Ruins of the Mock Town.
Under a makeshift awning, the pirates of Hanafuda's crew were fast asleep.
Until King's figure appeared at the town entrance, and the bubble in Hanafuda's nose suddenly popped.
"So you've come, King. Long time no see."
King walked under the awning, his gaze calm and unfluctuating as he looked at the ruins.
"What happened here? Did you completely wipe out this town?"
Morgans hurriedly raised his Den Den Mushi to record the scene.
"How is that possible? was Bazel's doing. His Atoners killed all the pirates in this town."
Hanafuda yawned, pointing toward a pit not far away.
"After Bazel disappeared, these living dead started digging a pit over there and refused to come out."
"As for the civilians..."
Hanafuda grabbed Morgans, who was about to leave, and said with a threatening smile, "You're a reporter, right? If you dare write any false reports, I'll kill you."
"We're pirates of the Beasts Pirates. We don't kill defenseless civilians. The residents of Mock Town hid away and are probably rebuilding a new town in the forest to the south."
"I'll see with my own eyes! As a reporter, how could I believe the words of a pirate?!"
Morgans scurried toward the deep pit, filmed for a while, and then ran into the ruins.
"What exactly happened? I want to hear the whole story from you."
Hanafuda invited King and Olga to sit down and offered them alcohol and drinks.
"Four days ago, I just received a call from Kaido-sama who arrived here..."
The chaos caused by the Mantis Pirates was briefly mentioned, while Hanafuda mainly boasted about how he led the team to defeat the World Pirates without their captain.
"You have no idea, Arber! That half-breed fishman could turn invisible! If it weren't for my keen Observation Haki and sense of smell, he would have almost turned the tables!"
"And, that cube user… he tried to set up cube traps! Ha! But I, Hanafuda, am a pirate with brains!"
"I immediately ordered the Atoners to charge..."
After patiently listening to the whole story, King took a sip of alcohol and shook his head helplessly.
"What's wrong with those guys? Why do they all target Toki-san? If they just stayed alive, wouldn't women and treasure be within easy reach?"
"How should I know?" Hanafuda shrugged, "The reason all the pirates here were wiped out was because of the Mantis Pirates."
"I doubt this place will regain its former prosperity in the next few years."
"By the way, King."
"What should we do with the remnants of the World Pirates on the coast? Let them join us?"
Olga responded quickly, "No way! How dare they attack Toki-nee? Hmph!"
"Speaking of which, King~"
"Why did you say to take good care of them? Aren't they enemies?"
"Kids shouldn't meddle in adult matters." King's retort made Olga roll her eyes.
"Who are you calling a kid?! I'm a two-hundred-year-old granny! You should call me gra… ow!"
A large bump slowly rose on her head. Olga cried out in pain and lunged at King, flailing her arms.
"Damn you, King! You hit my head again!!"
King stretched out his hand and pressed it against Olga's face to keep her away, his eyes looking up at the sky.
"I've already obtained information about the Sky Island from the World Economic News Paper."
"If Bazel's luck isn't too bad, he should have already reached that legendary island."
"All we can do now is wait here for him and Kaido-san to return."
Hanafuda took a big swig from his bottle and grinned, "Bazel, like Kaido-san, is a man destined to become king."
"Instead of worrying about him, we should think about where to go next. With Kaido-san absent, if a Marine's Admiral shows up now..."
"We're in for a tough battle."
"The Marine, huh..."
King's eyes were resolute.
"If they dare come, I'll cover the rear. You take Olga and retreat to the New World to wait for Kaido-san."
"No matter if it's an Admiral or the Fleet Admiral, I won't let them lay a finger on you."
…
Meanwhile, on Sky Island Birka…
A bonfire dozens of meters high soared into the sky.
At the end of a road paved with red stones, a cross stood atop a pile of wood that had yet to be lit.
Ooooh yo~♪- Roar!!!
A strange roar echoed.
The native residents of Birka Island, adorned with white decorative wings, sat gathered together.
Sky people wearing bizarre costumes, their faces covered in paint, danced around the bonfire, humming songs no one could understand.
"Is that the man you're looking for?"
From the crown of a distant large tree, a boy with long earlobes and a golden afro poked his head out.
A few tree branches were tangled in his hair.
"Poor guy, he actually got captured by those old fossils to be used as a live sacrifice."
"Hey, I've helped you find your target. Shouldn't you pay up now?"
"Sorry."
Another head emerged from the tree crown.
It was Toki.
"I don't have any money on me, but he will pay you your reward."
Enel's face instantly darkened, "You're messing with me, woman?!"
Toki wasn't angry, just looked at the boy she'd spent the past four days with using gentle, apologetic eyes.
"...Fine, fine! All I have to do is help wake him up, right?"
Enel's face flushed inexplicably, and he turned away as if sulking.
A few days ago, while being routinely beaten by the priests, he was saved for the first time.
The woman who suddenly appeared was like an angel descending from heaven, using her sword to defeat those sacred priests.
If this were any other sky island, Enel didn't know what the consequences would be.
But in the isolated, ancient Birka, the punishment for attacking a priest was death.
Without stopping to curse the woman who caused the trouble, Enel immediately got up and ran.
But through a twist of fate, Enel returned to the scene and ended up escaping together with Toki.
It was during these days of fleeing that he experienced a warmth he had never felt before.
That gentle, patient care, like an elder sister's maternal love, was as alluring as pollen to a bee.
And he was just a worker bee.
"Honestly, this time you better not run off. I don't want to have to go looking for you everywhere!"
After grumbling, Enel climbed down from the tree crown using both hands and feet.
He crouched low and slipped into the woods, scurrying toward the mountains.
But behind him, unseen, Toki followed quietly, holding two small branches.
"Finally found you. Please wait for me, Bazel-kun."
…
"My tribesmen!"
"Today is the annual day of sacrifice, and we have found an unprecedented, rare offering!"
"A human from the Blue Sea… he will be the finest tribute we offer to Raijin-sama!"
"Raijin-sama will surely bless us with a bountiful year!!!"
"..."
The priests picked up cloth bags and scattered a pale gray, powder-like substance into the crowd.
The sky people touched by this powder all wore ecstatic expressions, quickly kneeling and kowtowing toward the distant thunderous area… the forest where their revered Raijin-sama was enshrined.
Just as the ignition ceremony was about to begin, a slender figure stealthily climbed onto the woodpile from the darkness.
Unfastening a water canteen from his waist, he glanced cautiously at the high priest not far away.
Whether it was bad luck or the high priest's keen senses, their eyes met at that very moment.
"Enel?! You, cursed by the gods, dare interfere with the sacrificial ceremony? You deserve a thousand deaths!"
Enel froze, his face turning deathly pale.
"It's over, I've been caught..."
"Let me!"
Toki, who had been following closely, quickly snatched the canteen and splashed the cold water onto the unconscious Bazel's face.
"Light the fire! Offer the sinner as a sacrifice to the great Raijin-sama as well!!"
"Yes, High Priest!"
As the flames surged toward him, Enel felt his legs go weak, muttering despairingly about how it was over and he was going to die.
Just as the flames climbed the woodpile, about to engulf the cross, a hoarse voice rang out.
"...It's too early to talk about dying."
"Bazel-kun!!"
Dropping the canteen, Toki rushed forward, tears of joy streaming down her face.
"Thank goodness, you're really alright!"
Bazel lowered his head and gently touched Toki's forehead, expressing his longing after days apart.
Then he looked up at the high priest, his eyes widening sharply.
Conqueror's Haki burst forth!
The burgeoning flames were instantly extinguished by this overwhelming aura.
"Scram, you trash!"
The armed priests closest to him had no time to react… their eyes rolled back, and they collapsed unconscious.
"So... so strong..." Enel stared in stunned disbelief.
"Brat, what's your name?"
Untying the ropes, Bazel, who had not had a drop of water for several days, slowly stood up.
"Me? I'm Enel, a sinner cursed by Raijin-sama."
"Raijin-sama, huh? Heh..."
"Bazel-kun, he..." Toki hesitated, unsure how to continue.
Without needing her to say more, Bazel had already guessed what had happened over the past few days.
As an outsider, Toki couldn't have found where he was imprisoned alone while he was unconscious.
"Let's retreat for now. This isn't the time to fight. I need plenty of food and water."
Toki said nothing, unable to meet Enel's pitiful, puppy-like gaze, and obediently followed Bazel into the darkness.
"Brat!"
Suddenly, Bazel stopped and turned his head slightly.
"What are you still doing there?"
Enel's eyes widened, a glimmer of hope shining in them.
"The name's Bazel, the man who will change these seas!"
"If you have nowhere else to go, follow me. I'll show you what the real world is like."
Enel quickly scrambled to his feet and wordlessly ran to Bazel's side.
"Once I've recovered, we'll go see whether this Raijin is a man or a monster."
---
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