Time rewound seven days to Junk Island.
Because Pain was not controlling it, Lucci and Kaku remained inside Chibaku Tensei for a full ten minutes before being ejected by the explosion of Chibaku Tensei.
Inside Chibaku Tensei, Lucci and Kaku timely activated Iron Body, preventing their bodies from being crushed into a pulp.
The Three Vice Admirals, who had been waiting there for a long time, did not go to catch Lucci and Kaku as they fell from the sky. Instead, they waited for the two to land before approaching to check their injuries.
Finding that the two were unharmed except for exhaustion from prolonged Iron Body use and some oxygen deprivation, Smoker and Onigumo each carried one, walking towards the Sea Train station, while Momousagi supported the still-mobile Nero and followed.
Another crushing defeat for CP0 made Lucci and the others realize that the Akatsuki Organization was no longer something their agency could handle.
This time, it also left Lucci somewhat disheartened, causing him to question his own strength once again. At the same time, the obsession with revenge in his heart was doused with cold water, gradually cooling.
After returning to Enies Lobby this time, Lucci no longer understood what meaning CP0's existence truly held.
The continuous deaths of CP0 members and repeated mission failures, these heavy blows caused even the inherently resilient Lucci to lose his direction and become at a loss.
World Government. Marineford.
After Kizaru returned from Junk Island, he gave Akainu a brief explanation of the situation, causing the hot-tempered Akainu to fly into a rage once again.
Akainu had not expected such a nascent organization to be able to manipulate the World Government so easily.
The Akatsuki Organization, facing the World Government's relentless pursuit, repeatedly escaped with gains, making Akainu realize the Akatsuki Organization's difficulty while also prompting him to reflect on his own mistakes.
If Akainu had listened to Staff Officer Tsuru, the Materials for the Pluton battleship could have been saved. However, Akainu was headstrong and consumed by anger, refusing to heed Staff Officer Tsuru's advice, resulting in the loss of both the Materials and the people.
Now the Akatsuki Organization had everything. Even if they didn't build the battleship in Water 7, Akainu couldn't do anything about them, and he wouldn't know where to pursue them then.
Akainu believed the seriousness of this situation had exceeded his tolerance. Akainu didn't even know how to report such a situation to the Gorosei.
But the ugly wife must eventually meet her in-laws; no matter what kind of punishment he would face, this matter had to be reported clearly, otherwise, the responsibility for concealing it would be even greater.
Akainu decided to report truthfully and observe the Gorosei's attitude before deciding on the next course of action.
Four days after the battle of Junk Island, this was Amazon Lily, the Kuja Tribe's Amazon Lily.
If one were to look down upon Amazon Lily's current state from high above, only one phrase could describe it: ravaged and unbearable to behold.
The Marine had carried out Akainu's Buster Call mission, extensively bombing Amazon Lily. None of the buildings on the island were intact, and scattered everywhere were the dismembered limbs of the island's citizens.
Some houses were still emitting thick smoke, indicating that the fires had only recently extinguished. Some citizens were even trapped under debris, barely clinging to life, unable to move.
Hancock did not rush on her return journey, thus arriving back on the island with everyone on the ship on the fourth day.
Looking at their ravaged homeland and the scattered corpses everywhere, Hancock and her crew trembled all over, tears streaming down their faces.
"Marguerite..."
"Aphelandra... Sweet Pea..."
"Gloriosa..."
"Where... where are you all?!"
Hancock went from murmuring to shouting loudly, and finally to crying out in emotional distress. In that instant... Hancock and her crew all fell into endless sorrow.
"The Kuja Kingdom is finished..."
"Amazon Lily is finished..."
"Everyone... everyone... it's all over..."
"Ah... Ah!..."
"Why?..."
"Why did they do this!?..."
"Isn't it true that whatever I do will be forgiven?..."
"Why did this happen?..."
"Did I really make a mistake this time?..."
Hancock fell into hysterical grief, kneeling on the ground, hands plunged into the muddy earth, desperately digging while weeping and muttering, trying to find important people.
Boa Sandersonia and her sister, though deeply saddened, tried their best to control themselves, doing what needed to be done: searching for survivors.
"Sister..."
"Sister!..."
"Gloriosa is still alive..."
"Come quickly!"
Boa Sandersonia, who was searching, spotted Gloriosa lying in the distance and loudly called out to Hancock, who was steeped in sorrow.
Hearing the call, Hancock quickly got up and rushed to Gloriosa's side to check her injuries. Gloriosa slowly opened her eyes, speaking weakly.
"Hancock..."
"You all..."
"Finally returned."
"The Marine..."
"The Marine launched a Buster Call..."
"Our... our home..."
"It's all destroyed..."
"Hancock..."
"You have grown up..."
"From now on... you can no longer be so willful."
"I... I can only accompany you all this far..."
"Sandersonia..."
"Marigold..."
"From now on... you must protect your sister well, don't... don't let her be so willful again..."
"You all... you must..."
Gloriosa did not finish her last sentence, having already taken her last breath.
"Gloriosa... Gloriosa!"
"No!..."
"Don't die... I won't be willful anymore, I will definitely listen to you from now on..."
"Wake up quickly... Wake up quickly!..."
"Don't... don't leave me... don't leave us..."
Hancock cried out heartbreakingly, but she could not revive the deceased Gloriosa. In an instant, everyone once again plunged into a heavy atmosphere of sorrow.
Hancock now realized that the destruction of Amazon Lily was the World Government's retaliation for her leaking information and leaving early.
Hancock now deeply regretted her hasty decision and willfulness at the time.
Hancock also felt immense resentment, resenting the World Government's heartlessness and her own powerlessness.
But regret was useless; what was lost could never return, and the path ahead still had to be walked. After all, the Kuja Pirates were still intact, and her companions on the ship were all alive.
"Sister... Gloriosa is... dead."
"Don't be sad..."
"Gloriosa wanted you to live well..."
"Live happily..."
"We... we must pull ourselves together..."
"We will definitely avenge them!"
Marigold was actually very sad too, but she didn't want Hancock to remain immersed in grief, so she tearfully mentioned the desire for revenge.
"Revenge?..."
"Do we... do we have the strength to get revenge?..."
Hancock choked back tears. Subconsciously, Hancock felt that if they had the strength for revenge, they wouldn't have suffered such a catastrophic disaster now.
"Sister..."
"Do you remember the Akatsuki Organization's invitation?"
"Why don't we use their power?"
Sandersonia had gradually calmed her grief, and with clear thoughts, reminded Hancock of the Akatsuki Organization's existence.
"The Akatsuki Organization?..."
"Why would they be willing to help us get revenge..."
"After all, we were still enemies a few days ago..."
Hancock was now overwhelmed by sadness, completely unable to think normally, raising questions that were fundamentally not questions.
Sandersonia and her sister also knew Hancock's current state, so they set the matter aside, reminding Hancock to attend to the deceased and to continue searching for any surviving personnel.
To be continued...