Fight the fiercest battles.
Boast the boldest words.
Act with unstoppable pride.
And then… do the most unexpected thing.
Liam Ross already knew there was no way out. Since running was impossible, surrendering wasn't such a bad choice. After all, only a fool throws away a perfectly good hand. If this clone got destroyed here, the loss would be devastating.
He had spent so much time cultivating this clone to the level of a Swordmaster. If it were annihilated, creating a new one would cost him dearly and the next would only possess forty percent of his full power. That kind of setback wasn't something he could easily afford.
So after a moment of deep contemplation, he decided to be pragmatic. There was no shame in being a smart survivor.
After all, he was no ordinary man he had the system on his side.
For anyone else, being captured by the Marines and thrown into Impel Down the world's most secure underwater prison was equivalent to a one-way ticket to hell. But for Liam, it was merely free lodging with extra security.
Suddenly, a thunderous roar shook the air.
"Boom!"
A massive blast erupted as Akainu's magma-coated fist slammed into the ruined fortress behind Liam. The heat was so intense that the entire structure melted into a pool of glowing lava.
The admiral's face was cold, his fury barely restrained. After venting his rage, he looked at Liam with a glare that could cut through steel.
"Put the Seastone cuffs on him," Akainu ordered icily.
Liam didn't resist. He simply stood there, calm and almost indifferent, as the cold metal locked around his wrists.
From a distance, Chinjao watching the scene unfold frowned slightly. His expression was conflicted. This was his chance to escape.
"Should we stop him?" Kizaru asked lazily, glancing at Akainu.
Akainu paused, then shook his head.
Their main target was Liam Ross. As for Chinjao capturing him would be troublesome and unnecessary. The old pirate was strong, and if they split their forces now, it could give Liam the perfect opening to escape. That would be an unforgivable mistake.
After all, in Marine eyes, Liam Ross was far more dangerous than Chinjao could ever be.
Watching from a hidden distance, Capone Bege exhaled deeply as he saw Liam being subdued. The sight shook him more than he cared to admit. Without hesitation, he turned and slipped away. He had no intention of becoming the next man chained and dragged into Impel Down.
Under heavy guard, Liam was escorted to a Marine warship, his wrists bound in glowing Seastone. He remained perfectly silent the entire time. The Marines, meanwhile, conducted a massive search for the "Demon Child" Robin but even after tearing through the city brick by brick, they found nothing.
Kizaru contacted Sengoku through a Den Den Mushi, his usual lazy tone hiding the significance of his words.
When Sengoku heard that Liam Ross had been captured, a wide smile spread across his face. Finally, the thorn in the Navy's side had been plucked.
As for Robin's escape? He barely cared. Let the World Government's CP9 deal with her. For now, Sengoku's only concern was making sure Liam didn't slip away.
Meanwhile, elsewhere
According to his promise with Liam, Doflamingo had dispatched his men to escort young Robin aboard a merchant ship headed toward his stronghold.
But fate had other plans.
Midway through the voyage, the ship was ambushed by a pirate crew. By the time the smoke cleared, Robin had vanished without a trace.
When Doflamingo received the news, he didn't show anger. Instead, a crooked grin spread across his face.
He had just received confirmation that Liam Ross the infamous "Earth Emperor" had been captured by the Marines.
"Doffy, should we send men to look for her?" Trebol asked, his voice nasal and dripping.
Doflamingo's glasses reflected the dim light as he chuckled. "Forget it. Whether she lives or dies doesn't concern us anymore. What matters is that we seize control of the West Sea's underworld. That's the real prize."
Back at Marine headquarters, on Vermeil Island, Vice Admiral Garp received a call from Sengoku himself. The order was clear: abandon the pursuit of Golden Lion Shiki for now and return immediately. Something more important had come up.
Liam overheard the entire conversation and couldn't help but sneer inwardly.
As they prepared to leave, Garp casually picked up a black cannonball, a mischievous grin spreading across his face. He lobbed it toward the island's center.
"Boom!"
The explosion lit up the sky.
From afar, a furious roar echoed across the waves.
"Garp!!"
The old Marine burst out laughing. "Hahaha! Never gets old!"
One day later, the warship returned to the port of Marineford.
Kuzan Aokiji dismissed Liam, allowing him to move freely under guard, before heading off with Garp to attend a high-level meeting.
Without his clone to rely on, Liam quietly resumed his routine within Marine HQ.
"Congratulations, Host. Daily sign-in complete: reward ten packs of Crunchy Celestial Biscuits."
The voice of the system chimed in his head, indifferent as ever.
Meanwhile, his clone still bound in Seastone chains sat silently in a temporary cell at Marineford, guarded by a vice admiral stationed outside.
An hour later, Sengoku himself arrived.
Clad in his white coat of justice, the Fleet Admiral stood before the iron bars. On one side stood the old strategist; on the other, the silent prisoner. For a long time, neither spoke.
Finally, Sengoku broke the silence.
"Liam Ross… do you have anything to say for yourself?"
The clone raised his head slowly, a faint, mocking smile curling his lips.
"Heh. So it's true what they say you really are the Marines' great strategist. I'll admit, this time I lost. But don't celebrate too soon."
His tone dripped with defiance, his eyes cold and unyielding.
Sengoku studied him closely, intrigued.
"I'm curious… who are you really?"
He stepped forward and reached for the mask covering Liam's face. But no matter how hard he pulled, it wouldn't budge. The eerie smile carved into the mask seemed to mock him.
"It's useless," Liam said casually. "The mask's fused to my skin. You won't be taking it off."
Of course, that was a lie. The truth was that the mask was bound by his will no one could remove it without his command.
Sengoku frowned but didn't press the issue. After a brief silence, he said, "You might not realize it yet, but the World Government finds you… fascinating. How does a man with the Earth-Earth Fruit vanish at will? You'll be sent to Dr. Vegapunk for research. The Five Elders believe there's a secret hidden in your body."
Liam gave a cold laugh. "Let them try."
Sengoku stared at him for a moment longer, then turned away. "You'll learn what it means to defy the World Government."
The next day, under the joint supervision of Garp and Akainu, Liam's clone was transferred to Impel Down the fortress of no return.
At the same time, news of his capture spread like wildfire. With the Morgans News Agency fanning the flames, the entire world soon knew that the infamous Liam Ross had fallen.
The Navy's reputation soared once again.
But as the clone crossed the iron gates of Impel Down, a familiar chime echoed in Liam's mind.
"Ding! Mission complete. Rewards distributed. System update initiated duration: 24 hours. During this period, system assistance will be temporarily unavailable."
Liam froze. Then he smirked.
"Looks like things are about to get interesting."
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