So many years had passed in the blink of an eye.
I wonder how Junichi is doing now. It really makes me nostalgic.
Xiano quickly snapped out of his thoughts and smiled. "It's the perfect season for cherry blossoms. We can enjoy the flowers and take a stroll to clear our minds, then head to North Island together and have a great time!"
Everyone immediately cheered in celebration.
"Yay!"
"I want to ride the Ferris wheel! Who's coming with me?"
"That's too boring. Let's go for the roller coaster and pirate ship instead!"
Amid the noisy chatter, the Sunset slowly docked at the harbor.
...…
Meanwhile.
North Island, Toll Island.
The once bustling main street was now eerily silent, with only the heavy echoes of military boots stepping on the cobblestone road.
Squads of navy soldiers roughly kicked open the doors of casinos and taverns, dragging panicked tourists into the street and cross-referencing them with wanted posters.
"Report! No targets found in the casino district!"
"The theater has been cleared. Only ordinary tourists there!"
"The amusement park has also been checked. We only caught two minor criminals with bounties of a few million from the Ferris wheel!"
One disappointing report after another eventually converged at the central fountain square.
In front of the fountain sculpture, Akainu paced back and forth with a grim expression. The marble ground beneath his feet had already developed fine cracks, a clear sign that his anger was barely contained.
Behind him, six people were shackled on the ground, all weeping bitterly. Beside them, a meter-tall sled dog also lay on the ground, whimpering pitifully.
"We were wrong! We really know we were wrong!"
"We shouldn't have imitated those vicious pirates and scammed people for food and drinks!"
"Sir, please forgive us this time!"
The navy soldiers guarding them exchanged glances, their expressions somewhat peculiar.
This group was entirely professional-level cosplay enthusiasts, almost perfectly replicating the appearance and attire of the Falling Stars Adventure Pirates crew.
Three men and three women. The black-haired leader carried a long sword on his back, while the white-haired man beside him had a bundle of cigars tied to his arm.
The old man disguised as a chef even had his right leg wrapped in steel…
If they hadn't trembled in fear at the sight of the navy, immediately kneeling and surrendering, they could have truly passed as the real deal.
In fact, they had already managed to deceive the navy's intelligence unit stationed here.
After several days of surveillance, no anomalies were detected. If not for that…
"I wouldn't have traveled thousands of miles at full speed to come here."
Akainu finally turned around, coldly scanning the group. "Although you're not the targets, based on past records, you're habitual fraudsters and extortionists."
"Of course, these crimes alone aren't much. A few years in prison would suffice. But this time, you had to impersonate that group, wasting so much of my time."
Akainu slightly raised his right hand, his arm beginning to transform into magma. The intense heat caused the air to distort and rise. "Such a heinous act is unforgivable."
Seeing this, the surrounding navy soldiers quickly stepped aside.
The shackled individuals huddled together in terror, screaming through their tears.
"No… please don't!"
"Help!"
"We really won't dare to do it again!"
Akainu paid no heed, expressionlessly raising his arm: "Eruption!"
Boom!
A torrent of scorching magma surged forth, instantly engulfing the six men and a dog.
The piercing screams lasted only a moment before abruptly ceasing.
As the billowing heat dissipated, the scene revealed almost no trace of human forms. In the bubbling molten lava, only charred and indistinct marks remained.
Is this the style of Admiral Sakazuki?
So ruthless...
The surrounding Marine soldiers couldn't help but shiver.
Tap, tap, tap.
Footsteps echoed from behind. Akainu turned around to see the two Vice Admirals he had specifically summoned from headquarters to ensure the successful completion of this mission.
"Mr. Sakazuki."
The Vice Admiral at the front, puffing on a cigar, spoke in a deep voice:
"The entire town has been searched, and it's now absolutely certain. This is just a farcical mess caused by these audacious individuals who dared to exploit the name of the Falling Stars Adventure Pirates to freeload and cause trouble."
"The real Blade Swordsman Xiano and his crew never even set foot on this island!"
His name was Dalmecia, a Vice Admiral who had been promoted many years ago, ranking high in both seniority and strength. He possessed the Dog-Dog Fruit, Model: Dalmatian, and maintained a half-human, half-beast form year-round.
"That's true, but this time, it wasn't a complete waste. We accidentally caught over a dozen bounty pirates, so it wasn't a total loss."
The other Vice Admiral, a tall woman, licked her lips and spoke with a grin.
Her name was Bumaya, who had previously served as a Rear Admiral and Deputy Base Commander at G-2 Branch. Two months ago, she had just been promoted to Vice Admiral.
Not a complete waste?
Akainu sneered. Such insignificant small fry, no matter how many were caught, didn't deserve to be called a gain!
What significance did it have? Could it cover up the shameful fact that this operation had ended in failure?
A full-fledged Marine Admiral personally leading a fleet of four large headquarters warships and over five thousand elite soldiers, charging in with great momentum.
Only to come up empty-handed?
It was utterly humiliating, especially since he had made bold statements before setting out.
He could already imagine the reactions of Kuzan and Borsalino when they saw him again.
"Send a team to deliver those fools who spread false information to the judicial island's military court for a severe trial."
Akainu suppressed his anger and calmly issued the order. "As for the rest of the soldiers, organize the withdrawal. Take those bounty criminals and prepare to return to headquarters."
"Yes, sir!"
The two Vice Admirals immediately saluted and turned to leave.
With the order given, the entire North Island became a hive of activity. The well-trained Marine soldiers began escorting the captured pirates out of the town in an orderly manner.
This process would take at least half an hour.
Akainu didn't want to wait idly on the ship, so he decided to head to the southern shore alone.
He planned to take a walk along the beach, enjoy the sea breeze, and use the beautiful cherry blossom sea on the opposite South Island to calm his mood a little.
The South Island was a sparsely populated rural area. When he first arrived at Toll Island, he had specifically scanned it with his Observation Haki, finding mostly local farmers at work and no suspicious presences.
Now, naturally, there was no difference... Huh?
Akainu's pupils suddenly contracted.
Just a moment ago, he subconsciously released his Observation Haki to scan the area, but he sensed many unfamiliar auras. Among them, the most powerful one was getting closer and closer…
It was now right in front of him!
He abruptly turned around.
...
"Haven't you arrived yet? I'm already at the bridge."
Xiano walked leisurely while speaking into the Den Den Mushi.
"Hehe, not yet, bro," Nami's playful laughter came from the other end of the line. "We're planning to collect a few more petals so Zeff can make cherry blossom cakes. It'll probably take another ten minutes or so. Just wait a little longer, okay?"
"Alright."
Xiano sighed helplessly. "Then I'll wait for you at the bridgehead. Once you're all here, we'll head to the northern island together."
"Sounds good!"
Just as he was about to hang up, a sudden, needle-like sense of danger shot up his spine, causing him to frown and instinctively look up.
A tall figure in a dark red suit stood on the opposite shore, the white Justice cloak billowing in the wind behind him.
The two of them stood there, separated by a mere few dozen meters of the natural stone bridge, staring at each other in stunned silence.
Time seemed to freeze in that moment.
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