After his outburst, Rocks D. Xebec fell into a grim remorse. He ground his teeth and muttered, "Damn it, I should have eaten it myself right away."
Charlotte Linlin shrugged her shoulders, coolly advising, "Captain, calm yourself. If this continues, half our crew will be knocked out by you. Tomorrow's fight will be brutal."
Others nodded in agreement. The force of Xebec's Conqueror's Haki had been terrifying — though his pirate crew was strong, some lower-ranked members could not withstand it and had fainted.
Xebec sneered. "Huh, those who collapse from a little pressure are worthless. I don't care about trash."
Linlin made no argument, simply replying, "That's true enough."
Shiki and the rest murmured assent. They believed in strength above all, caring little for the lives of weaker crewmates.
But Edward Newgate, who valued his comrades dearly, frowned. He felt uneasy with the callousness around him, and more than ever, he longed for distance from the Rocks Pirates.
Newgate was one of the most dependable among them. He paused thoughtfully, then said, "I don't know who leaked the information, but clearly the World Government is now aware. They will not sit idle. I suspect our adversaries won't just be the Divine Knights on the island — the Navy will likely join this fight."
Xebec listened quietly. Despite Newgate's plans to leave, Xebec respected him — his strength and loyalty made him valuable.
The pirate lord's expression softened slightly. He tapped the table with a finger, then slowly lifted his head. A harsh, wicked smile twisted his lips. "Exactly. I've wanted a decisive battle with the World Government for a long time. When this is over, I will be the undisputed King of the Sea."
---
God Valley.
At the heart of the valley stood a grand palace. It had been the royal residence of God Valley's former king, but now the Celestial Dragons had claimed it for themselves. The old king was long dead — slain by the Divine Knight Commander, Saint Figarland Garin Shamrock.
Garin stood in a silent chamber, carefully cleaning the sword in his hands. The blade was stained with slave blood. His brows furrowed; he seemed distracted, lost in thought as he polished.
Among the Celestial Dragons, Garin was cold and efficient — hardly anything troubled him. But tonight, he had broken protocol. He had leveraged his status in a way that violated the strict rules.
He stared at his sword, voice low and tense. "In the end, I cheated. But I need a reason to justify it… Let the rest be left to fate."
---
The next morning.
Lloyd woke first. He rose silently, shaking Ivan, Kuma, and Ginny awake. "It's time," he said, voice firm. "They'll start hunting soon. We need to move."
Without hesitation, Lloyd led them into the depths of the forest. Kuma, Ivan, and Ginny followed closely.
They avoided acting at night because the island was crawling with Den Den Mushi monitoring the slaves. Many slaves did not even know of the fruit's existence — if they snuck around too blatantly, they would be under suspicion.
Not long after, gunshots echoed behind them, mingled with the clashing of swords and screams. But Lloyd paid them no mind; he focused entirely on finding the Devil Fruit.
He recalled a scene from the manga: the Devil Fruit was hidden in a place surrounded by buildings. God Valley had once been a country, so there should be a town — that was his target.
They ran for what felt like hours. Then dazzling sunlight broke through the trees, signaling the edge of the forest. Beyond it lay a town.
Lloyd's heart leapt. This was it — the final circle, the place where everything could change. He called to Kuma and the others, urging them forward.
They were not alone. Dozens of other slaves, inspired by Ivan's earlier words, had followed them. As more people joined their group, their path widened, their presence harder to ignore.
Lloyd knew the advantage of being a small target in a large crowd. He deliberately slowed, letting others take the lead. The closer they got to the city gate, the more he felt that his plan was working.
Ivan looked at him, concern clear in his voice. "Lloyd, are you alright? Did your condition hit you again?"
Lloyd nodded, voice low. "Yes … I didn't expect it to flare up now. I'm sorry, I'm slowing us down."
Ivan immediately protested, "No way. We're friends. You're not holding us back."
Kuma and Ginny joined in.
"Lloyd-san, yesterday you didn't abandon me!" Ginny said softly. "Let me help you now. I can carry you!"
Kuma added, "Yes — even if we're slower, we go together. That's how we survive."
Lloyd shook his head, a gentle smile on his lips. "No dying talk, alright? We'll make it. I promise."
Before he could say more, a sudden fusillade of gunfire erupted within the city. Swords rang out, flesh was cut, and screams rose like a terrible song.
Ivan's face turned pale. "This isn't good … there's an ambush."
Lloyd froze, but only for a moment. A faint, knowing smile curved his lips. Just as I thought., he thought.
He had predicted this. No matter how foolish the Celestial Dragons could be, they would guard a town like this if they knew a Devil Fruit might be hidden there — better to ambush than let a lucky slave snatch it away.
He slowed even more now, letting other slaves rush in first — they were the scouts, their fear and confusion his shield.
The plan was clear: blend in, use his small size, and slip through the crowd. Despite the danger, Lloyd's mind was steady. The fruit was here.
He shouted to Kuma, his voice firm. "Keep your head low, Kuma-chan — you're too big a target!"
Kuma nodded, crouching as he melded into the crowd beside Lloyd and the others. Together, they surged forward, into the storm.
---