"What?"
Silver Dragon's voice rose involuntarily as he sucked in a sharp breath.
If that thing exploded, it would not just erase the Sabaody Archipelago. Even a massive island would lose half its landmass in an instant.
"Vince, my friend," Lucien said calmly, though his tone carried a hint of apology. "This iron lump has a ten second countdown. With your speed, you should be able to escape, though you might get injured. Sorry about that, brother. These people are too overbearing. I tried to talk, but all I got was hostility. I can't swallow this. Worst case, we all go to hell together."
Lucien first looked at Silver Dragon with a gentle expression, then turned his gaze toward Ace, Emma, and Ethan. Their faces were stiff, tense, and pale.
"My friend, your cheat is a little too outrageous," Silver Dragon said grimly. "I'll take my leave first. If you survive, come to Marineford, or contact me."
Without hesitation, Silver Dragon turned and moved.
Lightning surged violently as his body transformed into a roaring thunder dragon that soared above Gion and the Marines. With a powerful sweep of his hands, all nearby Marines were lifted uncontrollably into the air and carried onto the thunder dragon's back.
In the next instant, Silver Dragon became a streak of lightning and vanished into the sky.
Kizaru's pupils shrank.
He did not know what Da Ivan was, but seeing Silver Dragon retreat so decisively, he chose not to gamble. His body dissolved into light, following close behind and disappearing as well.
"Enjoy yourselves."
Lucien did not give Emma or the others a chance to respond. He pressed the red button without hesitation, then transformed into a bolt of golden lightning and shot upward, fleeing with everything he had.
Stussy and Law had already retreated long before this moment.
From the very beginning, Lucien had planned to use Da Ivan.
Perhaps it would not kill Emma, Ethan, or the others, but key figures like Nami and Zoro would almost certainly die. As for the tens of thousands of civilians on the Sabaody Archipelago, he could only say one thing.
Sorry.
Strictly speaking, Lucien did not care about them at all.
This was who Lucien was. Someone who would stop at nothing to achieve his goals, someone who only cared about his own interests.
Calling him heartless would not be an exaggeration.
As for why he warned Silver Dragon, it was simple. Lucien knew that a single Da Ivan would never be enough to kill him. Instead of making an enemy, it was better to build a connection. It might be useful in the future.
Having one more ally was never a bad thing.
As for what happened later, that was uncertain. After all, he fully expected everyone here to die anyway.
"Damn it."
Ace's face turned green.
Staring at the crimson countdown ticking down relentlessly, a deep chill crawled up his spine.
Emma and Ethan both drew sharp breaths.
This was Da Ivan, an explosion with power 3,864 times greater than an atomic bomb. What kind of concept was that?
Once it detonated, the Sabaody Archipelago would vanish instantly.
Among everyone present, perhaps only Ethan and Ace could survive. Even Rayleigh would struggle.
Emma knew she would die. There was no chance she could endure it.
As for Luffy, Nami, and the others, survival was impossible.
Damn Darkness.
One disagreement and it was straight to Da Ivan. She knew very well that 100,000 exchange points were not something earned easily.
Luffy absolutely could not die.
"Brother," Emma said urgently, her voice tight with pain. "Exchange for a Teleportation Talisman. Move it away first, then use another one to escape."
Ethan did not hesitate.
"Alright."
His body transformed instantly, swelling into a Hulk-like form as he appeared beside Da Ivan. One hand pressed firmly against the missile while a talisman appeared in his other hand. As it burned away, Ethan and Da Ivan vanished together.
Almost instantly, one hundred kilometers out at sea, far from the Sabaody Archipelago, Ethan and Da Ivan reappeared.
The countdown had already reached five seconds.
Ethan hesitated.
A Teleportation Talisman cost ten thousand exchange points. Using two meant twenty thousand points gone instantly.
If he chose to tank the explosion, he would not die, but he would be severely injured and bedridden for at least a month.
In the end, he followed Emma's instructions.
Another talisman burned.
Ethan vanished.
Five seconds later, an extreme light engulfed the sea.
The world lost all color.
A colossal mushroom cloud rose into the sky, tearing through the atmosphere as a monstrous tsunami erupted outward, connecting sea and sky like the end of the world.
The ocean shook violently. Earthquakes rippled beneath the waves. Hurricanes howled across the sea.
Several uninhabited islands along the path shattered and disappeared completely.
Nearly the entire Grand Line felt it.
Lucien, who had been fleeing at full speed, suddenly stopped in mid-air. He turned his head sharply to the right.
The explosion did not come from behind him.
It came from far away.
"What?"
His heart sank.
Lucien hovered silently, staring toward the distant horizon where the world had gone eerily quiet.
Without thinking, it was obvious. They had moved Da Ivan away.
But how had they done it so quickly, and across such a distance?
Considering his opponents were cheaters, it was not surprising.
Which meant one thing.
He had wasted a Da Ivan.
"Damn it."
Lucien clenched his teeth, frustration flooding his expression.
He had been too hasty.
If he had not been completely sure he could survive the explosion, why did he leave?
Would it not have been better to cling to Da Ivan and drag them all down with him?
On the other side, the Marines stood atop the thunder dragon.
They watched as what felt like a second sun rose on the horizon.
Then the sea beneath them began to tremble.
Then the world lost its color.
A towering tsunami surged toward them, stretching endlessly between heaven and earth.
Everyone was stunned into silence.
"So this really is Da Ivan," Silver Dragon muttered, his face twitching. "Living up to its reputation."
Although he did not understand why the explosion appeared so far away, he was absolutely certain of what it was.
This Lucien Graves was no simple character.
His cheat was terrifying.
Darkness?
Silver Dragon scoffed internally.
None of these people could be trusted.
At that moment, the ground shook across Sabaody Archipelago, Marineford, Impel Down, and countless nearby islands.
Even from over a hundred kilometers away, the aftermath of Da Ivan was catastrophic.
In this disaster, countless innocent lives were lost.
Ten hours later.
The Rip-Off Bar remained closed.
The entire Sabaody Archipelago had been struck by a massive tsunami. Many areas were devastated to varying degrees. Fortunately, Admiral Aokiji intervened, freezing Marineford, the Sabaody Archipelago, and the surrounding sea near Impel Down, temporarily halting further destruction.
Once the ice melted, the sea would slowly return to normal.
Inside the bar, silence reigned.
Ethan had already returned.
Ace and Emma avoided all topics related to Transmigrators and Reincarnators, while Ethan remained quiet as usual.
What truly weighed on everyone's mind was the future Luffy had spoken of.
Nami and the others now believed it completely.
So did Rayleigh.
Only Ace sat frowning, deep in thought.
"Ace," Luffy said seriously. "You can't go to Dressrosa."
"I didn't expect to fall into Doflamingo's hands," Ace replied, taking a drink. It was unclear whether he was joking or bitter.
Even Blackbeard had failed to capture him, yet Doflamingo succeeded.
The cruel irony was that the Marineford War had been ignited by Doflamingo, with Ace himself as the fuse.
"Luffy, I still have to go to Dressrosa," Ace said firmly.
Mansherry was essential.
However, he was not reckless. Knowing the danger, he would prepare thoroughly.
Before Luffy could speak again, Ace continued.
"Don't worry. I'm not as stubborn as you. I'll return to the New World first and bring Marco and Jozu with me."
He stood up and looked around the room.
"Everyone, I leave my foolish little brother in your care."
With that, Ace waved and walked toward the door.
"Ace, you have to believe me," Luffy said urgently, standing up.
Ace paused, then smiled.
"You've grown up, Luffy. Only those who experience true pain can mature."
"Rayleigh, Shakky, everyone, goodbye."
With a final grin, Ace transformed into flames, shot into the sky, and vanished.
"Ace…"
Luffy clenched his fists, staring at the sky before turning back to his crew.
His expression hardened with resolve.
"Nami, Zoro, Chopper, Robin, Franky, Brook, Emma, Ethan," Luffy said firmly. "I've made a decision."
Everyone looked at him seriously.
"I'm stopping our journey for now," Luffy continued. "I'm too weak. I don't have the strength to protect you. I need to become stronger."
"I'm the captain," he said through gritted teeth. "I never want to feel that helpless again."
"You're the captain."
"No objections."
"Agreed."
"But how long will we stop?"
Luffy smiled.
A genuinely happy smile.
"Two to three years."
"That long?"
"Do we really have to suffer that much?"
Chopper and the others groaned, but deep down, every one of them made the same decision.
In these two or three years, they would all become stronger.
They were the Straw Hat Pirates.
And while Luffy fought to protect them, they would also fight to protect him.