High above the ocean, news coos soared freely through the skies.
Shortly after the Buster Call concluded, Morgans, owner of the world's largest newspaper, wasted no time printing the latest headlines upon receiving the reports. The Marines' dignity meant nothing to him—all he cared about was breaking the biggest stories!
With Roya's latest feat, he now had two earth-shattering headlines capable of sending the seas into a frenzy!
The first was Roya, the man who annihilated the Buster Call with a single sword strike, now sporting a staggering bounty of three billion berries—an unprecedented leap for only his second bounty. Unlike before, this time his power had truly captured the attention of the world's elite. After all, obliterating a Buster Call in one stroke was no ordinary feat.
The second headline? Golden Lion Shiki had escaped from Impel Down, the prison once deemed unbreakable—shattering its decades-long record of zero jailbreaks.
Both incidents dealt a severe blow to the Marines and the World Government, a brutal one-two punch to their prestige. Desperate to reclaim their honor, the entire Marine force and World Government scrambled to retaliate.
In an instant, the seas grew even more turbulent.
——
West Sea, Ohara, inside the Tree of Omniscience.
Roya had spent the entire day here, holding little Robin in his arms as he read the newspaper. When he saw the news about Shiki, an electronic voice chimed in his mind.
[Ding! Sign-in mission issued: Vira. Reward: Random Talisman of the Twelve Zodiacs. Time limit: Five days!]
As the system's voice faded, Roya narrowed his eyes slightly. If he recalled correctly, after escaping Impel Down, Shiki would head to that very location—planning to use the IQ plants that drove animals into a frenzy to conquer the world once more.
Sensing the shift in Roya's aura, Robin looked up and asked, "Brother Roya, what's wrong?"
Hearing her, Roya smiled faintly and replied, "Robin, I have something to take care of. I might need to leave Ohara for a while."
Olvia, standing nearby, overheard and chimed in, "Roya, where are you planning to go? Do you need any help?"Taking Robin out of her arms, Roya said to Olvia, "Olvia, do you know about Vira?"
"Vira..." Olvia softly repeated, then suddenly her eyes lit up.
"I know this place. When I was investigating the Poneglyphs, I once visited this island. Although I didn't leave a Log Pose, I know how to get there! And the villagers of Vilmue are exceptionally hospitable."
After saying this, Olvia added, "Roya, wait here for a moment. I'll draw you a simple nautical chart. I hope it will be useful to you."
Robin watched her mother run to the nearby table, then turned her gaze to Roya. Though she couldn't see the face hidden beneath the cloak, Robin felt just as reluctant to see Roya leave as she had been when her mother departed.
"Brother Roya, will you come back? When will you return?" Robin tugged at Roya's cloak, her eyes brimming with tears that threatened to spill over at any moment.
"I'll only be gone for a while. If I have time, I'll come back to see you, Robin. And if you promise me to train hard with your Devil Fruit abilities, then when you come of age, you can set sail to find me. We'll explore the wonders of the sea together!"
"Brother Roya, you promised! You can't lie to me."
"I won't lie to you."
"Then let's pinky swear."
Robin extended her little finger. Roya did the same, their fingers hooking together before pressing their thumbs in a seal. Then Robin said, "A hundred years, no changing!"
"Yes, it won't change."
After Roya and Robin made their promise, Olvia returned with the freshly drawn nautical chart and handed it to Roya.
"Roya, Ohara will always welcome you!"
"Hmm."
Roya took the chart with a quiet acknowledgment, then left the Tree of Omniscience. As he walked away from the tree and toward the island's edge, he gradually became aware of a crowd following behind him.
They had come to see him off, for it was thanks to Roya that their island had survived. He was their savior!
Seeing these people stirred something in Roya's heart. When he reached the island's outskirts, he slowly turned around. His departure still carried risks. Though he knew the Marines wouldn't move against Ohara again anytime soon, it was better to be safe.
With this thought, Roya swiftly formed hand seals.
"Wood Release—Birth of the Tree World!!!"
As his hands struck the ground, the immense vitality of Wood Release surged into the earth. The roots of the Tree of Omniscience sprouted anew, growing thicker and intertwining to encircle all of Ohara. Roya left only a few entry and exit points, transforming Ohara into a fortress.
Once this was done, Roya returned to his ship and set sail for Vilmue.
——
Three days passed in the blink of an eye. A dog-headed battleship and two ordinary Marine vessels cut swiftly through the sea. On the deck of the lead ship stood a tall, broad-chested old man with powerful muscles.His gaze seemed to pierce through the vast ocean, catching sight of the fleeing figure of Golden Lion Shiki, as he said in a deep voice, "I never expected Golden Lion Shiki would actually sever his own legs to escape from Impel Down. It seems he had planned this all along."
"Vice Admiral Garp, according to intelligence provided by the World Government, Golden Lion Shiki appears to be heading toward an island called Verge Island," a captain reported to Garp.
"Verge Island? Then we're on the right track. Continue at full speed. We must recapture Golden Lion Shiki to eliminate any future threats!"
"Yes, sir!"
Just as Garp issued the order, the ship's navigator spoke up again, "Vice Admiral Garp, we've spotted a ship ahead. No pirate flag, just a cloaked figure standing on the deck."
Garp frowned at the navigator's words. He knew all too well about the mysterious cloaked figure who had recently appeared on the seas, opposing the Marines at every turn.
With this in mind, Garp decided to investigate first. If it really was that mysterious figure, he could kill two birds with one stone...