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After finishing his words, Rapanui and the Marines behind him snapped to attention and saluted the Straw Hats.
"Private Marines are all family—there's no need to thank each other!"
Sabo stepped forward with a smile.
With Ikki gone, Sabo had naturally taken on the role of promoting the Private Marines.
It wasn't just because of Ikki. Sabo himself wanted to expand the Private Marines, believing they could become a new force of pure strength.
The reality was that both the Marines and the Revolutionary Army played important roles in maintaining balance, but neither could truly change the world on their own.
The Marines were restricted by the World Government.
The Revolutionary Army was constantly hindered by pirates, Marines, the World Government, and pro-government nations.
Because of this, the Revolutionary Army found it incredibly difficult to expand further.
But the Private Marines?
The Private Marines were officially backed by the Marines yet operated outside of the World Government's control.
This meant that if Revolutionary Army members could join the Private Marines, they could operate without persecution, essentially allowing the Marines and the Revolutionary Army to become allies behind the scenes.
Even if they didn't fully understand each other at first… over time, the lines between them would blur.
And maybe—just maybe—in a few years, or even a few decades, the two forces could join together to overthrow the World Government itself.
Unite all forces that can be united.
That was the Revolutionary Army's way.
So, whenever an opportunity arose to promote the Private Marines, Sabo never missed the chance.
Rapanui lowered his hand and grinned.
"I wonder… do we qualify to join the Private Marines?"
"Of course!" Sabo responded instantly. "But the appointment letters are still with Ikki. Once he comes back, you can officially sign your names and join us!"
Just as Sabo finished speaking, the sea suddenly churned—
Then, with a loud splash, a massive yellow Sea King burst out of the water!
It was the same monstrous fish from the Rainbow Mist!
No one had expected it to escape as well…
Sabo immediately moved to attack, but Rapanui stopped him with a raised hand.
"You don't need to interfere," Rapanui said calmly. "I have… unfinished business with this thing."
With that, Rapanui shrugged off his Marine coat, revealing his muscular arms.
An invisible force coursed through his veins, traveling along his eight extraordinary meridians and converging at his fingertips.
"Let me show you the results of fifty years of training!"
With a slight smirk, he lifted a single finger and whispered—
"Heavenly Flick—Magic Snap!"
The moment he flicked his finger, a devastating shockwave blasted forward—
BOOM!
The attack pierced through the Sea King's skull, exploding its head on the spot!
Everyone in the Straw Hats widened their eyes in shock. They hadn't expected Rapanui to be this strong!
Seeing their reactions, Isoka stepped forward to explain.
"The reason Rapanui is so powerful now… is all thanks to Ikki!"
"When we met Ikki, he told Rapanui that he had the talent to learn Finger-Snap Magic and gave him a special manual!"
"At first, the manual was really difficult to understand. But as Rapanui trained and explored its secrets, he made progress… and eventually, he awakened an inner energy within himself."
After hearing Isoka's explanation, everything suddenly made sense to the crew.
Considering it was Ikki who provided the training method, the Straw Hats weren't even surprised anymore!
After all… Ikki was full of miracles.
With the yellow Sea King defeated, the giant fish naturally became the main course for their upcoming feast.
Even though Ace and Ikki hadn't returned yet, the party had to go on.
And this wasn't just a celebration for the Straw Hats—it was also for Rapanui and his crew, as well as the freed islanders of Ruluka Island who had suffered under Wetton.
With Wetton gone, the people of Ruluka Island could finally live in peace again.
Fifty Years Ago
On an unknown island, young Rapanui slowly opened his eyes.
As he stared at the blue sky, white clouds, and bright sun, he froze.
"Huh? Am I… not dead? Wait… does this mean we're in the afterlife?"
At that moment, a familiar voice spoke.
"Yep. Welcome to the Kingdom of the Dead."
Rapanui jumped up in shock.
He turned to see Ikki and Ace standing nearby, watching him quietly. Beside him, several of his companions were still unconscious on the ground.
"You guys are…?"
His mind was still groggy, but then suddenly, he remembered their names.
"I'm Ikki."
"I'm Ace."
The two introduced themselves again.
Rapanui hesitated, then asked curiously, "Did you… save us?"
Ikki shook his head. "Not exactly. Actually, I wasn't expecting to see you at all. Because if we're seeing you here, that means…"
His expression darkened.
"It means Ace and I have also traveled through time."
"…Time travel?" Ace and Rapanui both looked confused.
"Yeah. If my guess is right, we've been sent back fifty years into the past," Ikki explained. "That means… if you go back to Ruluka Island right now, you'd see a young Henzo."
Rapanui's eyes widened in shock.
At that moment, the rest of the Pumpkin Pirates—Isoka, Rongo, Akibi, and Pukau—began waking up, rubbing their heads in confusion.
Once they realized they had been sent fifty years into the past, they became ecstatic.
"If that's true… doesn't this mean we can spend fifty years with Henzo again?!"
Isoka, feeling overwhelmed with emotion, burst into tears.
Back in the present, she had felt so heartbroken seeing Henzo as an old man—imagining him alone for decades, waiting for them in vain.
But now…
They had a second chance.
However, Rapanui's face suddenly turned serious.
"No… We can't go back to Ruluka Island yet."
His friends looked at him in confusion.
"If we return now… we won't stand a chance against Wetton!" Rapanui said firmly.
The others hesitated, then turned their eyes toward Ikki and Ace.
It was obvious what they were thinking—they wanted Ikki and Ace to help defeat Wetton.
But Ikki shook his head.
"No." His voice was calm but firm. "Ace and I have to return to our original timeline."
Messing with history could cause unpredictable consequences—and Ikki refused to take that risk.
Rapanui, however, remained determined.
"No… We have to do this ourselves. We need to become stronger and take back Ruluka Island with our own hands!"
"And besides…" Rapanui looked at his friends. "If we go back to Ruluka Island now, we'll break this time loop."
"If we break it, Henzo won't continue his research on the Rainbow Mist. And if that happens… then the version of us still trapped in the Rainbow Mist will never be able to escape."
Ikki silently observed Rapanui.
After experiencing life and death, Rapanui had grown mature and resolute.
Ikki respected that.
As for how Ikki planned to return to the original timeline?
Simple.
The Rabbit Talisman.
If the Rabbit Talisman's speed was fast enough, then time itself wouldn't be able to keep up—
And he and Ace would break through time once again.