BOOM!
The glowing, dark-red horns struck the solid stone wall, triggering a violent explosion that tore through the structural core of the castle.
Daylight filtered through the gaping breach, illuminating the dusty, smoke-filled air within the chamber.
In his prime, Bege might have attempted to repair the damaged masonry or block the exit with his own limbs to keep his opponent trapped. But with both arms shattered and his stamina entirely drained by the consecutive toll of Big Boss and Castle Pulverizer, he had nothing left to throw into the gap.
CRACK... CRACK...
The fissures spread until the barrier collapsed entirely.
With a final, explosive leap, the massive magma ram burst clear of the fortress. As Ornn exited the internal chamber, the structure imploded. Bege—forced out of his castle form—spat a surge of dark blood, a massive wound torn open across his abdomen as he collapsed onto the cobblestones.
Reverting from his beast form to his human posture, Ornn stood over the defeated mafia boss, his hammer resting lightly against his leg.
Bege gritted his teeth. Pushing himself up with his elbows, he looked directly into Ornn's eyes, his expression uncompromising.
"The victor takes all," Bege rasped. "I accept it. Give me a clean end."
Facing Bege's unwavering gaze, Ornn didn't bother with pointless questions about surrender. He simply nodded, retrieving a chunk of high-purity Heartsteel from his pack.
Wrapping golden magma around the metal ingot, Ornn stepped closer.
"Wait."
Ornn paused. "Regrets?"
"Don't be stupid," Bege sneered weakly. "I just want to know the name of the man taking my life. At least don't leave me as an anonymous ghost."
"Ornn."
"Ornn..." Bege repeated the name, his blood-stained lips curling upward. "Well, Ornn... since you're the one taking me down, make sure you don't go dying early to some nobody."
"You don't need to worry about that."
Ornn reached down, pulled a cigar from Bege's fallen case, lit it with a spark from his fingertips, and slipped it between Bege's lips. "You seem to enjoy these. Have one last smoke."
Bege took a deep drag, letting the harsh tobacco smoke fill his lungs before exhaling a grey cloud into the night air. He offered a grim, bloody grin. "Don't expect me to say thank you."
"I wouldn't dream of it."
FWOOSH—
The magma-wrapped Heartsteel absorbed the lingering demonic essence as Capone Bege took his final breath.
A soft blue system interface materialized in Ornn's vision:
[Heartsteel Ingot (Fortified City Infused)]
A high-grade Heartsteel ingot infused with the demonic essence of the Castle-Castle Fruit. Can be utilized to forge a top-tier Legendary Creation.
Ornn took a long breath, stored the glowing ingot back into his pack, and turned toward the others. "Come on. It's over."
Yamato—having ensured all civilians were safely evacuated—nodded, then turned toward Rhea, who stood quietly near Gotti's fallen body. Yamato opened her mouth, hesitant to press her.
Noticing her look, Rhea offered a wide, bright smile. "Give me an hour."
Before Yamato could reply, Rhea kicked off the pavement with Soru, vanishing into the shadows of Keya Town.
"Ornn, should we—"
"To the ship," Ornn said, turning toward the docks. "She gave her word. She won't disappoint us."
Keya Town Harbor — Dock 3
"She's here! She's coming!"
Yamato jumped up and down on the deck of the Gospel, waving frantically as she spotted a winded figure sprinting along the pier. "Rhea! Over here!"
Rhea smiled, picked up her pace, and vaulted cleanly over the railing onto the wooden deck.
"All settled?" Ornn asked, leaning against the mainmast.
"Yeah!" Rhea nodded, letting out a long, relieved sigh. "I left all the money I saved over the years with my mother, and I arranged for a trusted friend to charter a safe boat to take her back to her hometown..."
She paused for a brief second, her expression softening, before throwing her arms out with a vibrant grin. "In short, everything's taken care of! Now... I'm ready to set sail with you guys!"
Yamato didn't overthink it; hearing that Rhea was officially joining them, she pulled the cat-eared grappler into a tight, exuberant hug. "Welcome aboard!"
Ornn offered a solemn, steady look. "Don't worry, Rhea. Before long, I'll have the means for you to visit the West Blue whenever you want."
His confidence stemmed directly from the legendary schematic unlocked in his forge index the moment Bege's fruit essence was secured.
He touched the Heartsteel ingot in his pack, reading the blueprint details etched into his mind:
[The Moving Castle] (Top-Tier Legendary Creation)
A grand, magical fortress capable of autonomous movement, flight, and integrated with the innate ability: "Demon Contract."
Demon Contract: Uses the blood of Devil Fruit users as a catalyst to forge contracts, granting the castle permanent fractions of those fruit abilities.
Fortified City Contract (Innate): Under the influence of the Castle-Castle Fruit, the castle can freely expand or compress its size (drains user stamina based on scale).
Requirements: High-Grade Heartsteel + Castle-Castle Fruit Essence.
This was the forge-based adaptation of the legendary moving fortress—a floating, dimension-shifting sanctuary.
With future contracts—such as integrating Bruno's Door-Door Fruit blood for localized portals, or Shiki's Float-Float Fruit blood for permanent levitation—the Moving Castle would become one of the most formidable flagship vessels across the seas.
Transporting Rhea back to the West Blue would be child's play.
Rhea, completely unaware of the blue interface floating in Ornn's mind, chuckled softly. "Return to the West Blue anytime? Captain, you don't have to make up wild promises just to cheer me up."
Ornn didn't debate her. He simply gestured to the belt around her waist. "Two hours ago, did you think a belt existed that could mend broken bones in minutes and grant you cat ears?"
Rhea went quiet, her hand touching the Lion King buckle. The logic was undeniable.
Yamato stepped beside her, placing a firm, encouraging hand on Rhea's shoulder. "Trust him, Rhea. Ornn never makes promises he can't keep. If he says it's happening, it's happening!"
Rhea looked between the two of them, taking a deep breath. She straightened her posture and bowed deeply to Ornn.
"Understood! I'll hold you to that... Captain Ornn!"
Yamato grinned brightly at the title. From the moment they had left Onigashima together, her role was already set in stone: she was his shield, his vanguard, and his loyal companion for the grand voyage ahead!
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