"At the port, huh? They're fast!"
A scene flashed quickly through his mind. Aeridar turned his head to look in the direction of the town's port, his Observation Haki confirming two familiar energy signatures.
"That big guy still isn't dead, but he's pretty close, so no need to bother with him."
"Heh-heh… The Swap-Swap Fruit. One item is needed to swap locations with a person. Let's see how many items you have left to swap with!" Aeridar curled his lip into a savage smile. His body shot into the air, vanishing from the spot without a sound.
With the combatants gone, the surviving residents of the town stared in horror at the giant crater, nearly paralyzed with fear.
"Gods, is this the mark of a meteorite impact?"
"Damn it! My home is ruined!"
"This is unbelievable! People like this actually exist in the world!"
"Is this the power of the world's peak…? It's too mighty!"
"He truly lives up to his reputation as the man who defeated Shiki the Golden Lion. What a monster!"
The residents were variously terrified, hateful, or reverent.
However, an elephant doesn't concern itself with the opinions of the ants beneath its feet. They couldn't even withstand the shockwaves of the battle. No matter how much they hated him, Aeridar would pay them no mind. They could talk about revenge when they reached a monster-level of strength themselves.
In the rubble on the edge of the town, two figures breathed a sigh of relief as they watched Aeridar vanish.
"What on earth did those guys do to provoke this man? What a completely unprovoked disaster, phew…"
A puff of smoke was exhaled. A snake-necked woman with a very long neck, clutching a slender sword, used the pommel to adjust the enormous wide-brimmed floral hat on her head. Her tone was one of relief.
It was Charlotte Amande, an Officer of the Big Mom Pirates, the Demon Lady.
"To make this man personally come out and hunt them down, where did those guys come from? I didn't recognize any of them. And each one was so strong!" The person speaking next to her was a rabbit wearing a top hat, a cloak, clothes, and boots, holding a double-headed gun, riding on a large white crane wearing a black hat.
It was Randolph, a member of the Big Mom Pirates, the Crane Rider.
"There are truly a lot of figures operating in the shadows. It's just a shame that one guy is more of a monster than any monster. Mama once said that even if all the Yonko gathered to surround and kill him, as long as he wanted to escape, no one could kill him," Amande shook her head in awe. "Seeing him today, his reputation is clearly well-deserved. Those fellows were, at the very least, comparable in strength to a Marine Vice Admiral, yet against that instantaneous movement ability, even Admiral Kizaru's speed would struggle to catch them. Not to mention those guys. Mama's assessment was perfectly correct."
"Now that we're heading back, it's a good time to gather our eyes and ears," Randolph whispered.
"Let's go. We need to rendezvous with Bobbin and the others. Snack-sama is waiting for us."
Amande took the cigarette from her mouth, gave one last deep look at the heartbreakingly massive crater, and then turned to leave with Randolph.
....
Sabaody Archipelago, Grove 41.
A ship flying a pirate flag with a skull wearing a straw hat, and a figurehead shaped like a lion's head, dropped anchor.
"We finally made it, Sabaody Archipelago!"
"This is amazing! Soap bubbles are actually bubbling out of the ground!"
"And they don't pop! How interesting!"
A group of people stepped onto the shores of the Sabaody Archipelago, shouting excitedly as they walked toward the towns on the island.
Perhaps this was a road of no return, or perhaps it was a new beginning, but who could say?
....
Grove 11.
Chris Pirates Headquarters Mansion.
"3496, 3497, 3498, 3499, 3500…"
Inside the training room, Backan was stripped to the waist and wearing shorts. He was deep squatting while lifting a two-meter-long, heavy steel pillar with a diameter of fifty centimeters. Sweat dripped down his bulging, dragon-like muscles.
"Backan-sama! The Straw Hat Pirates have appeared!"
Suddenly, the door burst open, and a pirate rushed in, shouting.
Backan glanced at the intruder, straightened his body, and casually dropped the heavy steel pillar he was holding.
THUD!
The ground shook, and a deep indentation appeared where it landed.
"The Straw Hat Pirates have appeared?"
Backan walked over to the pirate, looking down at him with an indifferent gaze.
"Gulp… Y-yes!" The pirate swallowed hard.
Whoosh!
BANG!
Backan nodded slightly, his aura abruptly changing. His fist, a blur of black shadow, whistled through the air, instantly smashing into the other man's face. The punch created a crater in the marble floor beneath, and red and white fluids splattered across half the training room.
Glancing at the headless corpse whose skull had been blown apart, Backan took a nearby wet towel, wiped the blood from his reddened fist, and walked out with a cold expression.
"Backan-sama!"
Nazwe stood outside the door, his face a flattering smile. "My deepest apologies, sir. I failed to properly discipline him, allowing him to barge in unauthorized."
"If there's a next time, it will be you." Backan gave Nazwe a cold look and asked, "Where is the Straw Hat kid's crew?"
"Backan-sama, the Straw Hat Pirates's ship was spotted anchored at Grove 41. However, we just received the latest news: the Straw Hats entered Shakky's Rip-off Bar in Grove 13. That place is a restricted area, as per the Captain's orders, so our men didn't dare to go closer," Nazwe quickly reported.
"Shakky's Rip-off Bar!"
Backan's brow furrowed. He muttered doubtfully, "Why would they go there? Could it have something to do with that man?"
After a moment's thought, Backan instructed Nazwe: "Keep a close eye on them. Don't make any rash moves. See if they associate with an old man."
"This is him."
Saying this, Backan took a photograph from his pocket and handed it to Nazwe.
"Huh… This old man, why does he look familiar?" Nazwe took the photo and felt a sense of familiarity as he looked at the person in the picture.
"He is the legendary Silvers Rayleigh." Backan stated directly.
"S-Silvers Rayleigh? Wait, you don't mean the 'Dark King', the Right Hand of the Pirate King, from the Roger Pirates, do you? H-how is that possible? How could such a prominent figure be here, on the Sabaody Archipelago?" Nazwe's eyes widened. He had been the person in charge of the base for several years, and he hadn't expected such a terrifying individual to be living right nearby. He was stammering momentarily.
"Nothing is impossible. He is simply living in seclusion here," Backan said calmly. "Our relationship with him is quite decent, so do not act rashly. Do you understand?"
"Gulp…"
Nazwe swallowed hard and nodded. "I-I understand."
A legendary figure like that, only his own Captain could possibly compare. He himself was, at most, a large ant in the presence of such a person.
After a moment, the startled Nazwe slowly regained his composure.
"Find someone to clean up the room. Drag the corpse out and feed it to the dogs."
Backan gave the cold and cruel order, then prepared to walk away.
"Oh, wait, Backan-sama, please wait a moment!" Seeing Backan about to leave, Nazwe remembered a piece of information he hadn't yet delivered.
He quickly added, "A Celestial Dragon from the Holy Land Mariejois has arrived at the Sabaody Archipelago. Please be careful, Backan-sama."
"A Celestial Dragon!"
Backan frowned, annoyed. "Those pieces of trash. Hmph… I understand."