The bright moon and stars can't illuminate the entire ocean because some places are in darkness while others are still in daylight.
But this has nothing to do with the East Sea, at least not with a certain area of it.
In a sea area far from Logue Town, the moon and stars are bright nearby, and the sky is clear, but in the center, there is a storm with thunder and rain, and dark clouds gather.
Rumble!
Thunder shattered the darkness, casting a bright light in the sky, and struck the sea, filling it with a layer of electric sparks.
Near these electric sparks, a Black Ship appeared on the sea. This Black Ship seemed different; despite the raging winds and giant waves, it sailed steadily among the waves, with only barely noticeable swaying.
Death Star.
First-floor banquet hall.
Pirates in all sorts of clothing were excitedly counting the piles of glittering treasure and gold in the banquet hall.
One pirate put on a gem-encrusted golden crown and laughed boastfully at the others, while other pirates were not to be outdone. One picked up a segment of a gold bracelet and waved it at the crowd, while another grabbed a sharp knife and laughed heartily.
This made the banquet hall very lively.
And at the top of the banquet hall, on a platform, Captain Sage sat on a throne overlooking this lively group of subordinates. He was wrapped in bandages from head to toe, especially his arms, which were wrapped in circles and circles and put in casts, making him look mighty despite his injuries.
In front of him was a huge dining table, laden with food: steaming roast pork, beef, and lamb; pots of stewed meat and seafood; various fried meats and vegetables coated in golden flour; red-colored steamed shrimp and crabs; and sliced chunks of meat with bones, all filling the table.
The ingredients stolen from Logue Town were now being put to use.
At the dining table, the gentle and kind big sister Marika scooped up a bowl of meat soup and brought it to Sage's mouth, which he gulped down, emptying the bowl rapidly.
In the next moment, the pink-haired, freckle-faced little Loli Renedia picked up a piece of prepared meat with bones and fed it to Sage, which he swallowed quickly, even the bones, chewing them down.
As he swallowed, the golden-haired Knightess Lily peeled a large steamed lobster and swiftly shoveled it into Sage's mouth.
The three took turns feeding, one after another, making the food on the table visibly disappear, and then the group of twenty pirate chefs chosen by Marika brought out newly cooked dishes to continue the feeding.
"So much, so much treasure! We're rich!"
Pearl grabbed a handful of gold coins, letting them flow through his hands and listening to the jingling sound, his eyes nearly showing dollar signs. He turned to look at Sage on the throne.
"Captain Sage! You are truly magnificent! Please, let me, the humble Pearl, also join in serving you at the table!"
With that, he rushed to the side of the dining table.
Sage had just swallowed a plate of fried chicken fed by Lily and glanced at Pearl, saying "Lily..."
Lily nodded and said, "Pearl."
"Eh?"
"Use Tekkai."
Bang!
Before the words finished, Lily kicked out with her leg as hard as a whip, hitting Pearl squarely and sending him flying straight into a heap of gold and jewels, scattering gold coins everywhere like a rain of coins.
The pirates were momentarily stunned, then burst into laughter.
"When it comes to feeding, of course, it has to be beauties. Stay away, Pearl!" Sage said fiercely.
Once aboard, Sage had everyone start preparing food, not needing Marika to do it herself. What he needed was quantity, and if not for the chefs, he would have just eaten raw food.
After all, having fought Zephyr, he was severely injured.
Even though he used Haki as protection, his arms were fractured due to taking a hand strike full of Haki from Zephyr, which resulted in multiple fractures. His internal organs were displaced, and his whole body was shattered from the internal destruction.
If he doesn't use Life Return, he's afraid he will die from severe injuries here.
That old guy, even with asthma and age, is still monstrously strong. If it weren't for those factors and the fact that he lost an arm, he might really have ended up here.
Unlike that carefree guy Garp, Zephyr just "doesn't kill," and he doesn't go easy on pirates.
No personal connection, so there's no reason for him to go easy, which is why Sage sometimes can't understand Garp's way of thinking.
Yet, he acknowledges the favor received from Garp.
"Sage..."
Lily, while feeding Sage, asked, "That Black Arm is already at his limit, why didn't we kill him? Wouldn't that mean victory?"
"What good is that kind of victory? We're pirates, not battle maniacs."
Sage said, "Lily, I like your attitude, but not your methods. Our goal is robbery, not seeking revenge. That old thing has no grudge against me; he's Navy, I'm a pirate, and a battle broke out, just that simple... But still, thank you."
It wasn't just for their aid, but for stopping the fight at the last moment.
At that time, Sage couldn't take care of much more. If not for these three, especially Lily's intervention, he might have ended up in a life-and-death struggle with Zephyr.
Most likely, Zephyr would have lived, and he would have died there...