"Cooperate... or not cooperate..."
Ginny's body trembled slightly, then completely collapsed into Rosse's arms.
This choice wasn't really a choice at all... was it?
She knew that Rosse wouldn't let Kuma off so easily.
But in truth, she also knew that Rosse hadn't broken his word.
Throwing Kuma into the sea with a life buoy was, in fact, letting him go.
As for whether a Devil Fruit user like Kuma could survive in the sea, well, that had nothing to do with Rosse.
"How can you be like this... Give Kuma a small wooden boat at least," Ginny lowered her head, clearly conceding to Rosse's deal.
"Tsk! I just love talking to smart people."
Rosse smiled faintly and waved his hand lightly.
A deep, shimmering water curtain rose, completely separating him from Kuma, cutting off Kuma's line of sight. Kuma could only see some vague shadows, but none of it was clear.
Yet even those indistinct glimpses were enough to fill him with despair.
The woman he loved was, at this moment, being—
"Ahn!"
The water curtain blocked sight, but not sound.
Every scream Ginny made pierced straight into Kuma's heart like a blade.
'Why?'
He wanted so badly to rush over, to save Ginny, to take his place...
But...
Kuma clenched his fists tightly, pounding the deck helplessly, forcing himself not to look in that direction.
Because this was Ginny's only chance to keep him alive.
If he really charged over there, Ginny's sacrifice would all be for nothing.
'Sob... Ginny, I'm sorry... I'm so useless...'
Helpless tears poured from Kuma's eyes, splashing onto the deck, forming a small pool of water beneath him.
Beside them, Moa stood halfway between the two sides of the water curtain. She could see both Ginny's suffering and Kuma's collapse.
'Tsk! First time and already going straight to the back... what a pervert.'
'And this Kuma, this is what comes from believing in Dragon.'
'Your future will only grow more miserable.'
In Moa's eyes, there was both pity and mockery.
To trust Dragon, well, that was truly the end of it.
What a pity, two doomed lovers, still thinking of each other even in their suffering.
The entire ordeal lasted for a full hour.
When the water curtain finally dissipated, Kuma, his mind on the brink of collapse, hurriedly raised his head to look forward.
From beginning to end, he hadn't resisted. He just listened quietly, enduring in silence.
And the scene before him, when the water curtain vanished, shattered the last of his illusions.
Ginny lay on the deck, eyes vacant, the few scraps of fabric she'd worn torn apart and scattered nearby. Rosse's cloak now covered her, concealing her body completely.
But that lifeless face, and the messy marks at the corners of her mouth, Kuma knew what they were, but could only roar silently in his heart, daring not to speak a word aloud.
He was afraid.
Afraid that all of Ginny's effort would be wasted...
"Prepare a small boat for him," Rosse said calmly as he buttoned his suit jacket, turning to Moa, who had been waiting nearby.
"It's ready," Moa lowered her gaze and bowed.
Her emotions at that moment were more complicated than those of either of the two before her.
After nearly two years, she was finally witnessing this scene.
Finally, she wasn't the only one who had suffered at Rosse's hands because of Dragon's cowardice.
And now, the two of them had proven through their own pain that if Dragon had truly come, Rosse really would have let them go.
After all, even though Dragon hadn't come, Ginny still exchanged herself to save Kuma.
"I...", Led by Moa to the edge of the ship, Kuma moved like a walking corpse.
He glanced at the small wooden boat nearby, then turned back toward Ginny. His lips moved as if to speak, but no words came out.
"K-KUMA!", Ginny rasped hoarsely, struggling to lift her head, revealing her bruised, blotched face.
Even defiled as she was, Kuma still found her beautiful.
"Live on!", After saying those words, Ginny slowly closed her eyes.
She didn't dare to look at Kuma again, nor did she want him to see her like this.
But for Kuma to live, she was willing to do anything.
"Alright! Ginny, I'll live on!"
Tears streamed down Kuma's face as he nodded heavily, understanding Ginny's feelings. Then, turning resolutely, he stepped onto the small boat.
Watching him board, Moa sighed softly and couldn't help but remind him, "If you want to live longer... stay away from Dragon."
With that, she turned and left.
She didn't think Rosse had done anything wrong. After all, Dragon had caused trouble first, Rosse was merely retaliating.
Besides, Rosse was always a villain to begin with, he barely had any moral bottom line.
But Dragon wasn't supposed to be like that. His self-righteous "for the world" attitude... how many more would it kill before it ended?
"Dragon, huh...", As the little boat drifted farther and farther away, Kuma thought of Moa's words, his eyes filled with a mix of emotions, hatred, anger, disgust, confusion.
He didn't know whether he should hate Dragon or not.
But in the end, the Dragon who claimed to want happiness for everyone... hadn't appeared when they needed him most.
———
[Meanwhile, On the Red Line]
This was a secret route connecting the first and second halves of the Grand Line. It had never been publicly revealed to the world, only the people of Figarland knew of its existence.
A merchant ship slowly approached this place. Standing at the bow, Shanks exhaled in relief.
Once they passed through here, they would reach the New World.
And once in the New World, his mission would finally be complete.
Even though the Figarlands had abandoned them, Shanks had not broken his promise.
But as the ship drew closer and closer, Shanks's expression froze.
At the entrance of the passage stood a small boat.
The boat wasn't large, only about five square meters.
But that small boat remained utterly motionless amid the violent currents, not swaying at all.
What shocked Shanks even more was the person standing on it.
"You... why are you here?", Shanks forced the words out, a bitter taste in his mouth.
"This passage is one I told you about. Why shouldn't I be here?"
Saint Garling stood upon the boat, gazing coldly at the approaching Shanks.
"This is your final warning. I'll tell them you've defected too, that these people were ones you personally escorted to the Holy Land."
"Why? Are you afraid of that person too?", Shanks couldn't help but ask.
"Some ancestral records were passed down," Garling said indifferently, "When the throne can hold two, even the destined Nika cannot return."
"So you've chosen to be their dog?", Shanks sneered.
"When there's no hope left, being a dog isn't so bad. Shanks, if you want to bet the future on fate itself, you must first preserve your own life," As he spoke, Garling appeared beside Shanks in an instant.
And Shanks watched as, the moment Garling left it, the small boat was torn apart by the raging sea currents, splintering into nothing, not even a single plank left behind.
"Preserve myself, huh...", Shanks let out a self-mocking laugh.
He understood what Garling meant, and what he was trying to say.
Whether he wanted to live that way or not, the truth was, he no longer had a choice.
Was this truly his own decision... or something Garling had arranged since the day he was born? He could no longer tell.
But one thing was certain, he hated all of it. Hated this feeling of being controlled.
No matter what, he had to make the destiny of Nika descend upon the world.
Only then could this detestable world finally be completely changed.
Until then... he could only hide and endure.
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