"CP? No," the masked man said calmly. "I'm not one of them."
The voice came from Kaoru Tsubasa, who stood before Vice Admiral Akainu amidst the burning ruins of O'Hara.
Originally, Kaoru had only come to check whether any survivors remained. But the moment he arrived, he spotted four Marine warships approaching from the horizon. To avoid complications later, he decided to drive them off before continuing his search.
"If you're not CP," Akainu said coldly, his molten eyes narrowing, "then you must be a pirate."
Kaoru tilted his head slightly beneath the white mask. "A pirate, huh?" he murmured, almost amused.
"Dog Bites the Crimson Lotus!"
Without hesitation, Akainu raised his arm. Molten magma surged forth, taking the shape of a snarling dog's head as it lunged toward Kaoru.
"You young Marines are far too impatient," Kaoru said with a chuckle. He unfurled his cloak, wrapping it tightly around himself.
A thunderous boom split the air. Smoke and fire consumed the space where Kaoru had stood.
"Did we get him?" one Marine asked nervously.
"Of course we did! Vice Admiral Akainu's attacks never miss!" another barked confidently.
But a third man's voice trembled. "N-no… look!"
As the smoke cleared, Kaoru stood completely unharmed. His cloak rippled gently in the heat, its white surface unburned.
"This can't be…" Akainu's eyes widened. Though not yet an admiral, his strength rivaled one. Yet his magma had failed to even scratch this masked man.
Kaoru smiled faintly. "Is that all you've got?"
He snapped his fingers.
The ground darkened. Shadows rippled outward, and one by one, black-armored figures rose from the darkness—silent, menacing, their eyes glowing faintly red.
"What… what are those things?" a Marine gasped.
"Don't panic!" Akainu roared. "Kill them all!"
The Marines steadied themselves, weapons drawn. They were the Navy's elite—battle-hardened and loyal. But when Kaoru raised his hand again, more horrors emerged from the shadows.
Creatures with serpentine lower bodies and whip-like arms.
Monstrous beings with hammer hands and clawed limbs.
Bat-like humanoids with thick wings and taloned feet.
Towering trolls with bulging muscles and jagged tusks.
Shadow-armored warriors wielding gleaming swords.
Four-legged fiends that devoured light itself.
And a mantis-like assassin with twin scythes gleaming in the firelight.
These were the Ghost Corps, formed by Kaoru through merging the powers of various masks. Each creature was a weapon born from the void.
He could have summoned the Nine Ghost Generals, but Kaoru decided they weren't needed for this battle.
"What are these monsters?!" Akainu demanded, his observation Haki struggling to detect them. They had no presence—no life. They were shadows given form.
Kaoru's voice was calm but commanding.
"Ghost Corps—drive them from this island."
The monsters surged forward. The harbor of O'Hara erupted into chaos. Magma met shadow, steel clashed against unseen claws. Screams echoed across the burning shore as Marines fell one after another.
When the smoke finally cleared, only fourteen men remained standing—Akainu, three other vice admirals, and ten major generals.
Kaoru lowered his hand, his tone light but laced with authority.
"How about this, Vice Admiral? Leave O'Hara now, and I'll let you walk away."
It wasn't mercy—just practicality. Even with his Ghost Corps, keeping Akainu here was difficult. And with Aokiji watching from afar, a drawn-out fight would be meaningless.
If Aokiji decided to intervene, he could freeze the entire army with a single move. Kaoru preferred not to waste his strength.
Akainu's jaw clenched. His belief in absolute justice burned hot, but he wasn't reckless. He could tell that continuing this fight would lead to unnecessary losses.
"…Retreat."
The word came reluctantly, but firmly.
The remaining Marines withdrew. Hundreds had arrived—now, only fourteen left standing. Some were unconscious, others dead, and a few had their shadows devoured, their minds left broken forever.
Kaoru dismissed the Ghost Corps with a snap of his fingers. The monsters melted back into the darkness, leaving only silence behind.
As the warships pulled away from the smoldering island, a low, calm voice spoke from behind.
"The young man's power… truly terrifying."
Kaoru turned. A tall man on a bicycle approached slowly, the air around him cooling as frost spread beneath his tires.
"Aokiji Kuzan," Kaoru said evenly.
"You know me, then," Kuzan replied, stopping his bicycle and resting his hands on the handlebars.
"Of course. Few on these seas wouldn't recognize a vice admiral like you," Kaoru replied, his fingers brushing the edge of his mask. "But tell me—what brings you here?"
"I'm not here to fight," Kuzan said simply. "Just to give you a word of advice. There's still someone alive over there."
Kaoru's eyes narrowed behind the mask. He already knew—his Observation Haki had detected a faint life force earlier. During his battle with Akainu, he had secretly used a spiritual technique to keep it from fading.
"I see," Kaoru said quietly. "I'll handle it."
Kuzan nodded. "Then my work here is done."
With that, he turned his bicycle toward the sea. Ice spread beneath his wheels as he glided away, vanishing into the mist.
Kaoru watched him go before heading toward the western edge of the island, where he had sensed the lingering life.
There, amid the flames and ash, lay a woman in a pool of blood.
Her hair was white, her brown coat torn and burned. Her face—so strikingly similar to the young Nico Robin—made Kaoru's heart tighten.
"You… you're Robin's mother," he murmured. "Nicole Olvia."
Without hesitation, Kaoru pulled a capsule-like object from his system space—a compact portable house. He expanded it with a gesture, then carried Olvia inside and laid her gently on a bed.
"Serious injuries," he muttered, his voice grim.
He couldn't just stand by. Kaoru bit into his wrist, letting his blood drip between Olvia's lips.
After drinking from the Fountain of Life, his blood now carried miraculous healing properties. A few drops could close mortal wounds. A heart's worth could grant immortality.
"That should do it…"
Within moments, Olvia's wounds began knitting together, her breathing steadying as her pale face regained color. Kaoru let out a quiet sigh of relief, glancing once more at the distant horizon where Kuzan had vanished.
"O'Hara may have fallen," he whispered, "but its flame will live on."