The moonlight was like water, and the cold wind wailed.
Xiano stepped into the ruins at a steady pace, gazing silently at the lifeless body of Golden Lion Shiki for a moment.
He reached out with his right hand and closed the man's eyes.
This guy...
Though he was a Pirate with a notorious reputation, he had once possessed the ambition and courage to change the world—a true legend of the old era.
Dying by his hand was no disgrace.
Xiano then stood up, glanced at the two broken Famous Swords, and then at the bloodstained Ship Rudder nearby.
Comparing the two...
The latter seemed far more valuable in terms of Points, given how it had become an iconic symbol of Golden Lion.
This one it is!
Xiano casually picked up the Ship Rudder and initiated the Sacrifice.
[You have sacrificed Golden Lion's Ship Rudder and obtained 6,000 Points.]
[Golden Lion's Ship Rudder]
[Quality: Legendary]
[Value: 6,000 Points]
[Appraisal: A symbolic relic of Golden Lion Shiki, carrying the profound historical significance of the Ed Wall Battle. Had it not been for that Storm and this Ship Rudder falling from the sky, Gol D. Roger would have been the one defeated. Who, then, would have become the Pirate King in his stead?]
Hmm?
Six thousand Points?
Xiano was surprised.
This was worth far more than what he had gained from the current Four Emperors or the Three Admirals.
Though this fight hadn't been as thrilling as he'd hoped, eliminating the threat to his homeland and receiving such an unexpected bonus made the trip worthwhile.
"Hope my counterpart in the Dragon Ball World can roll this next month."
Closing the system panel, Xiano felt a wave of satisfaction and silently offered his sincere blessing.
BOOM—!
At that moment, the ground beneath his feet suddenly began to tremble.
Xiano had anticipated this. He leaped out of the ruins, returning to the surface, and surveyed his surroundings.
Just as expected.
Without the Float-Float Fruit's power to sustain them, the main island he stood on, along with the surrounding islands, now plummeted toward the sea below like giant birds with broken wings.
Xiano used Moon Walk to ascend higher, his gaze sweeping toward the distant village. When he noticed the panicked figures fleeing in chaos, he froze momentarily.
Why hadn't the villagers evacuated yet?
Hadn't he specifically warned them in advance?
What the hell was Aokiji doing?!
Frowning, Xiano was about to use Moon Walk to rush over when he suddenly sensed something. He landed at the edge of the Floating Island and looked down.
There, suspended ten thousand meters in the air, dozens of enormous ice pillars now stood like Sky-Supporting Jade Pillars, connecting heaven and earth.
At the top of each pillar, the ice had expanded into an umbrella-like shape, slightly concave in the middle—like massive serving trays.
The islands had barely begun their descent, their acceleration not yet reaching dangerous speeds, before these trays caught them securely.
"Ara ara, no need to be so impatient."
A lazy voice came from behind. Xiano turned to see Aokiji, hands in his pockets, strolling toward him.
"I am a Navy Admiral, you know. If you leave something like this to me, I can handle it just fine."
He gestured at the ice pillars and shrugged.
"I've been preparing this since the moment you went up to challenge Golden Lion. After all, if all these islands crashed into the sea, this part of the East Blue would've been hit by one hell of a tsunami."
"Fairly reliable."
Xiano grinned, his eyes sweeping over Aokiji from head to toe.
The guy looked calm and composed on the surface, but his breathing was noticeably heavier than usual, and his shirt collar and underarms were soaked with sweat.
Tsk, even the "Ice Machine" is sweating like this…
Seems like creating ice pillars of this scale took a lot of effort and energy.
Exhausting as it was, it preserved the villagers' homes intact—definitely far better than the disaster relief methods he'd proposed earlier.
Would Akainu or Kizaru have done the same?
"Hey."
Aokiji felt unnerved under his stare and couldn't help but speak up, "What's with that look? Cut it out. I don't want to hear any nonsense from you again."
This kid…
For some reason, he always felt like he was standing naked in front of Xiano, as if every inch of him was laid bare.
It had been the same last year in Gourmet City.
Even though he was the one who sought Xiano out, a few words from the guy had turned the tables, nearly shattering his resolve.
On the way back, his bicycle had mysteriously vanished, forcing him to take an unplanned dip in the cold sea.
Not a memory he wanted to revisit.
"Don't flatter yourself. Think I want to recruit you?"
Xiano, caught off guard, flushed slightly and scoffed, "Just stay put as a Navy Admiral. I'm not short on people right now. But if you ever feel like you can't keep going…"
He flashed Aokiji a grin, "Come to the New World. I won't mind sharing a drink with you."
Would that day ever come?
Aokiji didn't respond, neither confirming nor denying.
His gaze shifted downward. "I already called for backup. Looks like the warships have arrived. Golden Lion's Pirates are numerous—leave them to me?"
"No problem."
Xiano laughed heartily. "Just make sure the bounty gets paid. Golden Lion's head is worth a fortune, you know."
"You really think that's possible?"
Aokiji shot him an exasperated glare.
A Sea Emperor, asking them for a pirate's bounty—only this guy could come up with something like that.
Why not just go to the Holy Land and demand the Celestial Tribute while you're at it?
Besides, he had willingly handed over the kill. Even without Xiano, he was confident he could've defeated Golden Lion, though the old legend was far from his former glory.
At most, it wouldn't have been as effortless or quick as Xiano made it seem…
Aokiji narrowed his eyes.
Counting the time it took to reach the island, the entire fight had lasted less than half an hour. That was downright terrifying.
Just how strong was this guy now?
If they fought one-on-one, what were his chances…?
"Really no money? Boring."
Xiano didn't notice Aokiji's thoughts and pouted in disappointment. "Then I'll take my leave. Oh, right—the civilians on the island…"
"Don't worry. I'll arrange everything and keep an eye on them for a while to ensure they can settle back in."
Aokiji met his gaze firmly.
"Good."
Xiano nodded. If Aokiji gave his word, it was trustworthy.
He took one last look around the high-altitude battlefield, his eyes lingering on Golden Lion's corpse and the approaching Navy warships in the distance.
"Later."
He casually waved his hand, turned around, and dashed into the distance using Moon Walk. Under Aokiji's watchful gaze, his figure soon disappeared into the clouds.
...
The morning breeze of the East Blue remained as gentle as ever.
Two days later.
Xiano rode his Floating Motorcycle, navigating increasingly familiar routes until, upon the boundless blue sea, the outline of Cocoyashi Village finally came into view.
"Finally back again..."
The corners of his lips curled up unconsciously.
Over the past year, his adventures in the Grand Line had been thrilling and never dull.
Yet, this land dotted with coconut trees was still the softest place in his heart.
Being able to make time for a return trip felt incredibly good.
After docking at the pier, Xiano stowed his motorcycle and walked along the same country path where he had once dragged Arlong like shark sushi, heading toward the village.
Hands in his pockets, he strolled leisurely, savoring the long-missed scenery on either side.
Despite keeping a low profile, children playing in the fields during this season were unavoidable. Spotting him, they froze for a moment before erupting into excited shouts.
"Eh? Is that Big Bro Xiano?!"
"It really is! Big Bro Xiano is back!"
"Quick, go tell everyone!"
The sharper ones immediately ran off to spread the news. Before long, the entire village was in an uproar.
Before even reaching the village entrance, Xiano found himself surrounded by a sea of enthusiastic villagers, many of whom were familiar faces.
Like Uncle Genzo, the village doctor Dr. Nako, and even Man-Scar, Fat Cow, and Skinny Monkey, who were so emotional they were nearly in tears.
"Xiano! The big shot from our village has finally returned, huh? Haha!!"
"Boss! We finally get to see you again, wuu..."
Genzo parked his bicycle and squeezed to the front, his iconic windmill hat spinning wildly as he laughed heartily and gave Xiano a bear hug:
"You brat, it really is you! I thought those little rascals were pulling my leg. Don't even think about leaving tonight—we're drinking till we drop!"
"No problem, Uncle Genzo."
Xiano chuckled, his gaze lingering for a second on the whirling little windmill before he turned to pat the shoulders of his old subordinates like Man-Scar.
Then, scanning the crowd, he asked, "By the way, what about the CP agents? Are they still keeping an eye on you?"
The question was almost unnecessary.
Because, as previously arranged during his phone call with Uncle Genzo, if the CP agents were still around, he wouldn't have been greeted by smiling faces.
Instead, it would've been eggs, vegetable leaves, brooms, and hooves being hurled at him to drive him away.
Sure enough.
Genzo confidently thumped his chest in response:
"Don't worry, we've been keeping tabs on those guys. Since last winter, they've gradually reduced their surveillance."
"And after news broke early this year about your big fight with the Navy in the New World, they pulled out completely. Haven't bothered us since."
"That's good."
Seems the act he put on this year wasn't for nothing.
Hmm?
Wait a minute.
Xiano suddenly sensed something and turned to his right with a puzzled look.
If the act was over, why was there still a big white dog glaring at him with unmistakable resentment?
"Woof!"
...
At the banquet that night, Xiano was predictably drunk out of his mind.
The villagers took turns drinking with him until he was completely disoriented. Hundreds of shots of strong liquor in one night—even the Sea Emperor couldn't handle that.
In the end, he simply lay back and immediately fell into a deep snoring sleep.
It was Genzo who finally pushed him home on a bicycle, with the help of Man-Scar and Fat Cow, huffing and puffing all the way.
The next day at noon.
Xiano rubbed his temples as he stepped out of the bedroom. The hangover headache left his vision still slightly blurry, so he simply slumped onto the sofa in front of the fireplace.
Just as he was about to lean back—
A cup of warm ginger cola pressed against the back of his neck.
"Finally awake, huh? Here, drink it while it's hot—it'll help with the hangover."
A familiar, gentle voice came from behind. Xiano froze, then after a long pause, slowly turned his head to look.
A woman with a deep red ponytail and a worn-out apron had just pulled out a chair from the dining table, sitting down with one leg crossed over the other.
She lit a slim cigarette, her eyes curving into crescents as she tilted her head and grinned at him:
"Hey, hey, what's with the blank stare? Cat got your tongue? Or did becoming some 'Sea Emperor' make you forget how to greet people?"
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