News spread like poison through the New World.
"MARINE VICTORY AT RUMBLE ISLAND! VICE ADMIRAL DOLL CAPTURES 400 PIRATES – OVER 12,000 DEAD IN MASSACRE!"
"DOLL BECOMES ROLE MODEL FOR WOMEN MARINES – 'THE ICE QUEEN WHO CONQUERED A PIRATE PARADISE'"
Papers flew from island to island. Women in Marine uniforms pinned her picture to walls. Young recruits whispered her name with awe. Doll had done the impossible: taken credit for a slaughter she hadn't caused, elevated her status, and struck a blow against Blackbeard's network without a single Marine losing their life in the fighting.
Doll herself stood on the deck of her ship, staring at the blood-soaked island behind her with a cold, satisfied smirk.
No one would ever know the truth.
Meanwhile, on the open sea where the Whispering Dunes should have been, Law and Sabo arrived aboard a small Revolutionary vessel.
They stared at empty water.
No island. No temple. No Straw Hats.
Law's Room flickered weakly around him as he scanned with his Observation Haki.
"Nothing," he muttered. "Not even a trace. The island… it's gone."
Sabo's expression darkened. "The fruit was eaten and awakened. That's the only explanation. We're too late."
Law clenched his fist, then winced as pain shot through his still-healing body.
Sabo placed a hand on his shoulder. "Come on. We'll head back to the new Revolutionary base. We need to restrategize. Blackbeard is moving, the Marines are desperate, and now this invisible monster is out there. Luffy will be fine—he always is. But we need a plan."
Law nodded grimly. The ship turned away from the empty sea.
High above the waves, Toku walked on the sky itself Germa-enhanced legs carrying him effortlessly through the air, invisible and untouchable.
He looked down.
Kuzan Aokiji was cycling across the sea on his ice bike, moving toward the coordinates of the paradise island, clearly having heard the news.
Toku smiled.
He remembered how Kuzan had given Luffy and the crew a hard time in the past. How the man now worked for the most hated pirate in the world the one responsible for Ace's death.
Perfect.
Toku descended with full speed.
Diable Jambe ignited around his leg like magma, yet remained completely invisible.
He landed the kick directly on Kuzan's head.
The impact was devastating.
Kuzan spat out a mouthful of blood, eyes widening in shock as his ice bike shattered beneath him.
Toku wanted this death to be snappy.
He broke off a sharp shard of Kuzan's own ice, then stabbed him 99 times in rapid succession different parts of the torso, shoulders, thighs, arms each strike precise and merciless. Blood sprayed across the waves.
Kuzan gasped, trying to form ice in defense, but the invisible attacks came too fast, too accurately.
Finally, Toku drove the shard into Kuzan's eyes one after the other then sliced his throat open in one clean motion.
The former Admiral fell into the sea, blood clouding the water around him.
For an ice user, he died a very cold death.
Toku caught Kuzan's severed head before it sank, holding it by the hair.
He smiled coldly.
A message would be delivered to Blackbeard soon.
"I'm coming for you."
Toku vanished into the sky once more, carrying his trophy, whistling a broken tune of Binks' Sake as he went.
The shadows were growing longer.