Dark clouds loomed over the sky, yet the sea remained unnaturally calm, showing no signs of an impending storm.
Two Marine battleships cut through the waves, gradually approaching the shores of Raijin Island under the watchful eyes of Maude and his crew.
Maude narrowed his eyes as he gazed at the bow of one of the battleships, where he spotted two familiar faces—
Hina and Smoker.
According to the terms Maude had set, the Marines could send, at most, a Rear Admiral.
Among Rear Admirals, Hina and Smoker were undoubtedly among the strongest.
Upon closer thought, seeing them here was actually quite expected.
As Maude scanned the situation on the battleships, he activated his Observation Haki, carefully sensing the presence aboard.
After confirming that there were no overwhelmingly powerful individuals on board, he retracted his Haki.
On the battleship.
A group of Marines watched with apprehension as bolts of lightning relentlessly struck the island from the dense cloud cover above.
Reflected in the pupils of Hina and Smoker was the flashing storm of lightning, their faces more solemn than ever before.
"To think he would choose such a dangerous island as the exchange site."
"Hina believes Maude is more dangerous than this island."
"..."
Smoker remained silent, as if silently agreeing.
A moment later, unwilling to dwell on the subject, he raised his hand, signaling his subordinates to begin preparations.
A boarding ladder was swiftly lowered to the shore by the Marines.
"Bring them out."
Smoker was the first to descend the ladder, issuing orders for his subordinates to bring out Bepo and the others.
"Yes, sir!"
The Marines worked swiftly. In less than ten seconds, they escorted Bepo and his crewmates, all bound in shackles and chains, onto the deck.
Hina cast a glance at the prisoners, who were about to be exchanged, then silently followed Smoker down the ladder onto the shore.
Despite the relentless lightning storm above, the coastline remained the only safe zone on Raijin Island, as it was beyond the reach of the lightning strikes.
Hina tensed slightly, glancing warily at the thunderstorm raging a few dozen meters away. Then, she lifted her gaze, peering past the torrential bolts of lightning to see the vague figures standing in the distance, sheltered by umbrellas.
"Bring me an umbrella."
"Yes, Rear Admiral Hina!"
Moments later, a Marine handed her a thunderproof umbrella.
This umbrella was an essential tool for setting foot on Raijin Island, something the Marines had prepared in advance.
Hina took the umbrella, snapped it open with a soft click, and stepped into the storm zone.
As for Smoker, he had no need for an umbrella. Instead, he simply allowed the lightning to pass through his smoke-formed body harmlessly.
Hina and Smoker led the way, while the other Marines carefully followed, holding up black umbrellas as they escorted the weary-looking Bepo and his crew members.
Before long—
Hina and Smoker arrived before Maude and his group.
Their eyes were immediately drawn to the Celestial Dragons lying at Maude's feet, looking more like beaten dogs than the self-proclaimed rulers of the world. Their expressions shifted noticeably.
"Well, this is a rare sight."
Smoker scrutinized the filthy, injured Celestial Dragons.
Hina pressed her lips together, remaining silent.
Regardless of their personal opinions, neither she nor Smoker held any fondness for the Celestial Dragons.
However, their mission took precedence over personal feelings.
"Yo."
Maude greeted the two "old acquaintances" with an indifferent wave.
Smoker responded with a cold snort, his face emotionless.
Hina looked at Maude with a complex expression, her gaze gradually turning serious.
A few moments later—
The Marines escorted Bepo and the others to Hina and Smoker's side.
"Captain!!!"
Though exhausted, Bepo and his crew immediately perked up upon seeing Law, their faces lighting up with joy.
Law instinctively took a step forward, his voice low and steady. "Are you all okay?"
"Captain, does Bepo look like he's okay? Look at his face and neck—covered in wounds!"
"We were thrown into Impel Down! Our skin nearly peeled off!"
"But hey, luckily, we're tough enough to pull through!"
Reunited with their captain, the Heart Pirates were suddenly reinvigorated, speaking all at once.
Seeing his crew still so full of spirit, Law sighed in relief, then turned a sharp gaze toward Smoker and the other Marines.
"How do we do this exchange?"
Ignoring Law's hostile glare, Smoker looked directly at Maude, his tone heavy.
Maude did not respond immediately. Instead, he simply stepped forward, umbrella in hand, walking toward the midpoint between both groups.
This sudden movement made the Marines tense up instantly, their nerves tightening as they watched Maude's every move with heightened vigilance.
Under their watchful eyes, Maude walked about ten meters before stopping.
"Law, bring them over."
"Room."
At Maude's command, Law immediately activated his ability, shifting himself, the Celestial Dragons, and the umbrella to Maude's side.
A few tendrils of shadow reached out, taking the umbrella and ensuring a rain-free space for Law and the Celestial Dragons.
Holding his umbrella, Maude looked at Smoker and Hina, smiling. "We'll make the exchange right here."
"..."
Smoker's expression grew even more serious. He signaled to his subordinates to move the prisoners forward.
Without hesitation, Smoker strode toward Maude first, followed by Hina and the other Marines.
"Here's what you asked for."
With a dismissive motion, Maude kicked the Celestial Dragons toward Smoker and Hina.
The crude treatment of the Celestial Dragons, as if they were mere objects, made Smoker and Hina's expressions darken once more. The Marines behind them were visibly shaken.
Taking a deep breath, Smoker quickly crouched down to inspect the Celestial Dragons.
"Heart's still beating."
Under the flickering lightning, Smoker glanced at their shadows.
"Shadows are intact."
After verifying their condition, Smoker signaled his subordinates to move Bepo and the others forward.
Out of caution, the Marines did not remove their shackles but instead escorted them directly to Maude and Law.
At Maude's signal, Law scanned their bodies with his ability.
After confirming that the Marines had not planted any traps, Law nodded at Maude.
Maude looked at Smoker and Hina, his voice calm. "Alright, you can leave now."
Without a word, Smoker signaled for Hina and the others to retreat first with the Celestial Dragons.
As Maude silently watched, the Marines quickly boarded their battleships.
"..."
Smoker gave Maude one last deep look before turning and following his comrades onto the ship.
Soon, the battleships set sail at full speed, as if fleeing from a plague.
"That went smoothly."
Only after they had sailed a hundred meters away did Smoker glance back at Raijin Island, where Maude's figure remained standing amidst the storm.
Hina nodded in silence.
"Rear Admiral Smoker! Rear Admiral Hina! Look ahead!!!"
"Hmm?"
As they reached the bow, their eyes widened in shock.
Ahead, more than a dozen Marine Headquarters battleships had appeared on the horizon.
"What's going on?"
Smoker's expression darkened in confusion.
Then, the Den Den Mushi rang.
Smoker quickly answered.
The Den Den Mushi's face morphed into the likeness of Kizaru.
"Hello? Hello? Can you hear me?"
The slow, drawling voice of Kizaru came through.
"..."
Everyone on deck, including Smoker and Hina, froze in stunned silence.
In that instant, they realized the truth.
From the very beginning, the Marines—or rather, the World Government—had never intended to conduct a fair exchange.
At the same time.
Maude arrived at the shores of Raijin Island, watching as more than a dozen Marine warships approached from the distant sea. Slowly, he folded up his umbrella.
"As expected… This is exactly the kind of thing the World Government would do."
Maude shook his head slightly and snapped his fingers.
On the deck of one of the warships—
The unconscious Charlos suddenly exploded from the chest.
Flesh and blood burst outward in all directions, splattering across the Marines, including Smoker, as well as the Den Den Mushi.
The unexpected turn of events left Smoker and the surrounding Marines frozen in shock.
"Hello? Hello? Why is there still no response? I made sure I grabbed the right Den Den Mushi this time."
Kizaru's voice once again echoed from the receiver.
In return, he was met with nothing but dead silence.
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