The footsteps about to depart halted.
Sakazuki glanced at Elder Nyon, who was stiff with fear, then walked to the shore and picked up the Den Den Mushi.
Watching the Den Den Mushi ring incessantly, he released a hint of Conqueror's Haki towards Elder Nyon, paralyzing her ability to move or speak.
*Click—*
He answered the Den Den Mushi, and an anxious voice came through, "I've already set out."
"How's the situation, Elder Nyon?"
"You must hold back Hancock!"
"Sakazuki won't go easy on you."
"Elder Nyon?"
Sakazuki glanced at Elder Nyon, withdrew his Conqueror's Haki, and pointed his finger at the spot where her arm had been.
*Whoosh!*
A finger pistol shot out, instantly bursting another bloom of blood.
"Ah—!!!!"
A shrill scream erupted from Elder Nyon.
*Splash—*
The Den Den Mushi was crushed, scattering into pieces.
Sakazuki chuckled lightly, "Interesting, there are reinforcements."
"No need to rush then."
He then looked towards the entrance of Amazon Lily, where a large number of warriors were rushing forward.
The sky filled with killing intent and surging Conqueror's Haki, pressing down on the entire island layer by layer.
Constantly assaulting the nerves of the warriors and residents within the island, they fell like wheat, batch after batch.
"Quiet, quiet down."
He looked at the struggling Elder Nyon, "For the future of Amazon Lily, do not mistake your path."
"Don't think about sending a message, just stay put."
------
On a speedboat, not long after departing from Sabaody Archipelago.
Shakky's heart chilled as she heard Elder Nyon's screams through the Den Den Mushi.
Then the Den Den Mushi went silent, "This is bad..."
Without time to think, she abandoned the speedboat.
Using her body techniques, she treaded on the air, rushing towards Amazon Lily.
-----
East Blue, Foosha Village.
Inside Makino's bar.
The Red-Haired Pirates were drinking and brawling.
Lucky Roo and Benn Beckman punched each other, surrounded by cheering comrades.
The boy in the white t-shirt grinned widely.
Looking at Shanks, who was leisurely drinking, he exclaimed, "Shanks!!!"
"I want to be a pirate!"
Shanks sighed, "You pester me every single day."
"Pirates aren't good people."
The boy in the white t-shirt said with some yearning, "But they say pirates are strong, fun, and free!!!"
Shanks turned to his crew with a hint of helplessness, "Hey, hey, who is it?"
"Who's been fanning the flames for this kid again?"
Lucky Roo and Benn Beckman, who were fighting, instantly stopped and appeared at their seats as if teleporting, eating their food as if nothing had happened.
The boy in the white t-shirt looked expectant, "Test me for crew membership today too!"
Young Makino smiled helplessly from behind the bar, "Here we go again, shouldn't you give up by now, Luffy?"
Luffy said indignantly, "Today I'll definitely pass!"
-----
Government's secret prison.
A tall man, covered in wounds with not a single intact patch of skin, was bound here.
His tattered suit was torn to shreds, and some of his wounds had even festered, indicating he hadn't received treatment for a long time.
This was CP9 agent Who's Who, who had failed to transport the Gum-Gum Fruit.
He had expected a grim fate, but Who's Who had never imagined things would develop this way.
When the rescue personnel arrived, they didn't treat him first but immediately shackled him, followed by endless torture and punishment.
Resisting solely with his will, he was nearing his breaking point...
His thoughts were becoming muddled, hazy.
A prison guard looked at Who's Who, who had been beaten for days but still breathed, and mocked, "I say, what are you holding out for?"
"You should just die honestly."
"Damn you, it's because of you that I've lost my vacation this month."
"Who are you expecting to save you?"
Who's Who seemed to hear the word "save" and muttered repeatedly, "Save... save..."
"Save me....."
The guard at the door casually picked up a whip and lashed out.
*Crack—Crack—*
Several more bloody welts appeared, "Bastard, who's going to save you?"
"Just die quickly."
"Still hoping for rescue, ha..."
"You might as well pray to the Sun God 'Nika' than expect anyone to save you."
"It's said that slaves in ancient times believed a Sun God named 'Nika' would save them."
"Bringing smiles and freedom to their suffering lives."
"Pray to him, maybe it'll work, you bastard."
*Crack—Crack—*
After whipping for a while, the guard, seeing Who's Who had fainted again, lost interest and prepared to go eat.
After an unknown amount of time, the revived Who's Who prayed incessantly to Nika.
"Nika, huh..."
"...As long as you save me... no matter who..."
"Just save me..."
-----
That prison guard, during his drunken state that evening, boasted about his taunts to Who's Who to his colleagues.
No one noticed that a passing squad leader's pupils constricted, his gaze gradually turning cold.
Holy Land, Marie Geoise.
The Five Elders were gathered, with the confession of the torturing jailer laid out on the table, detailing his conversation mocking Who's Who verbatim.
The tall, thin Elder flipped through the confession, "Is this truly a coincidence?"
"An agent carrying the will of 'Nika' was dispatched, and after losing the fruit,"
"the jailer inexplicably brought up praying to the Sun God 'Nika'."
"This kind of thing..."
It was simply baffling...
The burly Elder shook his head, "It's probably a coincidence."
"After all, he didn't eat that fruit."
The tall, thin Elder still frowned, "The key is that it happened at this specific time..."
The sword-wielding Elder adjusted his glasses, "Then kill them all."
"If they're dead, everything will be clear."
-----
Government's secret prison.
Who's Who was still praying to the Sun God 'Nika'.
Since that day when the guard told him about the Sun God 'Nika', that guard had disappeared.
He was replaced by a new guard who was very diligent, and in the past few days, Who's Who hadn't been beaten.
His strength had recovered somewhat, barely maintaining a sliver of consciousness.
He thought the Sun God had truly manifested, and his daily prayers never ceased...
Until that night, a captain-like figure said a few words to the new guard, glanced at him, and left.
But Who's Who's heart turned cold... he was most familiar with that kind of look, the look given to a dead man...
Then the guard walked out.
Suddenly, Who's Who seemed to understand something.
The changes of these past few days had begun from that story...
Was that story taboo?
Then I, who had heard the legend...
The sense of impending death continuously stimulated his nerves, bringing him to full consciousness.
He frantically pondered escape methods. Before, he had held onto a sliver of hope, but now that hope was completely shattered.
He calmed himself, gathering strength in his head...
A strand of hair began to lengthen, and Who's Who's physique also began to thin.
That strand of hair writhed and extended towards the lock of the chain binding him...
Before long, footsteps grew closer.
Just as the guard, holding something, approached Who's Who.
*Clang!*
The chain fell to the ground.
The guard stared at Who's Who in shock, but Who's Who didn't give him time to react.
With all his might, he plunged a finger through the guard's throat. Before the blood could gush out, he ferociously lunged at the guard.
He bit directly into the guard's throat, and the scalding blood was continuously drunk into his body.
With the replenishment of 'moisture', Who's Who's stamina recovered slightly.
After a while...
*Thump.*
In the cell, only a corpse, deathly pale with all its blood drained and clothes removed, remained, along with a man wearing the guard's uniform.
The figure in the guard's uniform pushed open the cell door and disappeared.
"I want to live..."