He had wanted to slip away, but that chance had already passed.
A soft laugh drifted through the room, light and amused, yet enough to tighten Zero's chest. Instinct took over. He spun toward the window, ready to leap out and disappear into the night.
He never made it.
Something invisible snapped into place around him. A barrier made of compressed air sealed the room from every direction. He slammed into it before he could adjust. The impact bounced him back in a jolt of pain and disbelief.
He had walked straight into a trap.
Even so, Zero did not panic. He was CP0. Danger was nothing new, and although the wall of air was solid, it was not unbreakable.
"Six Powers: Finger Pistol: Cannon." He leaped and thrust forward, firing the elite technique directly at the barrier in front of the window. His finger shot out like a cannon round.
The attack never landed.
A figure hidden somewhere in the room struck first with a brutal kick that hammered into his abdomen. There had been no silhouette, no shadow, no visible opponent. Yet he had felt the blow clearly, along with the faint presence of someone concealed in the air itself.
A Devil Fruit. Not just any type either. This felt like a Logia, one connected to the air itself. Sky Sky Fruit was the most likely answer.
The kick hurled him backward until he crashed into the opposite wall of air. His abdomen split with a thin cut, as if carved by compressed wind. The force churned his insides and forced him to swallow a surge of blood.
Zero's expression hardened. He understood the situation. He was outmatched.
"Life Return: Release." He triggered his hidden reserve of strength. His Observation Haki surged free after being sealed. This was how he concealed his true power. He relied on Life Return to limit himself until necessary.
He believed the situation had only turned bad earlier because he had still been sealed.
It was a workable method, though flawed. Only at the highest level could Life Return conceal strength without weakening combat ability, like Stussy of CP0. She used Life Return to maintain perfect youth, which let her move unseen among the kings of the underworld in the New World.
Zero had not reached that mastery. And he had made a critical mistake. He thought there was only one attacker.
He was wrong.
The moment he released his power, the shadow beneath his feet shifted. Thick liquid darkness rose from it and wrapped around his legs, his torso, his arms. In moments, he was bound from head to toe.
A second enemy.
His heart tightened. He searched his memory for any intelligence regarding a shadow-user paired with an air-user, but nothing existed.
He struggled to break free, but the shadows ignored his effort. Then a voice spoke. It was calm, cold, and entertained.
"How can I let you escape?"
Zero froze. This was not the first voice. Two unknown enemies, both stronger than he was even after unsealing himself.
He glanced downward, and the realization struck him. The shadow gripping him was not his own. It moved on its own, alive and creeping.
A chill crawled up his back.
The next moment, the air behind him turned sharp. Four violet sword lights flashed, striking through his limbs.
Shadow energy corroded his Haki. His defenses collapsed instantly. His legs buckled. His arms were severed cleanly and spun away into the darkness.
Death surged close enough for him to taste.
He had been dismantled in seconds. He had never stood a chance.
Bitterness rose in his chest. He had come so far without a Devil Fruit. If he completed this mission, he could have chosen one upon returning to the Holy Land. That would have elevated him within CP0.
All of that disappeared here.
Even worse, he did not even know who had attacked him.
He tried to bite down and take his own life. CP0 agents carried hidden poison for this very reason. But the shadow forced its way between his teeth and into his mouth, numbing his tongue while pain spread in waves. His suicide sac vanished, swallowed by the creeping darkness.
He could not even die on his own terms.
"Brother, take a look." A blue-haired man materialized from the air in front of him.
Zero's eyes widened. This man knew his codename, a codename he had used for years.
A second presence approached from behind. The one with the blade, the one wielding shadows.
Zero felt exposed. Stripped bare. His body trembled.
A hand settled lightly on the back of his head. The touch was gentle yet somehow horrifying.
Redyat closed his eyes, reading. Sifting. Claiming everything hidden in Zero's memory. When he opened them again, he smiled.
"A big fish. That settles the matter. Same as before, lock him up. If any of them die too early, someone will notice."
Mainz nodded. "Understood." He dismissed the spatial barrier with a wave. The blockade dissolved as if it had never existed. "Come in."
The door opened. A man stepped inside. Zero's vision blurred in disbelief. This man was his trusted deputy, someone he had handpicked because of his hatred for the Kingdom of Tirisfal.
Mainz spoke in a calm tone. "From here on, the Black Palm Merchant Guild is in your hands."
"Yes, Your Highness," the man answered respectfully.
Your Highness.
Zero's mind snapped into clarity. These two were from the Kingdom of Tirisfal. His entire mission had been to undermine that same kingdom, and they had seen through him completely.
The shadows dragged him downward. His body vanished into their depths.
Redyat turned toward the window. "Let us head to the Royal City and deal with that research institute."
"Yes. Their battle should have already begun," Mainz replied.
Redyat melted into a pool of shadow and vanished. Mainz dissolved into the air. Both shot toward the Royal City of Kraken.
Inside the Royal City, rain poured in steady sheets. Teach walked with his head lowered, raincoat hood casting his face in darkness. When the moment arrived, he lifted his head.
"It is time. We move."
He blended into the crowd, and the others followed close behind. The Nightfall Pirates shadowed them from the rear.
"Hey, stop pushing! Watch it!"
The road was packed. The addition of the Nightfall Pirates caused a ripple of confusion. Complaints rose for an instant.
Then everything went silent.
The crowd stepped aside of their own accord as Teach pulled back his hood. He unbuckled the front of his raincoat, grabbed the collar, and flung the coat aside.
The rest of the crew followed suit. No more disguises. The time for hiding had passed.
Gasps spread across the street.
"They are the Nightfall Pirates! Why are they here in the Kingdom of Kraken?"
"They are heading toward the Royal Palace, right?"
Up ahead, the Eastern Guard noticed the rising commotion.
"Who dares cause trouble during the King's speech?" Captain Sinclair scowled. A cruel smile twisted onto his face. "Some idiots want to die today."
"Do not drag this out," Kankani warned. "If the King's speech is interrupted, we will be blamed."
Sinclair felt a cold sweat. "Right. That would not end well."
The guards at the front line were suddenly scattered. Bodies flew through the rain, crashing into puddles. Shrill screams followed.
"Go see what is happening!" Sinclair barked, readying himself.
"No need," Kankani said. "They are already here."
Teach and his crew appeared through the dispersing guards, storming toward the Eastern Gate. Sinclair and Kankani braced to intercept.
Teach and Gar did not slow. Both leaped high, vaulting over the heads of the two officers.
Sinclair's heart sank. If the King's rally was disturbed during wartime preparation, their punishment would be unthinkable.
Two new figures landed between them and the palace wall. One black silhouette, one white. Shadowed claws slashed toward Sinclair. He reacted on instinct and blocked with his greatsword.
The white figure struck with a bone spike toward Kankani. He jerked aside. The spike grazed his cheek and carved a bleeding line across his face.
Steel and claw clashed. Both fighters skidded back in the rain.
Sinclair and Kankani recognized them at once. Two members of the Nightfall Pirates.
Shouts rose everywhere as the identity of the attackers spread through the crowd.
Inside the palace, King Jones halted mid-speech. The uproar was too loud to ignore. The live broadcast carried it to the entire kingdom. Curious murmurs swept through the audience and across the battlefield where the war had already begun.
Jones frowned and turned toward the Eastern Gate.
Two figures launched from behind the walls, soaring into view and landing atop the gate.