Two days later, Ortoren handed Olvia over safely to Borsalino on the Red Line, much to Borsalino's relief.
After that, they went their separate ways—Borsalino leading his squad toward Punk Hazard in the New World, while Ortoren and his men set course back to Marine Headquarters at Marineford.
The return was much quicker. By crossing the Red Line in the morning, they could already see the Fortress of Justice by afternoon.
The weather, however, was poor. A steady drizzle fell, and the sea churned with rough waves. Thankfully, their warship was large enough to keep the voyage smooth.
On deck, under an umbrella, Ortoren held little Robin's hand.
"Uncle, will I ever see Mama and the Doctor again?" Robin suddenly asked.
Since parting from Olvia and the other scholars, Robin had shown remarkable strength, never once raising the question. But now, as Marineford loomed closer, her unease grew, and she could no longer hold it back.
"Of course you will," Ortoren said, ruffling her hair. "They're all part of the Marines now. They just have very complicated, secret work to do, so they can't leave their posts so easily. But when I have the chance, I'll take you to visit them."
Hearing this, Robin nodded and fell silent, though her eyes still carried hope for the future.
When the warship finally entered Marineford's port, she asked again, "Then if I join the Marines one day, can I work with Mama and the others? Wouldn't that mean I could see them every day?"
Ortoren blinked, then chuckled. "That's actually a good plan. But the Marines are very strict. You'll have to become truly exceptional to join."
"Then I'll work hard and become exceptional!" Robin said brightly, as if she'd just found both the answer and the path forward.
Once the gangway was lowered, Ortoren and Issho disembarked. Holding an umbrella, Issho remarked, "Quite the downpour today..."
"Yes," Ortoren replied with a sigh. "Marineford's location gives it mostly clear skies and stable weather. Rain like this is rare."
But just as he stepped into the harbor, something felt wrong. His expression shifted sharply as he turned back toward the bay.
His warship, only just docked, was swaying strangely. Then, as if pulled by some unseen force, it suddenly lifted off the surface of the sea and shot upward into the sky!
Ortoren's eyes snapped to Issho, who looked just as stunned, watching the warship rise higher. And it wasn't only his ship—every warship moored in the harbor seemed seized by the same mysterious power, all ascending into the air. Some Marines aboard hadn't even had time to react before being flung off, screaming in terror as they plummeted.
"Issho!" Ortoren barked.
"Understood!" Issho answered at once. His staff-blade slid free of its sheath, and from its edge radiated a strange gravitational force that caught the falling Marines, shielding them from disaster.
At the same time, the piercing alarm of Marineford rang out. There was no doubt—this was an enemy attack.
And Ortoren had already spotted the culprit. High above the Fortress of Justice, a lone figure stood proud in the storm. His long golden hair whipped wildly in the wind and rain, like the mane of a defiant lion as he gazed down upon all of Marineford.
The man who had barely been seen since the Battle of Edd War... the Golden Lion, Shiki!
"Well, isn't this convenient. I just got back to Marineford, and you come rushing in to deliver yourself..." Ortoren murmured as he stared at the figure in the sky.
At that moment, Shiki let out a furious roar.
"Where's that bastard Roger!? You filthy Marines, hand him over to me!!!"
On Justice Square, Momonga had only returned today. He had just finished reporting at the Fortress of Justice when he witnessed the scene.
Rage surged through him. "Bastard! What do you think this place is!?" he shouted.
In the same breath, Momonga drew the blade at his waist. With a sudden burst of force at his feet, he launched into the air using Geppo, charging straight at Shiki above.
And it wasn't just him. The Marines already had a defense system in place, drilled countless times in peacetime. Even though no one ever truly believed Marineford would be attacked, the system still sprang into motion without delay.
Hidden batteries and stationed soldiers across Marineford opened fire on Shiki. Shells and bullets tore upward through the rain, exploding thunderously in the sky.
At the front of it all, Momonga closed in and struck. His sword slashed down as he roared, "This is the stronghold of justice, you damned pirate!!!"
Shiki looked at him with utter disdain. A flash of malice lit his eyes as he drew Oto, intercepting Momonga's strike. In the same instant, his other hand unsheathed Kogarashi, slashing toward Momonga's chest.
But Momonga was a seasoned elite. His reflexes were razor-sharp. With a swift shift of Geppo, he slid out of the attack in midair. Just as he was about to counter, Shiki's form drifted behind him like a ghost. With a backhanded cross slash, he aimed at Momonga's back.
Shiki's speed was overwhelming. Against such a gap in strength, Momonga couldn't react in time.
Then, a flash of lightning split the rain. Ortoren's figure appeared between Shiki and Momonga.
His hands, coated in dense Armament Haki, clamped down on both of Shiki's blades with precision. His eyes darkened as he glared at him. "Wouldn't it have been better to stay put in Merveille? Why come here to die... Shiki?"
"You brat, it's not your place to run your mouth here. Where's Sengoku?!" Shiki growled back, his expression equally grim.
He tried to wrench his swords free from Ortoren's grip, but to his shock, they wouldn't budge.
The next instant, two massive warships floating at Shiki's side hurtled toward them like meteors. With a thunderous crash, they smashed into the three of them, the impact erupting into a storm of debris.
But soon, a figure burst from the wreckage—Momonga. Nimble as ever, he kicked off fragments of debris midair to propel himself clear, quickly retreating to the ground.
The moment his feet touched down, dazzling lightning erupted above, blanketing the skies over Marineford in blinding light. Paired with the relentless downpour, it carried the awe of divine wrath.
Amid the storm of lightning, Shiki twisted and darted through the air, evading the pursuit. Yet behind him, a streak of lightning chased relentlessly, closing in without pause.
His twin Meito carved through the rain, crossing defensively in front of him. But in the next moment, a fist wreathed in roaring thunder slammed down onto the blades.
The impact detonated with a thunderous boom, blasting Shiki backward. But thanks to the Fuwa Fuwa no Mi, he absorbed the force quickly, neutralizing the momentum Ortoren had driven into him almost instantly.
Before he could mount a counterattack, two beams of searing light shot from Ortoren's eyes, ripping through the air and crashing into Shiki with brutal force.
Shiki managed to coat himself in Haki just in time to blunt the damage, but the strike still left its mark. And by then, Ortoren was already in his face.
"Lightning Plough Hot Sword!!!" Ortoren roared.
His massive arm, wrapped in violent lightning, carved streaks of afterimages through the rain-soaked sky. The strike was so fierce that even Shiki's agility failed him. With no choice, he raised both blades in a desperate guard.
In the blink of an eye, Ortoren's blow slammed against Shiki's swords, crushing through with sheer strength and driving straight into his chest. The force sent Shiki crashing down from the heavens into the ground below, a blazing trail of lightning marking his fall like a comet.