"W-Why is the Going Merry here!?"
Usopp voiced the obvious question, but no one there could answer him.
In this situation, the addition of one small ship was of little consequence. To the Navy, it was a simple matter of sinking it with cannonfire; a vessel slower than the Sea Train was nothing more than a sitting duck.
However, upon seeing the small ship sailing alongside them, Caterina contacted the others in the passenger cars from the driver's cabin.
'Everyone! Get the injured and transfer over to that ship!'
"Why? The Sea Train is faster. Our chances of escape should be much higher if we stay on this," Yuisheeze argued.
'The Sea Train can't make sharp turns! With that ship, we can steer and maneuver to avoid the warships!!' Caterina shouted back in reply to Yuisheeze's question.
The cannonfire was more like warning shots, as their top priority was securing Robin, but if the Navy changed their policy from deterrence to elimination, they would be helpless.
Two warships were blocking the tracks leading to Water 7. The rest were engaged in battle with the Germa and Twilight ships. She could see the warships moving to surround the Sea Train, but with the encirclement not yet complete, they could still evade them by taking a detour.
Due to its design, the Sea Train was meant to run on tracks and could not make sharp turns on its own. While it could be steered to some extent on the open sea, it lacked the agility of the Going Merry. If they continued on the Sea Train, they would have to slip past the side of the warships. Considering the possibility that the warships might completely block their path, forcing a collision, transferring to the ship offered a better chance of escape.
"It can't turn on a dime… an unexpected weakness."
"Well, it is a train. It's primarily designed to run on tracks, so there are other functions that take priority over steering," Franky explained to a surprised Yuisheeze.
But there was no time for long conversations.
The Sea Train slowed to match the speed of the parallel-sailing Going Merry, and with Yuisheeze and Kaie taking the lead, they prioritized moving the injured onto the ship. Leaping from a train to a ship required a fair bit of courage, but no one there was the type to be paralyzed by such a thing now.
Once the transfer was swiftly completed, Caterina began speaking into a baby Den Den Mushi.
'Is everyone aboard?'
"Yes, you should get over here quickly too."
'I'm on my way! Tobi!'
'Understood.'
Two figures leaped from the engine room of the rapidly decelerating Sea Train. It was Tobi, carrying Caterina. It seemed like she was overworking Tobi, who had only just recovered from being knocked unconscious, but in this situation, they had to use every available asset to survive.
"Are we leaving the Sea Train behind?"
"We have no choice. It's not as maneuverable as a ship. If we had stayed on it, we would have crashed right into a warship."
Besides, there were multiple Sea Trains. The blueprints still existed, and if necessary, they could simply build a new one. It wasn't that she had no attachment to it, but it couldn't be exchanged for their lives. There was also a small hope that the Navy might simply capture the empty Sea Train without attacking it.
As if noticing the transfer, the warships' cannons turned from the Sea Train to the Going Merry. Izo and Kawamatsu continued to defend against the cannonfire, but it was clear their hearts were elsewhere, as their gazes occasionally drifted toward Komurasaki.
"Kaie, Yuisheeze! Can't you help Komurasaki?"
"…It would be difficult."
"Indeed. If we enter her combat range, we'll be caught in the crossfire. It's true for most Logia-types, but when the area of effect is this large, even fighting together becomes impossible."
In particular, the lightning of the Goro Goro no Mi could electrocute allies if not handled with extreme care. It was a situation where trying to provide support could end up being a hindrance, so they couldn't carelessly intervene.
Still, if they didn't do something, Akainu would catch up—as Caterina muttered worriedly, the baby Den Den Mushi she was carrying received a call from someone.
'There is no need to worry. I will handle it from here!'
"…Komurasaki!? Are you interfering with Den Den Mushi waves while fighting!? You're as skillful as Octavia…"
"Octavia? Who's that?"
"The person who ate the Goro Goro no Mi before Komurasaki. She's already passed away."
When Luffy asked with pure curiosity, Kaie's expression hardened so much that even he could see it. Sensing it was a topic she didn't want to discuss, Luffy dropped the subject.
Caterina turned to the still-connected baby Den Den Mushi and opened her mouth, knowing that Komurasaki was likely just using it to transmit her voice and was listening to their reply through her usual combination of Observation Haki and her lightning body.
"You say not to worry, but don't you think Akainu and Cipher Pol will chase us to the ends of the earth? Do you have a way to repel them?"
'It is alright. It seems Dr. Enel has activated that device for me.'
"That device…? Oh, you don't mean…"
As if struck by an idea, Caterina looked up at the sky.
Enies Lobby, also known as the "Island of No Night," was a mysterious island located in a sea region where the sun never set. That sky was now completely covered by a dark cloud spreading from a single ship. The sun was obscured, and the gathering storm cloud swirled ceaselessly, occasionally flashing with lightning.
'I recommend you cover your ears. This will be a little flashy.'
"Everyone! Cover your ears! Now!!"
Confused by Caterina's panicked voice, they all covered their ears. The injured had been taken inside the ship, so they should be fine as long as nothing too drastic happened.
A few seconds later, Komurasaki, having gained a slight distance from Akainu, Guernica, and Stussy in the sky, unleashed a bolt of lightning toward the storm cloud above.
'Mamaragan.'
Immediately after, a tremendous roar echoed throughout the area.
A rain of lightning descended, engulfing all three of them—Akainu and the others—and did not stop there, as numerous bolts struck the warships. Some of the lightning seemed to be falling indiscriminately, striking the sea, but the majority of the bolts struck the warships as if they had been aimed. It was a scene reminiscent of a super-sized version of Nami's Thunderbolt Tempo, but the damage it inflicted was on a completely different scale. Above all, it was a strange sight to see the lightning itself seemingly guided toward the warships, as if it were alive.
'All hands, retreat at once! Our objective has been achieved, further sacrifices are unnecessary!!'
To be honest, the spectacular thunder had caused a ringing in their ears, so they couldn't quite make out the orders Komurasaki had issued to all of Twilight. But with the warships being assaulted by such a flashy attack, all the ships took the opportunity to flee at once. The crewmen were scrambling to escape, terrified that a bolt of lightning might strike their own heads at any moment.
The only one in high spirits was Enel, watching the scene from the sky above.
And—even after taking such a large-scale attack, one man who refused to give up was engaged in a final clash with Komurasaki in the sky.
"To unleash such an attack over such a wide area…!! I will not let you, at the very least, escape!!!"
"No, the curtain has fallen. This battle is our victory—we will likely meet again soon enough, in any case."
The government and the Navy had fully approved of Kanata's removal from the Seven Warlords. To Komurasaki, it was something she couldn't quite understand, but to them, it seemed Kanata was an unforgivable enemy. It was possible that there would be an all-out war between Twilight and the World Government in the near future, whether they mobilized the other Warlords or gathered Navy forces from all over.
"You bastard…!!"
In terms of numbers, the government and the Navy likely had the upper hand, but that was only on the surface. It had been proven that Akainu was right to think they might have forces hidden away somewhere. If he didn't capture Komurasaki or at least one of the commanders here, they would suffer immense damage later on.
Contrary to his words, Akainu was a cautious man. He did not make boastful claims, and he acted in accordance with the justice he upheld. Many of his subordinates trusted that if he said he would do something, he would do it. And since he had said he would not let them escape, he would not. If his opponent had not exceeded his expectations.
"Meigo!!"
"Farewell—Oden Two-Sword Style, Togen Totsuka."
A black flash of light in the shape of a cross flickered.
The slash, which still retained its power after canceling out Akainu's attack, sent him flying through the air and slammed him into a warship.
Guernica and Stussy had already been swallowed by the rain of lightning and knocked down somewhere. Komurasaki was not the type to think of hunting them down and finishing them off, so she simply gained distance, waiting for the Twilight ships to escape as she served as the rear guard.
They could not pursue without getting past her. But who, below the rank of Vice Admiral, could possibly get past the woman who even Akainu had struggled with?
The sudden battle between the factions over a single woman had reached its conclusion here.
***
Akainu, slammed onto the deck of the warship, was bleeding but had not yet lost his will to fight.
If Komurasaki had stopped her pursuit, then he would shoot her down. As he steeled himself, an urgent messenger arrived and connected a Den Den Mushi.
There were not many in the world who could interrupt Akainu while he was on the job. The caller was one of them. Suppressing the roiling magma, Akainu took the receiver with a forced calm.
"…Hello."
'It seems you've taken quite a beating, Akainu.'
"It's not over yet. I'll just hunt them down from here, finish them off, and take back Nico Robin."
'No, that's enough.'
"…What do you mean by that?"
The caller—Sengoku—spoke with a hint of fatigue, likely from being woken up in the middle of the night.
'You should know this as well. If we push any further, it will become an all-out war with Twilight. We are not yet prepared for that, and I wish to avoid it.'
"…"
Twilight was not prepared either. However, even with just the forces they had gathered from the surrounding area, they had managed to escape a Buster Call. Including the damage at Enies Lobby, it was clear that the government had suffered the greater loss. To think they could give chase and win her back now would be an underestimation of the highest order. They were not an opponent that a single Admiral could annihilate, and if they were to issue another Buster Call, they would have to face an even more concentrated force from Twilight.
Sengoku's true intention was to prepare thoroughly, as he knew they would have to be prepared for immense casualties.
'It was a stroke of bad luck that she had a hidden card capable of stopping you, and that she had placed it in these seas. On the other hand, you could say we've exposed one of her hidden cards. We'll have to be content with that for now.'
"…Even if I'm fine with it, the higher-ups in the government won't be satisfied. Or do you have something in mind?"
'Whether it can be called something in mind is debatable… but a little something. The government has been investigating Kanata's background and birth for some time. It seems the Five Elders had a lead.'
"I have heard about her mother, but it's not that?"
'Both Kanata and Octavia looked quite similar when you saw their true faces. It was Garp who confirmed Octavia's body, so that part is reliable. In that case, it wouldn't be strange for there to be a similar face further back in her bloodline.'
The island where Kanata had lived in her childhood had been completely wiped out and turned into a barren land by Octavia decades ago. The island where she had grown up had been blown away by the government itself with a Buster Call. Therefore, tracing her footsteps had been extremely difficult, but the government's intelligence agents had finally found something after searching far and wide.
Sengoku, too, had just been informed of this, and while he held his head in his hands, he also understood, and it had strengthened his resolve to prepare before making any further moves. Of course, the veteran Marines like Sengoku, Garp, Tsuru, and Zephyr had had a vague idea about Kanata's father… but now that it had been proven with evidence, it was only natural to be cautious.
'We've identified her father. With proof… As soon as we're ready, the government will move to erase Kanata, no matter what it takes. Let's just pray she doesn't have any children.'
***
Purupurupuru.
Purupurupuru.
Click.
"Yes, this is Komurasaki."
'It's me.'
"Lady Kanata! I heard you were too busy to be disturbed, are you finished?"
'Yes, I just finished… More importantly, it seems you had quite a time over there.'
"Yes, well."
It had started with an emergency summons, and when she arrived, she was thrown into a one-on-one fight with Admiral Akainu. It was fortunate that Komurasaki was strong enough to consider it a good experience, but if things had gone wrong, a battalion-sized force of combatants could have been wiped out. That was likely how serious the government was about this operation, but since Komurasaki had rampaged quite a bit, she would likely be marked from now on.
It seemed that George was the one who had reported to Kanata, and that even his information had stopped at the point where Caterina had given permission to act freely. She had wanted to contact Caterina directly, but she was currently holed up in the infirmary on one of the Twilight ships for Pedro and Zepo's full-scale treatment. It seemed the call had been routed to Komurasaki, who was next in line in terms of rank.
Komurasaki had joined midway through and hadn't heard much about the original reason for Robin's abduction, so they decided to discuss the details later, but she was able to give a simple report.
'I see, Akainu Sakazuki… How was he, from your perspective?'
"He was very strong. Not just his skill, but his tenacity in clinging to an enemy for the sake of his objective."
'I imagine so. He's like that. Just when you think he's lost his head and has tunnel vision, it turns out to be a facade, and at his core, he's always a calm man.'
Kanata laughed, saying that the battle with a Marine Admiral must have been a good experience for Komurasaki. It was no laughing matter, as they had come close to suffering serious casualties, but in that case, they would have had to give up on Robin and retreat.
—Of course, if that had happened, Kanata would have launched an assault on Impel Down.
'How is Straw Hat now?'
"The ship they were on has reached its limit, and since it won't last until Water 7… they're giving it a send-off by setting it on fire."
'The ship? I see… hmm.'
"Their adventure will be put on hold for a while, I suppose. They can't be called pirates without a ship."
She knew they had money, so she could find them a good ship and sell it to them… but that was up to them.
Komurasaki seemed to be more interested in Kanata and leaned forward as she asked.
"For my part, I'm more interested in you, Lady Kanata. I heard you had a one-on-one fight with Mr. Bullet."
'Yes, I asked him if he was finally ready to officially join us… but he's a stubborn man. He wouldn't nod his head so easily.'
"So, what happened? Is he not joining us after all?"
'No—'
***
"—We fought seriously, and I made him agree that if I won, he would join Twilight, at least until Kaido and Linlin are defeated."
New World—Winner Island.
This island, once rich in nature and uninhabited by people, was now a tragic sight to behold.
The super-giant Bullet, transformed to a size that could swallow nearly an entire island by his awakened Gasha Gasha no Mi ability, had his lower half completely frozen, and his upper half had been sliced into seventeen pieces. The island was half-destroyed by the attacks of the super-giant Bullet, imbued with extraordinary Haki, and Kanata's ability had frozen its rich nature solid.
In a scene that could hardly be believed to be the aftermath of a human battle, Kanata was conversing with Komurasaki on a Den Den Mushi held by George. Her clothes were torn in places, and she was bleeding slightly, but she had almost no injuries that could be called major.
'How was he, Mr. Bullet? Was he as strong as you expected?'
"He was. He's quite strong. I didn't think it would drag on for this long."
They had been fighting for nearly a full day. In terms of toughness, he was likely on par with Kaido.
As for Bullet himself, his right arm had been nearly severed from the mid-bicep down, and was now attached by little more than flesh and skin. His torso was covered in numerous slash wounds. He had lost a lot of blood and had passed out from the immense damage, and Sukura was now hastily treating him.
There was no point in bringing him to their side if he was dead, so she had held back as much as possible to avoid leaving permanent damage… but due to Bullet's extraordinary, well-honed toughness, he hadn't even passed out until he was on the brink of death. This was likely a miscalculation on Kanata's part.
"I want to wait for Bullet to recover before we make our next move, but the government is moving faster than I expected. They will likely move in accordance with what they learn about Newgate's situation."
'…Haven't we issued a gag order regarding the Whitebeard incident? I don't think the government can obtain that information.'
"There are always people with good ears and loose lips. Even if we issue a gag order, it's all the same if the information is leaked from Newgate's side."
'Wouldn't it be disadvantageous for Whitebeard as well if the information were leaked to the government?'
"Newgate's crew isn't as strictly managed as ours."
He was a man who openly declared that his crewmen were his sons and daughters. Kanata had no intention of denying that, but she believed that strict discipline was necessary, no matter the relationship. Occasionally, someone would come up with a ridiculous interpretation and mess things up.
That aside.
"Stay in Water 7 for a while. Sengoku is a cautious man, but he can sometimes resort to bold tactics. With your ability, you should be able to see through any enemy spies. Protect Robin and the others."
'Understood. I'll cut down any suspicious people first and think later!'
"…"
At Komurasaki's words, who was somehow becoming more like her father, Kanata, already exhausted from her battle with Bullet, looked utterly drained.