The moment the resurrected people on the deck awoke, they all reacted the same way.
"Who am I…? Where… am I…?"
It wasn't until they saw the soldiers in uniform surrounding them that their minds slowly cleared, memories of the terrifying tsunami that had struck not long ago coming back to them.
Looking around at the scene, they quickly realized it must have been the Marines who saved them. In the next instant, many of them scrambled to their feet, bowing deeply and showering the Marines with gratitude.
But the Marines themselves stood there in confusion and disbelief—they had just witnessed what could only be described as mass resurrection.
The civilians, still unaware of the full truth, saw the "calm" reaction from the Marines and couldn't help but marvel at their discipline and efficiency. To them, it was awe-inspiring that the Marines had managed to rescue so many people from such an overwhelming natural disaster.
But joy was quickly replaced by sorrow as they began to remember their loved ones—those who were not among the rescued. The initial relief of surviving turned bitter, and soft sobbing began to spread among the crowd. Soon, the deck echoed with cries and wails, the grief growing heavier by the moment.
Seeing this, the Marine Captain took a deep breath, forcing his own turbulent thoughts into order. He glanced at the small island that had just surfaced from the sea not far away and raised his voice to comfort the crowd.
"Everyone, please calm down! I know what you're grieving, but listen—your loved ones may still be alive, just like you!"
His words brought an abrupt hush to the deck. Someone let out a long sigh and muttered,
"Captain… it's already a miracle that we survived such a disaster. How could the ones left behind on the island still be alive? You saw it, didn't you? Those waves... they could've shattered the entire island into dust..."
The Marine Captain inhaled sharply and said in a steady tone,
"No! You haven't seen a true miracle yet. That island—before you woke up—it had already sunk beneath the sea. But just a little while ago... it rose back from the depths again!"
"Nani!?"
Gasps and disbelieving looks swept through the crowd. A Marine soldier stepped forward, adding,
"And when we pulled you out of the water, you were already… dead. By all rights, there's no way you should be standing here now. But… here you are."
The civilians exchanged stunned glances, their minds torn between hope and doubt. It wasn't until the Marine Captain barked his next order that they felt a flicker of belief.
"Let's go ashore and see for ourselves—see if the people still on the island have… come back too."
Under his command, the warship docked, and the Marines led the survivors ashore. They had barely walked a few miles when they stumbled upon groups of drenched, disheveled people emerging from the island's interior.
These were the very people who had gone down with the island during the tsunami—the ones everyone thought had perished.
Among them, a few happened to be relatives of the people who had woken up on the deck, and their tearful, joyous reunions confirmed the impossible truth.
The Marine Captain hurriedly questioned them, asking if they remembered what had happened. But, just like the others, their memories faded at the moment of disaster. None of them could recall anything beyond that.
After cross-checking their stories, the Captain had to face the undeniable fact: everyone on this island had truly died and come back to life.
Though he had begun to suspect this earlier on the warship, seeing it with his own eyes left him shaken to the core.
This wasn't a miracle. No—this was something beyond even that. A divine act.
His earlier theory, that it might have been caused by some Devil Fruit user, crumbled in his mind. He refused to believe any Devil Fruit power could achieve something on this scale. No—this was the work of gods.
All around him, the resurrected people fell into deep thought, struggling to recall the moment of their return.
One man furrowed his brows and muttered,
"I think… I heard a voice. It said something about Dark… but I can't remember the rest…"
As soon as he spoke, others started nodding in agreement.
"Yes! Yes! I heard it too! A voice… it said 'Dark....'—this exact word!"
"Dark… Reversal! That's right! That's what I heard too!"
"I heard it as well! It sounded like a young man speaking!"
The Marine Captain's expression darkened as his mind raced.
"Dark… could it be…!?"
There was only one person in the world whose name was synonymous with "darkness." Only one man who stood at the very pinnacle of power.
Fleet Admiral—Figarland Carl.
It was he who had shown the world the overwhelming might of darkness, putting an end to the debate about the most powerful Devil Fruit. From then on, everyone agreed: the Dark-Dark Fruit reigned supreme.
...
Meanwhile, far above in Mary Geoise, where the true center of power lay—
Carl stood silently, the black staff of darkness in his hand dissolving into black light, while the swirling vortex above slowly faded away.
Lily frowned, her voice heavy.
"Carl… what did you just do?"
Carl offered her a faint smile.
"You'll find out soon enough."
Sure enough, moments later, reports flooded in one after another—dead people resurrected across disaster-stricken islands. The news came in an unending stream, and as it piled up, even Akainu and the others couldn't maintain their composure. Their expressions shifted from disbelief to outright shock, until finally, every gaze in the room turned to Carl in utter terror.
Resurrecting the dead from afar—while seated here in Mary Geoise. Such a feat no longer belonged to the realm of humans.
Even Lily's jaw dropped slightly, her eyes fixed blankly on Carl.
Carl gently hooked a finger under her pale chin and whispered,
"Do you see now? This is what the Empty Throne is for—to rule not only the living but death itself."
"…"
Lily fell silent for a moment, then cautiously asked,
"So… does that mean… you can revive all the dead now?"
Carl chuckled softly.
"Only those who died recently. As long as their death wasn't too long ago—even if only bones remain—I can bring them back."
Lily pouted.
"Hmph, you just said you could rule over life and death… but turns out there are still limits!"
Carl arched a brow.
"Lily, do you even hear yourself right now? Do you know how many people I just brought back from the dead?"
Lily turned her face away with a huff.
"Hmph! What does that have to do with me? I'm still mad! And tonight—I swear, I'm going to let it all out!"
Carl's lips twitched.
"Lily… there are people watching. I suggest you choose your words more carefully."
"...I didn't mean that kind of letting out!!!"
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+140 chapters on p@treon/tambeerg