The seawater receded like a tide, leaving the ruins of the town soaked and silent.
The monsters were gone. In their place, the Rocks Pirates lay scattered in the mud, coughing up salt water.
Silver Axe and Captain John looked around, bewildered.
York jumped down from the roof to inspect them.
His eyes narrowed.
They looked... older.
Silver Axe's hair had turned streaked with gray. John's face had deepened wrinkles.
'Lifespan,' York realized. 'They traded their life force for that temporary power.'
He analyzed Imu's ability.
* Type A (Gorosei/Knights): Perfect Immortality. Eternal youth. Rational minds. Likely reserved for the inner circle.
* Type B (The Crew): The "Berserker Contract." Great power and regeneration, but at the cost of sanity and lifespan. Cannon fodder.
"Shakky-chan! I did it!"
Golden Lion Shiki landed next to Shakky, ignoring the coughing crewmates. He grinned, water dripping from his mane.
"I washed the trash away! Will you come with me now?!"
"DON'T YOU DARE RUN, SHIKI!!"
Silver Axe stumbled to his feet. He grabbed Shiki's collar. "You traitor! You tried to drown us!!"
Shiki sneered. He shoved Silver Axe away.
"Get off me, old man. You're weak."
He pointed Oto at Silver Axe's throat.
"If I hadn't cooled you off, you would have killed Shakky! Anyone who threatens my woman isn't qualified to live!"
"GYAHAHAHA! The winner is ME!"
Silver Axe pounded the ground in humiliation. He was too drained to fight back.
"Speaking of winners," York's voice cut through the air. "I saved Shakky first, Shiki."
Shiki's laughter died. He turned slowly, his eyes murderous.
"Did you? I don't recall that."
SLASH.
Without warning, Shiki swung his sword. A golden Rankyaku slash tore toward York's neck.
"Slash Wave!"
CLANG.
York didn't dodge. He coated his arm in Armament Haki and backhanded the slash into the sky.
"You betrayed us, Shiki."
"GYAHAHA! We were never comrades, York!" Shiki bared his teeth. "We were just convenient allies! And now, you're in my way!"
Black-red lightning coiled around Shiki's swords. He prepared to decapitate York.
WHOOSH. CRACK.
Two shadows moved instantly.
A massive Iron Kanabo blocked Shiki's left sword.
A massive Bisento blocked Shiki's right sword.
Shiki's eyes widened.
"Kaido?! Newgate?!"
Kaido grinned, resting his club on his shoulder.
"Worororo... Shiki. You don't see York as a comrade? But I do."
"If you want to kill my Captain... you go through me!"
Whitebeard looked down calmly.
"Shiki. Pirates have a code. We have a common enemy right now. If you try to kill our benefactor... I'll have to be impolite."
"MAMAMAMA!"
Charlotte Linlin stepped up beside York, smiling dangerously.
"Eating a man's food means obeying his rules! Shiki, I just got a nice gift from York. I can't let you kill him yet!"
York stepped forward, fists crackling with black lightning.
"So, Shiki. Do we settle this today?"
It was a threat.
Shiki looked around. York. Kaido. Whitebeard. Big Mom.
Four future Emperors standing against him.
Shiki's face twitched. He was arrogant, not suicidal.
He looked at Shakky one last time.
"Shakky... choose. Him or me?"
Shakky sighed softly. She bowed slightly.
"I'm sorry, Shiki. York saved me first. I cannot abandon a debt."
"HMPH!"
Shiki sheathed his swords.
"Fine! Gang up on me! I don't care!"
"Since nobody wants me here... I QUIT!"
"The Rocks Pirates are dead anyway! I'm leaving this cursed island!"
WHOOSH!
Shiki levitated. He shot into the sky like a golden comet, flying toward the horizon without looking back.
The Golden Lion had left the stage.
York watched him go. He didn't stop him.
"Good riddance."
He turned his attention toward the mountain. Rocks was still fighting the Possessed Woman.
"We need to help the Captain."
Suddenly.
ZIP.
A figure flashed through the ruins.
York spun around. "Enemy!"
It was Saint Figarland Garling.
But Garling didn't attack York. He didn't aim for Shakky or the crying baby Teach.
He sprinted toward the body lying in the dirt.
Alice. Rocks' wife.
Garling grabbed the corpse by the arm, tucked it under his arm like a sack of potatoes, and sprinted away.
He glanced back at York, his eyes filled with hate and urgency.
Then, he vanished into the smoke.
York stood frozen for a second, processing what just happened.
"Why steal a dead body?"
Then, the realization hit him like a bucket of ice water.
"Oh no..."
"They aren't going to do 'strange things' to it..."
"They're going to resurrect her."
"Or turn her into a puppet to break Rocks completely."
If Imu could grant immortality and control corpses... bringing back a dead wife to fight her husband was exactly the kind of twisted game a "God" would play.
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