-Real World: Amazon Lily-
Of all the Shichibukai who might celebrate the Celestial Dragons' future massacre, one stood above the rest in sheer vindictive joy.
Boa Hancock—the Pirate Empress, the most beautiful woman in the world, and former slave of the World Nobles—watched Eren's final memory with an expression of rapturous satisfaction.
"Excellent! Magnificent!" She laughed from atop her giant snake Salome, her curvaceous figure bouncing with each burst of mirth. "Kill them! Kill them all! Every last disgusting one of them!"
Her younger sisters exchanged worried glances. It had been years since they'd seen their elder sister this happy.
"Sister is really enjoying herself," Boa Sandersonia murmured, her green hair swaying as she watched Hancock with concern. The second sister understood the source of that joy all too well—and it made her heart ache.
"Those high-and-mighty 'gods' getting slaughtered like pigs?" Boa Marigold, the third sister, grinned fiercely despite her own unease. "They deserve worse. They deserve everything that's coming to them."
The three Gorgon Sisters had once been slaves in Mary Geoise. They'd suffered indignities and horrors that still haunted their nightmares decades later. The slave brands on their backs—the "Hoof of the Soaring Dragon"—were permanent reminders of their captivity.
So watching Buggy the Clown dance through rivers of Celestial Dragon blood in that holy place wasn't horrifying to them.
It was beautiful.
Hancock's laughter finally subsided, leaving her with a smile that didn't quite reach her eyes. "Buggy the Clown... I never imagined anyone would actually do it. Attack Mary Geoise. Make them bleed. Make them afraid."
She absently ran her fingers along her bare shoulder—where underneath her royal garments, the brand still marked her skin. Every bath was a reminder. Every glimpse in the mirror brought back memories she'd spent years trying to bury.
The chains. The auction block. The "masters" who treated us like toys.
Even now, as the Empress of Amazon Lily with strength and power at her peak, Hancock didn't dare attack the Celestial Dragons directly. She occasionally harassed Marine ships near her territory, struck at World Government vessels when the opportunity arose—small acts of defiance that let her vent some of the rage burning in her chest.
But a direct assault on Mary Geoise? That would mean war. Total war. And Amazon Lily would be the first casualty.
I can't risk my people for revenge, Hancock thought, the smile fading from her face. As much as I want to. As much as I dream about it every night.
That was the curse of being a ruler. She couldn't act on personal vendetta when thousands of lives depended on her decisions.
"Mr. Buggy..." Hancock said slowly, an idea crystallizing in her mind. "Perhaps we should form an alliance."
Sandersonia's eyes widened. "Sister? You're serious?"
"Completely." Hancock's expression turned calculating. "The Sky Screen showed Doflamingo will mass-produce ships capable of crossing the Calm Belt. When that happens, Amazon Lily loses its natural barrier. We'll be exposed to every pirate and Marine who wants to test themselves against the Pirate Empress."
Marigold nodded grimly. "The Sea Kings won't protect us anymore."
"Exactly. And our Shichibukai status is temporary at best." Hancock's voice took on a bitter edge. "The moment the Marines decide we're more trouble than we're worth, they'll revoke the title and send an Admiral after us. The Sky Screen showed it happening—an Admiral coming here to 'deal with the Amazon Lily problem.'"
The memory of that future broadcast made her clench her fists. An Admiral-level threat approaching her kingdom. A battle that could destroy everything she'd built.
"If Buggy is bold enough to attack Mary Geoise—if he succeeds—then he's powerful enough to be a valuable ally." Hancock's eyes gleamed with cold pragmatism beneath her beauty. "Better to secure that alliance now, while he still remembers who supported him early."
Besides, she thought with dark amusement, anyone who makes Celestial Dragons bleed deserves my respect.
Still, one thing bothered her. The Sky Screen had shown so many future events, revealed so many key players...
But it barely mentioned her.
Am I not important in the future? The thought stung more than Hancock wanted to admit. Or is there something being hidden deliberately?
She filed the question away for later consideration. For now, she had an alliance to plan.
-Broadcast-
The Rumbling had ended as abruptly as it began.
Across Dressrosa's ruins, the unconscious transformed citizens lay scattered like broken dolls. Those who'd been forced to become Titans—who'd murdered their neighbors and destroyed their own city while trapped in mindless hunger—were now vulnerable and defenseless.
Survivors approached them with makeshift weapons, faces twisted with grief and rage.
Revenge would be harsh.
But aboard the Thousand Sunny, a different tragedy unfolded.
Trafalgar Lami—the Silver Girl—had returned to her human form when Eren's power dissipated. Marlin released the water prison that had been containing her thrashing Titan body, and she collapsed onto the deck, unconscious but breathing steadily.
Too much strain, Marlin assessed clinically. The transformation drained her completely. She'll recover with rest.
Bepo immediately bounded forward and gathered Lami into his arms with surprising gentleness. His captain had given him one job: Protect her.
And Bepo intended to fulfill that duty even if it killed him.
"She's breathing," Bepo reported quietly, his voice thick with relief. "She's going to be okay."
Franky watched the mink carry Lami below deck, then turned to Marlin. "So what's our move, fish-boy? Go pick up Luffy?"
"You and the ship stay here." Marlin stretched his arms, preparing for a swim. "I'll go to Luffy alone and assess the situation. If there are threats, I'll handle them before you arrive with the ship."
"Fair enough. Swim fast, yeah?"
"Always do."
Marlin dove into the ocean with barely a splash. The moment he entered the water, his speed increased exponentially—like a torpedo launched from a battleship. His fish-man physiology gave him advantages no human could match in the sea.
Within seconds, he'd disappeared from view, leaving only ripples behind.
Monkey D. Luffy floated on a piece of debris, staring at the ocean with hollow eyes.
The Founding Titan had evaporated completely, leaving nothing but settling steam and scattered destruction. Luffy had tried to grab Eren's crystal prison when it fell—tried to pull him to safety, tried to break him free, tried to do something—
But Titan-hardened weapons had materialized from nowhere, batting the crystal away. Eren had sunk into the dark water before Luffy could react, disappearing into the depths.
"Eren..." Luffy called out, voice hoarse from shouting. "EREN!"
No response. Just waves lapping against debris.
He's gone. He sealed himself away and then he just... left.
Luffy had never felt so helpless. Even with all his new strength, even with Domain Expansion and absorbed power from Doflamingo, he couldn't save one friend.
Movement to his right made him look up.
Admiral Gin floated toward him on wisps of vapor, his expression grim. Wrapped in his arms was—
Luffy's breath caught.
Trafalgar Law's body. Or what remained of it.
The Surgeon of Death had been bisected at the waist, his lower half simply gone. His upper torso was wrapped in Gin's Marine coat, the white fabric already stained red.
"Luffy." Gin's voice was steady but sad. "I'm entrusting Law to you"
"Where are you going?" Luffy took Law's broken body carefully, cradling it like something infinitely precious and fragile.
"To witness the end." Gin's form began dispersing into steam. "Doflamingo's remaining half was blown in that direction—toward the palace ruins. As an Admiral, I need to confirm his death personally. Can't let that monster have even the slightest chance of resurrection."
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