Chapter 483: A Few Things
"A few things?"
Teach narrowed his eyes, keeping his gaze locked dead on Roy.
A cold, vigilant glint flashed in those eyes. He knew very well—if the man before him truly harbored killing intent, he wouldn't even have the chance to resist.
But that didn't mean he would just obediently surrender.
The muddy swamp in the center of his palm quietly flowed, slowly gathering, as if ready to tear apart the earth beneath his feet at a moment's notice.
In the next instant, an imperceptible ripple expanded outward from Roy.
Space behaved like a lake's surface brushed by a fingertip; a transparent, spherical barrier expanded outward from beneath the two men's feet.
The curtain of rain was forcefully "severed" at the edge of the barrier, and the sound of thunder was completely isolated outside—the wind, rain, thunder, and lightning were abruptly silenced.
"Hmm?" Teach furrowed his brow, the wariness in his eyes growing even more intense.
Roy ignored his probing and staring, his voice low and steady:
"Back then in God Valley, when your mother... Alice, fled with you—"
Before the sentence was even finished, Teach looked as if he had been struck by lightning. His pupils shrank violently, and fury surged straight to his throat:
"Roy!!! Just how much do you know—!!!" he roared hoarsely.
The dark swamp beneath his feet violently churned, yet the moment it touched that spatial barrier, it was forcibly suppressed, unable to advance a single inch.
Roy didn't respond to the roar, merely taking a slow step to the side.
With his movement, the air within the transparent barrier felt even clearer, to the point where even their breaths were distinctly segmented.
Outside the barrier, the wind and rain raged.
Inside the barrier, it was as if all noise had been vacuumed out, leaving only the voice that pierced straight into the heart.
"The betrayal you thought happened, was not a betrayal."
"The enemy you thought existed, was not an enemy."
...
Every sentence Roy spoke next was like carving fresh marks into a stone wall.
As his words fell, Teach's expression changed drastically—sliding first from explosive rage to disbelief;
Then shifting to terror, and finally transforming into bone-deep shock and... regret.
He instinctively stumbled back several steps, his heels slipping on the slick, wet rocks. Losing his center of gravity, he crashed heavily onto the ground.
Freezing rainwater poured down from the edge of the barrier, forming a curtain of light along the curved spatial wall.
Muddy water slid down his palms, pooling into a murky puddle at his feet.
Teach looked down at his own hands, covered in rain and mud. His Adam's apple bobbed up and down, as if something was blocking his throat.
After a long while, he finally managed to force out a near-whispered question to himself:
"Just what... have I been doing..."
A bolt of lightning piercing the night sky abruptly illuminated the entire sea horizon.
In that brief flash of white light, Roy leaned forward slightly, his lips moving gently—that sentence was so quiet it was almost swallowed by the wind, yet it set off tremors deeper than thunder within the bottom of Teach's heart.
Subsequently, the sound of thunder rolled across the firmament, and the howling of the wind and rain dragged on endlessly.
In the blink of an eye, the wind stopped and the rain ceased.
The dark clouds were slowly torn apart by the sea breeze, revealing a night sky washed clean by the rain.
Under the pale blue canopy, starlight faintly flickered, and the ocean surface churned with a silver-gray shimmer.
The transparent barrier silently dissipated, and the wind and waves returned to the world once more.
Atop the cliff, only Teach remained—Roy's figure had vanished without a trace.
Teach sat blankly on the spot, his hands propped against the muddy ground, his breathing rapid and chaotic.
The rainwater on his fingertips slid down his palm lines. He stared blankly as it fell over the cliff, the residual light of the lightning reflecting in his eyes.
He slowly raised his head, his throat feeling blocked. It took him a long time before he struggled to stand up.
His entire person seemed somewhat stiff, as if his soul had been hollowed out, leaving only an empty shell swaying in the wind.
"Captain—!"
The distant jungle was pushed aside, and the one-armed Van Augur was the first to rush out, his rifle reflecting a cold glint.
Following him was the clicking of Lafitte's boot heels, and the footsteps of the entourage forming intermittent echoes on the damp rock surface.
"That commotion just now... what happened?" Lafitte narrowed his eyes, warily scanning their surroundings.
Teach didn't answer immediately; he merely looked down the cliff at the abyss being pounded by the tide.
Waves surged in one after another, as if wanting to swallow all traces beneath his feet.
The corners of his mouth curled up slightly. That smile was no longer his usual wild arrogance, but carried a hint of suppressed exhaustion and shadow.
"...It's nothing."
He said in a low voice, his tone so hoarse his original gruffness was barely recognizable.
"It's just that... the wind's direction is about to change..."
The sea breeze howled past, sweeping up the scent of crushed stones and sea salt, slapping coldly against everyone's faces.
Van Augur and Lafitte exchanged a glance, both tactfully remaining silent.
The sound of the waves swallowed the deserted island's silence once more. Only the lightning on the horizon continued to flicker, as if providing a final footnote to that silent conversation just now.
The Next Day · Holy Land Mary Geoise.
Inside the magnificent circular conference hall, the Reverie proceeded as usual.
The morning mist of the Red Line dispersed. Sunlight spilled through the dome onto the rows of golden chairs designated for the national representatives, the intersecting light and shadow making it seem as though nothing had happened yesterday.
The royalty and delegates of the various nations continued to calmly exchange views, discussing economics, trade, and international cooperation—even the laughter and applause remained exactly as they always were.
No one brought up the chaos that had shaken the Holy Land yesterday, as if it were merely an illusion in the wind that had been deliberately erased.
As the meeting drew to a close, the remarks from the World Government's higher-ups were brief yet deeply meaningful—
"In order to maintain the balance of the world, the Government will resume covert investigations into the movements of the Revolutionary Army and strengthen the cooperative framework with allied nations."
Everything was as usual; everything was orderly.
There was no anger, no upheaval.
Mary Geoise remained as solemn and peaceful as it had always been... so peaceful, in fact, that it was spine-chilling.
Night slowly fell, the lights of the Holy Land reflecting against the mist of the Red Line.
The Reverie concluded successfully, everything seemingly tranquil and undisturbed.
Garp, Ace, and Luffy accompanied Neptune and Shirahoshi back to the Ryugu Kingdom's temporary residence.
The lighting in the room was warm, and the aroma of tea curled upward, but an inexplicable heavy atmosphere blanketed the air.
None of them spoke first.
Garp leaned back in his chair, his frown deepening, and grumbled gruffly: "It's strange... The World Government acted far too quietly today."
"That farce turned everything upside down, yet they didn't mention a single word about it."
Ace frowned, his fingers lightly tapping the rim of his teacup: "That's not like them."
"Those guys have always sought revenge for the slightest grievance and held grudges over every little thing."
Neptune nodded slightly, responding in a deep voice: "Indeed, this kind of calm... is more unsettling than the storm itself."
Just as Garp was about to speak, hurried footsteps suddenly echoed from outside the door.
"Reporting—!"
A messenger pushed the door open, his body damp, tightly clutching an invitation sealed with the World Government's golden divine crest.
"An urgent notice just delivered, Vice Admiral, please review it!"
Garp frowned and took it. The envelope was thick and cold, the wax seal of the crest glowing faintly.
He slowly tore open the envelope. His gaze swept over the few short lines on the letterhead, and his face stiffened instantly, his breathing growing heavier.
"...What?"
Sensing something was wrong, Neptune immediately stepped forward and asked: "Brother Garp, what's the matter?"
Ace and Luffy also tensed up, leaning in simultaneously.
Garp was silent for a moment, his face as dark as iron. He looked up and handed the letter to Neptune.
"Read it for yourself."
Neptune took it, unfolded the letter, and rapidly scanned the contents.
Just a few seconds later, his entire body froze. His hands trembled uncontrollably, and his face instantly turned deathly pale.
"Wh... what?!"
He could barely make a sound, his voice laced with trembling and shock.
Ace asked anxiously: "What exactly happened?!"
Neptune spoke with great difficulty, his throat dry: "Tomorrow—the God's Knights will publicly execute a Celestial Dragon..."
Everyone froze simultaneously, the air solidifying in an instant.
He took a deep breath and continued to read the final sentence on the letter.
"His name is—Saint Donquixote Mjosgard."
"What—?!!"
Ace practically blurted it out. Luffy slammed a hand onto the table, his chair toppling to the ground. Shirahoshi cried out in alarm, covering her mouth with both hands.
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