Faced with this scene, Aramaki's chest rose and fell violently. Behind his sunglasses, his gaze flickered through a storm of emotions in the span of a heartbeat—struggle, calculation… and finally, a humiliating calm.
Back when he served in the Marines, he might have once upheld a certain kind of "justice." He might even have had the resolve to fight to the death.
But those choices had always been made with a way out… with an organization behind him… with a higher purpose to support him.
Now—
Surrounded by six of the Blackbeard Pirates' top combatants, their killing intent laid bare…
Feeling Kuzan's gaze—equal to his own at the pinnacle of admiral-level power—and the unfathomable threat of Blackbeard himself, wielding two Devil Fruits…
A true dead end stood before him.
No escape. No turning back.
And the hope of victory—or even survival—was so slim it was practically nonexistent.
The pride instilled in him as one of the "God's Knights"… the so-called loyalty to the World Government that Saint Saturn had drilled into him…
In the face of pure survival instinct and an overwhelming gap in strength—
It faltered.
"…Tch."
A low, unwilling click of his tongue escaped him, tinged with both frustration and self-mockery.
He didn't answer Blackbeard's taunting, threatening question.
Instead, he stepped aside.
His body shifted to the edge of the corridor, clearing the path leading deeper within.
At the same time, the power surging through him and the hostility he radiated receded like a falling tide.
That single action spoke louder than words.
He chose—temporarily—to yield.
To avoid a direct clash with the Blackbeard Pirates.
"Zehahaha!! A wise choice, former Admiral!" Blackbeard roared with delight.
He strode forward without the slightest restraint, brazenly reaching out to pat Aramaki's cheek—mocking, condescending—before swaggering straight down the path Aramaki had yielded.
Shiryu, Van Augur, Burgess, and Samuel followed closely behind, their gazes sweeping over Aramaki—some filled with ridicule, others with complete indifference.
Kuzan walked last.
As he passed Aramaki, his steps paused—just for a fraction of a second.
He glanced at his former colleague.
Then, without a word, continued on.
The six of them moved through the corridor at an unhurried pace, leaving Aramaki standing alone behind them, his face dark and rigid.
Only after their footsteps and presence completely vanished around the bend did the tension in his body loosen, just slightly.
Slowly, he removed his sunglasses—one lens already shattered.
"Hmph…"
With a quiet snort, his fingers tightened, crushing the broken glasses into fragments.
"…Forget it."
He muttered inwardly, forcibly suppressing the rage that threatened to erupt.
"Saint Saturn's communication has been cut. The news that Blackbeard has gone rogue—trying to monopolize the island—will definitely spread."
"As long as the rest of the God's Knights arrive as planned… or… if the Five Elders themselves notice something's wrong and descend here personally…"
A cold glint flashed through his eyes.
"When that happens…"
"I'll settle this debt myself—with interest."
"With you filthy, greedy, oath-breaking pirates."
"Blackbeard… Kuzan… just you wait."
After finishing his hollow self-reassurance, Aramaki took a deep breath, forcing himself to calm down.
Right now, survival was his top priority.
And beyond that—gather as much information about the island as possible.
It was obvious Blackbeard and his crew were targeting Vegapunk and the island's core secrets.
Which meant…
He might be able to—
Follow them from the shadows.
Wait for the right moment.
Perhaps even exploit their inevitable clashes with other forces—like the Straw Hat crew or CP0.
With that thought, he cast one last glance in the direction they had gone—
Then silently trailed after them.
Forced into "joining" this chaotic hunt led by Blackbeard, he became a temporary ally with his own hidden agenda.
—
At the same time Aramaki was forced into his decision, and the Blackbeard Pirates advanced toward the island's core…
Other regions of Egghead were already descending into chaos.
…
Mid-level zone — Food Production and Synthesis Area
Luffy sat in the middle of a mountain of high-energy meat slabs and specially made rice balls produced by rapid synthesis machines, stuffing his face with both hands at once.
His eating was nothing short of terrifying.
Food vanished at a speed visible to the naked eye, while his previously pale face and drained aura rapidly regained color and vitality with every bite.
Nearby, the satellite bodies Edison and Atlas frantically operated the machines to increase output—
All while staring in utter disbelief at Luffy's consumption rate.
"H-he's not actually going to eat through the entire reserve, is he?!"
"That's not even the point—what kind of digestive system does he even have?!"
…
Lower mid-level — Abandoned laboratory from the old era
Usopp, Nami, and Chopper had been separated to the other side of the lab by a suddenly activated mechanism.
Now, they were desperately trying to break through the sealed alloy partition—or find another way out.
Chopper, using Arm Point, smashed against the barrier repeatedly, leaving only shallow dents.
Usopp fired various "Stars" in an attempt to destroy the locking mechanisms—but with little success.
Nami anxiously scanned their surroundings, wary of further traps.
Meanwhile, on the other side of the partition—
Vegapunk's main body remained together with the traitorous satellite, York.
York had already forced Vegapunk to activate the Seraphim's highest authority command:
[Eliminate everyone on the island—except Vegapunk and York.]
—
Upper core zone — Seraphim storage and testing laboratory
A three-way battlefield.
Sanji and Jinbe were locked in a bitter struggle to prevent the Seraphim from being seized.
Their opponents weren't just the remnants of CP0—led by Kaku and Stussy—
But also the Seraphim themselves, who, under conflicting authority commands, attacked indiscriminately—friend and foe alike.
S-Hawk. S-Snake. And others.
Lasers, sword slashes, Fish-Man Karate, powerful kicks, Finger Pistols, Rankyaku—
All manner of attacks clashed and intertwined across the massive laboratory.
Explosions and the shriek of metal collisions rang out without pause.
Kaku maneuvered using his awakened Ox-Ox Fruit abilities, weaving through the chaos, while Stussy relied on agility and advanced tech to strike from the shadows.
The situation was a complete, tangled deadlock.
—
Upper classified archive zone
Robin, Franky, and Brook had accidentally stumbled into a relatively lightly defended laboratory.
Inside, they discovered a vast collection of sealed materials—
Ancient text rubbings, visual records, and historical models… all related to the Void Century.
Robin's eyes lit up as if she had found a treasure beyond compare, immediately immersing herself in deciphering them.
Franky, meanwhile, was captivated by what could be blueprints of ancient technologies hidden within.
Brook… simply stayed by their side.
—
Lower coastal zone — Near the Thousand Sunny's docking area
Zoro stood firm, three swords drawn.
Green-hued sword energy surged and swept outward, forcing back CP0 agents and automated defense units attempting to approach the Sunny.
And standing before him—
His primary opponent.
Rob Lucci.
A man who should have been severely injured and unconscious… yet now stood there, his killing intent even sharper than before.
Blood seeped through the bandages wrapped around his body, but the ferocity of his awakened leopard form hadn't diminished in the slightest.
He stared at Zoro, licking the blood from the corner of his mouth, his voice cold and lethal.
"The 'right-hand man' of the Straw Hat crew… heh. Perfect."
"The second-in-command of a Yonko… your head is worth taking."
"Hmph. Cat-boy, if you're that injured, maybe stay down instead of embarrassing yourself."
Zoro clenched Wado Ichimonji between his teeth, his voice steady and sharp.
"You want to touch our ship?"
"Get past my blades first."