The Northeast Coast.
"Attention all warships on the northeast coast! Weigh anchor immediately! Move away from the island at full speed! Repeat, move away from the coast immediately!!"
The Navy Vice Admiral's roar spread through the fleet via transponder snails and megaphones.
The dust from the collapse in the center of the distant island, which blotted out the sun, and the continuous, terrifying tremors forced the experienced commander to make the most rational and cold-blooded decision: they had to avoid any potential tsunamis or even more horrific aftereffects.
The engines of the steel warships roared, thick anchor chains were quickly retracted, and one by one, the warships began to slowly turn, sailing away from the coastline of God Valley, which had already become a purgatory.
However, this action caused the Celestial Dragons who had not yet boarded and were still at the docks or on the shoals to completely lose their minds.
"That was close!!! What do you pariahs think you're doing?!!"
"The ship! The ship is leaving?! Are you abandoning us?! Unforgivable!!"
A Marine urged respectfully, "My Lords, please hurry—!!"
The Celestial Dragons waved their canes or gold-inlaid pistols, screaming in desperation at the silhouettes of the ships that were close at hand but moving further away.
A fat Celestial Dragon threatened at the top of his lungs:
"Do not set sail! Stop! Whoever dares to leave us here..."
"...will be seized and subjected to the most cruel execution!"
The Marine officer in charge of the final evacuation was sweating profusely, shouting hoarsely toward the shore: "My Lords! Please board the lifeboats quickly! The large ships must move away first to ensure safety! The lifeboats will pick you up..."
"Shut up! We want to take the big ships! How can such a small, broken boat be worthy of our status!"
"Make the big ships come back! Otherwise, when we return to Mary Geoise, all of you will die!!"
Chaos, threats, cries, and the roar of engines intertwined, sketching out the ugliest state of the 'Gods' as doomsday approached.
Southwest direction of the island.
In stark contrast to the chaos on the northeast coast, the Roger Pirates' evacuation seemed efficient and... cheerful?
"Hurry up! Rayleigh! Gaban! This island is done for!!"
Roger's voice came through the transponder snail, with a background of continuous roaring and collapsing sounds.
"I know, I know! The treasure is mostly loaded!" Rayleigh directed the Crew members to carry the last few heavy chests on board. He glanced back at the pillar of smoke rising from the center of the island and the tangled black and red aura, his brow furrowing slightly.
"The Captain... he should be fine, right?"
"Treasure~~ hehehe, treasure~~" Several Crew members carried chests, their faces filled with pure joy, as if the apocalyptic scene behind them was merely a stage backdrop.
"We've hauled in an incredible amount this time! It's enough for us to have banquets for a long, long time!"
"Whoa! You guys! Don't just stop and start giggling! Hurry up and move!" Roger's annoyed urging came through the transponder snail.
No one noticed that in a corner piled high on the deck, a ornate treasure chest had its lid slightly ajar due to the previous jolting.
Inside, on a "soft bed" covered in silk, a red-haired infant seemed completely indifferent to the surrounding noise and jolting. Clutching a massive sapphire, his small head nodded intermittently, and surrounded by countless treasures and the gentle rocking of the ship, he dizzily... fell asleep.
The faint, steady sound of breathing was drowned out by the waves and the distant roaring.
The edge of the Burning Forest.
Dragon knelt on one knee in the messy clearing, his left hand clutching a handful of scorched earth, his nails sinking deep into it.
He lowered his head, his shoulders trembling slightly, not from pain, but from a profound sense of regret and powerlessness.
"I... couldn't even save a single red-haired child...!"
He slammed his fist into the ground, creating a shallow pit.
"Where did he... go?! He was right in my arms... how did he turn into wood..."
Dragon was completely baffled.
Self-reproach tightened around his heart like cold vines.
Another clearing in the woods.
"Kuma! It's no use! Your body has reached its limit!" Little Ivankov shouted anxiously, watching Kuma's massive frame panting like a bull and drenched in sweat from overusing the Paw-Paw Fruit ability.
Continuously repelling hundreds of people had brought this honest Bacania Tribe youth to the brink of total exhaustion.
"Bear Cub! Don't push yourself anymore!" Ginny also pulled at Kuma's sleeve, her heart aching for him.
Kuma panted heavily, large beads of sweat rolling off his forehead, but he still tried to stand firm, scanning the surroundings with a stubborn look on his honest face.
"Still... maybe... there's still a life that can be saved..."
Suddenly, his eyes lit up as he looked toward the nearby forest where figures were moving: "Ah! There... there's someone!"
Through the gaps in the trees, he could vaguely see a curly-haired woman holding a child, stumbling toward the coast in a panic (it was Alice and Teach).
A pure smile appeared on Kuma's weary face, "The last one...!"
He took a deep breath, tried to straighten his back, and said to the two beside him in a gentle tone: "I'll send you away from here first..."
Across the island, the Rocks Pirates had already ceased to exist in all but name.
In a messy valley, John, with half his body charred and his mechanical arm severely damaged, leaned against a rock, coughing up blood, his eyes full of venom:
"Damn it... Byrnndi World... that damn bastard... actually sucker-punched me..."
The plan he had plotted for so long to keep everything for himself had vanished into thin air in that explosion.
On the other side, Byrnndi World, who had failed to assassinate Shiki and was instead wounded by Shiki's counterattack, clutched his bleeding abdomen and let out an unwilling roar toward the sky:
"Shiki—!! You beast!! The one who should escape this island is me!!"
And in the sky, Golden Lion Shiki was using his Flutter-Flutter Fruit ability to levitate several large chests of priceless treasure, flying toward the open sea.
He looked back at the Burning island and the chaotic battlefield below, laughing loudly:
"Jiehahaha!! You want to compete with me? You're a hundred years too early!! Farewell, you damn island! And... the Rocks Pirates!!"
He seemed to be one of the few winners who was "returning with a full load" from this chaos.
In the entirety of God Valley, the chaos had completely evolved into a purgatorial survival race.
The remaining communications from the Marine headquarters were filled with desperate cries:
"Everyone! Use your own judgment! Head to the nearest coast! Repeat, head to the nearest coast to assemble!"
"There are too many wounded! We need stretchers! Where are the medics?!"
"Third Squad reporting! The fire in the eastern forest is out of control, it's completely impassable! We're trapped!!"
"The evacuation route is blocked by collapsed boulders! Requesting backup! Requesting..."
The thunderous sound of mountain peaks collapsing continued, the earth shook incessantly, fires spread everywhere, and thick smoke obscured the sky.
God Valley, the island once regarded as the 'Hunting Ground of the Gods,' was now using its own destruction to swallow all the evil, ambition, hope, and despair upon it.
And out of everyone's sight, above the forest, a massive figure was tearing through the smoke and clouds, carrying overwhelming killing intent, diving down toward Alice and her son...
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