The Holy Land of Mary Geoise – The Grand Hall of the Gods
A magnificent wedding ceremony was underway—an extravagant affair hosted by the Celestial Dragons.
Thorn stood at the altar in a spotless white suit, his expression distant and heavy, a quiet sadness flickering in his eyes.
"Snap out of it, boy! Don't embarrass me!"
His father, seated in the front row, barked harshly from his elevated chair, clearly irritated by Thorn's lack of enthusiasm.
The hall echoed with applause.
"And now, please welcome the noble and elegant bride, Lady Riplessa!"
Standing at the front of the altar, the officiant—a middle-aged slave with the head of a serpent—strained his long neck forward. With a forced smile and submissive tone, he welcomed the bride in typical fashion for a Celestial Dragon ceremony.
The grand double doors of the hall, flanked by two towering giant guards, creaked open. A shaft of light spilled across the red carpet.
Riplessa, Thorn's new bride, appeared at the entrance holding a bouquet. Her long ceremonial train—nearly ten meters in length—was carried by a line of human slaves, trailing behind her like a symbol of grotesque nobility.
It had been three days since the assassination attempt.
Since then, Thorn had been swept up in the preparations for this wedding, leaving him little time to mourn Yuni and their son, Iggy. Every day he tried to convince himself to move forward. To forget.
The joy of this new marriage and the dazzling bride had begun to dull the pain of loss. As Thorn watched Riplessa approach, for a fleeting moment he thought he saw Yuni in her eyes—just enough to spark a trace of light in his gaze.
"Lady Riplessa," the officiant began, "do you take Lord Thorn as your lawfully wedded husband? In sickness and in health, for richer or poorer, for better or worse, will you stand by him always and never abandon him?"
Riplessa smiled brightly, completely unaware of the shadow cast by Yuni's death.
"I do," she replied, her voice warm and proud.
She was beautiful—easily on par with Yuni in looks. Draped in pearls and silk, she radiated the elegance and arrogance of a Celestial Dragon.
The priest turned to Thorn.
"And Lord Thorn, do you take Lady Riplessa as your wife? Will you love her, protect her, stay faithful to her in joy and in sorrow, from this day forth?"
All eyes turned to him.
"I… I do."
Forgive me, Yuni… Forgive me, Iggy. Maybe this is the fate I cannot escape.
If I can't fight it, then all I can do is accept it. I only hope that somewhere out there, your souls can rest in peace.
Hearing Thorn's answer, his father's scowl began to ease. He gave a subtle nod of approval before breaking into a small, satisfied smile.
With their vows exchanged, Thorn and Riplessa locked eyes. A flicker of warmth passed between them—a glimmer of affection beginning to bloom.
As Thorn stepped into this new life surrounded by luxury and false smiles, far away, Iggy floated in the frigid sea—clinging to life by a thread.
For the first time in ten years, he'd glimpsed a future where he and his mother could live in peace… only for it to be destroyed in a single, brutal moment.
He had no idea that the man who fathered him—Thorn—had not only failed to take vengeance but was now trying to erase his guilt entirely.
"I'm not… dead…"
The sound of crashing waves and distant seabirds filled Iggy's ears.
The cold wind howled. The seawater slapped against his battered body. He trembled violently as pain flooded his senses.
He tried to open his eyes, but they were sealed shut—caked in either blood or grime. The dizziness was overwhelming.
"Where… am I?"
Squinting through the haze, he realized he was lying on a shore. A sparse forest lay ahead. Seagulls circled lazily above.
He attempted to move. His limbs screamed in protest. Every inch of his body throbbed with pain, forcing a sharp breath from his lungs.
Think, Iggy. Think.
His last memory was of falling from the sky—the Holy Land of Mary Geoise sitting 10,000 meters above sea level. Somehow, he'd survived the fall and washed up here… wherever here was.
Judging by the landscape, it was a deserted island.
"Thorn. The Navy. The Celestial Dragons. The World Government... You destroyed my world. But I survived. I will make you all pay."
He bit down his rage and tried to stand, but his body refused to cooperate. His skin, pale and bloated from water exposure, looked like it had been soaked for days.
He remembered unlocking his latent Haki before the fall—both Observation and Conqueror's Haki—barely escaping death.
But the image of Yuni dying right in front of him played endlessly in his mind.
If I had been stronger... If I had mastered Haki... Maybe I could've saved her.
Shaking with fury and grief, he looked around. The island was small—barely enough to sustain a single person. If no one came, he would die here anyway.
No. I won't let her sacrifice be for nothing. I have to survive. I will survive… and take revenge.
He guessed that if the island lay directly below Mary Geoise, a Navy patrol might eventually pass by. It was the only chance he had.
But days went by.
The skies shifted from blue to stormy gray, and still no ships appeared.
Seagulls were the only signs of life. He couldn't fish. Couldn't make fire. He had no tools, no way to stop his wounds from bleeding. Hunger gnawed at him. The pain never stopped.
The fire that had just ignited in his heart began to fade.
He didn't know how long he'd been lying there. Time was a blur. He fought to stay awake, but his consciousness kept slipping away.
Iggy became a breathing corpse—trapped between life and death, unwilling to die, but powerless to live.
Until finally…
On the horizon, cutting through the darkness of the sea, a single Navy warship appeared.
---