Tenma leapt down from the rooftop. It was as if invisible steps of wind lay beneath his feet, allowing him to land lightly on the rubble-strewn street.
Law scrambled over, half crawling, half running, his hands trembling as he reached out toward the girl in Tenma's arms.
Though still young, he had learned some medical knowledge from his father.
There wasn't a single burn mark on Lami's body. Her breathing was steady—she was merely sleeping peacefully.
As long as she was alive! As long as she was alive, that was enough!
The despair in Law's heart was instantly washed away by overwhelming joy. Tears burst forth once more, but this time they were tears of relief.
"Thank you! Thank you so much for saving my sister!"
Law dropped heavily to his knees, smashing his forehead into the hard ground with a dull thud.
After experiencing such emotional whiplash, this life-saving favor was more than enough to make him offer up his own life.
"It's been a few years. You're even more beautiful than before, Gion."
Tenma gently placed the sleeping Lami into Law's arms, then turned to look at Gion, a meaningful smile curling at the corner of his lips.
"Well? What do you think about the invitation I just made?"
Gion didn't answer immediately. She took a deep breath, her eyes burning as she stared at him.
"For Flevance—given your current status, you should be able to stop this disaster from happening, right?"
"Yeah. That's right," Tenma nodded calmly. "But before the disaster breaks out, Flevance is still a perfectly legitimate member state of the World Government."
"I understand. I'm not questioning your actions," Gion said, her gaze dimming slightly.
Tenma was already one of the Four Emperors who shook the New World. Just his name alone would make member states hesitate to act rashly.
What Gion truly wanted to confirm was whether this man had the resolve and strength to completely overturn the table.
And Tenma's answer had already given her that confirmation.
"In the future… will you really walk the path of total confrontation with the World Government?"
She pressed again. This wasn't merely about pirates versus Marines—it was a deeper war over systems and power itself.
"Of course. My ambitions are enormous."
Tenma extended a hand toward her, his gaze blazing.
"Just like I told you back then—the foundation of this building has already rotted through."
"As a Marine, you can't resist orders from above. Isn't that right?"
"So come with me. See the nation under my rule. Maybe there, you'll find a justice truly worth protecting."
Gion stared at the hand before her, silent for a moment.
Then her eyes hardened with resolve, and she reached out, gripping Tenma's palm tightly.
This time, it wasn't for that hypocritical uniform—but for the peace she truly believed in.
If the tree was rotten all the way to its roots, then it should be torn out entirely.
"Haha! Looks like this trip to the North Blue has yielded even more than I expected!"
Tenma laughed with satisfaction, then turned to Law, who was still kneeling nearby.
"Kid, you and your sister should come with me too. My country has the best medical teams."
Law jerked his head up, astonishing light bursting from his eyes.
"Really?!"
But his expression quickly dimmed again. Clenching his teeth, he said, "But this is a terminal illness… it can't be cured. In everyone else's eyes, we're monsters…"
"That's nothing but a lie fabricated by the ignorant."
Tenma's tone was domineering and confident.
"On my territory, no one dares treat you as monsters. Don't you want to save your sister?"
"I do! Please, save us!"
Law bowed again, his voice hoarse.
"My life is yours from now on! I'll do anything for you!"
"Law, remember this."
Tenma looked down at him from above.
"The reason you couldn't protect your family is because you were too weak."
"There is no fairness in this world. Fate never shows mercy to the weak."
"I'll give you the power to grow strong. Only when you become strong will you have the right to control your destiny—and the ability to take revenge on this damned world with your own hands."
Gion watched quietly from the side, feeling no disgust at all.
This man truly was a master at manipulating hearts.
Just as Tenma successfully brought Gion and Law under his banner, a Marine warship flying the seagull flag came crashing through the waves outside Flevance's harbor.
"Sengoku! You knew how serious this incident was—so why did you let Gion leave Headquarters?!"
On the deck, Vice Admiral Tsuru was furiously berating a Den Den Mushi. The normally composed strategist now wore a terrifyingly dark expression.
On the other end, Fleet Admiral Sengoku didn't dare retort. Even the Den Den Mushi's face looked cowed.
"This really was my oversight… Tsuru, please—no matter what, bring Gion back. That bastard Garp is already on his way too."
Sengoku had his own hidden hardship. He'd assigned five elite guards—who would have thought Gion could slip away without a sound?
"Hmph!"
Tsuru angrily cut the call.
She had watched Gion grow up, treating her like a younger sister.
Dragon's defection from the Navy had already broken their hearts. She could not allow that tragedy to repeat itself.
Did she not know the dark side of the World Government?
But under the existing order, the Navy was the only cornerstone holding the seas together.
If even the Navy collapsed, the ocean would plunge into far greater chaos.
Gazing at the burning city ahead, smelling the stench of scorched ruins in the air, Tsuru frowned deeply.
This had gone too far… it was trampling the word "justice" into the dirt.
"Vice Admiral Tsuru! We've spotted an unregistered warship. Vice Admiral Gion is very likely aboard!"
Reported a towering, four-meter-tall female soldier carrying a massive spear on her back—Mary.
Beside her stood a slender woman with short blond hair and a dagger at her waist: Aoiya.
The warship docked. Tsuru descended the gangplank grimly, followed by a squad of elite female Marine officers.
"Why's another bunch of Marines here to die?"
Several soldiers preparing to withdraw shouted impatiently.
"Hey! This place is full of viruses—if you don't want to die, get lost! That female Marine earlier wouldn't listen either—"
"Yeah, what a waste. So pretty too. She's probably already rotted inside."
Hearing this, Tsuru stopped.
She coldly stared at the soldiers in hazmat suits.
Strange bubbles suddenly welled up in her palm.
"Compared to some so-called virus, the filthy hearts of executioners like you need a far more thorough washing."
Before the words even fell, Tsuru's figure vanished into the crowd like a ghost.
Before the soldiers could react, they felt their bodies being stuffed into a washing machine like clothes.
No matter how strong they were, under Tsuru's hands they were flattened and softened like sheets of paper.
They were hung along roadside railings, swaying in the wind. Beneath their masks, their faces wore eerie expressions of purity and peace.
Such was the power of the Wash-Wash Fruit—not only cleansing bodies, but even scrubbing away malice from the heart.
"Throw them back onto their ship," Tsuru ordered coldly.
Then she strode toward the city center with Mary and Aoiya.
The two aides swung their weapons, powerful air currents blowing away the flames blocking the road, forcibly carving out a path.
At that moment, Observation Haki detected several powerful presences ahead.
At the same time, at the end of the street, Tenma and the others saw Tsuru approaching.
"Big Sister Tsuru…" Gion's body trembled slightly.
"Gion!"
Their gazes met—one filled with guilt and resolve, the other with heartbreak and urgency.
"You—" Tsuru was about to speak when her eyes suddenly caught the man beside Gion.
That nightmare-like figure forced the words back down her throat.
"I've heard so much about you, Marine Chief of Staff, Vice Admiral Tsuru."
Tenma smiled brightly, hands in his pockets.
"This should be our first official meeting, right?"
Tsuru ignored him, staring straight at Gion.
Seeing no sign of coercion on Gion's face—and even noticing how close she stood to Tenma—Tsuru's heart sank completely.
"Gion… are you serious?"
Her voice trembled despite herself.
Decades of wisdom instantly connected the dots.
Tenma's sudden appearance, Gion's fixation on the North Blue, that bet from years ago…
Was all of this part of his scheme?
"Big Sister Tsuru."
Gion took a deep breath, no longer avoiding her gaze.
"I'm not going back to the Navy."
"I've decided to join Tenma."
The words struck like thunder in every female Marine's ears.
Gion was the Navy's rising star—a candidate for Admiral, and the idol they all admired!
"Gion-sis! Do you even know what you're saying?!"
"That bastard threatened you, didn't he?!"
Mary and Aoiya shouted angrily. If not for Tenma's status as a Yonko, they would've charged already.
Suppressing her fury, Tsuru made one last attempt.
"Gion, I know this incident disappointed you deeply. But this is the price of growth!"
"The path of justice has never been smooth! Sengoku walked it, Zephyr walked it, Kuzan too!"
"Only by experiencing darkness can you understand the value of light!"
Gion shook her head, a bitter smile on her lips.
"Big Sister Tsuru… does the World Government really deserve the word 'light'?"
Tsuru was left speechless.
Looking into Gion's lifeless eyes, she knew words alone would never be enough.
"In that case…"
Tsuru took a deep breath. Her aura erupted.
"I cannot let you go down the wrong path! Even if I have to knock you out and drag you back!"
"All units—form up!"
At her command, the female Marines spread out, weapons drawn despite facing a Yonko.
Tenma raised an eyebrow and casually lifted his right hand.
Rumble—!
The warship belonging to Gion, docked in the harbor, suddenly rose straight into the air before everyone's eyes!
The massive vessel was lifted as if by an invisible hand, soaring over half the city before hovering above Tenma's group.
"Mary! Aoiya! Move!"
Tsuru shouted.
The two aides burst forward, Haki coating their weapons as a spear and blade unleashed razor-sharp shockwaves at Tenma.
Tenma didn't even blink.
Clang!
A golden flash of steel cut through the air, instantly shattering both shockwaves.
Gion stood in front of him, gripping her famed blade Konpira.
"Gion!!"
Mary and Aoiya stared in disbelief.
Former comrades… now truly crossing blades.
Tenma glanced at Tsuru's ashen face, a teasing smile forming.
The ground beneath them suddenly cracked. A massive slab of rock lifted Tenma, Law, and Lami into the air, flying toward the hovering warship.
"Trying to run?!"
Tsuru roared, her aged body bursting forth with shocking speed as she launched herself at Gion using Moon Walk.
Blue light flared around her hands—the Wash-Wash Fruit activating.
Facing the senior she respected most, Gion hesitated for a split second.
Just as Tsuru was about to reach her, Tenma flicked a finger.
Several tiny pebbles instantly expanded into towering boulders dozens of meters high, crashing down in front of Tsuru.
"This won't stop me!"
Tsuru swung both hands, the solid rock instantly turning limp and soggy like soaked cotton.
But the instant she broke through—
Countless droplets of water appeared around her out of thin air.
At the same time, a terrifying gravity field enveloped the area.
Tsuru's movement stalled.
In that single frozen instant, the floating droplets surged together, forming a massive transparent water sphere that trapped her completely.
"Tenma!" Gion cried anxiously, her voice pleading.
Tenma smiled faintly and waved his hand.
The giant water sphere, with Tsuru helpless inside, was hurled like a cannonball toward the distant sea.
Splash!
Water exploded skyward.
"Vice Admiral Tsuru!!"
The remaining female Marines screamed and dove into the ocean to rescue her.
Seizing the opening, Tenma brought Gion and the two children down onto the hovering warship's deck.
Under his control, the vessel rapidly gained altitude, streaking toward the horizon.
Standing at the stern, Gion looked down at the shrinking coastline and her struggling former comrades, a trace of pain flashing through her eyes.
"Thank you," she whispered.
She knew Tenma had held back.
With a Yonko's power, he could've erased everyone in that instant.
"Don't misunderstand."
Tenma walked to her side, gazing at the distant horizon.
"I just don't want my newly recruited Admiral candidate growing estranged over something this trivial."
"And besides… that old lunatic named Garp is already on the way. I don't feel like fighting him just yet."
He turned to her, his gaze sharpening.
"Gion, you need to understand something."
"Once you choose this path, this kind of softness will be your greatest weakness."
"This is the first time—and the last."
"The old bastards in the World Government are harder than stone. If they find out you still have lingering attachments, they'll swarm you like sharks smelling blood and exploit that weakness to the very end."
His voice carried a cold, cutting mockery, every word striking deep into Gion's heart.
She fell silent, eyes lowered. She offered no rebuttal—only nodded solemnly.
"I promise. Something this foolish will never happen again."
Elsewhere, a soaking-wet Tsuru was hauled out of the sea by frantic Marines and brought back to the harbor in a sorry state.
Despite her terrifying Wash-Wash Fruit—capable of washing living people like clothes—she was still a landlubber. The moment she hit seawater, it was like having her tendons stripped away.
She gasped for breath, salty water dripping from her hair, the shock in her heart still not fully settled.
She knew Tenma could manipulate water, but she never imagined he'd developed dual Devil Fruit powers to such a monstrous level.
In that instant, her proud Observation Haki had gone completely blind—then she was swallowed by the sea.
That feeling of utter helplessness before the ocean made even this battle-hardened veteran feel a chill down her spine.
Several female soldiers hurriedly wrapped thick dry towels around her trembling body.
Clutching the towel tight, Tsuru gazed toward the direction Gion had vanished, an unfamiliar sense of age washing over her.
Just then—
The previously calm sea suddenly erupted with a thunderous boom!
Boom—!
Towering white waves shot tens of meters into the air, like a wall of water crashing down.
A massive, bear-like figure burst from the spray and slammed onto the harbor's stone pavement with a heavy thud.
The ground shook violently, rubble flying like a small earthquake.
"It's Vice Admiral Garp!"
The Marines on watch recognized the figure and shouted themselves hoarse with excitement.
"Tsuru… am I too late?"
Garp looked at the overturned warship, then at Tsuru's bedraggled state. The usual carefree grin vanished instantly.
Only after confirming she was unharmed did his tense muscles finally relax, letting out a long breath.
"No. You came at just the right time. I simply wasn't capable enough to hold that man back."
Tsuru gave a bitter smile, her voice full of self-blame.
From the moment they heard something had happened to Gion, both she and Garp had rushed here like madmen.
It was precisely because she knew Garp was on the way that Tsuru had dared to confront Tenma so boldly—believing someone would have her back even if she lost.
Who could have imagined that nothing would unfold as she expected, neither the process nor the outcome?
Garp scratched his head, at a loss for comforting words.
He'd ditched his mission escorting a king the moment he heard rumors from Sengoku, ordering his men to sail slowly while he himself sprinted toward Flevance using Moon Walk.
He'd nearly worked himself to death—only to arrive just in time for the curtain call.
They fell into silence, the sea wind howling between them.
"Let's head back," Tsuru finally sighed, breaking the stalemate.
"This mess… we'll have to go back and let that old bastard Sengoku lose sleep over it."
🌟 The story is already written… waiting to be unleashed.
Claim early access on Patreon: patreon.com/c/VoidInk08
🔓 You hold the keys to bonus chapters:
💬 10 reviews ignite 1 bonus chapter
🔷 100 Power Stones summon another
🔥 Your power determines how fast the tale unfolds.