You can read ahead up to 90 chapters on my patreon: https://www.patreon.com/darkshadow6395
The world truly is full of strange and wondrous things.
So far, aside from the untouchable Im in the Room of Flowers and the ever-watchful Dragon of the Revolutionary Army, there's actually one more person who knows what Rowen's been up to.
That person… is Fleet Admiral Akainu!
Through deduction, process of elimination, and the occasional clue, whether accidentally dropped or deliberately planted by Rowen, Akainu slowly pieced the truth together.
At first, he was furious. He'd wanted nothing more than to execute Rowen on the spot, evidence be damned. But soon, he cooled down. After some hard thinking, he realized that he'd already stepped onto a path with no turning back.
At this pivotal juncture in the Great Pirate Era, no one can afford to remain a bystander.
What does justice truly mean to him?
He used to believe in Absolute Justice, loyal to the World Government, ruthless toward any who defied it, because they had broken the law, and thus were undeniably evil!
But…
There was one unspoken condition behind that belief:
That the law of the World Government did not go against the justice in his own heart!
The extermination of the Celestial Dragons, though the truth hasn't been revealed to the world, has stirred the waters far more than the surface would suggest. The emotional backlash alone is reshaping the hearts of those across the seas.
"In the name of Absolute Justice, this world needs no soil where evil can take root!"
Justice, above all orders.
Conviction, even higher than rank.
That's the shift Rowen sees now in Akainu.
Sliding two classified reports into the steel ring on his left thumb, Rowen stands on the deck of the Qilin, his gaze locked on the distant figure of Akainu at Bay Port.
"Everything's changed, hasn't it?"
Hearts no longer beat in unison. The crew is harder to lead than ever.
That's the most accurate way to describe today's World Government.
"But can I really trust you… Fleet Admiral?"
Thinking this, Rowen pulls out a Den Den Mushi and dials.
"Moshimoshi? Dante? Sounds like things are getting lively on your end?"
Explosions thunder in the background, fierce winds howl, Dante's voice crackles through with interference.
"Apologies, Admiral. No time for a full report right now… The enemy's being particularly unfriendly. I'll contact you once I've cleaned up this mess."
No sooner does he finish than the sharp clang of metal rings out again.
From the sound of it, someone's hammering him with relentless strikes, and he's parrying each one with skill. The ringing of blade against blade is unmistakable.
Rowen: "..."
"Let me ask you something… how did you end up fighting them in the first place?"
"Ugh, don't even remind me!" Dante sighs in frustration. "I hadn't said a word before they blared the alarm and started attacking. Good thing I came alone. If we'd brought a full team, it would've been a slaughter!"
"So—"
Rowen is hit with a wave of fatigue.
"You were wearing your mask, weren't you?"
"Well, of course! Showing my face would drag you into this mess too, right?"
Dante's confusion is genuine.
"But why didn't you take it off once you got there?! They don't even know what the mask means!"
Rowen can barely keep his cool.
This is the Revolutionary Army's main headquarters, a fortress teeming with elite warriors. A masked stranger shows up out of nowhere… and you expect them to offer you tea and biscuits?
You're the commander of the assassination squad, not a walking emblem. What were you expecting, a custom uniform with your name stitched on the back?! What is this, some ninja show like Naruto?
Bottom line: you looked like a shady intruder creeping around their stronghold.
Of course they attacked you!
Dante pauses after hearing that. Then, there's a sudden grunt of pain as he's forced to retreat again.
Facing down a swarm of furious revolutionaries, he twitches at the corner of his mouth. After a beat of silence, he raises a hand to his mask and asks:
"What if they won't stop attacking?"
Rowen: "Then just go die, you idiot!!!"
凸(艹皿艹)
—Deep within the Calm Belt, on the Island of Women: Amazon Lily—
Amazon Lily, home of the legendary Kuja warriors, remains a mystery to the outside world.
As its name suggests, it is an island ruled entirely by women.
Here, girls are born and raised as warriors, bearing the legacy of their ancestors and the burden of their homeland's survival. Even childbirth follows the island's own strange rules, only daughters are ever born.
Located within the perilous Calm Belt beside the Grand Line, the surrounding seas are haunted by monstrous Sea Kings. Ordinary ships can't even dream of crossing into these waters.
This deadly natural barrier is both shield and shackle.
It protects them…
And traps them.
Standing in the heart of the grand plaza within Kuja Palace, Boa Hancock surveyed the organized evacuation of her people with a calm gaze. She had just declared open rebellion, and there was not a trace of regret in her eyes.
She and the Celestial Dragons had become mortal enemies. And rightly so, for they were the embodiment of cruelty and corruption.
Slavery.
Few knew the truth: that the noble and awe-inspiring Pirate Empress, one of the Seven Warlords of the Sea, had once been a slave to those despicable dragons.
The brand of the Celestial Dragons still marred her back, a cruel reminder of the chains she had once worn.
"Hahh…"
Behind her, the former former former Empress, Elder Gloriosa, leaned on her cane and sighed heavily as she watched Hancock's silhouette.
"Let's just hope this isn't the end…"
Who had ever met a good end after turning against the World Government?
That's right.
The first Warlord to publicly answer the Revolutionary Army's call for uprising… was Boa Hancock herself!
Gloriosa hadn't stopped her, not because she approved, but because even her battle-worn heart held a flicker of hope.
In an age teetering on the edge of chaos… maybe a bold gamble could spark a chance at survival.
Just then, a Kuja warrior sprinted into the plaza.
"Snake Princess! The last civilian ship has departed!"
"Good!"
Snapped out of her thoughts, Boa Hancock's perfect features lit up with a regal, gentle smile, so dazzling it could make armies swoon.
"Tell Sandersonia and Marigold they must protect the civilians with their lives. This rebellion was my decision alone, make sure they get away unharmed."
Gone was the haughty, aloof woman who once scoffed at the world. Now, Boa Hancock radiated the poise of a true sovereign.
It wasn't just the weight of her Conqueror's Haki. It was something more, the quiet power of a ruler willing to bear her people's burdens.
She no longer uttered absurdities like "I'll be forgiven no matter what I do, because I'm too beautiful."
Now, fully aware of the cost of turning on the World Government, she was prepared to stake everything for her homeland.
"But… what about you, Hancock?"
Gloriosa stepped forward, her tone heavy with concern.
"Even the Kuja Pirates' flagship left with the final convoy. You've sent off every last vessel!"
"The Government's forces are already on their way. With only a handful of warriors left… are you planning to make your last stand here?!"
The Calm Belt was treacherous, even for Marine warships. Amazon Lily had survived for generations thanks to trained Sea Kings pulling their ships through the monster-filled waters.
And those Sea Kings? Far more precious than any ship.
Without them, passage was almost certain death.
But Hancock knew this. Her eyes didn't waver as she gazed toward the horizon.
"The small escape boats are just enough to get the civilians out. As long as they meet up with the rescue fleet, they'll be safe. As for me?"
"I won't be going."
"What?!"
Gloriosa was stunned.
"Are you mad?! What do you have that can stop the Government's army?!"
The outside world might think the Revolutionary Army coerced Hancock into this betrayal. But those who truly knew her understood, it was her choice, and hers alone.
Amazon Lily had no hope of repelling the might of the World Government. Not by force.
"You'll be killed!" Gloriosa cried.
"Then let me die."
Hancock's voice was like steel. She turned to Gloriosa, her expression fierce and unyielding, one the elder had never seen before.
"To protect this island, I once accepted the Shichibukai's collar. I bowed my head because there was no hope of resistance. Was I wrong to do that?"
Gloriosa fell silent.
It was true.
The last two Empresses of Amazon Lily had perished at the hands of the Marines. That was the cruel history of this island, until Hancock grew strong enough to take the title of Warlord and change their fate.
"But now… things are different."
Hancock raised one graceful arm, her lips curling into a confident smile.
"Even if I fall here… I know this rebellion won't be extinguished."
"The World Government's end is already written in the tides."
"And besides… I'm a woman."
Suddenly, she smiled, a breathtaking, radiant smile that left Gloriosa speechless.
"If I, a woman, can stand taller than they ever will… I'd love to see how those smug tyrants live with that."
The wind picked up.
Her scarlet cheongsam billowed like a crimson flame across the stone plaza, like a flower blooming defiantly in the storm.
(End of Chapter)