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"What… what is that?"
Elsewhere, Ace had just shaken off the Marines chasing him. Looking up at the lava falling from the sky, he was momentarily stunned.
But then he remembered—Vivi had told him that direction…
That was where Luffy was!
On the other side, Smoker and Tashigi, still searching for Ace, also saw the terrifying sight.
"Tina's shocked! Is Admiral Akainu here?!"
Standing next to Smoker, Tina looked confused, her pretty face filled with uncertainty.
She'd originally been on routine patrol, until she suddenly got orders from HQ to head to Alabasta and assist Smoker.
She'd also been told that backup from HQ would arrive soon.
So when she saw lava falling from the sky, it was only natural for her to think of Akainu.
"No,"
Smoker said gruffly, taking a drag from his cigar.
"There's no way HQ would send Akainu here."
He looked serious.
He hadn't met the reinforcement in person, but Tashigi had already told him—it was Kaji.
And if it wasn't Akainu doing that…
Thinking back to Ace's reaction earlier, Smoker started to piece things together.
"Tina, let's go!"
"We can actually escape?!"
Nami looked surprised at what Bai Ye just said.
A moment ago, he'd told everyone: while Kaji's busy fighting off the lava, this was their chance—run.
"No problem,"
Bai Ye smiled and nodded.
"Then let's get out of here!"
Without missing a beat, Luffy clapped his hands and said seriously.
But Sanji looked up at Kaji in the sky, a worried look on his face.
Zoro, however, stared hard at Bai Ye, his expression growing serious.
"You're planning to stay and stall that guy, aren't you?"
Zoro had had a strange feeling for a while now.
It felt like… Bai Ye was saying goodbye to them.
The others looked stunned at first, then all turned to Bai Ye.
Seeing their expressions, Bai Ye sighed.
"C'mon, this is supposed to be my big heroic moment, you know?"
Then his face changed. He started forming hand seals.
[Dui Trigram – Mirror of the Flowing Marsh!]
(Note: The Kan trigram represents pure elemental water and natural imagery like floods and storms.The Dui trigram also involves water, but more symbolic and controlled—like swamps or ponds.That's why Dui is aligned with Metal in the Five Elements.)
"What the—?!" ×n
As Bai Ye activated the Dui trigram technique, the ground beneath the crew suddenly turned into a swamp, pulling them down and trapping them.
"Luffy! Everyone!!"
Bai Ye called out, looking at the friends he'd traveled with—and smiled again.
"Keep sailing, no matter what!"
"Bai Ye!!!"
Chopper and Usopp were already bawling their eyes out.
"Bai Ye, you bastard!"
Nami's eyes were full of tears as she remembered all the memories she had with him.
"Damn it! You expect me to just leave our vice-captain behind?!"
Sanji yelled, struggling hard against the swampy restraints.
"Bai Ye! At least let me stay behind!"
Zoro's voice was calm, but the look in his eyes was full of fierce resolve.
"Bai Ye!!!"
Luffy's eyes were bloodshot, arms stretched out as far as they could go—desperately trying to reach him.
But the suction under their feet kept getting stronger—until it swallowed everyone whole.
Only then did Bai Ye finally turn around.
At this point, the Alabasta incident had completely spiraled out of control.
But Bai Ye believed that as long as they could shake off Kaji's pursuit and make it back to the sea,the Straw Hats could still keep sailing. And with the kind of power they now had—way beyond what they had at this point in the original timeline—
"They'll definitely have an even more epic journey," Bai Ye murmured to himself, a faint smile tugging at his lips.
As for his own journey… this might really be the end of the road.
Bai Ye looked up at Kaji, who was now slowly descending.
"As expected of the 'Celestial Master' Bai Ye... even I'm finding this troublesome," Kaji said. His tone was no longer light and casual—this was the first time he truly acknowledged Bai Ye as an opponent.
"But, if you're running… you'll have to return to your pirate crew eventually, right?"
He shook his head.
"You really think I'll give you another chance to use that move again?"
Suddenly, Kaji slashed his sword—and in the blink of an eye, the attack was right in front of Bai Ye.
Shing!!!
Even though he dodged with all his might and even used his Golden Light Talisman,Bai Ye was still hit.
He dropped to one knee, a savage gash now carved across his chest.
"If I take you out now, catching Straw Hat will be a piece of cake."
Kaji's emotionless voice rang out.
"Or do you actually think you can stall me for that long?"
"Not for long," Bai Ye muttered, then bit down on the final pill hidden in his mouth.
As he slowly raised his head, his whole vibe suddenly shifted.
He now looked like a total madman—wild, unhinged.
His eyes burned with insanity.
Even Kaji was slightly shaken by the sight.
"This guy…"
Then, a voice as grim as a demon from hell came out of Bai Ye's mouth:
"I think... I might just be able to kill you."
BOOM!!!
The pill Bai Ye had swallowed finally kicked in—
Sixth-Grade Pill: Blood Demon Pill
Back in the days of the ancient Qi Cultivators, there was a sect known as the Blood Demon Sect.
The Blood Demon Pill was their ultimate trump card.
Once taken, the moment the effects wore off, the user's meridians would shatter completely, turning them into a cripple.Their life span? Only 30 days left. Not even a celestial being could save them.
But of course, a price like that came with a crazy payoff.
The user's strength would skyrocket without limits—starting from 10x—and keep climbing as long as their body could handle it.
And during that time, they'd have full control of their power.
Unlike cheap knock-off pills that explode the user from the inside, this one worked flawlessly.
Also, they wouldn't feel any pain during this period. They'd be half-mad, half-sane.
In simple terms, as long as they could hold on long enough…
Their power could multiply dozens of times, with zero pain, making their combat power insanely boosted.
That's why righteous sects back then had a saying:
If you see someone from the Blood Demon Sect swallow a Blood Demon Pill—
Run like hell.
A wave of thick, blood-red energy surged through Bai Ye's body, almost solid in form.
It was so overwhelming that it started leaking out of him, staining the very air around him red.
"Ahhhhhh!!!"
Bai Ye, kneeling on one knee, howled at the sky!
Like a general about to fall on the battlefield, who'd just struck a deal with a demon at the last moment—and was now wielding power straight out of hell.
He stood mid-air, eyes tightly shut.
His robe shattered, revealing a chiseled, muscular chest.
His long hair whipped wildly in the wind.
He could feel power rushing through his body nonstop.
His mind slowly tipped toward madness.
Key word—madness, not complete insanity.
Bai Ye still had his rational mind.
"Hahahahaha!!!"
He burst into crazed laughter in mid-air, though a sliver of regret crept into his heart.
Damn… if I'd known I could get this strong, I should've told those guys to leave a little later.
Now no one's gonna see me rip a Navy admiral to shreds with my bare hands.
Neither Bai Ye nor Kaji noticed—
A hand suddenly reached out from the ground somewhere and grabbed onto a building, holding tight.
"....."