Ezra D. Vale waited until everyone on the island was close to fainting before finally withdrawing his spiritual pressure.
Even so, he was not finished.
With a light tap of his foot, he vanished and reappeared in front of Boa Hancock.
She was still kneeling, gasping for breath.
Ezra lifted her chin with his fingers, smiling faintly.
"Boa Hancock. I no longer feel like letting you attend the meeting. How about you and Amazon Lily simply become history instead?"
Hancock froze.
The red glow in Ezra's eyes was not a joke.
He truly meant it.
Rage burned in her chest, but begging was impossible.
She was the Pirate Empress.
"Marine!"
She slapped his hand away and surged forward, her right leg snapping toward him.
"Perfume Femur!"
Ezra caught her leg effortlessly.
"How is this possible? Why are you not turning to stone?"
He did not bother answering.
With a flick of his arm, he hurled her into a wall.
"This game is over."
Ezra stepped into the sky.
Hancock stared in shock.
"He can fly too?"
Her original plan had been to petrify him, but that hope was gone.
Amazon Lily was in danger.
High above the island, Ezra opened his hand as searing spiritual pressure gathered.
"Stop. Please do not destroy it."
Hancock screamed from below, her voice breaking.
Ezra smiled like a devil.
"Boa Hancock. One last time. Will you attend the Seven Warlords meeting?"
"I will. I will go. Please stop."
Ezra snorted.
"You should have said that from the start."
The pressure vanished.
He reappeared in front of her and took the docking order from Kuzan.
"This is your authorization for Marineford."
Hancock clenched her teeth and accepted it.
Ezra lifted her chin again.
"You had better behave. If you disobey, I will remind you of the pain from your childhood."
Her body trembled.
How did he know?
"You…"
Before she could speak, Ezra turned and walked away.
Her sisters and warriors were just beginning to wake up.
Hancock stayed silent.
Back on the warship, Ezra looked at the Marines coldly.
Their faces burned with shame.
Hancock was beautiful, but Ezra was terrifying.
"To prevent something like that from happening again, I will train your willpower."
Before they could react, crushing pressure fell on them.
That was their training.
It was also the last thing they remembered before blacking out.
Kuzan stared.
"Ezra, is that not a bit much?"
Ezra shrugged.
"My officers are strong. The soldiers are not. This will teach them something."
Kuzan reluctantly nodded.
Two weeks passed.
In the Florian Triangle, the massive Thriller Bark drifted in silence.
The Straw Hat Pirates had already left. They had gained a new crewmate, Brook, and Zoro had claimed the blade Shusui. Luffy also learned that Ace's Vivre Card was burning, but he chose to believe his brother would survive.
Gecko Moria remained alone in his ruined castle, watching them leave.
He had already been defeated once.
His ship was barely functional.
He was even considering getting a new one.
The next day, Ezra's warship arrived.
"This place looks unlivable," Ezra muttered.
Kuzan sighed.
"He is a bat. This place suits him."
They stepped onto Thriller Bark.
Ezra spread his senses.
Only one presence remained.
"So Luffy already beat him," Ezra thought.
Kuzan frowned.
"Where did all his undead crew go?"
They entered the castle.
Gecko Moria stood inside.
After Luffy had drained his shadows, he was now so thin he looked like a skeleton.
Kuzan stared in disbelief.
"Where did my huge Gecko Moria go?"