With both the battlefield's primary commander and vice-commander captured in a single, devastating sweep, the once unstoppable Marine forces immediately lost their tactical coordination and were heavily suppressed by the rallying pirates.
Ultimately, the battered fleet could only withdraw from the blazing battlefield in an orderly fashion under the desperate command of various surviving Marine Rear Admirals and Captains.
The hot-blooded pirates on the island initially wanted to pursue them to the ships. However, on one hand, since York no longer took any direct action, even with Admiral Zephyr and Vice Admiral Tsuru gone, the vast numbers of Marine troops and their heavy naval cannons were not something a disorganized mob could easily contend with.
On the other hand, most pirates were, fundamentally, selfish and self-serving creatures. Since their common enemy, the Marines, had begun to actively retreat, why not seize the perfect opportunity to escape the island with their lives and loot? Were they really going to rush into the ocean and throw themselves blindly into the net?
Getting back to York.
After securing Zephyr and Tsuru, he had absolutely no interest in staying on this ruined island any longer. He ordered his Vanguards to take their other two high-value captives—Nightin and Sakazuki—board the Emporio Ivankov, and officially set sail back to the Crimson Empire.
On the smooth voyage back, Douglas Bullet and King entered York's quarters and pulled out the two carved wooden boxes they had plundered from the gladiatorial arena's subterranean treasury.
"The Paramecia-type Gasha Gasha no Mi (Combine-Combine Fruit), and the Paramecia-type Riki Riki no Mi (Power-Power Fruit)!"
York effortlessly helped the teenagers identify the swirling patterns on the fruits. Then, he picked up the Riki Riki no Mi and tossed it directly to Bullet.
"Although the Combine-Combine Fruit is highly versatile, the Power-Power Fruit has an absolutely terrifying potential ceiling for someone like you. You should eat this one!"
It wasn't that York hadn't actively considered preparing a Mythical Zoan for his physically strongest Vanguard, but there simply wasn't a suitable one currently available in the world. This was the unavoidable reality of building an Empire.
However, Paramecia-type fruits are fundamentally never weak; it's just that the hosts of powerful Paramecia-types are often physical weaklings who rely entirely on their abilities.
For Bullet, his innate physical talent and monstrous constitution were already strong enough, and he didn't strictly need a Mythical Zoan to further strengthen his baseline physique. In stark contrast, the Power-Power Fruit could exponentially increase his strength limit, taking his existing, overwhelming physical advantages to god-like heights.
As long as Bullet kept up with his brutal Haki training, combined with this specific fruit, he might very well become a second, even more terrifying version of Monkey D. Garp.
With York personally helping him make the tactical choice, Bullet naturally had no reason to insist on the Combine-Combine Fruit. He caught the Riki Riki no Mi in his massive hand and ate it clean in three quick, decisive bites, ignoring the foul taste as raw, kinetic power immediately surged through his veins.
York picked up the remaining Gasha Gasha no Mi.
There were still a few core members of the Empire who hadn't gained abilities yet, but York already had a very clear, specific target in mind for this mechanical fruit.
What deeply amused him was that he had originally thought he wouldn't find this specific target for a few more years, but due to a bizarre twist of fate, the boy was already technically under his command.
Thinking of this anomaly, York couldn't help but smile wickedly.
'It truly is the age of relying on your bloodline! I never thought the cyborg Franky would actually turn out to be Queen's biological son!'
After a brief meeting guiding Bullet on his newly acquired powers, York moved to his temporary, lavish bedroom in the ship's lower decks.
Nightin had already woken up. She was squatting silently in a corner of the room, hugging her knees tightly. She wasn't crying, but her distant gaze clearly showed she still couldn't mentally accept her defeat and new reality.
York entered the room, the heavy door locking behind him with a click, and turned to look at the veteran doctor.
"Aren't you even going to try to escape?"
Nightin glared up at York with a freezing, hostile face.
Was it that she didn't want to run?! It was that her legs were so impossibly weak from the lingering aftershocks of his ability that she had absolutely no physical strength to run at all!
Moreover, they were currently on a moving pirate ship in the middle of the New World; even if she miraculously managed to stumble out and jump into the treacherous sea, she wouldn't be able to swim far before drowning. Rather than seeking a pathetic death that way, it was objectively better to stay here and survive.
No matter what, York had already forced an intimate relationship with her. As terrifying as he was, he wouldn't needlessly kill something he had already claimed.
Seeing that Nightin, while entirely unwilling to communicate with him, also didn't directly curse him out or attempt suicide, York knew her survival instincts had actually accepted her fate internally, even if her pride still couldn't.
And that final submission was merely a matter of time. Back then, Gloriosa, Stussy, and Shakky had all gone through the exact same psychological resistance.
He averted his glowing gaze, turning to look at the other side of the cabin.
Vice Admiral Tsuru was sitting on the edge of the bed, still wearing her cool festival swimsuit. The top was a sea-blue bikini, and the bottom, also sea-blue swim shorts, had a small pink skirt draped diagonally over them.
She still had her iconic Marine officer's coat with the two kanji for "Justice" draped heavily over her shoulders. Her left wrist was tightly shackled to the bedpost with a thick Seastone bracelet.
Because of the Seastone draining her stamina and neutralizing her Devil Fruit, she was utterly limp, her breathing slightly labored as she could barely exert any physical strength.
York stepped forward, his towering shadow falling over her, and gently stroked her cheek.
Her forty-four-year-old face was still remarkably firm, supple, and flawlessly smooth, feeling almost identical to a young woman in her twenties.
"York!!"
The weakened Tsuru had a distinct, uncharacteristic hint of nervousness in her sharp eyes, as well as a trace of deep, primal fear.
She tried to forcibly calm her tone and use logic as a shield. "I am a married woman! My son is already in his teens! A withered flower like me is long past her prime. There is absolutely no value in this!"
"Is that so?"
York's face showed a dark, mischievous smile, and the finger gently stroking her cheek began to slowly trail down towards her neck.
"But I actually find experienced, resolute mature women like you to be incredibly charming!"
"York!!"
Tsuru's tone suddenly became genuinely tense, panic bleeding into her voice, but York didn't give the legendary tactician a single chance to argue. He directly lowered his head, pressing her back against the mattress and forcefully sealing her lips.
She initially tried to struggle with firm, Marine resolve, pushing against his chest. But on one hand, the Seastone completely restricted her physical strength. On the other hand, York seamlessly activated the overwhelming, euphoric offensive of his Devil Fruit.
As the old saying goes: Thirty is like a wolf, forty is like a tiger. Vice Admiral Tsuru, despite her ironclad will and tactical brilliance, was, after all, still a woman made of flesh and blood...
The horrifying news of the Marines' crushing, unprecedented defeat at Firedrop Island soon reached the highest echelons of Marineford via emergency encrypted Den Den Mushi.
"What did you just say?!"
"Not only the prodigy Sakazuki... but even Admiral Zephyr and Vice Admiral Tsuru were captured alive by York?!"
This impossibly heavy, catastrophic bad news stunned Admiral Sengoku into absolute silence for a long, agonizing time.
Compared to the sheer geopolitical disaster of losing three high-value assets, York's final, arrogant verbal threat delivered to the fleeing soldiers was nothing at all.
With a long, exhausted sigh, Sengoku rubbed his temples, his brow deeply furrowed. "This is incredibly troublesome now."
Captured by the Flame Emperor. How in the world were they going to mount a rescue?!
Send Sengoku himself to lead a massive Vice Admiral corps into the heart of the Crimson Empire? Wouldn't that just be proving York's parting words right—that a mere Admiral was no match for him, so they had to send more Admirals?
But if Sengoku and Garp were both dispatched to the New World simultaneously, who would physically guard Marineford and the Holy Land of Mary Geoise from the likes of Roger, Shiki, or Whitebeard?!
He, the Admiral of the Navy, was only one man. He was fundamentally unable to be in two places at once.
"We can only put a direct military assault on hold for now. Or..."
Sengoku's eyes narrowed slightly behind his glasses, a dark, calculating light shining within.
York, as he stood right now, was almost completely invincible in direct, frontal combat. Sengoku had actually thought about utilizing deep-cover espionage and infiltration a long time ago. It wasn't necessarily about assassinating York—which was likely impossible—but rather revealing classified intelligence, locating the prisoners, and capturing his vulnerable close associates when they were alone. That was the greatest tactical role of a spy.
But unfortunately, the infiltration of Cipher Pol and Marine spies into York's territory was going horribly.
York's Empire implemented a highly advanced, paranoid system known as "ID Cards." Any undocumented outsiders attempting to enter the population were like a red fire ant thrown into a highly organized colony of black ants—standing out immediately like a sore thumb.
The World Government had actually already sent several waves of elite spies over the years, but they had all vanished without a single trace or distress signal.
'If worst comes to absolute worst, we can only try to infiltrate his ranks using pirate methods!!' Sengoku thought grimly.
But the choice of exactly who to send for this suicide mission was a massive problem. Not only that, if they were to arrange for a loyal Marine to perfectly disguise themselves as a ruthless pirate to gain York's trust, that operative would have to commit genuine, horrific evil deeds to maintain their cover!
Yet, this moral compromise was not an burden for Sengoku. Just like his old friend Garp, he was a firm, unwavering supporter of the World Government's rule. For the sake of Absolute Justice and maintaining global stability, any darkness was a necessary sacrifice.
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Give me powerstones.
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