Night had settled once again.
Under the pale moonlight, the raging sea wind whipped up towering waves, causing the Going Merry, moored at the edge of the shore, to rock unpredictably.
"Hmph, Going Merry, the wind and waves are getting stronger. I heard Aqua Laguna is approaching…"
Usopp, wrapped in bandages and looking miserable—though mostly recovered—sat on the ship's railing, chewing on a rice ball while staring at the glowing cityscape of Water 7 in the distance. His voice was low and gloomy:
"Going Merry, they're saying the crew is wanted for attacking Mayor Iceberg…"
After swallowing the last bite of the rice ball, Usopp stood up, grabbed a plank and some nails, then sneered faintly:
"That's ridiculous. Luffy, Shirogai… would they attack ordinary people?
They're not the kind of pirates who bully the weak.
If Mayor Iceberg isn't some hidden villain, then they've been framed!"
"…"
The Going Merry rocked gently with the waves, the sheep prow smiling and nodding, as if agreeing with him.
"But it has nothing to do with me anymore. With someone as powerful as Shirogai with them, they'll never be bullied again. Even Admiral Kizaru was beaten and forced to retreat by him…"
Usopp's thoughts drifted back to yesterday.
Admiral Kizaru had been forced to flee after their clash, and Shirogai had stood there smiling at Usopp from afar, casually firing a laser that shattered the ropes binding him, before vanishing into the air without a single word.
"You didn't even say anything to me, Shirogai…?"
A sting of grievance welled up inside him.
"Usopp, you are a brave warrior of the sea. You don't need anyone's affirmation!"
He wiped his eyes hard with his sleeve, hopped down from the Going Merry, and walked away.
"…"
The Going Merry's eyes shimmered with seawater, droplets slowly falling.
…
Creak… creak…
"Oh great, I forgot the hammer."
Usopp set the wooden board on the Going Merry's hull, looked up automatically, and called with a faint smile:
"Chopper, hand me the—"
His words froze.
"…"
He stared at the empty deck.
"…"
After a long, silent moment, he climbed back onto the ship, quietly picked up the hammer, and returned below to continue his repairs.
Clink… clink… clink…
The rhythmic echo reached far into the night, but by the time it reached Water 7, it was swallowed by the roar of the incoming storm.
…
Because Aqua Laguna was predicted to arrive earlier than expected, Water 7 plunged into urgent emergency preparations.
Low-lying districts were the first to be evacuated, with residents moved into the sturdy, elevated shipyard factories.
Throughout the back alleys of Water 7, officials shouted through megaphones:
"Please evacuate to safe areas immediately.
If you are visitors without a place to stay, temporary shelter and food will be provided at the shipyards.
Shipyard No. 1 is unavailable for shelter due to special circumstances!"
Across the various shipyards, families and groups filled the spacious interiors. With nothing to do but wait, conversations soon spread:
"Hey, did you hear? The Straw Hat Pirates sent a death threat to Galley-La. They're planning to kill Mayor Iceberg when Aqua Laguna hits tonight!"
A burly man slammed his fist into his palm:
"How arrogant! They even announced it beforehand? How many of those pirates are there?!"
A thin man stroked his patchy beard thoughtfully:
"I heard there are over a hundred of them, maybe more. And some are huge names with bounties over two hundred million Berries!"
A middle-aged woman cracking melon seeds added:
"Yeah! The Straw Hats' Vice Captain, Shirogai Yamikuro, that one with the two hundred million Berries bounty—people say he's a Celestial Dragon!"
The burly man curled his lip:
"A Celestial Dragon? Figures. Those people have always been arrogant—"
"Shh!"
The thin man jumped up and clamped a hand over his mouth.
"Are you crazy?! Don't say stuff like that if you want to live!"
"What's the problem?"
The burly man shoved the hand away.
"It's not like one of those World Nobles is going to come here and kill me."
The thin man sighed, lighting a wrinkled cigarette:
"I once saw them kill a man just for standing in their path. It was horrifying. Better to be cautious… tonight feels like trouble is brewing."
…
At Shipyard No. 1, tension hung thick in the air.
"These Straw Hats… how dare they threaten us?!"
"For Mayor Iceberg's safety, we will not retreat, no matter what!"
High-powered lights illuminated the entire area around the Galley-La headquarters, turning the night into blinding day.
The gates were secured with thick chains, and every window had been sealed with iron plates.
Workers lined the walls, gripping hammers, saws, and whatever tools they could use as improvised weapons.
Normally craftsmen, they had transformed into makeshift guards.
Team captains barked at them:
"For Mayor Iceberg's safety, no one gets through!"
"Yes sir!"
…
Inside a hidden chamber—
"You two, go prepare for that individual's arrival."
The CP-0 agent on the other end of the Den Den Mushi hung up calmly.
CP-0 Blue Oni and CP-0 Hidden Snake slowly lowered their Den Den Mushi, exchanging uneasy glances.
Hidden Snake's breathing quickened:
"Blue Oni… why does this feel like everything is spiraling out of control?"
Blue Oni let out a rough sigh:
"There's no helping it. That man's strength is monstrous. Even an Admiral can't stall him for long."
He rubbed his numb face out of habit, the motion revealing his blood-red eyes. A cold shiver crawled down Hidden Snake's spine.
"Then let's set up the ritual area now," Hidden Snake muttered.
"Aqua Laguna has forced the evacuation of the backstreets. It should be empty enough to create a summoning ground."
"Then we'll use that area," Blue Oni responded.
He followed behind but subconsciously kept his distance.
For some reason, Hidden Snake had been emitting an unsettlingly tempting scent all day.
Whoosh.
Whoosh.
The two CP-0 agents vanished into the darkness, heading straight for the empty backstreets of Water 7.
__
Thanks for the Powerstones.