Black's Observation Haki had reached the level of foreseeing the future.
Although he wouldn't use it casually, in a place where traps could spring from anywhere, heightened vigilance was necessary.
He had long studied the movements of these people and paid them little mind.
Gently pulling Stella into his arms, he twisted his body and dodged an incoming poisoned arrow with perfect timing.
Turning toward the entrance, he smirked:
"I wondered why you were so quiet earlier… turns out you're all old foxes like me, waiting to pick up scraps."
Outside the temple, almost every resident of Eternal Sleep Island emerged, glaring at Black and the others with malicious intent.
"This is a gift from the Bat God, guarded for generations! You outsiders put it down at once!"
An old woman leaned on a cane, stepping forward as the apparent leader, while the villagers raised weapons behind her.
Black sneered.
"If it's a gift from your god, why didn't you use it sooner? Isn't it because no one could read the Ancient Script?"
"Always taking advantage of others… and you suicidal fools think you can take advantage of me?"
Before his sentence ended, Conqueror's Haki, infused with Ghost Qi, erupted.
Almost instantly, the villagers collapsed.
Black waved dismissively and instructed Mandy:
"Deal with them."
Though Black wasn't as brutal as other Celestial Dragons, he wasn't naive. Those who attacked him would not be spared.
Moreover, the Vampire Fruit's location could not be left exposed information about it would leak eventually.
It was better to let Mandy practice, ensuring she would strike decisively in a real battle.
Mandy hesitated briefly but then advanced silently, piercing each attacker's head.
Stella and Robin turned away, slightly frowning.
Koala, silently encouraging herself, observed without blinking:
"I am a combatant! I cannot be afraid!"
Perona, with her unconventional sense of morality, hardly reacted.
Rami looked uncomfortable but, having witnessed horrors in Flevance, remained relatively composed.
When Mandy finished, Black waved his hand:
"Treasure acquired! Let's continue."
…The sanctuary set sail again.
Marineford. At dawn, tens of thousands of Marines stood in precise formation, their uniforms crisp, Justice flags fluttering in the wind.
Kong smoothed his Fleet Admiral's cloak and stood atop the high platform.
Three steps behind, Sengoku, wearing round-rimmed glasses, stood as straight as a spear.
Garp wiped food residue onto Kuzan's cloak, then pretended to scold:
"Kuzan, your cloak is frozen."
"Garp-san…" Kuzan gave a helpless glance.
"Garp-san, your beard is frozen."
With a casual gesture, he turned Garp's beard into ice shards.
Garp laughed and patted Kuzan's shoulder.
Zephyr stood on the other side with his new recruit trainees, short purple hair sharp and neat.
Kong raised a hand; silence fell over the plaza, so complete it felt like time had stopped.
"Years ago, I stood here too," Kong's voice shattered the morning mist as he opened his cloak, revealing a hideous scar across his abdomen.
"I once said scars are a Marine's best medal. But I forgot the second half only blood shed for the weak is honor!"
"Honor belongs to the collective; mistakes to the individual."
He turned to Sengoku:
"Today, I hand this position to you."
Pressing the Fleet Admiral seal to Sengoku's chest, he addressed the soldiers:
"Not because of strength, but because he, like you and me, will always remember why we bear Justice!"
Kong patted Sengoku's shoulder:
"Go, tell them why Justice exists."
Sengoku stepped forward and shouted into the loudspeaker:
"Everyone! This is not a transfer of power, but a burning of will!"
The Human-Human Fruit, Great Buddha Form, activated, enveloping him in sacred light.
"We need no monuments; the keel of every warship is a memorial!"
"We seek no praise; the laughter of protected children is the finest sound!"
"Justice needs no echo! For the peaceful sleep of the protected is the best anthem!"
"The Marine seeks no remembrance! True greatness lies in forgotten guardianship!"
Conqueror's Haki surged from Sengoku into the sky; his cloak billowed without wind.
"From today, let pirates hear the waves and remember the war horn, let civilians see seagulls and remember hope! Justice will prevail!"
Tens of thousands of Marines echoed:
"Justice will prevail!!!"
Sakazuki's cigar dangled from his mouth, half-smoked.
Kuzan stood perfectly straight, while Borsalino removed his sunglasses.
Kong smiled, placing a pocket watch into Sengoku's hand. On its inner lid, his engraving read:
"It's your turn, next generation."
The Fleet Admiral succession concluded.
Kong prepared to depart for Mary Geoise to assume the Commander-in-Chief role of the Three Forces a nominal promotion, but a real demotion.
The Fleet Admiral commanded the seas and tens of thousands of Marines; the Commander-in-Chief stayed mostly in Mary Geoise, guarding the Holy Land—a post of influence but little action.
Living in Mary Geoise meant managing the eccentricities of the nineteen families.
Boarding his warship, Kong flipped through the "Marine New Star Files," seeing the faces of Sengoku, Garp, Zephyr, and Tsuru.
As the ship sailed, Kong cast a final glance toward Marineford.
Sengoku adjusted his hat. Garp playfully patted his shoulder. Tsuru smiled faintly. Zephyr's recruits followed him, shouting into the wind:
"Stand tall! You represent the future of the Marines! Justice will prevail!"
Their voices drowned the waves. Kong smiled, standing at the bow, slowly sailing away.
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