Jake stared at the people encircling him and he want to say something, but no words came out.
Why would he waste precious Holy Light Energy to save them?
Was it really just his naive do-gooder heart?
No, Jake was using them—using them to create chaos, to create disorder that would allow him to escape.
But in a practical sense, did Jake actually save them?
Yes.
And that was enough!
A gaunt middle-aged man, gripping a rusted iron blade stood in front of Jake and roared.
"I was a soldier of the Aston Kingdom in 1489! I defended this nation against 24 waves of pirate attacks, fought in 17 wars for this country and was left with lifelong disabilities for it. And now—this is how the Aston Kingdom repays me! I swear—"
But before the man could finish, a gleaming longsword slashed down from his shoulder into his chest.
Blood sprayed, yet the man didn't fall.
His skeletal frame, barely more than bones, somehow lodged the blade in place.
Then, with his broken weapon, he stabbed the soldier in the throat.
With a laugh bordering on insanity, he charged forward, shouting.
"Damn you, Aston Kingdom! You will be obliterated by the light of justice!"
One by one, people fell around Jake, yet the human wall shielding him showed no sign of thinning—only thickening.
Amids the crowd, Jake unleashed Holy Light again and again, stalling the officers of the Donquixote Family.
Fortunately, only Lao G and Machvise were present and with his current strength, Jake could still hold them off.
But the template time was nearly up—less than a minute remained!
Bodies piled up around him, blood flooding his vision.
The stench of blood mingled with the salt of the sea breeze, while flames and screams intertwined, Make Jake see the truest picture of the One piece world.
Only now did Jake truly grasp the devastation the Great Pirate Era had wrought upon ordinary people.
To hell with pirates!
All their talk of adventure, freedom, and dreams—
They were nothing but parasites, leeches who brought nothing but suffering, the epitome of hedonism and selfishness!
Every last one of them deserved to be killed!
Amids the blood and death, for the first time, Jake feel a hatred for pirates so deep it bordered on malice.
And these rotten nations colluding with pirates—they were worse, inflicting deeper and longer-lasting harm on civilians.
They too, were something this world needed to purge!
But for now, all Jake could do was escape this hellhole, shielded by the lives of these civilians.
When the human wall around him had dwindled to a broken half-circle and when the Template had just 15 seconds left—Jake finally broke free of that nightmarish town.
He successfully led the surviving slaves to the coast and to Jake's even greater surprise, under the glow of a nearby lighthouse, a Marine Headquarters warship was rapidly approaching!
Thanks to the current abilities of the Holy Light template, Jake could clearly see the face of the man who had just jumped off the warship and was desperately swimming toward them.
It was a terrifying looking man, but the moment Jake saw that face, his tension instantly melted away.
T-Bone—the character he had most admired and respected from the One Piece world in his past life!
His justice was purer and cleaner than anyone else's at Marine Headquarters!
But just then, a shrill voice rang out.
"Are you the ones causing trouble for the Young Master? How dare you injured him—what a bunch of annoying trash!"
The moment the voice rang out, Jake raised his hand, summoning a pure white barrier in front of everyone while shouting.
"Get away from that rock now!"
But before his words could fully land, the three remaining survivors were crushed into corpses under the assault of massive stone arms.
The white barrier shattered in less than a second under the overwhelming force.
At this moment, Jake's template had less than ten seconds remaining.
His mind was nearing its limit, the splitting headache making it almost impossible to think.
His vision was darkening at the edges and if not for Monet supporting him, he would have collapsed already.
Pica emerged from the giant rock, his towering 4.7-meter frame even more terrifying in the darkness.
His shrill voice carried a bone-chilling killing intent.
"All who stand in the Young Master's way deserve death!"
As he spoke, he raised his stone-wrapped arm high and swung it straight towards Monet and Jake.
Just then, Jake caught sight of the peculiar pure blue fruit tightly clutched in Pica other hand.
Without a doubt—it was a Devil Fruit!
Considering Monet was by his side, that fruit was likely either the "Snow-Snow Fruit" or the "Hobby-Hobby Fruit"!
From the sea behind them, came T-Bone near-hysterical roar.
"Damn pirates! Stop harming civilians! Right-Angle Sword Style: Flying Bird Slash!"
As a crisp, birdlike azure slash shot toward them, Jake mustered the last of his strength.
"Lightning of Atonement!"
Brilliant golden lightning erupted from his fingertips, instantly engulfing Pica's entire body in its terrifying radiance.
The devastating current surged through Pica, the severe burns and paralysis sending him into uncontrollable convulsions.
The blue fruit slipped from his grasp.
Jake shouted to Monet. "Monet, eat that fruit now!"
Without hesitation, Monet devoured the dirt-covered fruit in large bites, paying no mind to the mud.
Were Devil Fruits disgusting to eat?
Absolutely.
But compared to death?
Jake had three reasons for having Monet consume it now, First, he was already exhausted—even if he ate it, he lacked the stamina to wield its power.
Monet could buy more time until T-Bone arrived.
Second, since they were already locked in a life and death situation with Doflamingo, stealing the fruit changed nothing.
Finally, a Logia-user like Monet would become his greatest ally when they joined the Marines.