As Fleet Admiral, Ann received an exceptionally high salary. Even a small amount of her money would be enough to make Yachiru wealthy.
"Why does each generation get smaller?" Yachiru complained. "If I split again, am I going to produce a little child?"
"All right, all right. This isn't the time to worry about that." The corner of Ann's mouth twitched as she handed Yachiru a bag of Berry.
Yachiru accepted it. "Don't worry. I'll take care of the situation in Alabasta for you. It's also about time someone cleaned up the Cartel."
"Use your own judgment." Ann trusted the judgment of her other self.
As she left, Yachiru glanced at a sword hanging on the wall.
After considering it, she did not take the weapon. She felt that it might not suit her.
Or perhaps she would encounter a sword that suited her better.
She opened the door to the Fleet Admiral's office and quietly departed Marine Headquarters.
Yachiru possessed Ann's memories and knew the headquarters' layout perfectly. Avoiding the Marines and surveillance cameras on her way out was extremely simple.
Sensing Yachiru gradually move farther away, Ann gently exhaled.
She was somewhat weakened, but she could recover. Roger had slowly regained what he lost after splitting Ann from himself and had eventually become even stronger.
Her present weakness was only temporary.
In fact, the minds of the two halves remained somewhat connected. Perhaps because of that link, the division would allow both women to grow at twice their former speed. Although they were separate people, they could communicate without the slightest barrier and compensate for each other's weaknesses.
The newly created Yachiru possessed around sixty percent of Ann's former strength, which still made her an extremely powerful figure on the seas. Ann had qualified to become a Marine Admiral immediately after her own creation. Yachiru was even stronger than Ann had been then.
Ann lightly tapped a finger against her desk. The office and all of Marine Headquarters fell silent.
.......
Drum Island.
"Understood, Doctor. I'll investigate it next."
Monet switched off her long-range communication earpiece and looked at the other two. "So, what do we do now?"
"The World Government appears to know what is happening here. Should we make use of their power?"
They had originally come here in response to Acqua's summons. Before all four members could gather, however, the incident in Alabasta occurred.
After learning that Aatrox might break free from his seal in Alabasta, they were momentarily uncertain how to handle the situation.
Vegapunk contacted Monet and informed her of the recent developments.
In short, the world now faced two Demon Lords and an unidentified monster called the Thunder Angel.
"Terra has already gone to Alabasta, and the World Government has also sent people there. We should focus on identifying the other Demon Lord," Rouge said. She looked at Acqua and waited for him to remain silent before continuing.
"I think we should seize this opportunity to seal Aatrox again," Monet countered. "As for the other Demon Lord... don't we know nothing except that he's the Water Demon?"
After arriving, Acqua had told them that the Water Demon had entered the world. Of the Eight Demon Sorcerers, the Water Demon probably posed the greatest danger to the modern world, because nothing in this world was more abundant than seawater.
If he truly emerged, he could raise a colossal tsunami capable of swallowing the world.
Even Acqua knew only that the Water Demon had crossed Hell's barrier and entered the living world. He could not determine its precise location.
After speaking, Monet cast an indirect glance at Acqua. "And the Angel known as the Thunder Angel..."
Both "angel" and "Angel" were titles with deep associations with the Cross Church. If that Thunder Angel truly was an angel of their faith, then...
What position should God's Right Seat take?
Fortunately, Acqua replied gravely, "It cannot be considered a true angel."
Monet inwardly sighed in relief. That was good. Very good.
Rouge did not dwell on the angel. Instead, she continued, "Among the Eight Demon Sorcerers, the Demons of Earth, Fire, Water, and Wind possess the oldest legacies. The Water Demon poses an even greater threat than Aatrox, so I still believe we should concentrate our efforts on finding him."
"Perhaps this is part of the Water Demon's plan. He knows we are searching for him, so he is using Aatrox to divert our attention." Acqua slowly raised his head. "The Water Demon is somewhere in the first half of the Grand Line. We must deal with him first."
"I agree. However, the Ice Witch on Drum Island has no connection to the Water Demon. I'm sure both of you already know that." Rouge nodded before changing the subject to the events on Drum Island.
"Of course," Monet replied with a hint of mockery. "Humans truly are insane creatures. When they turn to evil, they can make even demons concede inferiority."
"They will undoubtedly descend into Hell when the Last Judgment arrives."
"Humanity is capable of ultimate good and ultimate evil," Rouge said compassionately. "At their best, humans can surpass angels; at their worst, they can surpass demons. Having those two paths before them is precisely what makes them human, and why the human world stands between Heaven and Hell."
After speaking, Rouge suddenly felt her heart throb, as though something deeply connected to her had appeared. She abruptly looked into the depths of the Grand Line, toward Alabasta.
"What is it?" Monet noticed her expression. "Did you change your mind?"
Rouge had advocated continuing the search for the Water Demon, while Monet wanted to travel to Alabasta and combine their strength against Aatrox. Now that Acqua had sided with Rouge, Monet did not resent the decision. Still, seeing Rouge suddenly look toward Alabasta prompted her to tease the other woman.
"N-No. It's nothing," Rouge said softly.
But what she had just felt was unquestionably real.
What had appeared? Who had returned?
Was it Ace?
No, Ace should still be somewhere in the Drum Kingdom. In that case, who had appeared in Alabasta?
Only one person in her entire life could make her feel such powerful concern.
Roger.
The legendary Pirate King, Gol D. Roger!
But...
Roger was supposed to be dead.
The throbbing in her heart made it nearly impossible to keep her feet still. She involuntarily looked at Acqua. He seemed to understand something, or perhaps he simply understood the meaning in Rouge's eyes.
"Go."
Acqua spoke indifferently. "Vento and I will continue the investigation."
"Thank you." Rouge was deeply grateful. If not for Acqua, she might still have been living on an unknown island, relying on Ann's assistance while she and Ace hid from the Marines.
Now he was allowing her to leave in the middle of the critical search for a Demon Lord. Rouge was profoundly moved.
The longing in her heart made it impossible to remain any longer. She nodded to Acqua and Vento, then sprinted toward the edge of the island. Before long, she vanished from their sight.
Monet instinctively reached toward Rouge's departing figure, staring in astonishment. She had no idea what had just happened.
What was this?
All four members of God's Right Seat were supposed to gather. Terra had never appeared at all, and now Fiamma had suddenly run off just as the remaining three agreed on a plan?
She looked at Acqua in confusion.
"Everyone has something incredibly important to them," Acqua said. "Sometimes, that thing matters more than their own life, or even the entire world."
Monet nodded without fully understanding. She had lived in a laboratory on Pandora Island since childhood. Despite possessing the ability to teleport, she had rarely left the island.
After being selected for God's Right Seat, she had merely traveled back and forth between Pandora Island and the Cross Church's headquarters. Her understanding of the world was shallow, and she could not fully comprehend Acqua's meaning.
Still, she trusted his judgment. In her experience, Acqua was the most mature and powerful person she knew.
"Fine. Where are we going next?" Monet floated in the air and extended her senses, but found nothing.
"To the ocean floor," Acqua answered. "The Water Demon is most likely somewhere in the sea, where he can exercise his greatest power."
He began walking toward the ocean.
"Good thing I never ate a Devil Fruit," Monet muttered before entering the water even faster than Acqua.
In truth, eating a Devil Fruit would not have caused her any problems. Psychokinetic power surrounded her body and kept the seawater away. Although she entered the ocean, the water never touched her.
The two soon disappeared into the seemingly endless sea.
.......
Meanwhile, in Alabasta, the two warring sides had initially stopped because of the unexpected tremor. The Thunder Angel's sudden emergence from underground had stunned them further, but after it departed, the two sides resumed their battle.
Cobra and Crocodile returned to Alabasta through the Senkaimon, appearing directly inside the royal palace.
Cartel paratroopers descending from the sky had nearly occupied the palace. Only a few sections remained under the royal guards' control.
Nami was easily the most conspicuous defender. She controlled thunder and lightning to attack the Cartel soldiers, using wide-ranging attacks that covered entire areas. Her nearly immortal body meant she did not fear their bullets. Under these conditions, she was practically a god of war.
Nami had repelled the Cartel's advance several times.
However, there was one person's attacks she did not dare take directly.
Koza's.
Nami believed there had to be something unusual about his bullets. They made even her sense danger. Koza was an extremely accurate marksman, and his bullets were very fast. Despite Nami's desperate attempts to evade them, one eventually struck her.
She could still regenerate, but the process was exceptionally slow. Nami could clearly feel that the bullet had truly "injured" her.
The moment Nami was wounded, the palace's defenses collapsed. The Cartel soldiers were on the verge of breaking through.
At that moment, Cobra appeared. Standing above the battlefield and looking across the fighting throughout the city, he shouted in anguish, "Enough, Koza! Aatrox is about to break free! Even now, do you still intend to make us slaughter one another?!"
"Cobra..." Koza had been searching everywhere for Cobra. Hearing his voice, Koza immediately located him and shouted, "You broke your promise! It's time for you to surrender the throne. This world doesn't need kings, and people don't need masters!"
"The answer to everything is inside that place. Let me enter, and I can order a ceasefire!"
"I can relinquish my throne, but the entrance to Hell is gone!" Cobra said painfully. "The Shinigami has left Alabasta. No one will ever be able to find it again!"
"What?!"
Koza's pupils contracted. "What did you say?!"
"Crocodile can confirm it! The Shinigami has left Alabasta because a Demon Lord is about to return!"
A Demon Lord...
Koza thought of Alabasta's current devastation. The country had been reduced to this state because of Aatrox, and now...
Was he returning?
"You expect me to believe you? You've already deceived us once!" Unable to accept it, Koza raised his gun and aimed directly at Cobra.
"Enough! You should know whether he's telling the truth. You felt that pressure earlier, didn't you? What else but a Demon Lord could produce such a presence?!" Crocodile shouted furiously.
The sight of anyone from the Cartel now filled him with rage. They had controlled him like a clown for so long. Still, he knew that Koza was merely another pawn. Koza had no idea what the Cartel had become!
"..." Koza fell silent.
"Hmph. You probably don't know this, but the Cartel has already betrayed the ideals you once shared," Crocodile continued. "Your leader, Anzu Seifer, has long since become another tyrant."
Koza was well aware of that. It was precisely why he was so desperate to find the entrance to Hell. He wanted to discover a way to liberate all humanity. If the Cartel could not help him realize that ideal, he would join the Revolutionary Army instead.
Koza slowly lowered his gun. He knew there was no longer any reason to continue the battle.
But at that exact moment, a piercing pain struck him. It felt as though a needle had stabbed into his brain. The hand he had just lowered instantly rose again, and his finger pulled the trigger. A bullet struck Cobra directly!
"The king has been shot! Avenge the king!"
A "squad captain" among the royal guards immediately shouted.
----
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