the nearby squad leader, whose pupils shrank sharply as his gaze grew cold.

…

Holy Land, Mary Geoise.

The Elders gathered together.

On the table lay the testimony extracted from the tortured guard, word for word recounting how he had mocked Fūzu Fū that day.

The tall, thin Elder flipped through it.

“Was this really a coincidence?”

“A CP9 agent transporting the Devil Fruit imbued with Nika’s will loses it…”

“And then, out of nowhere, a prison guard tells him to pray to the Sun God Nika.”

“This sort of thing…”

It was utterly bizarre…

The burly Elder shook his head.

“Probably just coincidence.”

“After all, he never actually ate the fruit.”

But the tall Elder’s brows stayed furrowed.

“The problem is—why now, of all times…”

The Elder with the sword adjusted his glasses.

“Then kill them all.”

“If they’re dead, the matter becomes clear.”

…

The World Government’s secret prison.

Fūzu Fū was still praying to the Sun God Nika.

Since that day when the guard had told him of Nika, that guard had disappeared.

He’d been replaced with a new one.

This one was disciplined and proper, and in these last days, Fūzu Fū hadn’t been beaten.

With some rest, his strength had returned slightly, his mind barely holding together.

He even believed it might truly be the Sun God’s blessing. His prayers had not ceased for a moment…

Until tonight.

A man who looked like a squad leader said a few words to the new guard, then glanced at Fūzu Fū before leaving.

That look chilled Fūzu Fū’s heart—it was a look he knew too well.

The look one gave the dead.

Soon after, the guard also left.

All at once, Fūzu Fū seemed to understand.

Everything that had changed… it had all begun with that story.

Could that story be some kind of forbidden tale?

And now that I’ve heard it…

The looming sense of death shocked his nerves awake.

This time, he abandoned all hope. He had to escape.

Forcing himself calm, he gathered what strength remained in his head…

A single strand of hair began to lengthen, while his body shrank thinner.

That strand writhed and stretched toward the keyhole of his chains…

Before long, footsteps approached.

As the guard returned, carrying something, nearing Fūzu Fū—

Clatter!

The chains fell to the ground.

The guard stared in shock, but Fūzu Fū gave him no time to react.

With all his strength, he drove a finger straight through the guard’s throat.

Before the blood could spray, he lunged with a feral snarl, biting into the man’s neck.

The hot blood poured into his body.

With that “water” replenishment, his strength barely revived.

After a while…

Thud.

In the cell remained only a pale, blood-drained corpse, stripped of its clothes.

And a man now dressed in a guard’s uniform.

That figure in the uniform pushed open the cell door and disappeared.

“I will live…”

—

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