Boa Hancock tightly held the hands of her two younger sisters, Sandersonia and Marigold. The three slender figures huddled together, cautiously stepping out of the cell—that exquisite birdcage that had imprisoned them for years. When the scene outside slammed into their view, the three girls froze instantly as if struck by a paralyzing spell.
What met their eyes was not the Holy Land Mary Geoise of their memories—magnificent, strictly ordered, and radiating oppression. Instead, it was a ruin beyond their imagination, like the aftermath of a mythical apocalypse. As far as they could see, there were only broken walls and crumbled remnants. Pangaea Castle, which once soared into the clouds as the zenith of world power, was now nothing more than a twisted skeleton. Gorgeous palaces had collapsed into rubble, and the jade-white streets were shattered into powder. The air was thick with the acrid smell of gunpowder and the metallic scent of destruction.
What shocked them even more was the horrifying area in the distance: a colossal, bottomless pit. Its edges glowed with a dark red, lava-like light, as if a chunk of the earth had been violently gouged out. Merely looking at it caused a tremor deep within their souls.
The Fall of the Dragons
The Celestial Dragons, who had once viewed them as less than dirt, were now being herded like startled livestock into an open area by stern-faced warriors. Their luxurious clothes were torn and filthy; their faces were filled with a terror and wretchedness Hancock had never seen before. Their former arrogance and cruelty were completely gone.
There were also people, ragged and bewildered like them, being guided toward a gathering point by kinder warriors. Hancock wondered if this hell-like scene was the "freedom" Takuro had spoken of. Her mind went blank from the psychological shock. What exactly had that man done?
"Hey! There are three children over there!" a voice called out.
Hancock snapped back to attention, defensively shielding her sisters. A warrior with a bandaged arm and an emblem of a dragon crossed with a cross approached them.
"Don't be afraid, little ones," the warrior said gently, squatting down. "We are the Revolutionary Army, and we are here to help you. Where did you come from?"
Hancock pursed her lips, her blue eyes filled with wariness. The warrior noticed the faint traces of slave brands beneath their clothes, and his eyes flashed with anger that quickly melted into tenderness. He told them there was a temporary aid station with food, water, and doctors.
The Truth of the Collapse
The mention of "food" and "water" triggered their survival instincts. Hancock looked at the chaotic world and finally nodded. The warrior guided them to a cleared area where many liberated slaves—including Fishmen and humans—were lining up for supplies. The scent of warm bread drifted through the air, making the sisters swallow hard.
While waiting, Hancock finally asked the question burning in her heart: "What... what exactly happened here? Those Celestial Dragons... they...".
The warrior sighed, his tone heavy with passion. "Something world-shaking has happened, child." He pointed to the massive pit and the ruins. "A man named Takuro did this. He united the Emperors of the Sea and our Revolutionary Army to attack Mary Geoise. The World Government has collapsed. Those Celestial Dragons who lorded over everyone for eight hundred years... they lost completely!"
It was like a thunderclap in Hancock's mind. Her body trembled violently as she realized that what Takuro said was true. He hadn't just told them they were free; he had actually destroyed the eternal nightmare that was the World Government. He had knocked the "gods" off their pedestal.
An indescribable mixture of ecstasy, shock, and adoration swept over Hancock's young heart. She felt her hands and feet go numb. Accepting a piece of warm dark bread, she clutched it like a tangible piece of hope. She raised her head toward the massive pit, her gaze trying to find the man who had left the deepest mark on her life.
Takuro... that name was now deeply engraved into her soul. It was no longer out of fear, but out of a complex yearning after witnessing the birth of a myth. To her, he was the true "God" who had shattered their cage.
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