The Bondola slowed.
The grinding of its mechanisms echoed against the stone as it reached the summit of the Red Line.
Then
CLANK.
It locked into place and the gates opened.
And for a moment, no one moved. Adam stepped forward first, his boots touched the ground at the top of the world.
The air here felt cleaner and colder but it was also different in a way he couldn't quite describe.
Behind him, his men followed, one by one and the moment they stepped out, their reactions came almost instantly.
"…Woah…"
"…This is it?"
"No way…"
The top of the Red Line didn't feel like a mountain.
It felt like another world entirely.
Massive walkways stretched outward, polished stone gleaming under the light. Ships weren't docked here, but goods were everywhere crates, barrels, precious cargo being moved in an endless flow toward the inner gates of the Holy Land.
Officials walked with them, guards stood like statues.
Cipher Pol agents moved quietly, watching everything.
And then... The slaves.
Chains clinked softly as groups of them carried heavy loads on their backs.
Thin, exhausted, eyes hollow.
Moving because they had no choice.
Adam's gaze lingered on them longer than anything else.
But behind him, his crew saw something different.
"Damn… look at this place…"
"It's beautiful…"
"It's like… something out of a story…"
"Of course it is…"
One of them laughed under his breath.
"This is where the Celestial Dragons live, right?"
Another nodded, eyes wide.
"Yeah… makes sense…"
"…This place is truly fit for gods."
A few of them nodded in agreement, taking in the massive structures, the pristine streets, the overwhelming sense of superiority that radiated from everything around them.
Adam's expression didn't change.
But his eyes darkened slightly.
"…A place for gods…"
His voice was calm.
"…but the residents are demons."
His men froze.
One of them nearly choked.
"Captain—!"
Another quickly covered his own mouth.
"Please don't say that!"
"Are you trying to get us killed?!"
Their eyes darted around nervously, as if someone had already heard.
As if saying those words alone was enough to bring death.
Adam blinked once.
Then raised a hand slightly.
"…Oops."
His tone shifted just a little.
Casual.
"I shouldn't have said that."
A brief pause.
"Forget it."
But inside, there was nothing casual about it.
His gaze shifted again toward the slaves.
The way they walked, the way they avoided eye contact.
The way the guards didn't even look at them as people.
His jaw tightened slightly.
'I still can't get used to this…'
No matter how much he knew.
No matter how much he expected it.
Seeing it…
Was different.
'This is what justice protects…?'
A faint bitterness rose in his chest.
'This is what the Navy stands for…?'
Chains and fear.
He exhaled slowly, forcing the thoughts down.
Now wasn't the time.
His expression returned to neutral.
He turned toward his men.
"We're not here for sightseeing."
His voice carried authority again.
"Don't waste time."
He pointed forward.
"Head to the other side of the Red Line."
"We're getting off this place as soon as possible."
The Marines straightened instantly.
"Yes, Captain!"
They began moving, quickly forming up and heading toward the designated route that would take them across to the other side.
Then
One of them hesitated.
"…Captain?"
Adam glanced at him.
"What?"
The Marine scratched his cheek slightly.
"…Are you saying you're not coming?"
Adam didn't answer immediately.
His gaze drifted past them.
Toward the inner city.
Toward the towering walls.
And far in the distance, rising above everything
Pangaea Castle.
The heart of the Holy Land.
"…I'll catch up."
He said calmly.
"I have something to take care of first, Navy business."
The Marine blinked.
Then nodded.
"…Understood, sir."
No more questions.
They moved, following orders.
They were simple and very trusting.
Adam watched them go for a moment.
Then a faint smile appeared.
"…Simple bunch."
He exhaled softly.
"But not bad."
His gaze shifted again.
Back toward the city and his eyes narrowed slightly.
The faintest hint of violet flickered within them.
"…Alright."
Adam stood still, his gaze fixed somewhere far beyond the walls of the Holy Land.
He could feel it.
A faint connection, like a thread pulled tight across distance.
His shadow was inside the castle.
A slow breath left his lips as his fingers curled slightly.
"C'mon now, don't embarrass me."
There was tension in his voice, frustration.
"I can sense that my shadow soldier is inside the castle itself. I'm in luck… but how am I supposed to exchange? I can't seem to control this power at all!"
He tried to reach for it again.
That connection.
That pull.
But the moment he did, a sharp pain shot through his head.
His vision blurred.
The world tilted.
Adam clenched his teeth, grabbing his head as pressure built behind his eyes, like something inside him was pushing back violently.
"Damn it…"
The connection wavered, unstable, slipping from his grasp.
Another surge of pain hit, stronger than before, forcing him to stagger slightly.
For a moment, it felt like his mind would split open.
Then he stopped.
Forced himself to breathe.
Slow and controlled.
"Calm yourself…"
His voice dropped, steadying.
"Calm down."
He closed his eyes.
Let everything else fade.
The noise.
The movement.
Even the tension in his body.
"This isn't magic," he muttered under his breath. "Think of it as a Devil Fruit power… because it is now in this world. Just like that God said."
His breathing evened out.
"Focus."
The connection was still there.
Adam's eyes opened.
They glowed violet.
"Exchange."
The world twisted.
Shadows surged outward like a violent tide, swallowing him in an instant.
And then
He was gone.
****
Inside Pangaea Castle -
A ripple passed through the shadows.
Subtle, yet unnatural.
And in the next instant, Adam stood there.
As if he had always belonged.
Polished marble floors stretched beneath his feet, towering pillars surrounding him.
And right in front of him
Royal guards.
They froze.
Not because they hesitated.
But because they saw it.
The shadow, the exchange, everything.
One of them took a step back, eyes wide.
"A Marine?!"
Another raised his spear instantly.
"Who are you?! How did you do that?! What are you doing here?!"
Confusion mixed with fear.
This wasn't something they could understand.
A man appearing out of nowhere inside the most protected place in the world.
Adam clicked his tongue lightly, glancing around.
"Goddammit… I managed to do it, but this is not an ideal way to infiltrate."
The guards tightened their formation.
"Intruder!"
That was all they managed to say.
Adam moved.
Fast, too fast.
His body blurred forward.
The first guard dropped before he could react, a precise strike to the throat cutting off any sound.
The second swung his spear.
Adam stepped inside the attack, grabbed his arm, twisted, and broke it in one motion before driving a knee into his chest.
The third tried to shout.
Adam was already there.
A clean strike to the neck silenced him instantly.
The last one froze for a split second.
That hesitation cost him everything.
Adam grabbed him and slammed him against the wall, finishing it with a sharp blow.
Silence returned just as quickly as it had been broken.
Adam exhaled lightly, looking at the fallen guards.
"Too easy."
His eyes moved quickly across the area.
No alarms.
No witnesses.
"They saw my face, I gotta get rid of them and hide them."
He moved immediately, dragging the bodies into corners, behind pillars, into blind spots where they wouldn't be seen at a glance.
Once he was done, he crouched beside one of them, inspecting the armor.
"This will do."
He stripped it off efficiently and put it on himself, adjusting the fit until it looked natural enough.
He stood up, rolling his shoulders slightly.
"This will do. It'll be very weird seeing a Marine roaming the castle without authorization."
The helmet lowered just enough to obscure his face.
Now
He looked like one of them.
Adam lifted his head, finally taking in the full scope of the place.
Endless corridors, multiple paths.
Guards stationed at intervals.
The castle was massive.
Far larger than it appeared from the outside.
"Now where to go…"
His voice was quiet, thoughtful.
"This place is massive."
His eyes narrowed slightly as a faint violet glint passed through them.
"Guess I'll have to explore."
/-\
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