"So this is how strong you've become."
Zoro stiffly turned his head, watching Kuina walk away.
The gap between them was even wider than before.
"I will defeat you one day!"
He shouted the same words he had repeated countless times in his childhood.
"I will become the strongest swordsman!"
Kuina only glanced back at him.
She neither mocked him nor encouraged him.
Her gaze was fixed on a higher peak—Kuke.
Not on Zoro, who was still far behind.
"Alright, the game is over. Now let's talk about your punishment."
Shakky clapped her hands, drawing the Straw Hats' attention.
"Since some of you have connections with our crew members, we won't take your lives this time. Just hang there for three days, and then you can leave."
She pointed to a high platform nearby.
Whether they liked it or not—
The result was inevitable.
The Straw Hats were strung up, unable to resist, completely at the mercy of the Sun and Moon Pirates.
For three whole days—
Under the scorching sun and the relentless wind—
Luffy wasted away, his stomach shriveled from hunger, his cries of suffering endless.
Meanwhile, Aokiji stood motionless at the port—
Like a statue.
He had not stepped beyond the Sun and Moon flag's boundary, not even once.
By the fifth day—
The Straw Hats had already disappeared, carried away by the wind like ragged corpses.
But Aokiji remained.
Then—
From the distant sky, the Radiant Eclipse streaked toward the port.
Kuke had been absent from Alabasta these past few days.
Most of his crew had stayed behind for two reasons:
One, to give Princess Vivi time to bid farewell to her homeland and family.
Two, to allow Viola time to track Crocodile's whereabouts.
Meanwhile, Kuke had taken Hancock and a few others in search of Devil Fruits near Alabasta.
They had obtained the Munch-Munch Fruit.
Now, Kuke had returned.
From all over Alabasta, the Sun and Moon Pirates gathered in Nanohana.
Twenty-nine members in total.
A sight more dazzling than any other in the Grand Line.
With only a few exceptions, the women among them were the most outstanding figures on the sea—both in beauty and strength.
"Good thing the Straw Hats already left," Aokiji muttered to himself.
"If that lovestruck fool, Sanji, saw this scene—saw the true foundation of the Sun and Moon Pirates—he would have lost his mind."
He quickly looked away, not daring to linger.
Even he felt overwhelmed by the sight.
Meanwhile, journalists were hidden throughout the port.
The Sun and Moon Pirates had not concealed themselves.
News of their presence in Alabasta had already spread throughout the entire first half of the Grand Line.
The Four Emperors.
A guaranteed headline.
And the Marines—
They had taken no action.
As if they had deliberately chosen to turn a blind eye.
The Radiant Eclipse docked.
Kuke cast a glance at Aokiji, who had been standing there for days.
Then, he turned toward the restrained Crocodile and his crew.
As he stepped forward—
He moved through the crowd of stunningly beautiful women, each radiating an aura of power and elegance.
Even Kuke himself had to admit—
It was a difficult path to walk.
"Have you said your goodbyes?"
Kuke's eyes landed on Vivi, who was timidly standing in the back.
The glow surrounding her body had fully settled—
Her transformation was complete.
"Mm!" Vivi nodded her small head.
Kuke exchanged a few more words with her before turning to Nami.
He ruffled her hair gently.
"Enjoy the beautiful journey ahead."
Nami was so overwhelmed with emotion that she could barely speak.
She had made it.
She was here.
Only then did Kuke finally shift his gaze toward Aokiji.
Crocodile's group—
They were already captured and could be dealt with at any time.
But their importance paled in comparison to Aokiji himself.
The Ice-Ice Fruit.
One of the most formidable Logia abilities in existence.
A perfect Devil Fruit.
Aokiji was a prize.
And he had walked right into their hands.
Kuke stared at him coldly.
Aokiji, however, was curious.
Ten years had passed.
This was their third meeting.
Thinking back on their last two encounters—
Aokiji smirked wryly.
Neither had been pleasant.
The first time was in Sabaody Archipelago, when all three admirals were dispatched together for the first time in history—
Only for Kuke to die and resurrect, making a fool of them all.
The second time—
At Lodestar Island, where the Marines and the World Government had joined forces—
And were played for fools again.
"You've got guts."
Aokiji shrugged.
"More than fearing death, I want to see the future of this era."
His usual lazy demeanor vanished.
For once, his eyes were filled with seriousness.
"Tell me. What do you want to know from me?"
Kuke, too, was curious.
What exactly was Aokiji's goal?
Aokiji took a deep breath.
He had been preparing for this conversation for a long time.
Scratching his head, he gazed at the drifting clouds above, as if contemplating the very essence of the world.
"When Roger became the Pirate King, he opened the Great Pirate Era. Countless pirates emerged, fighting for One Piece.
"But… did the treasure create the pirates?
"Or did the pirates create the treasure?"
"Then you appeared. The Sun and Moon Pirates emerged. The Marines and the World Government declared war on the darkest era in history.
"Within the Marines and the government, many believe that if you are eliminated, this era will end.
"That everything will return to how it was before.
"But… will it really be like that? Just like when Roger was executed—"
"Get to the point."
Kuke wasn't interested in Aokiji's philosophical musings.
Aokiji, lost in his own reflections, was abruptly cut off.
He froze, awkwardly silent.
"Interrupting someone mid-thought is pretty rude, you know—"
He sighed.
"But, well… I guess you're Kuke."
His tone lost its usual playful edge.
He extended his hand.
Frost spread instantly.
With a flick of his wrist, an enormous ice wall shot up, blocking the entire harbor from the city's view.
"Damn it, we can't see anything!"
The hidden journalists cursed.
An ex-admiral facing off against the Sun and Moon Pirates—
This was monumental news.
And yet, they couldn't capture a single moment.
"If the Sun and Moon Pirates win—what kind of future will you create for this era?"
Now sure that no outsiders could see or hear, Aokiji fixed Kuke with a serious gaze.
He had been a Marine admiral.
He knew more than Whitebeard or Kaido ever did.
He knew about the Ten-Year Plan.
Less than two months remained.
Either the World Government or the Sun and Moon Pirates would be erased.
If the World Government won—
Aokiji knew exactly what the future would look like.
Nothing would change.
But if the Sun and Moon Pirates won—
He had no idea what that world would look like.
And he wanted to know.
"The future is created by everyone."
Kuke's voice was indifferent.
He didn't care.
He had no intention of sacrificing everything for some grand cause.
"A future created by everyone?"
Aokiji murmured.
For the first time in a long while—
Hope flickered in his eyes.
He thought for a long time.
Then, he looked at Kuke.
His gaze was unwavering.
"Show me."
Kuke chuckled.
He wasn't about to explain himself.
Why should I have to prove anything to you?
"What makes you think you're worthy?"
"I will follow you," Aokiji declared.
His voice was firm.
No hesitation.
"I know the rules of the Sun and Moon Pirates. I won't ask to board your ship.
"But I will align myself with you."
Kuke raised an eyebrow.
In the original timeline, after leaving the Marines, Aokiji aligned himself with Blackbeard.
Now, he was choosing me instead?
Kuke smirked.
If Aokiji had aligned with Blackbeard in the original, it had to have been for ulterior motives.
So what about now?
And had he truly severed all ties with the Marines?
That—
Was yet to be seen.