Deep within the imposing walls of Marine Headquarters, Fleet Admiral Sengoku pinched the bridge of his nose, the weight of the world pressing down on him. He had just ended the call with Vice Admiral Gion, and the report left him with a familiar sense of frustration.
"Shiki..." he murmured, his voice a low growl of contained exasperation. "So this is how it ends. Is there nothing for the Marines to do but stand by and watch?"
Vice Admiral Tsuru, who had been waiting patiently in his office, offered a calming perspective. "Sengoku, there's no use fretting over it. We are not omnipotent. Given the circumstances, this is a far better outcome than we could have hoped for. What more can we ask?"
From the sofa, a loud, rhythmic crunching sound filled the momentary silence. "She's right, Sengoku!" Vice Admiral Garp chimed in, his mouth so full of rice crackers that his words were nearly indecipherable. "That bastard Shiki was definitely plotting something big. Now that he's been dealt with, we can all breathe a little easier. Here, have one of these delicious senbei."
Sengoku's eyes narrowed. A vein pulsed on his forehead. "Garp... if I'm not mistaken, are those the special rice crackers I had hidden in my desk drawer?" he shouted, his voice echoing through the office. "How are you so good at finding my snacks?!"
"Bwahahaha!" Garp roared with laughter, slapping his knee. "Don't be so stingy! What's mine is yours, and what's yours is mine! Come on, don't be shy, let's eat together!"
As Garp happily shoved another cracker into his mouth, Sengoku's shoulders slumped. His friend was right. For now, this was a victory.
High above, on the cloud-sea of the White-White Sea, the air in the Upper Yard was thick with a mixture of relief and anticipation. On the giant vine that twisted toward the heavens, the Black Star Pirates were tending to their own.
"Alright, that should hold for now," Deuce said, carefully wrapping a fresh bandage around Ace's arm. "Just try not to immediately get into another fight that involves leveling a continent, okay?"
Ace, lying on a bed of soft grass, managed a weak grin.
Nearby, Skull adjusted his hat, looking around with a puzzled expression. "Say," he began, scratching the back of his head, "has anyone else noticed that Boss Jerry and his opponent have been gone for a while now? I wonder where they went."
"Indeed, Mr. Jerry has been absent for some time," Brook added, his skeletal fingers tapping nervously on the hilt of his sword. "Yohohoho... I do hope he's alright."
The conversation naturally drifted to the unbelievable clash between their captain and the legendary Golden Lion. Just then, a series of deep, thunderous roars echoed from the sky, so powerful they seemed to shake the very clouds they stood on.
"What was that?" Carina asked, her eyes wide. "That sounded… big."
"I don't know," Ace muttered, trying to sit up. "But whatever it is, it's far away."
Carrot, perched at the very edge of the vine, scanned every corner of the sky, her ears twitching anxiously. She couldn't see a trace of Jerry. After a long moment, a faint sound from the forest below caught her attention.
"Brother Jerry?" she whispered hopefully, but her expression quickly fell into a pout of disappointment. "Oh… it's just the old man... and Aisha."
Everyone turned to see Gan Fall flying low over the trees on his pegasus-bird, Pierre. Following close behind, the figures of the Shandian warriors emerged from the dense foliage, their faces grim but resolute. Wyper led them, with the young Aisha holding tightly to Raki's hand, her small face filled with a determination that defied her age.
At Aisha's insistence, a reluctant Raki had brought her along.
The two groups met, exchanging tense but respectful nods. The Shandians immediately gathered around Wyper, who began recounting the incredible events that had transpired. Soon, a wave of stunned murmurs rippled through his people.
"So… you truly defeated Enel?" one warrior breathed in disbelief.
"Amazing! That means we can finally—"
Wyper raised a hand, silencing the premature celebration. "Yes," he said, his voice flat and devoid of emotion. "Strictly speaking, they defeated Enel. But in the process, another powerful enemy appeared. Their captain is still fighting him. We will wait here for the outcome and… see what remains of our home, Shandora."
Gan Fall approached, his expression solemn as he overheard their conversation. He looked at Ace, who was now being fussed over by Deuce, and addressed the pirates. "You defeated 'God' and his army, saving countless people from his reign of terror. We are truly in your debt..."
Wyper shot the old knight a sharp glare and snorted. "Hmph. And what now, old man? Is it time for you to reclaim your throne so we can continue our war?"
Gan Fall started, then shook his head wearily. "I have no such intention. I have always been committed to mediating this protracted and meaningless conflict..."
"Mediation?" Wyper scoffed, his warriors bristling behind him. "You Sky Islanders are invaders! If you want to solve the problem, then return the land that never belonged to you in the first place!"
The old knight sighed, the deep lines on his face etched with centuries of sorrow. "I understand the root of our war, but it is not so simple. The people of Sky Island have always longed for Vearth—for the soil beneath their feet. As their leader, it is a difficult thing to ask them to give up..."
Suddenly, Aisha's voice cut through the tense argument. "Sister Carrot!" she chirped, "I can sense a voice! It's flying toward us, very fast!"
Carrot, who had been pacing anxiously, zipped over to Aisha's side. "Really? Is it Brother Jerry?" she asked, her voice filled with a desperate hope.
Aisha blinked, a hint of embarrassment on her face. "I… I don't know if it's him. But I can hear a voice getting closer. It's almost here!"
"Hahahaha, I'm back!" A familiar, cheerful voice sliced through the tension, and a figure emerged from the sky, landing softly before them. "Are you all okay?"
"Brother Jerry! You're back!" Carrot's joyous shout was echoed by the relieved smiles of the entire crew.
But in the next second, as they took in his appearance, their smiles froze. Jerry's body was a canvas of fresh wounds. Though the bleeding was mostly stemmed, the deep gashes and dark bruises looked horrifying.
"Jerry, are you hurt? Get over here," Deuce commanded, his tone all business as he grabbed his medical kit.
Jerry waved a dismissive hand. "Don't worry about me for now. By the looks of it, Ace won his fight, didn't he?"
Ace pushed himself up and gave a thumbs-up with his bandaged hand, a wide, proud grin splitting his face. "You bet I did! I won!"
Jerry returned the gesture with a smile of his own, then turned to face the stunned Shandians and Gan Fall.
"Wyper. And you, old man Gan Fall," he began, a thoughtful look in his eyes. "I don't suppose you'd mind having a few more islands of Vearth up here in the sky, would you?"
"What?" The word was a collective, confused whisper from both the Shandians and the former God of Sky Island.
Jerry stretched out his arm, pointing toward the distant horizon where the thunderous roars had originated. "You all heard those loud booms earlier, right? That was the sound of the floating islands the Golden Lion controlled landing on the White Sea after I dealt with him."
He lowered his arm, his gaze sweeping over the faces of the two leaders. "If you don't mind," he said, his voice ringing with quiet authority, "I'd like to move those islands here. The people who live there could be your new neighbors."
"Islands? Real islands?" Wyper's voice was rough with disbelief, but for the first time, a flicker of something other than anger sparked in his eyes. The Shandian warriors behind him began to murmur excitedly, the profound implication of Jerry's words dawning on them.
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