At the east coast.
The seizure of the warship went extremely smoothly. The three CP9 agents weren't exactly weak, but they were no match for Enel and the others. Following Yemu's instructions, no one held back at all. The fight was over almost the moment it began.
Not long after, the Twin Goddesses swiftly crossed the sea and pulled up alongside the warship.
After Tiger and Erza jumped onto the warship, they saw Enel and Kuroli clearing the deck, while Erik had already run into the cabin to get the warship moving.
Seeing that, Tiger and Erza hurried over to help, piling all the people who had been knocked unconscious by the lightning off to one side.
About three or four minutes later, an Air Door opened on the busy deck, and Kuromu jumped out, saying anxiously,
"First Mate, Brother Tiger, the Harrot Tribe is here. They're right behind me."
"Alright, get them on board as fast as possible. We're running out of time!"
"Got it."
To make it easier for them to come through, Kuromu had deliberately made the Air Door especially large.
Before long, groups of Harrot Tribe members came running out of the spatial passage, panting heavily.
When they saw the sea around them and the warship, excited smiles spread uncontrollably across their faces.
"We're finally saved!"
"This is great!"
"Wuuu..."
But Tiger didn't give them time to dwell on their emotions and immediately urged them on.
"Everyone, once you come out, move toward the open space at the back. Don't block the people behind you. The island is about to explode, and we don't have much time. Any able-bodied young adults, come help clear the deck so there's more room for the people still coming through."
"Oh, okay..."
The rescued Harrot Tribe members instantly threw themselves into helping.
The deck was quickly cleared, and the people originally on the ship were tied up with ropes.
As time passed, more and more people filled the deck, yet there was still no sign of it ending.
Tiger lowered his head and checked the time.
"Fifteen minutes left...?"
Just then, the Whitebeard Pirates came through the Air Door.
Almost every one of them rushed out carrying one person in their arms and another on their back.
And after those fifty-odd people came out, the number of people behind them visibly started to thin out.
Seeing that, Tiger called to Erik in the wheelhouse,
"It's about time. Erik, be ready to sail at any moment!"
"Got it!"
Then, about three minutes later, the Sky Pirates and the princess called Dana also came running out, along with Yemu's voice.
"Prepare to move out!"
The instant those words fell, Yemu's figure flashed out as well.
Everyone's spirits immediately lifted.
Seeing that all her people had been saved, Dana was so emotional that she burst into tears.
Looking at the deck, now packed tight with people thanking Yemu over and over, Marco couldn't help feeling moved.
Still, this wasn't a Whitebeard Pirates ship, and he didn't intend to stay any longer.
"Well then, Captain Yemu, we'll be ta..."
But before he could finish, Yemu's expression suddenly changed. He leaped high into the air, gripped Shishimaru, and slashed toward the sea far beyond the warship's bow.
"Huh...?"
Before anyone could react, an equally dazzling slash came from the distance, carrying a force that seemed ready to split the sky and sea apart, and collided head-on with Yemu's attack.
In the blink of an eye, Yemu's slash shattered like glass, and that blinding light came straight at the warship as if it meant to cleave it in two.
Yemu's face darkened. He stepped in midair, then lashed out with his right leg, coated in Armament Haki, and kicked the slash.
Boom!
The blue slash was blasted high into the sky and exploded.
Under the dazzling light, the Silver Axe Pirates' ship appeared directly ahead, blocking the warship's route.
At the bow stood John, holding a liquor bottle in one hand and a long sword in the other. His expression was calm as he looked at everyone aboard the warship. He took a sip of liquor before saying,
"My apologies. I didn't really want to block your way. But I heard something interesting, so I don't have much choice. Captain Yemu, would you be willing to part with that Kumo Kumo no Mi and hand it over to me?"
The moment those words came out, Yemu froze.
Fortunately, Enel and the others rushed over at once.
Everyone glared darkly at John, who was blocking their escape.
Enel took out a small box and said to Yemu,
"This is what we got from CP9. It's the Kumo Kumo no Mi we were looking for!"
Only then did Marco understand why the Sky Pirates had appeared on this island in the first place.
So they had come for this Devil Fruit?
A Logia-type?
Dana's face turned despairing at once. Just moments ago, she had been overwhelmed with joy because they had been saved. But then that terrifying slash appeared, and now this fearsome pirate had cut off their path to escape.
And from the look of it, this Kumo Kumo no Mi was clearly something extremely important to the pirates in front of her.
But then something happened that no one expected.
Yemu didn't hesitate in the slightest. He pulled the precious Devil Fruit out of the box and quietly said to everyone on the ship,
"There's not much time left. Sail as far as you can. The explosive power of the Power Rock is terrifying. As for me, don't worry."
Only after that did he shout toward John in the distance,
"Sorry, but I can't trust the word of someone like you. So if you want this Devil Fruit, come take it. As long as you dare to come, I'll hand it to you."
And with that, without giving John any chance to respond, his whole body turned into flames and shot toward Warship Island, which was about to explode.
John, standing on the pirate ship in the distance, was caught off guard for a moment. He looked like he wanted to say something, but Yemu had already flown far away.
His expression shifted, but in the end, he still couldn't resist the temptation of a Logia-type Devil Fruit, especially one this powerful. He leaped high over the sea and gave chase.
The Sky Pirates aboard the warship were already used to their captain acting on his own, but seeing Yemu throw himself into danger alone yet again still filled them with worry.
Tiger, the calmest among them, looked toward the pirate ship in the distance, now thrown into confusion without its captain, and said coldly,
"Don't waste the captain's effort. Let's get out of here first! Erik, you handle this warship. I'm going back to our ship. If they still dare block us..."
"Leave it to me," Enel said coldly.
As the warship and the Twin Goddesses both began moving at full speed away from Warship Island, only ten minutes remained.
On the deck of the warship, the three girls stared worriedly at the island as it grew farther and farther away.
Flare turned to Marco beside her and asked,
"Um... is that John really that strong?"
Marco had originally planned to leave, but after this sudden turn of events, he had stayed behind.
Hearing Flare's question, Marco answered grimly,
"How should I put it? Your captain, Yemu, is already incredibly strong. A bounty of 940 million Belly makes him a monster even in the New World. But John... he's a monster among monsters. He's a pirate from the same era as Pops, and his bounty is as high as 2.38 billion Belly..."
"2... 2.38 billion Belly..."
That number alone made everyone on the ship go pale...