At the very same moment Luffy clashed fiercely with Aramaki—
Elsewhere, the group escorting Vegapunk, following Luffy's orders to evacuate, unknowingly walked straight into a carefully laid trap woven by a traitor.
The satellite "York," outwardly flustered and anxious, led the group forward with seemingly clumsy urgency.
Yet at the same time, she subtly exploited the terrain and disrupted communications, guiding them step by step toward a predetermined destination.
"Th-this is bad!" York cried midway through, her voice trembling with perfectly measured panic."The monitors are showing… abnormal energy fluctuations and signs of intrusion in the Seraphim storage area!!"
Unaware of York's betrayal, Vegapunk immediately explained to the Straw Hats that the Seraphim were among his greatest creations—top-tier combat weapons into which he had poured immense effort. Their importance was beyond question.
Moreover, the World Government also possessed the highest level of authority over them. And with Vegapunk himself not present to override that authority—
Sanji and Jinbe's expressions changed instantly.
They exchanged a glance, each seeing the same resolve in the other's eyes.
"Old man!" Sanji stepped forward, his foot igniting with smoke. "Leave this to us! We'll go check it out—there's no way we can let them get their hands on those things!"
"Jinbe, please!" Usopp, though trembling, understood the stakes.
Jinbe nodded solemnly. "Very well. I shall return shortly. Nami, Usopp, Chopper—protect everyone!"
Without hesitation, two of their most reliable fighters—
Sanji and Jinbe—
Were successfully drawn away from the group's core protection by York's half-truths.
The party pressed on, now significantly reduced.
Only Usopp, Chopper, Nami, Vegapunk's main body, the satellite "Shaka," and the scheming "York" remained.
But York's scheme didn't stop there.
She led them through twisting corridors, passing several routes that seemed safe—yet grew increasingly remote.
At last, they entered a heavy, sealed gate marked:
"Old-Era Laboratory."
"This is the isolation zone of the old lab," York said reassuringly. "Its defense systems are independent. It should be safe here… for now."
As she spoke, her massive body subtly positioned itself near the only exit.
Meanwhile, Shaka—the embodiment of "Wisdom"—had remained silent the entire time, carefully observing.
When the Seraphim issue arose earlier, he hadn't received any corresponding data. He had assumed it was due to CP0's prior sabotage disrupting communication between the satellites.
But now—
Inside this sealed environment, as his gaze swept across the abandoned laboratory—and then lingered on York's peculiar positioning—
Streams of data surged through his vision.
Something was wrong.
Very wrong.
He suddenly turned toward York, his voice sharp and severe:
"York! Your chosen route contains logical inconsistencies!"
"The old laboratory's independent power source is unstable, and its connection to the main control system is weak—it is not an optimal hiding location!"
"The 'information' you used to divert Sanji and Jinbe lacks a clear source!"
"What are you hiding? Or rather… what are you guiding us toward?"
Shaka's accusation shattered the fragile illusion of panic.
York's flustered expression vanished instantly.
In its place—
A smug, almost ecstatic grin.
"Oh my… so 'Wisdom' figured it out?" York's voice turned light, yet dangerous, as her fingers brushed across a dusty control panel nearby.
"Too bad…"
"…you're too late."
Click—! RUMBLE!!!
The moment York pressed a hidden switch—
The entire structure of the old laboratory shifted violently!
Massive alloy partitions shot out from the ceiling and floor without warning, slamming into place with thunderous force!
"Wah—what is this?!""Nami! Watch out!""Chopper—get back!"
Amid the chaos, the trio was forced backward by the sudden activation of old mechanical systems—
Instantly separated from Vegapunk, Shaka, and York!
The heavy partitions crashed down between them, trapping them on the other side of the laboratory.
"York! What are you doing?!" Shaka shouted, both shocked and furious, attempting to rush forward—
But York's massive form blocked his path completely.
"What am I doing?" York giggled, her tone dripping with eerie delight."Why, completing my mission, of course… my dear 'Wisdom.'"
As her words fell—
She raised one arm.
In her hand was a gun-like device, glowing with swirling blue energy—
Its barrel aimed squarely at Shaka's head—the very core representing "Wisdom."
"You—" Shaka's internal systems surged, data streams flashing as he attempted to initiate emergency protocols—
But York was faster. Decisive.
Bang!
A crisp, almost understated discharge.
The blue beam pierced straight through Shaka's head.
His body trembled—
Then collapsed.
Silent.
"SHAKA!!" Vegapunk roared, restrained by a specialized binding device, helplessly watching the destruction of his own "Wisdom."
Only now—seeing it with his own eyes—
Did he fully grasp the truth.
"The photon defense system… it was you?!" Vegapunk glared at York.
"Aramaki's landing… CP0's infiltration… all because of you?!"
"York! You betrayed me! You betrayed all of us!!"
Faced with his fury, York's grin only grew stranger—almost intoxicated.
She tilted her massive head, gazing at him.
"Oh? You're only realizing it now, Vegapunk?" Her voice turned sickeningly sweet.
"Someone… knew about my choice a long time ago, you know~"
"A long time ago?" Vegapunk froze, his immense database rapidly scanning through memory.
Someone who had encountered York long ago—and might have noticed something unusual…
The image crystallized.
The last time Egghead had been "visited"—
Was when the Mother Flame had been taken, triggering the Marine independence incident.
That man…
"…Gern?" Vegapunk blurted out.
"Got it now?" York giggled. "That's right~ the 'Heaven-Shaking' Fleet Admiral."
"When he came last time, he already figured out I had ties to the World Government. Just a little more…"
Her voice carried a trace of lingering fear—and something disturbingly close to excitement.
"…just a tiny bit more, and he would've cut me down—this satellite and all—with that black blade of his."
"But he didn't kill me," she continued, shrugging. "Instead, he said a bunch of weird things… honestly, I have no idea what he was thinking."
She spread her hands.
"But it doesn't matter. In the end—I win."
"As long as I hand you over—and the 'brain' database—to the World Government, I'll finally gain true 'freedom'… and fulfillment!"
Just as York basked in her triumph—
Brrring… Brrring… Brrring…
A Den Den Mushi suddenly rang from Vegapunk's chest.
York frowned, annoyed, and reached over, pulling out the uniquely designed snail.
"So noisy… at a time like this…" she muttered, preparing to crush it.
But—
Slip.
The Den Den Mushi slipped from her fingers and dropped to the floor.
By sheer coincidence, the impact triggered the receiver.
The snail activated instantly, its face morphing to match the caller—
Sentomaru.
But the expression it mimicked was one of sheer terror. Explosions roared in the background.
"Uncle Punk!! The western defense line— the photon barrier—has been… been torn apart by force!!"
"The enemy is… the Blackbeard Pirates!!"
"Hurry—tell him! Tell Uncle and Big Bro Gern—Blackbeard—!!"
The transmission cut off abruptly.
Only harsh static remained—
And the Den Den Mushi's face froze in a mask of extreme fear before going slack.
Silence.
Dead, suffocating silence filled the old laboratory.
Vegapunk stared at the now lifeless Den Den Mushi—
Then slowly turned to York.
"The World Government… let the Blackbeard Pirates onto the island too?!" His voice trembled with fury.
"This is your 'mission'?! York!!"
"I—I…" York staggered back a step, panic overtaking her composure.
"I didn't know! I really didn't know!"
"The Five Elders only mentioned CP0 and Aramaki! They never said anything about Blackbeard!"
"This… this doesn't make sense! This violates the deal!"
Her voice shook with genuine fear.
The Blackbeard Pirates were not a controllable variable.
Their greed—their destructive nature—far exceeded CP0's calculated "order."
If they were involved—
Everything would spiral out of control.
And her position as an "inside agent" would become dangerously unstable.
At the same time—
Egghead Island, western coastline.
The once-impenetrable photon defense barrier had been torn open, leaving behind a massive breach crackling with unstable energy.
On the shore—
Sentomaru's sturdy body stood completely frozen in ice, locked mid-motion as he swung his axe in defense.
His face was frozen in shock.
The massive axe he had wielded for years lay broken in two—one half trapped in ice, the other fallen onto scorched earth nearby.
Crunch… crunch…
Cold footsteps shattered the ice as they advanced onto the island.
"Zehahahahahaha!!!"
"Looks like… we arrived at just the right time!"
Blackbeard's voice rang out, thick with excitement.
"Seeing it with my own eyes… this island really is full of 'treasures,' isn't it…?"
He grinned wide.
"If it comes down to it…"
"…I might just take everything!!!"