Ten thousand meters in the air, Ryuuto and the others stood on the deck of the Ark Maxim, silently gazing down at Marineford. From their vantage point, the violent explosion was nothing short of a grand fireworks display.
"What terrifying power," Ryuuto murmured before slowly heading back into the cabin. The battle had drained a great deal of his stamina, and he desperately needed to rest.
On the other side of the deck, Hancock and Vivi were glaring at each other. Sparks seemed to fly between them, and Crocus and Jean Bart wisely kept their distance.
Below, Marineford was in ruins. Although the Raigo had been stopped at the last moment, the powerful shockwave from its detonation had still obliterated every building, leaving behind an irregular crater thousands of meters wide.
Sengoku, Shanks, and the others stood at the bottom of the crater, their hearts heavy.
"It's destroyed. Marineford is completely destroyed!" Sengoku, back in his human form, wiped a trickle of blood from his lips, his expression terrifyingly dark.
"Ryuuto, I will kill you!" Akainu roared, his right arm seething with the terrifying aura of magma. Aokiji and Kizaru's faces were equally grim.
"The young ones these days... they grow up so fast," Shanks said gravely as he sheathed Gryphon.
"Sengoku, remember this: you owe me one."
After saying his piece, Shanks shook out the black cloak on his back and walked straight toward the Red Force. Behind him, Beckman, Yasopp, and the others followed in silence.
"What a damn mess of a trip, Shanks," Beckman said, his expression sour as he exhaled a smoke ring. "But I think I saw Straw Hat. Aren't you going to see him?"
"Let it be. He needs to rest," Shanks replied, his steps faltering for a moment. He glanced at the pirate ships on the sea's surface, then slowly shook his head. "I'll be waiting for him in the New World."
"Speaking of which, I think I saw my kid," Yasopp suddenly interjected. "He was right next to Luffy."
"What? Your son?" Lucky Roux shouted, squeezing his portly frame next to Yasopp, looking even more excited than the boy's own father.
A happy smile spread across Yasopp's face.
"Want to go see him?" Shanks asked, turning back with a faint smile of his own.
"We'll meet again someday." Yasopp looked up at the sky, his smile fading as a thought seemed to strike him, and his tone turned somber.
"Ah..." Lucky Roux glanced at Yasopp, sighed heavily, and said nothing more.
"Then let's wait for them in the New World. The sea belongs to the young," Beckman said, walking over and placing a comforting hand on Yasopp's shoulder.
"Yeah," Yasopp replied softly, offering Beckman a faint smile.
Meanwhile, Usopp was just waking from his unconscious state. The world slowly came into focus from a chaotic haze, the first thing he saw being Franky's anxious face.
"Don't tell me we're all dead!" Usopp cried, grabbing Franky's shirt in a panic.
"Brook, you died too? Are you still a skeleton when you die a second time?" he asked upon spotting the musician.
"You idiot! Get up! You're perfectly fine, not even a scratch on you!" Sanji, hearing Usopp's outrageous words, grabbed him by the collar and hauled him to his feet.
Once standing, Usopp realized the entire ship of pirates was staring at him.
"Phew, it's good to be alive!" he declared, feeling not an ounce of embarrassment, only profound relief. The sight of the massive thundercloud exploding directly overhead had been so terrifying it had knocked him out cold.
Nearby, Marco, Ace, and Monkey D. Luffy were talking.
"Luffy, what are your plans now?" Ace asked, leaning against the ship's railing.
"You showed up here, so you must be heading for the New World, right?" Marco added, sitting cross-legged on the deck.
"I'm going to get stronger! I'm going to take down Ryuuto!" Luffy declared, looking up at the sky, his voice filled with absolute resolve and an overwhelming intensity.
Marco and Ace exchanged a look but said nothing more.
"Good luck, kid," Marco finally said after a few seconds of silence, slowly shaking his head and walking away.
Ace also stared into the sky, seeming completely detached. This battle had dealt a heavy blow to both the Marines and the Whitebeard Pirates. But with Ryuuto's interference, Marine Headquarters had suffered catastrophic losses, Blackbeard was dead, and Ace had been rescued. Marco found himself at a loss. As things stood, the Whitebeard Pirates' greatest enemy should have been Akainu. But he was a Marine Admiral, a powerhouse they stood little chance against. They couldn't just declare another war.
"Pops, we rescued Ace. We didn't leave a single family member behind," Marco murmured to himself, his voice so soft that only he could hear it as he gazed out at the sea. "We'll protect everything that's ours."
The sea breeze carried his words away, scattering them into the distance.
High above the clouds, Morgans was in a state of frenzied excitement as he read through the explosive news reports.
"BIG NEWS!" he screeched in a hoarse voice, standing atop his desk. "Boys, run the presses! I want our papers to reach every corner of the world!"
"SIR!" the equally excited employees of the World Economic Journal roared in perfect unison.
After his staff had all scurried away, Morgans paced back and forth across stacks of newspapers.
"Ryuuto, you're my lucky star! Partnering with you was the best decision I ever made!" he said, a green glint in his eyes, his tone manic. "Hahahahaha... Now this is a story that will shake the world!"
On a small island far from Marineford, Van Augur, Jesus Burgess, and Catarina Devon sat silently on a reef, with the colossal form of Sanjuan Wolf in the water.
"The captain's dead. What do we do now?" Burgess asked, a hint of panic in his voice.
"Good riddance. Let's just split up. It's been so long since I've had a proper look at this beautiful world. All you lovely clothes, here I come!" Catarina Devon stood up, pursing her lips with disdain. As she spoke, her expression grew more and more ecstatic.
"You bastard! You wouldn't even be out here if it weren't for the captain!" Burgess couldn't stand her words. He raised his thick arms, ready to attack.
"Shurorororo... Is that so?"
Poof!
With a laugh, Catarina Devon was engulfed in a cloud of pink smoke. When it cleared, she had taken on the appearance of Blackbeard.
"Such a pathetic dream, crushed so quickly!" After mocking Burgess, she dropped her smile and, with another poof, returned to her original form. She then leaped gracefully onto Sanjuan Wolf's back.
"Let's go, Wolf," she said softly to the giant beneath her.
"Uhn, uhn..." The giant nodded his massive head and carried her away, disappearing over the horizon. Having witnessed the terrifying state of the world outside, the timid Sanjuan Wolf had no desire to team up with an ambitious brute like Burgess. A quiet life was the best life. By comparison, Catarina Devon seemed downright adorable.
"Perhaps this is fate," Van Augur finally said, standing up and gazing out at the vast blue sea. He shook his head slowly. "Farewell, Burgess."
With a soft murmur, he vanished in a flash.
"Van Augur, you... what the hell's wrong with you?" Burgess was left dumbfounded before he could even finish his sentence.
On the small island, waves crashed against the rocks. Burgess stood alone on a high perch, surrounded by the endless ocean.
"Seriously? You all just left? What am I supposed to do?"
His voice was drowned out by a crashing wave.
"I can't swim!" he yelled, his gaze fixed on the Seastone cuff on his brawny left arm.
Back on the Ark Maxim, ten thousand meters in the sky, Hancock was holding a small piece of a Vivre Card, constantly adjusting the ship's course. From the cabin, the sound of Ryuuto's deep sleep could be heard.
After what felt like an eternity, as the sun's rays shifted across the sky, Ryuuto's eyes slowly opened. He stretched his arms, feeling the last traces of fatigue leave his body.
"I must have slept for a long time," he murmured, glancing out the window. "Right, I should check my gains from the battle!" Suddenly, he remembered something he had completely forgotten.
His consciousness slipped into his mind.
[Reputation Points: 664529!]
"That many already!" Ryuuto was overjoyed at the massive jump in his reputation. "I got 290,000 points from exploiting the system bug. With the 100,000 or so I had left, that should have put me around 400,000. The rest must have come from the Whitebeard Pirates and everyone watching the broadcast around the world."
Ryuuto thought it over. "Broadcasts are great. Why can't we have live events like this every day? It's a shame my Raigo destroyed all the Video Den Den Mushi. Otherwise, my reputation would have climbed even higher. Still, considering I went against the Marines, most of these points probably came from pirates."
Having sorted things out, Ryuuto walked out of the cabin.
"Hancock, Vivi, where are we?" On the deck, he saw Hancock lounging languidly in a chair, her beautiful figure partially visible beneath her qipao. Nearby, Vivi, dressed in cargo pants and a tank top, was engrossed in a book she had found somewhere.
"Hmph!" The first thing to greet him was a cold snort from Vivi.
Ryuuto smiled helplessly and turned his gaze to Hancock.
"Ryuuto, you're awake!" A fragrant breeze swept over him as Hancock instantly appeared at his side. Her eyes were fixed on him, shimmering with moisture as if conveying an endless longing. Then, before he could react, his right hand sank into a soft expanse.
"We've arrived at Amazon Lily," Hancock said, her eyes full of adoration.
"In that case, let's head down," Ryuuto replied, glancing below. Unfortunately, the Ark Maxim was flying so high that all he could see were endless layers of clouds.
He extended his right hand, and a cluster of blue electricity crackled to life, transforming into thin threads that snaked into the Ark Maxim's systems. As the propellers on both sides began to work, the great ship slowly descended.
On the island below, countless citizens looked up at the sky. A massive flying ship was steadily approaching. Fortunately, they had been notified in advance and knew their empress was returning.
Boa Sandersonia and Boa Marigold stood on the palace balcony, looking up.
"Sister's finally back!" Sandersonia said cheerfully, her long, snake-like tongue flickering out.
"Fate is such a fickle thing," Elder Nyon sighed. Having watched the entire Summit War broadcast, her heart was a mix of complicated emotions.
Swoosh! Swoosh! Swoosh!
As the Ark Maxim came to a steady hover over Amazon Lily, several figures leaped from its deck, landing beside Elder Nyon and the two sisters.
"What a huge ship!"
"Long live Lady Hancock!"
"Our beloved Empress!"
"Ahhh, Lady Hancock!"
"The most beautiful woman in the world!"
As always, upon Hancock's appearance, the people of Amazon Lily first marveled at the sheer size of the Ark Maxim, then erupted into cheers, welcoming their queen's return.
"Sister, you've had a long journey," Sandersonia and Marigold said, greeting Hancock at once.
Having returned to her homeland, Hancock reverted to her cold, regal persona. She tilted her chin up slightly, her stunningly beautiful face sweeping over the crowd with an air of indifference.
"Ryuuto, it's been a while," Sandersonia and Marigold then greeted him.
"It has," Ryuuto said with a slightly apologetic tone. "But it seems I've caused some trouble for you this time."
After all, Hancock had attacked Sengoku during the Summit War. Her title as one of the Seven Warlords of the Sea was as good as gone.
Hearing his words, Sandersonia and Marigold exchanged a look, then both turned to Hancock, who said nothing but gave a slight, almost imperceptible nod.
"Gloriosa?" Crocus, who had been stroking his chin in thought for some time, finally seemed to remember the old woman beside Hancock.
"Are you... Crocus, that ship's doctor?" Elder Nyon's memory was jogged, and she finally placed his face.
"You two know each other?" Ryuuto asked, looking between them curiously.
"Ahem, it's a long story..." Elder Nyon coughed, her ancient voice beginning to explain.