After the development of the magnetic field disruptor, the machine was swiftly handed over to Gloriosa.
Recently, the Sky Island had suddenly become overcrowded, filled with citizens from Amazon Lily. Housing and food supplies were stretched thin. Moreover, the Sky Island wasn't completely secure—so returning the Amazon Lily people to Nine Serpent Island seemed like the wisest course of action.
With the efforts of the Fortress Seraph, Mirror Seraph, and Paw Seraph, the newly relocated citizens of Amazon Lily once again began their return journey to Nine Serpent Island.
Even Ryūjin Path and Human Path joined the mission, helping to find a new and safe location for Nine Serpent Island within the Calm Belt.
The Pirate Empress Boa Hancock and the warriors of the Kuja Pirates worked tirelessly to handle the relocation, ensuring every citizen was safely transported.
Once the resettlement of Nine Serpent Island was complete, Souta Kiryuu—out of respect for Vegapunk's importance—personally led a team of Seraphim and flew straight to Baldimore Island, Vegapunk's homeland.
Souta intended to help them relocate the entire island away from the Winter Seas. Doing so would not only ease Vegapunk's worries but also permanently solve Baldimore's frigid climate problem in one move.
While Souta was busy across multiple fronts, a teleportation array on God's Island—Apayado suddenly lit up. Bartholomew Kuma and Sentomaru, who had been sent to the Moon, returned. The teleportation link between the Moon and Sky Island was finally established.
Meanwhile, under the combined powers of Capone Bege and Kibakun the Blaster, using their Devil Fruit abilities, Vegapunk's laboratory relocation began at a blazing pace.
A large number of Impel Down prisoners were transported to the Moon for basic construction, loyalty testing, and to mine Lunarian ore from the Moon's core.
Inside the ancient lunar city of Birka, the long-dormant robot production lines were reactivated—creating worker units to replace manual labor.
Everything was progressing with perfect coordination and precision.
Souta Kiryuu was preparing for the inevitable—readying every defense, anticipating the World Government's retaliation and the wrath of Imu herself.
The Grand Line — Baldimore Island
Thick black smoke rose from several World Government battleships.
CP agents lay sprawled across the decks, bloodied and unconscious, eyes rolled back in defeat.
Souta sat atop a mast, watching his Seraphim at work—a deadly symphony of precision.
The only female Seraph, S-Sweet Serpent, flew toward him at high speed, clutching a Den Den Mushi like it was a treasure. Her star-shaped pupils turned into pink hearts as she beamed.
"Souta-sama~! It's a call from the World Government side~!"
The white-haired, bronze-skinned S-Sweet Serpent bore a youthful resemblance to the Pirate Empress herself in her childhood years. Her expression was utterly lovestruck as she looked at Souta.
Watching her, Souta couldn't help but sigh inwardly. Hancock's romantic obsession—it seemed that even her bloodline factor had imprinted that deep, devoted emotion into her clone.
This love ran in her genes—so powerful that even her Seraphim inherited it.
The "Little Sweet Serpent"—as Souta nicknamed her—owed her moniker to the Paramecia-type Mero Mero no Mi, the Love-Love Fruit.
Though she preferred being called Sweetie or Little Snake, Souta humored her with a soft smile.
"Good girl~"
He gently patted her head, his hand resting lightly atop her silver hair.
Her face lit up in pure happiness and satisfaction.
Then Souta's eyes sharpened. He turned toward the Den Den Mushi, which was still connected to the other side.
"Tell Imu and the Five Elders," Souta said coldly, "to stop using these cheap tricks. Otherwise, I'll make them rebuild Marijoa again and again."
The voice on the other end crackled, heavy with restrained fury. The World Government had actually attempted to strike at Baldimore Island.
Fortunately, Souta had acted quickly enough to stop them—otherwise, the tragedies of the Sorbet Kingdom and Amazon Lily would have repeated themselves.
He was sick of their underhanded schemes.
If they tried this again, he'd return the favor a hundredfold.
A deep, gravelly voice suddenly came through the line—it was Saint Saturn himself.
"Souta Kiryuu, you can't protect everyone! Just wait—you'll see!"
So that was their plan.
Imu and the Five Elders saw him as a "heroic idealist"—a man burdened by the weight of protecting everyone connected to him. They were betting that pressure would one day crush him, make him slip, or push him into despair.
Souta's lips curled in a cold smile.
"Seems like you're the ones protecting too many nations. If you won't play by the rules, don't blame me for breaking them."
"And by the way—" he added, voice dark and calm, "I'm angry now. Be ready to receive the gift I'm sending your way."
Without another word, he hung up the Den Den Mushi.
No point wasting time with those decrepit tyrants.
Saturn would die—no matter what.
For the Eye that had been taken from him.
For Ginny's forced transformation and death.
That bastard's life was non-negotiable.
After sinking the Government warships, Souta and his Seraphim quickly landed on Baldimore Island.
He ordered Ryūjin Path and Human Path to lift the entire snow-covered island into the sky.
To accelerate the process, Souta himself transformed into a crimson dragon, summoning blazing Flame Clouds to raise the island higher.
With the combined might of the Gravity Fruit, Float-Float Fruit, and the Divine Dragon's Clouds, it took only half a day to make the medium-sized winter island soar into the air, drifting toward a remote sea.
Vegapunk, knowing Souta intended to relocate Baldimore, had already prepared magnetic field disruptors to neutralize the World Government's Eternal Poses.
Souta personally scouted and found a hidden sea—more secret than even Baltigo, the Revolutionary Army's White Earth Island.
A place where no Government eye could find Baldimore again.
The new area had a mild, temperate climate. As the island drifted into its new position, the thick layers of snow began to melt.
Baldimore was slowly transforming—no longer a frozen hell, but a fertile, self-sufficient paradise.
The few remaining hybrid beasts left behind by Vegapunk now roamed peacefully, aiding the settlers. Life would thrive here again.
After instructing the islanders to maintain the magnetic disruptor, Souta departed from Baldimore.
He and Vegapunk had done all they could. Whatever happened next would be beyond their power to help.
Meanwhile, on Sky Island, Caesar Clown had already received Souta's next order: prepare several massive poison gas bombs, powerful enough to engulf two or three Punk Hazards.
Once Souta returned to the Sky, he planned to let Marijoa experience the taste of the Purple Mushroom Cloud.
Vegapunk refused to create weapons of mass destruction—so this particular task had been handed to Caesar, the degenerate scientist who excelled at deadly toxins.
Souta intended to throw Caesar's most potent bombs straight into Marijoa—just to test their power.
It would be a fitting act of vengeance.
Otherwise, the World Government would keep forcing him to move his islands endlessly.
The Souta Pirates couldn't live like that forever—relocating an entire island every time they took in a new ally. That wasn't how this game was meant to be played.