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On Ohara, the Island of Knowledge, the peaceful daily routine under the world-connecting Tree of Omniscience was shattered. Residents and tourists, who had been feeding pigeons or discussing scholarly topics at cafes, all stopped what they were doing and rushed toward the western coast. Confusion and unease spread through the crowd as their whispers grew into a worried buzz.
"What is that? Are those... Marine warships?"
"Why are there so many? They look like they're here for a war."
"Are they here to capture some big-shot pirate? We don't have anyone like that on our island."
"Tsk, these ignorant pirates are wasting our precious time!"
On the horizon, ten monstrous steel warships sailed in an arrowhead formation, cutting through the waves with unstoppable force. They were speeding toward this sacred land of knowledge, their black cannons aimed directly at Ohara like the eyes of hungry beasts.
On the deck of the lead ship, a man in a white suit with a cold expression raised a Golden Transponder Snail. That unique design was a symbol that could make any Marine tremble—the absolute authority of a Buster Call. A terrifying military force capable of wiping out an entire nation now had its guns aimed at an unarmed island of scholars.
The murmuring of the crowd slowly turned to fear.
"Something's wrong... Their cannons are aimed at us..."
"That's ridiculous! We're an allied nation of the World Government!"
High above on the cliff, the wind howled.
Moriah's unique laugh echoed, but this time it was laced with mockery. "Gehehehe, Kyle, are the Marines coming for us? They must be underestimating us if they only sent this many." To him, ten warships and five Vice Admirals seemed a little light to take on the three of them.
Beside him, Mihawk said nothing. He simply placed a hand on the hilt of his Black Blade, Yoru. With a low hum, the colossal cross-shaped sword was slowly drawn from its sheath. His hawk-like eyes were calm, as if the massive fleet before him was nothing more than a swarm of annoying flies.
Kyle stood with his hands in his pockets, chuckling to himself as he watched the chaos begin to unfold in the port below. Catch me? The World Government would be slacking if they didn't send at least three Admirals.
He turned to meet his companions' questioning gazes and shook his head. "No, they're not here for us," Kyle said, his tone as casual as if he were discussing the weather. "They're here to... destroy this island."
"Destroy Ohara?" Moriah's smile froze.
Mihawk's hand, which was gripping his sword, also paused. A hint of confusion finally appeared in his focused eyes.
"The scholars of Ohara learned something they shouldn't have," Kyle explained, his gaze fixed on the Tree of Omniscience. The reflection of the distant fleet shimmered in his golden eyes. "They discovered the World Government's greatest taboo—the erased century of history."
The air grew heavy. Both Moriah and Mihawk could feel the world-shaking weight behind those words. This was something far more dangerous than any powerful enemy or legendary treasure.
Kyle suddenly grinned, a playful look on his face like a devil tempting a mortal. "Want to know more? About the Void Century, about the truth the World Government is so desperate to hide..."
Moriah swallowed hard and instinctively took a step back. He craved power, but he knew that some secrets were curses.
Mihawk was more direct. With a clean clang, he slid the Black Blade, Yoru, back into its sheath. His sharp eyes gave Kyle a deep look that said everything: My only interest is the pinnacle of swordsmanship. I don't care about your ancient history.
They had both refused his potentially fatal gift. Kyle's smile faded, but he wasn't surprised. They had each made a choice that fit their personalities perfectly. He wouldn't push them.
The image of the little girl with stubborn eyes, clutching a thick book, reappeared in Kyle's mind. Save Ohara? And then what? Stopping a Buster Call wouldn't be that hard for him. But the World Government would just send stronger forces, use dirtier tricks, until the name "Ohara" was wiped from existence. Unless he could take down the entire World Government himself. And for what? For a bunch of scholars he didn't know? For some vague sense of justice?
Kyle let out a self-deprecating chuckle. He was just a passerby, a seeker of entertainment. Watching a grand fireworks show was much easier, and far more interesting, than trying to put out the fire himself.
"Kyle," Moriah's voice pulled him from his thoughts. "That kid from before... Is she going to die, too?"
Kyle was silent for a moment, his gaze turning back toward the beach, as if he could see through the forest to find that small figure. "That will depend on whether she's tough enough to survive."
On the deck of the flagship, the sea wind whipped at the cloaks emblazoned with the word "Justice." But what the flag represented today was not protection, but suffocating oppression. A young Marine gripped his fists so tightly his knuckles turned white. He looked at the peaceful island and his voice trembled. "Do we really... have to fire on everyone? The report said there are still civilians on the island..."
The veteran next to him jabbed him with an elbow, warning him to shut up.
"Obey your orders!" a cold voice snapped. A CP agent in a white suit stared at Ohara without emotion. "They are 'devils' who study forbidden history. Anyone living on a devil's island is an accomplice. To tolerate evil is a sin. Your duty is to eradicate that evil, along with the very soil that grows it!"
The twisted logic, spoken with absolute authority, made the young soldier's face go pale. He opened his mouth but couldn't say a word. In the shadows, Vice Admiral Kuzan stood silently with his hands in his pockets, his expression hidden by his curly hair.
The CP agent raised the Golden Transponder Snail and relayed the ruthless command to every warship.
"—Fire!"
The world seemed to freeze for a second. Then, a deafening roar tore the sky apart! Hundreds of cannons fired at once, sending a rain of death down upon the defenseless island.
Boom—!!!
The first shell hit the town square. The violent explosion instantly consumed everything—the children playing, the scholars talking, the tourists enjoying their tea. Flames and shockwaves ripped through the streets, turning beautiful buildings into rubble. Screams of pain and terror were quickly drowned out by the endless explosions.
"Why?! Why are the Marines attacking us?!"
"Help! My leg!"
"Mama—!"
A scholar stared in disbelief at the bloody hole in his chest, unable to understand why his lifelong search for knowledge had brought a "Just" massacre upon him. The air, once filled with the scent of books, now reeked of gunpowder and burning flesh. In an instant, Ohara had become a living hell.
High on the cliff, the trio watched the apocalypse unfold. Moriah's laughter was long gone, his tall body rigid with shock. Mihawk's hand was back on the hilt of his sword. Kyle, however, was the calmest of all. He aimed a special Visual Transponder Snail at the destruction below. The snail's eyes were wide, faithfully recording every detail of the port's annihilation and the "Justice" flags fluttering on the warships.
"Is this... their 'Justice'?" Moriah asked, his voice strained. He thought of his own crew, who had died fighting Kaido. But even that brutal battle was nothing compared to this. That was a fight between the strong. This was absolute power being used to slaughter the weak for no logical reason.
"Justice?" Kyle chuckled, adjusting the Transponder Snail's angle to get a close-up of the CP agent. "No, this is 'power.' When your fist is big enough, whatever you do becomes justice."
The cannons' roar moved toward the center of the island, their new target the Tree of Omniscience. Shells slammed into the ancient tree, tearing hideous gashes in its trunk. Flames spread like venom, devouring the priceless collection of books inside. The knowledge that generations of scholars had protected with their lives was now turning to ash.
Mihawk watched the tree burn and finally spoke. "A boring method." To him, destroying something with brute force and no skill was just an ugly, cowardly act.
"But it's very effective, isn't it?" Kyle said, standing up and putting the Transponder Snail away. He tossed the device, which now held the entire truth of the incident, in his hand. A strange glint appeared in his golden eyes. "And now, we have a very interesting 'Poneglyph.'"
"What are you going to do?" Moriah asked, looking at the snail as if it were Pandora's Box.
"Me? Nothing. I just like to collect rare footage," Kyle said. He glanced over the sea of fire toward the beach. "As for when this 'collection' might be useful... that depends on when someone needs a little truth to light a fire for revenge."
As the bombardment focused on the Tree of Omniscience, the shelling on the port town lessened. The trio leaped down from the cliff, landing lightly on the scorching cobblestones and strolling casually through the hellish ruins. Their calm demeanor quickly drew the attention of a Marine squad on a "cleanup" mission.
"St-stop! Who are you?!" a young soldier shouted, his voice shaking.
The Marine Captain leading the squad saw the approaching figures clearly, and all the color drained from his face. His rifle clattered to the ground. It was "Hawkeye" Dracule Mihawk, "Shadow Master" Gekko Moriah, and the man leading them... a nightmare for all Marines. "Wave Guiding King... Aaron Kyle!"
Panic shattered the Captain's composure. He fumbled for a Transponder Snail and shakily dialed a number. "V-Vice Admiral Kuzan! We've found them! It's Kyle! Aaron Kyle and the others... they're in the West Port ruins!" His voice was a shrill shriek of terror.
Kyle watched him with an amused look. He stepped forward and, under the Captain's petrified gaze, gently plucked the active Transponder Snail from his limp hand.
"Moshi Moshi?" Kyle said into the receiver, his tone pleasant. "Long time no see, Kuzan-san!"
The other end went dead silent. Then, a roar of pure rage exploded from both the sky and the Transponder Snail.
"KYLE!!!"
Before the word even finished, an ice-blue figure shot down from the sky. Kuzan, his right arm coated in black Armament Haki, was coming straight for them with a killing blow. Kyle didn't even look up.
"Gehehehe..." Moriah stepped in front of him. Several pitch-black shadows shot from the ground, transforming into bats that charged fearlessly at Kuzan. The shadow bats were instantly destroyed by Kuzan's Haki-coated fist, but they delayed him for a crucial split second.
Clang—!
A sharp sword hum cut through the air. At some point, Mihawk had drawn Yoru. A perfectly condensed slash of green energy shot toward Kuzan's landing spot, moving faster than the eye could see. Kuzan's expression changed. He twisted his body in mid-air, barely avoiding the fatal strike.
Boom!
The sword energy hit the ground behind him, carving a terrifyingly deep gash in the scorched earth. Kuzan landed steadily on his feet, his cold gaze passing over Moriah to lock onto the man who hadn't moved an inch through it all.
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