P/S: If you are interested, you can read up to chapter 130+ at patreon.com/Emik01.

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Sabaody Archipelago!

“Surround this area.” Just receiving the order, Akainu dispatched a large number of Marines to encircle the frozen Island No. 1.

In 100 days, a new era would be born here.

Even though Akainu wasn’t fully satisfied with the establishment of the Seven Warlords, the thought of founding the new era on Kuke’s grave made him more eager than anyone.

Aokiji, looking unbothered, silently observed the scene before quietly riding away on his bicycle.

“He’s already dead, yet they insist on going this far,” Aokiji muttered as he left, disappearing alone into the distance.

…

“Kuke is dead!”

“Killed in battle, surrounded by Akainu, Aokiji, Kizaru, and Zephyr.”

“He’s really dead?”

“Yes, we saw it with our own eyes.”

“If even Kuke has been killed by the Navy, does that mean there’s truly no one in this world who can stand against the World Government?”

“It seems those Celestial Dragons will soon return to the seas, flaunting their power again.”

“Why are you so upset over the death of a pirate?”

“I don’t know about anything else, but I do know that as long as Kuke was alive, those Celestial Dragons never dared to leave the Holy Land for the seas.”

Sigh.

There was no celebration on the Sabaody Archipelago.

Only silence.

Rayleigh, who had stayed behind on the archipelago, quietly drank alone in the shadows.

“As expected, men who laugh when they speak cannot be trusted,” Rayleigh whispered, closing his eyes for a long time.

Suddenly, the sound of screams and cries came from outside.

The Marines were launching a massive raid on the pirates on the Sabaody Archipelago. With Kizaru not interfering and Aokiji gone, Akainu had taken charge. His goal: to wipe out every criminal on the archipelago.

His methods were ruthless.

The Marines surrounded the streets, checking each person against their wanted posters. They roughly kicked down doors and searched civilians’ homes, hunting for hidden pirates.

The Sabaody Archipelago echoed with cries of despair.

“It’s back to how it once was, but even worse,” Rayleigh said softly as he watched.

He sighed.

Rayleigh then departed from the archipelago. As he crossed the ice bridge, he gazed at the heavily-guarded Island No. 1, now a frozen wasteland.

“A body lost to the elements is better than one that’s dishonored.”

Rayleigh, who had considered taking Kuke’s body, let go of his plans.

“Ace may have only followed Kuke for a short time, but he’s already ignited a new flame. From now on, who else has the right to wield the sword that both Kuke and Ace once used? Ace, too, should rest alongside Kuke.”

Rayleigh, no longer holding onto any attachment, silently left the Sabaody Archipelago.

At the edge of the ice, overlooking the vast sea, Rayleigh stood silently for a long time.

“At the very least, I must help escort the remaining members of the Sun and Moon Pirates to the New World.”

Taking out a Den Den Mushi, Rayleigh contacted Shakky aboard the Radiant Eclipse.

…

Aboard the Radiant Eclipse, now over a hundred kilometers from the Sabaody Archipelago, the women waited quietly.

Click.

The sound of a door creaking open came from the cabin.

Everyone was on the deck. No one was in the cabin.

“I’m back.”

Kuke pushed open the door and looked at the women on deck.

Everything was just as it had been. Kuke was completely unscathed, the burns that had once covered his body now fully healed. Any scars he once had had vanished with his resurrection.

At his waist hung the Supreme Grade Sword, Ace.

Of course, Kuke had been resurrected with his weapon.

There was no Ace beneath the ice and charred ground of the Sabaody Archipelago.

Shhff—

Everyone turned around in unison, staring at Kuke.

Tears welled up in their eyes as they rushed toward him, overwhelmed with joy.

“You’re back. That’s all that matters,” Gion whispered, holding Kuke tightly.

Even though they knew he could be resurrected, they had still been worried.

“You really came back,” Shakky murmured, staring at Kuke standing before her, alive and well.

She, too, couldn’t hold back her emotions, turning away to wipe the joyful tears from her eyes.

Gion held onto Kuke even tighter. “Kuke, next time… No! From now on, I won’t leave again.”

“Captain, we also want to fight,” said Stussy and Hancock, their gazes as determined as Gion’s.

“We won’t let them gang up on you again or let anyone attack you unfairly.”

Kuke looked at them.

Even Kuina held her sword tightly, her gaze just as determined.

Kuke nodded firmly. “Alright!”

After the initial excitement, the women stayed close to Kuke, unwilling to leave his side.

After all, while he was gone, the ship had felt empty—missing not just their captain but their guiding star.

As Kuke sat surrounded by them, he calmly recounted the details of the battle.

“To think they even brought Zephyr. The Navy is despicable, three against one wasn’t enough—they had to send Zephyr too,” Hancock said coldly, her eyes fixed on the distant sea.

Her aura of Conqueror’s Haki flared, growing stronger than ever before, surpassing that of many seasoned Conqueror’s Haki users.

“They ganged up on Kuke. Sooner or later, I’ll make the Navy experience the same,” Hancock vowed.

Electricity crackled around Stussy as she spoke, her eyes just as cold. “Captain, why don’t we strike back right now?”

At this suggestion, everyone looked at Kuke expectantly.

Yes.

They should go back and get even.

“Kuke, since you’ve used your resurrection ability for the month, why don’t you stay on the ship this time, and we’ll go?” Gion, surrounded by flames, proposed.

“No rush.”

Kuke reassured them.

“This won’t end like this.”

After his fake death, Kuke had no intention of staying hidden forever.

“Let’s wait for a significant day, and then we’ll strike together, giving the Navy and the World Government a lesson they’ll never forget,” Kuke said, his eyes burning with a murderous glint.

The feeling of being surrounded and besieged was not pleasant.

Although he had grown stronger through the experience, dying was never enjoyable.

Launching an immediate counterattack would indeed make a big impact, but Kuke wanted to maximize this opportunity.

He wanted to strike on the day the Navy and the World Government cared about most, delivering a devastating blow.

After calming everyone down, Kuke turned to Shakky.

“Shakky, what are your plans going forward? It won’t be safe to return to the Sabaody Archipelago for a while,” Kuke said, apologizing to her for disrupting her peaceful life.

“If Captain Kuke doesn’t mind, I’d like to follow you from now on,” Shakky replied, having made her decision long before Kuke’s return.

Fate had left her without a home, and Shakky had resolved to follow her heart.

“I may not have much strength left, but I’ll do my best not to be a burden.”

“Shakky, don’t worry. I’ll soon unlock the ability to perform the Perpetual Youth Operation. Once I do, you’ll gain immortality, and you won’t have to worry about age anymore,” Kuke reassured her.

Shakky glanced at Belo Betty, still astounded by the many secrets she had uncovered aboard the Radiant Eclipse.

She had been shocked countless times already.

“Then I’ll be waiting,” Shakky said with a hopeful smile, though she knew it would take many years for Belo Betty to reach the level where she could perform the Perpetual Youth Operation.

Until then, she hoped to help the Sun and Moon Pirates in whatever way she could while she still had strength.

“Shakky, you don’t have to worry about that. There’s a Devil Fruit that can immediately solve your problem,” Kuke said. “We’re heading to the New World to find that Devil Fruit.”

Shakky looked at Kuke in surprise.

Another fruit capable of resisting the ravages of time?

Could it be that Kuke had found a second way, besides the Perpetual Youth Operation, to counter the hopelessness of aging?

In that moment, Kuke’s voice seemed both godlike and mysterious to Shakky.

“The Bat-Bat Fruit, Mythical Zoan, Vampire Model!”

Kuke revealed the name, abilities, and location of the Devil Fruit to Shakky.

Her breathing quickened.

It was as if this Devil Fruit had been tailor-made for her.

“Kuke, I don’t even know how to repay you.”

Kuke looked at the enthusiastic Shakky. “Shakky, there’s no need to be so formal. You’re a crew member, and I’m the captain.”

“Then, Captain Kuke, my life is in your hands from now on.”

Shakky stood, formally bowing to Kuke and acknowledging him as her captain.

Shakky: Officially aboard.

Navigator and Intelligence Officer: Shakky [Non-Devil Fruit User, Combat Power: 60,312].

“Off to the New World.”

Their first stop would be the New World to obtain the Mythical Zoan Vampire Model for Shakky, all while waiting for the right moment to strike back at the Navy.

Just then…

Ring, ring, ring!

Rayleigh’s call came in.

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P/S: If you are interested, you can read up to chapter 130+ at patreon.com/Emik01.

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Source: Webnovel.com, updated by NovelKeep