Stepping out of Shakky's tavern, Ortoren bit into the apple in his hand and cursed under his breath. "Rumors are worthless—nothing but damn lies."
He'd been looking forward to getting Shiki's Fuwa Fuwa no Mi, but reality proved otherwise. Not a single one of the many fruits on the table had transformed.
"Getting one would've just been luck. Not getting one doesn't cost you anything. Why let it bother you?" Gion followed behind him, patting his back with a gentle smile.
"Yeah…" Ortoren nodded, then his gaze drifted slightly as he murmured, "But it's still strange…"
"What's strange?" Gion asked.
"What's strange is that I actually feel a little sad over a pirate's death," Ortoren said quietly.
He and Shiki shared no real connection—only hostility, nothing more. Even so, after ending Shiki's life with his own hands, Ortoren felt a faint sadness settle in his chest.
He didn't know where that sadness came from, but it was undeniably there.
Gion didn't say anything. She simply stood beside him in silent companionship.
After a long pause, Ortoren finally voiced the answer he'd pieced together. "Maybe… I wasn't mourning Shiki. Maybe I was mourning all those great figures who couldn't keep up with the times—and never made it to the other shore."
He took a drag from a cigarette, calmed his emotions, then headed back into the tavern. "It's about time. Everyone participating in the operation—get ready to head to Mary Geoise!"
As soon as he spoke, Tiger shot to his feet. Rayleigh also rose from the sofa. With a relaxed grin, Issho lifted Shiki onto his shoulder, and the group headed out together.
As for Gion, she wasn't suited to appear tonight. She would stay behind with Shakky and wait for good news.
...
About two hours after Ortoren and the others departed the Sabaody Archipelago, on the other side, at Marine Headquarters—Marineford—in Fleet Admiral Kong's office, Admiral Sengoku was explaining the situation to the Five Elders through the Den Den Mushi on the desk.
"Yes, we're already pursuing Shiki. Conveniently, Vice Admiral Benn of G-5 is currently on leave here at Headquarters. His lightning abilities make him extremely fast—he's already headed out to track the target based on our intelligence..."
"No, absolutely impossible. We will apprehend Shiki in the shortest time possible and make up for this failure."
"Yes, the Impel Down incident has been mostly investigated. It's heavily tied to the Revolutionary Army. They organized operatives and launched an infiltration of Impel Down with a very clear goal: to extract Shiki from Level 6."
"That's right. Most likely because the Revolutionary Army's high-ranking officer, Morley, is intimately familiar with Impel Down. He previously escaped from there himself. Perhaps he left contingencies behind inside. That would explain why the prison break struck so unexpectedly—they infiltrated from Level 4."
"I've already reprimanded Magellan, the Warden of the Great Prison. He'll be submitting his resignation... but I believe he's a rare talent. We can't discard someone like him over a single mistake... Yes, demotion first—watch his performance."
Sengoku spoke humbly into the Den Den Mushi as he explained everything to the Five Elders.
At last, the Five Elders received some "concrete information" from the Marines and roughly understood the situation.
In short, an old vulnerability in Impel Down had just exploded. That giant from the Revolutionary Army, Morley, had indeed escaped from Impel Down years ago. Few knew this, but the highest authorities certainly did.
This time, using some unknown contingency he'd left behind, Morley led Revolutionary Army forces to secretly infiltrate Level 4. They advanced rapidly and extracted Shiki from Level 6.
The entire operation happened so fast that Magellan had no chance to react before it was over.
Now, the Marine Headquarters had mobilized fully. Garp and Kuzan had already departed for Impel Down. Once there, the Navy would carry out a full overhaul—thorough inspections, tight security checks—to eliminate any hidden risks Morley may have left.
Meanwhile, Benn Ortoren, who happened to be on leave at Headquarters, had also been deployed to pursue the escaped Shiki and Revolutionary Army members. But so far, no progress had been made, and contact with him remained unsuccessful.
After reviewing everything, the Five Elders' Saint Warcury finally spoke through the Den Den Mushi. "The Revolutionary Army's objective in this operation is still unknown. The fact that the CP Agency failed to detect even the slightest trace of conspiracy beforehand is a clear dereliction of duty on their part. As for the Navy, regardless of whatever excuses Impel Down may offer, nothing can conceal your incompetence in this incident. Shiki's escape is a grave matter that may damage the government's prestige. Sengoku, the Navy must take this extremely seriously. Capture Shiki in the shortest time possible. If necessary, execute him on the spot."
"Yes, understood!" Sengoku responded immediately.
"Anything else you wish to report?" Saint Warcury asked.
Sengoku hesitated for a moment, then, bracing himself, spoke: "Saint Warcury, the Revolutionary Army's operation was swift and seamless. This proves they must have had a detailed plan and have already completed the first phase. I believe more actions will follow in rapid succession, forming a larger conspiracy. We cannot treat this as an isolated incident. I hope that from here on, all key institutions of the World Government strengthen their defenses. At such a critical time, we cannot allow the Revolutionary Army to exploit any weakness. Given their boldness, and combined with Shiki's mobility, any move they make would be dangerously destructive."
Saint Warcury fell silent for a moment, acknowledging the reasoning. Then he replied, "You're right. For the Revolutionary Army to suddenly involve themselves with a dangerous man like Shiki—going so far as to risk everything to retrieve him from Impel Down—there is no way this ends without major follow-up actions… Strengthening defenses is indeed necessary."
As he spoke, he glanced out the window. The sun was sinking, darkness spreading as the last line of dusk cast its glow upon the peak of Pangaea Castle.
"It's getting late. I expect good news from you tomorrow…" Saint Warcury concluded the discussion, offering one final reminder.
"Yes, we will act as quickly as—"
Before Sengoku could finish, a deafening explosion erupted from the other end of the Den Den Mushi.
He froze. No way—had his words actually come true? That reckless madman Ortoren… he couldn't actually be planning to set Mary Geoise on fire, could he!?
At the same time, in Pangaea Castle, the windows shattered from the shock. The Five Elders all flinched in surprise. Saint Warcury grabbed the Den Den Mushi and looked outside.
From the direction of the Holy Land's Noble District, flames surged into the sky. Thick smoke rose like a mushroom cloud blooming upward.
Despite decades of serving as a Five Elder, witnessing countless crises…
He had never before seen Mary Geoise bombed.
"You were right after all, Sengoku…" Saint Warcury growled, anger burning in his eyes. "The Revolutionary Army and Shiki must be trying to make a spectacle—in Mary Geoise itself!"
In his line of sight, the last remnants of sunset illuminated the burning district.
In the sky above it, several miniature islands were plummeting downward. A fierce figure with long, wild golden hair soared freely through the air.
There was no doubt—It was Shiki the Golden Lion.
Sengoku swallowed hard, mentally cursing Ortoren's entire family tree, and responded urgently, "Please rest assured, Saint Warcury! We'll immediately dispatch forces to reinforce the Holy Land!"
Saint Warcury was just about to reply when a bolt of lightning ripped across the night sky. From within the flash, Ortoren's figure burst forth, warhammer raised high. With a savage swing, he smashed Shiki out of the air, roaring:
"Shiki! What do you think this place is!? This is the Holy Land—how dare you rampage here!!"
As his shout echoed, lightning erupted from his weapon like a blazing torch, instantly vaporizing one of the descending miniature islands before it could fall.
Seeing this, Saint Warcury immediately assessed the situation and declared:
"Shiki has appeared here, but the Revolutionary Army has yet to act. This may be a ploy—perhaps a diversion. Vice Admiral Benn has already arrived, while your Marine Headquarters is nearly empty with Garp and Kuzan gone. If you bring your elite here now, Marineford will be at its weakest. That may be exactly what the Revolutionaries want. Therefore, Sengoku—do not act rashly."
After hanging up the Den Den Mushi, Saint Warcury issued orders:
"Have the God's Knights defend the Residence of the Gods. The five of us will remain here to protect Lord Imu. As long as these two locations hold, the Holy Land remains secure. As for the other areas—do not take any reckless actions for now. Let us first see whether Vice Admiral Benn Ortoren can stabilize the situation."