Every pirate in the tavern stood frozen in disbelief, staring at the motionless body of Sarquiss lying on the floor. Even Bellamy's eyes were wide, his face a mixture of shock and denial.
"Sa–Sarquiss…?"
"Hey! Quit joking around, Sir Sarquiss! Get up!"
They couldn't comprehend what they were seeing.
Their crew's second-in-command — the man with a 38 million berry bounty, the fearsome Big Blade Sarquiss — had just been taken out with one punch.
The floorboards creaked beneath their trembling feet. No one dared to move. Splinters of wood, splashed with Sarquiss's blood, caught the flickering light from the lamps. Slowly, all eyes turned toward the silent figure standing beside him.
Lina.
So strong…
Unbelievably strong. A strength beyond reason — a strength that defied everything they'd ever seen.
Fear crept into the pirates' faces. Those who had been about to surround him froze mid-step. The room became deathly still; even their breathing grew faint, terrified of drawing his attention.
Lina broke the silence first.
"Boss, your drink's not bad."
"Th–thank you… Sir," the trembling bartender stammered.
Clink.
The faint sound of the glass being set on the counter echoed through the room like a gunshot. Lina's tone was calm, almost casual, as he said:
"The 'Straw Hat boy' you mentioned earlier… he's my captain."
At that, Bellamy turned his head, meeting the golden-haired man's gaze. For a fleeting moment, he had to admit — the man's aura had shaken him.
But then rage took over.
"What the hell did you bastards do!?"
With a roar, Bellamy's arms twisted and coiled into springs, the sound of metal screeching as his muscles compressed.
"Spring Punch!" he bellowed, launching himself forward.
"The Spring-Spring Fruit!" someone shouted. "He can turn any part of his body into a spring — build up kinetic energy for explosive power!"
"This is the punch that can blow through a house!"
Bellamy slammed a hand onto the bar, using it as leverage to fling himself forward, his spring-loaded fist aimed straight at Lina's face.
But—
Snap!
A hand reached out and caught Bellamy's punch mid-swing.
His entire body froze.
"When—!?" Bellamy's eyes went wide. The one who had stopped him was Blue Oni, gripping his arm effortlessly.
So fast… no, so strong!
That punch had been fully charged with his Devil Fruit power, and yet it had been stopped — casually, easily.
"Listen when people talk. Don't get so impatient, insect."
Lina poured himself another glass of wine, his tone calm as he continued speaking.
"The new era is coming. The Grand Line will soon boil over. Across the world, new names are rising — young heroes bursting forth like bamboo shoots after rain, flaunting their power, their ambition, their dreams."
"In the New World, the old legends still reign supreme — untouchable, unshakable, standing as kings over the seas."
"But we will rise with the tide of this new age, reaching higher and higher… until we challenge the very thrones of those sea emperors."
"As for you, Bellamy—" Lina's voice grew cold. "You're not standing on the crest of this era. Your vision is too small."
"Like a frog trapped at the bottom of a well — you think the sky ends at what you can see. You talk about strength, about the new age, but you're stuck here in a backwater like Mock Town."
He downed his drink in one swallow, then turned his sharp gaze on Bellamy.
"The one being left behind by the times… is you."
"Quit talking nonsense!!" Bellamy snarled. "You don't know real power! You've never seen what true strength looks like! The only man destined to rule this sea is Doffy!!"
His legs transformed into massive springs as he crouched, pulling his arm free and bracing against the wall. The steel coils compressed, creaking under the strain.
"Spring Death Punch!!!"
He launched himself like a cannonball — a blur of motion, fury, and hatred aimed squarely at Lina.
But as he charged—
A burst of overwhelming pressure exploded outward from Lina's body.
The air itself seemed to scream.
An invisible force swept through the tavern like a hurricane.
It was an aura that crushed the will of all who stood before it — a pressure that proclaimed:
I am the one who stands above all.
The air trembled. The floorboards cracked. Pirates and civilians alike collapsed where they stood — eyes rolling back, foam at their mouths. Even the bartender behind the counter crumpled.
BOOM!!
Lina's eyes flashed crimson. His body tensed — and Bellamy's full-force Spring Death Punch landed squarely against his chest.
He didn't even flinch.
Bellamy's face twisted in disbelief. "I–impossible…"
"Why not?" Lina said coldly. "You shout enough… but there's no conviction in your eyes."
"You talk about power, about the future, but you've already lost your drive. You've seen strength — and let it break your will. How can you claim to believe in Doffy when you don't even believe in yourself?"
Lina's hand shot out, gripping Bellamy's face.
And then—
BAM!!
He slammed him into the floor with monstrous force.
"The future Pirate King…" Lina roared, eyes blazing.
"IS LUFFY!!"
CRACK!
The floor split apart, wood splintering and flying in every direction. Bellamy spat blood and teeth as the shockwave tore through the tavern, leaving a crater where he fell.
"G–gah… cough…!"
Half-conscious, face half-buried in shattered planks, Bellamy twitched, blood dripping from his mouth.
"H-how… how can this be…" he rasped, voice trembling. "Wh… why… why do you have… Conqueror's Haki…? Are you… trying to be a king too…?"
"No," Lina said quietly, turning away with Blue Oni and Red Oni behind him.
"I'm not interested. Ambitious men often have spirit, but spirit isn't the same as ambition."
"What we want… is to sail this vast sea freely. To stand on new heights and see the world from there. The road may be long — but even mountains and seas can be crossed."
In other words:
My will stands above yours.
He walked toward the door, his voice calm but echoing through the ruined tavern.
That burst of Conqueror's Haki — though unexpected — didn't surprise him much.
As Chinjao had said, plenty of people in the New World possessed it. It wasn't some divine miracle. He couldn't even control it properly yet — let alone use Conqueror's Coating.
But as Lina turned back toward the unconscious Bellamy, an idea crossed his mind.
Maybe I'll leave a seed behind. See if it grows.
"Bellamy," he said quietly, "We're going to climb to the very top of this world. If one day you can catch up… then come find me."
If Luffy could have his little admirers, why couldn't he?
After all, commanding only undead followers was getting boring.
Bellamy lay on the floor, staring blankly as the golden-haired man walked out the door.
Soon after, Lina returned to the Going Merry, docked at the port. The crew was already aboard, ready to set sail.
"I'm back," he called, hopping up onto the railing. He glanced at the street, where a dozen thugs and pirates lay unconscious. "Uh… what's all this?"
"Ah, you're back, Lina," Usopp said proudly from the deck. "While you were gone, those guys tried to mess with the Merry. But of course, in the presence of Captain Usopp, they were defeated in no time!"
"They were defeated by Lina's undead, Usopp. You were hiding," Chopper said bluntly.
"What are you saying!?" Usopp protested. "You saw them drop in front of me, didn't you?"
Lina stared for a moment. "…By that logic, Roger was also defeated in front of Smoker, huh?"
"Are you okay, Lina?" Nami came out of the cabin, looking worried. "You didn't get hurt, did you?"
"I'm fine." He grinned, gesturing casually. "Don't underestimate my undead. They're tough."
"But your opponent had a bounty higher than Luffy's!" she said.
"Eh, once we entered the Grand Line, bounties stopped being a good measure of strength," Lina said with a shrug. Then he smiled brightly. "Anyway, I got payback for you."
"Mm. Thanks." Nami smiled, reaching up to pinch his cheek.
"Wait—hold on." Lina blinked. "Shouldn't this be a hug scene right now?"
"What are you thinking?" she shot back, rolling her eyes.
Something felt off. No scolding? No punch? Did he board the wrong ship?
"Nami… are you on your period?"
DUANG!!
"Go to hell, idiot!!"
Nami's fist smashed him through the railing, sending him crashing onto the deck below.
Ah, there it is, he thought, face down on the floor. All is right with the world again.
"Where's everyone else?"
"Zoro's training at the back, Robin's reading, Sanji's cooking, and Luffy's stealing food," Usopp said.
"Good. Everyone's where they belong."
"Then let's set sail." Lina summoned his undead to hoist the sails and lift the anchor.
"Oh, right," Nami said suddenly. Robin found something interesting. Come see."
"Hmm?" Lina followed her into the cabin on the upper deck.
"Good afternoon, Lina," Robin greeted him with her usual gentle smile.
"Afternoon, Robin," he replied, slightly taken aback. It was rare to hear her say his name so casually. "Nami said you found something?"
"Yes," she said, sliding an old, yellowed sheet of paper across the table. "I found this among the debris we recovered earlier."
It was one of the items she'd salvaged from the ship that had fallen from the sky.
Lina picked it up, squinting. "What's with this messy writing? Looks like mangled English or something."
Robin chuckled softly. "It says Sky Piea — Skypiea. It's a map of the Sky Island. Which means that the ship we salvaged truly came from there."
The Sky Island… it really exists.
Mm-hmm, Robin nodded.
I know, Lina said casually.
You know? Nami stared at him in disbelief. Aren't you surprised? We're talking about an island in the sky! Isn't that amazing!?
Lina raised a brow. You're saying that to a Devil Fruit user?
Nami: "…"