"Evil..."
Hearing Kizaru's words, Meiser couldn't help but frown.
Why do these guys all love saying things like this?
It's really... irritating.
"Oh? Did I say something wrong?" Kizaru glanced at Meiser. "You're the pirate who even dared to kill a Celestial Dragon. Is there anything you brat wouldn't do?"
"What a dutiful dog you are..."
Listening to Meiser's words, Kizaru's mouth twitched. "What a sharp-tongued little brat."
"The actions of the Celestial Dragons—I'm sure the Marines are well aware of them. And yet... you choose to turn a blind eye."
"Is this... what you call justice?"
At these words, Kizaru fell silent.
Because this question... wasn't one he could easily answer.
To be honest, he also despised the Celestial Dragons' behavior. In his youth, he'd even entertained some... rather dangerous thoughts!
But as time passed, he grew increasingly silent—until... he became a Marine Admiral.
Now, Kizaru understood all too well that some things simply couldn't be changed. That was why his sense of justice had ended up the way it was now.
All he could do... was stand on the side of the Marines and fulfill his duties.
Nothing more.
"He can't answer that kind of question for you," Rayleigh laughed. "After all... he's a Marine Admiral."
"Hahahaha."
As someone who had fought in the God Valley War, Rayleigh knew exactly what the Marines were.
Put simply, they were just dogs raised by the World Government.
No matter how much they refused to admit it, that fact wouldn't change!
Hearing Rayleigh's thinly veiled mockery, Kizaru merely shot him a glance and ignored him.
Then, Kizaru turned back to Meiser. "Little ninja brat... it's not your place as a pirate to question the Marines' justice."
Yes, this world had its share of darkness—so much so that even a Marine Admiral like him could only remain silent.
But... no matter what, the Marines were still striving to protect these seas, weren't they?
Without the Marines, the world would have long been destroyed by pirates!
This time, Meiser didn't argue with Kizaru any further. He simply gave him a calm look before turning away.
"Meiser, take your little girlfriend and get out of here," Rayleigh said. "I'll hold this guy off for you."
Once these youngsters were safely hidden away, he could leave.
"Uncle Rayleigh, I'm counting on you!" Meiser replied.
"Mm."
"Oh, right, Uncle Rayleigh."
Just as he was about to leave with Galette, Meiser suddenly remembered something. "Aside from Kizaru, there's also that Akainu on this island right now."
"Akainu?"
Rayleigh was momentarily stunned. He hadn't expected two Marine Admirals to come to Sabaody Archipelago at once.
Had the Marines... gone mad?
Just to deal with the Straw Hat Pirates, they'd dispatched two top-tier fighters?
This wasn't an assault on one of the Four Emperors... Was it really necessary?
"Mm." Meiser nodded and asked, "Uncle Rayleigh, do you know what kind of Devil Fruit user Akainu is?"
Before Rayleigh could answer, Galette spoke up instead, "I know this one. Let's talk while we move."
Staying here any longer would waste precious time and increase the risk of being blocked by a Marine Admiral!
So... it was better to run quickly.
Once they left, this old man could find a chance to escape too.
Understanding Galette's meaning, Meiser nodded and said, "Alright, let's go then."
"Uncle Rayleigh, don't get too caught up in the fight either."
"Don't worry about me," Rayleigh waved his hand dismissively.
Having participated in countless battles, he naturally knew when to make his exit.
"Got it."
With that, Meiser decisively activated his Earth Release Technique, taking Galette underground as they swiftly rushed into the distance.
"What a... cunning little brat," Kizaru remarked.
Being held up by Rayleigh meant he might not have the energy to use Observation Haki to track their escape route.
As for the other Marines... unless Sakazuki showed up, no one else would be able to detect the two hiding underground.
Hopefully, Sakazuki could intercept them.
"Alright, now it's our turn," Rayleigh said, swinging his sword with a chuckle as he looked at Kizaru. "It's been so long since I last fought—wonder if these old bones have gotten rusty."
The moment he finished speaking, Rayleigh slashed forward!
"Clang!"
Their weapons clashed, producing a crisp metallic ring.
"The Pirate King's right-hand man... truly..."
"Scary~"
What old bones... this guy's Haki intensity was anything but weak!!
Even he had to be cautious against this level of Haki.
"Kizaru... if I'm not mistaken, the Marines are planning something big, aren't you?" Rayleigh suddenly said.
"Oh?"
"What makes you say that?"
"I just... saw the newspaper."
While collecting Red Tree Resin earlier, a News Coo had landed beside him.
Out of boredom, he bought a copy—only to find a crucial piece of information.
The Marine Headquarters had not only captured Fire Fist Ace, the 2nd Division Commander of the Whitebeard Pirates, but... they also planned to publicly execute him!!
Rayleigh knew exactly what this meant.
The Whitebeard Pirates were infamous for their protectiveness—anyone who dared harm their family would face their relentless retaliation.
And now, the Marines intended to execute Whitebeard's son in front of the entire world... wasn't this a direct slap to the old man's face?
Soon enough, Whitebeard would come knocking.
That would undoubtedly be a brutal battle!
As he pondered, Rayleigh pulled out a newspaper from his coat and tossed it to the ground.
"A newspaper, huh..."
Kizaru glanced at the contents and said, "What does this prove?"
"If it's already in the papers, is there any point playing dumb?" Rayleigh narrowed his eyes. "Your Fleet Admiral Sengoku isn't even trying to hide his intentions."
They were making it blatantly clear to the world—they intended to use this as bait to lure the Whitebeard Pirates to Marine Headquarters!
Thinking this, Rayleigh continued, "Let me guess, you plan to keep Whitebeard permanently at Marine Headquarters?"
If the Marines could truly pull off such a feat, their morale would soar to terrifying heights!
Of course, there was also the possibility that Marine Headquarters would be utterly destroyed by Whitebeard.
After all... that was a man who could fight Roger for three days and nights without either side gaining the upper hand.
"I have no obligation to answer your questions."
"No worries, you don't have to. It's probably close to what I'm thinking anyway." Rayleigh smirked. "But that means your time is running out."
As long as the Straw Hat Pirates could evade pursuit over the next few days, then... these two Marine Admirals would have no choice but to return to Marine Headquarters!
After all... they had no way of knowing exactly when the Whitebeard Pirates would appear at Marine Headquarters, so they had to be prepared.
Once the Admirals left, these youngsters could safely make their way to the New World.
Once they reached the New World, even the World Government would find it difficult to hunt them down.
"Are you done talking?"
"Heh, seems you've got nothing more to say to an old man like me."
"No, I just have nothing to say to pirates!"
"Clang!"
"Boom!!"
"So, that guy called Akainu... he's a Logia-type Magma Fruit user, right?"
"Yes."
Galette nodded. "That guy's strength is immense—a true monster among men."
As children of a Four Emperor, they were well-informed about the powerful figures active on the seas.
Especially the Marine Admirals!!
And among the three Admirals, Akainu was the most unique.
Because... he was the most ruthless of them all!
That guy rarely left any pirates alive when he captured them.
Thinking this, Galette said, "When he encounters pirates, he basically exterminates them without mercy."
"Ruthless, huh..."
Meiser stroked his chin. "Seems like he's an absolute hardliner."
"Pretty much."
Galette glanced at the dirt ahead and asked, "Where are we going?"
"First, I'll take you to your brother."
"Huh?"
"You're not coming with me?"
"My crew is waiting for me. I can't go with you, Galette," Meiser said.
With his crew's situation still unclear, how could he possibly leave with Galette for the New World?
Besides, he never intended to marry into a Four Emperors Crew in the first place.
Galette opened her mouth but ultimately said nothing, only letting out a quiet sigh.
Seeing this, Meiser spoke up. "Whatever needs to be said can wait until we survive this crisis."
Hearing his words, Galette regained some of her energy and nodded. "Right!"
It made sense—no matter what they planned to do, they had to get through this crisis first.
The two Marine Admirals loomed over them like the Sword of Damocles, leaving no time to deal with personal matters.
Soon, the two reached the edge of Grove 11 and burst out from the ground!
The moment he charged out, Meiser spotted a tall figure.
This person was none other than Katakuri!
The man was sprinting toward them at incredible speed, his expression filled with urgency.
However, when he saw Meiser and Galette emerging from the earth, he visibly relaxed.
"Thank goodness..."
He had truly feared his little sister might have been casually eliminated by the Marine Admiral.
Soon, the three of them regrouped.
"Brother Katakuri!!"
"Are you both alright?"
"We're fine." Galette shook her head. "Meiser protected me well."
Katakuri nodded upon hearing this. "Good."
Not bad—this Meiser kid knew to protect Galette.
In that case... maybe he'd go a little easier on him when settling the score later.
"Let's get out of here first," Katakuri said. "Best to avoid conflict with the Marine Admiral."
Though their Four Emperors Crew didn't fear a Marine Admiral, it was still better to avoid unnecessary clashes if possible.
Yet no sooner had Katakuri spoken than he noticed Galette's expression shift unnaturally.
His own expression darkened immediately after.
"Brother... I'm sorry, but I've already clashed with Kizaru."
Katakuri: "..."
So these two had just escaped from a Marine Admiral's grasp?
The thought gave him a headache.
While it was certainly gratifying that his future brother-in-law was strong, if an Admiral came chasing after them, leaving wouldn't be so simple anymore.
With that in mind, Katakuri said, "We should leave before the Marine Admiral arrives."
After a pause, he added sternly, "Meiser, we'll have a proper talk about your issues once we're on the ship."
"For now, come with us."
His tone brooked no argument.
But almost immediately, his expression shifted again—because his Observation Haki had picked up on what Meiser was about to say.
This damn kid...
"I won't be going with you," Meiser stated.
"Did you not hear me?" Katakuri frowned. "The Marine Admiral is coming. We can settle this later."
"It's you who isn't listening," Meiser countered. "I never agreed to leave with you in the first place."
Having said that, he ignored his seething brother-in-law—whose veins were now bulging—and turned to Galette instead.
"Galette, you know how things are on this island now."
"So... leave with Katakuri as soon as possible."
With that, Meiser prepared to dispel this clone.
But Galette, as if sensing something, urgently called out, "Wait!"
"You... you're actually a clone, aren't you?"
"A clone?" Katakuri's eyes flashed with confusion. His Observation Haki clearly perceived this as the real person—yet Galette claimed it was a clone?
Could this kid's clone ability even fool Observation Haki's perception of the original body?
Then his face changed, eyes widening in shock.
"It... really is a clone?!"
What the hell is up with this kid's ability? Even his advanced Observation Haki, which allows him to briefly foresee the future, can't distinguish between the real body and the clone?
"I am indeed a clone," Meiser admitted openly. "The real me has already rushed off in another direction."
The moment they entered underground, he had released a Shadow Clone to replace his real body.
This way, he could both deliver Galette to her destination and not delay his search for his comrades.
At the same time... it also avoided a direct confrontation with Katakuri.
Meiser knew full well how dangerous it would be to clash with Katakuri at this moment, so... this method was the best.
"Then... will we meet again?!"
As she spoke, Galette tightened her grip on the little demon handbag at her waist.
This accessory, which matched her style perfectly, was something she had bought while shopping with Meiser not long ago.
If they couldn't meet again... this... might be the only thing left to remember him by.
"Of course." Meiser gave Galette a thumbs-up. "Let's meet again in the New World!"
"Okay!"
A smile returned to Galette's face as she nodded vigorously.
In that case... then they would meet again in the New World!!
Watching his little sister's expression, Katakuri sighed.
Oh well. Since Marine Admirals showed up this time, failing to bring the target back wouldn't count as violating their mission parameters.
After all... the strength of Marine Admirals is truly terrifying.
Mother should understand.
"Katakuri."
"Hmm?"
"You probably know what I want to say." Meiser grinned.
"Yeah, I know."
"When we get to the New World, let's spar if we get the chance."
"Heh, I'm fine with that." Katakuri paused briefly before adding, "Though I think you should call me Brother Katakuri."
"We'll talk about that later."
Then Meiser waved at them both. "Safe travels, you two."
"Later~"
Poof~
With that, the Shadow Clone burst apart, dissolving into white smoke.
Galette's outstretched hand slowly lowered as she murmured, "Yeah... see you later."
Seeing his sister's demeanor, Katakuri shook his head helplessly.
This was just their first meeting, and already his little sister's heart had been stolen?
That damn brat... next time they meet, he's definitely punching him first!!
With an internal huff, Katakuri said, "Let's go, Galette."
"We should leave this place first."
"Right, let's go."
Snapping out of her thoughts, Galette nodded. "We need to set sail quickly. Getting cornered by two Marine Admirals would be trouble."
Especially that iron-fisted Akainu. If that guy caught them, who knows if he'd even care about Mother's reputation.
Katakuri: ???
"Two Admirals?"
Wait, since when were there two Marine Admirals here?
This was no joke. No matter how strong he was, he couldn't possibly take on two Marine Admirals at once.
If they got trapped, the outcome definitely wouldn't be pretty.
"That's right. Both Akainu and Kizaru are on this island," Galette said.
Katakuri hesitated for a moment before decisively using his Devil Fruit ability to wrap Galette up, then sprinted at top speed toward their ship.
"Let's go, we need to get out of here!"
Staying would be no different from suicide, so... they had to leave now!!
As Katakuri carried her away, Galette glanced back and silently prayed, 'Meiser... please stay safe.'
Meanwhile, on the other side.
After receiving the message relayed by his Shadow Clone, Meiser let out a sigh of relief and immediately dashed toward the 13th Tree at full speed.
"Galette's situation is resolved. Now it's just a matter of whether we can hide safely," Meiser muttered.
If they could hold out for three days, they could escape to Fish-Man Island.
By then... even if the World Government wanted to capture them, they wouldn't be able to!
The thought made the corners of Meiser's lips curl upward involuntarily.
But just ahead on his path, a small figure suddenly appeared in front of the tree.
It was Merry, who had just crawled out of the tree hollow!!
Standing in the shadow of the tree, Merry spotted Meiser in the distance right away.
Tears streaming down her face, she sprinted toward him along the shadow, crying out, "Meiser!!"
"Merry?"
Seeing the sobbing girl, Meiser's heart skipped a beat. Why was she here?
Where were Luffy and the others?
What the hell had happened?
Had they run into the other Marine Admiral?
As Meiser's mind raced, Merry screamed, "Meiser, Zoro and the others... they're all dead—"
The words struck like a sledgehammer to his chest, freezing him in place.
Zoro and the others... dead?
Why... how?!
At that very moment, a towering figure loomed over Merry—Marine Admiral Akainu!!
Without hesitation, Akainu activated his Devil Fruit ability and launched an attack at the fleeing girl below.
"Great Eruption!!"
"Huh?"
Hearing the roar, Merry instinctively turned—only to see a colossal magma fist hurtling straight toward her.
In that instant, death itself seemed to beckon her.
Meiser, snapping out of his shock, saw it too, his pupils constricting in horror.
"Meiser, help—"
"NO!!!"
"BOOM!!"
Meiser slammed his hands onto the ground with desperate speed, but it was too late. He could only watch helplessly as the magma engulfed her.
"Merry... dead?"
His eyes widened, his heart wrenched as if crushed, a deafening ringing filling his ears.
One by one, memories of his comrades flashed through his mind.
"Meiser, join my crew!"
"Meiser, show me your Fire Release Technique!"
"Meiser, let's spar with swords!"
"Meiser, my cooking's delicious, right? Hahaha!"
"Meiser..."
"Meiser..."
"Meiser..."
Finally, the images settled on Merry's smiling face.
"Meiser, we're family. You're not alone, okay~?"
That healing smile had brought Meiser comfort more than once.
But now... it was gone, all gone...
"Crack~"
"Boom!"
The images in his heart shattered completely.
At this moment, Meiser suffered an intense mental shock, and his expression began to twist grotesquely!
The Three Tomoe in both eyes began to spin wildly, faster and faster... faster and faster!
Until finally... they connected into a complete pattern!!
"Clang!!!"
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