Countless shadows flew back into their owners' bodies.
Shortly after this process ended…
Sunlight pierced through the mist-covered land, where no sunlight usually reached year-round. The bodies of Ezekiel and Katakuri seemed coated in a layer of golden light, freezing the scene in time.
Nojiko's eyes sparkled—this was a sight rarely seen even in a hundred years.
Ezekiel looked at Katakuri and extended his hand:
"Of course. Do you trust me, Katakuri?"
With a faint smile, Katakuri placed his bloodied hand in Ezekiel's. And in that moment, Katakuri fell into a deep coma.
Several soldiers quickly stepped forward to support Katakuri and lay him on a stretcher. A few military medics performed basic wound treatment.
He truly was a monster… Even if the doctors did nothing, he wouldn't die so easily.
As the situation continued to shift, everyone maintained a degree of restraint—except for Big Mom, who remained as crazed as ever.
Behind Ezekiel, clashes with more than half of the Big Mom Pirates' crew persisted.
Truthfully, even if Ezekiel decided not to let the Big Mom Pirates go, he couldn't guarantee he wouldn't have to. It was unrealistic to commit all his forces and spend days and nights fighting them.
After all, the World Government was watching!
They might overlook things for a while, but not for an entire day or two.
Ezekiel had been in the Florian Triangle for a long time, and the World Government undoubtedly knew. Moreover, Zephyr, Hancock, Fujitora, and others had left Alabasta.
In this scenario, every second Ezekiel waited was another chance he gave the World Government.
So, not this time.
Katakuri had been the final push that made Ezekiel lean toward mercy rather than annihilating the Big Mom Pirates in one fell swoop.
This battle was inevitable either way, but the target had to change.
Just as he finally relayed his orders to Zephyr and was about to enter the shuttle door, he heard Nojiko's shout:
"Your Majesty! Could you deliver a letter to my sister?!!"
A soldier took the letter from her and handed it to Ezekiel.
"Chase what you desire. This sea holds countless miracles. Though you're called pirates, you are brave adventurers of the ocean. And remember my words—be wary of the World Government." Ezekiel left them with a warning, one that the Straw Hats seemed to take seriously.
And with that, the mysterious King departed.
Ezekiel didn't want to interact too much with the Straw Hat Pirates. This was the dawn of a new era, one that Red-Hair Shanks cherished. They were a crew with the aura of protagonists, but Ezekiel had reason to believe that if he drew too much attention to them, they'd become targets of the World Government—and unlikely to survive the coming war…
...…..
Over a dozen massive Marine warships sped across the sea's surface. On the deck sat Kizaru, one of the three Marine Admirals. At this moment, Kizaru felt uneasy.
*"Why did they send me alone?"*
He glanced at the sun through his brown sunglasses—it was truly blinding.
"Borsalino, you're the fastest. If you find Alabasta counterattacking, you can retreat as quickly as possible," Sengoku had said.
*"What kind of nonsense is that?!*
*Do I have no honor?!*
*I, a Marine Admiral, am supposed to run away!?*
*And this is the same Sengoku who always preached about the honor of the Marines? Does he no longer care about upholding that honor against Alabasta?"*
Ever since encountering Alabasta, Borsalino had grown more and more tangled in his thoughts…
"Admiral, sir!" A Marine soldier called out, his voice trembling—not out of fear of Kizaru, but from the sheer spectacle of the Marine fleet.
At that moment, Kizaru looked up and saw the massive silhouette of the Leviathan rising slowly from the sea—and something strange upon it…
A man named Ezekiel sat at a tea table, leisurely sipping his drink. Behind him stood a blind swordsman, idly playing with his blade, wearing a naive smile…
Kizaru clearly saw the same gentle smile on Ezekiel's face before the man greeted him from afar:
"Kizaru-san, what a coincidence—do you also enjoy swimming in this sea?"
The Leviathan extended its terrifying tentacles, as if the slightest movement would unleash a sky-obscuring strike.
*"Swimming?!*
*I'm a Devil Fruit user!*
*I can't swim!*
*Is this a threat?! It is, isn't it?!*
*Fleet Admiral Sengoku, are you hearing this? I'm being threatened. There's nothing I can do. The enemy is too strong. That's justification enough."*
"Retreat!" Kizaru called out, though he felt ashamed…
Watching the distant Marine fleet withdraw, Fujitora spoke:
"The World Government… they've been watching us all along. We can't let our guard down."
Ezekiel smiled.
*"Right now, the World Government is convinced that even the Revolutionary Army is cooperating with me. Of course they'd keep Alabasta under constant surveillance, waiting for me to provoke them into action."*
He had also noticed that Dragon, Belo Betty, and others had appeared at the port of Eruma.
*"It seems you're truly willing to cooperate with Alabasta. At the very least, in this critical moment, you were prepared to help Alabasta face the enemy. Even if war hasn't broken out yet, it's still a possibility."*
Soon after, Zephyr and the others returned to Eruma.
The battle in the mysterious Florian Triangle had lasted two days and two nights. Now, Big Mom lay unconscious.
This was the first time in history that Charlotte Linlin had completely lost her mind without finding any food.
And the Big Mom Pirates, who had witnessed their captain being beaten down, were utterly horrified.
--