Some Things
"Something?"
Teach narrowed his eyes, still staring intently at Roy.
His eyes flashed with coldness and vigilance; he knew very well that if the person before him truly intended to kill, he wouldn't even have a chance to resist.
But that doesn't mean he'll obediently surrender.
The mud in his palm flowed silently, slowly gathering, as if it could tear the earth beneath his feet at any moment.
The next instant, a barely perceptible ripple spread out around Roy.
The space resembled the surface of a lake touched by fingertips, with a transparent circular barrier expanding out from beneath their feet.
The rain curtain was abruptly "cut off" at the edge of the barrier, and the thunder was also isolated—the wind, rain, thunder, and lightning suddenly fell silent.
"Hmm?" Teach frowned, his wariness growing stronger.
Roy ignored his probing and staring, his voice low and steady:
"Back in the God Valley, when your mother... Alice led you as you ran away—"
Before he could finish speaking, Teach was struck dumb, his pupils contracted sharply, and anger surged to his throat:
"Roy!! How much do you even know--!" he roared, his voice hoarse.
The dark Swamp beneath their feet surged and churned, but the moment it touched the spatial barrier, it was forcibly suppressed, making it impossible to move an inch.
Roy did not respond to the roar, but simply walked slowly to the side.
With each step he took, the air within the transparent barrier became clearer, and even their breaths could be clearly distinguished word by word.
Beyond the barrier, the wind and rain raged.
Within the barrier, it was as if all the noise had been removed, leaving only sound reaching the depths of one's heart.
What you perceive as betrayal is not betrayal at all.
"The enemy you think you have is not the enemy at all."
General meaning
Every word Roy spoke afterward was like carving new marks into a stone wall.
As soon as he finished speaking, Teach's expression changed drastically—first from rage to disbelief;
Then came fear, and finally, a profound shock and... regret.
He instinctively took several steps back, his heels slipping on the wet rocks, losing his balance and falling heavily to the ground.
Cold rain poured down from the edge of the barrier, forming a ring of light along the curved space wall.
Muddy water flowed down his palms, forming a murky shallow pool at his feet.
Teach looked down at his hands, which were covered in mud from the rain, his Adam's apple bobbing as if something was blocking his throat.
After a long pause, he managed to utter a question that was almost a whisper to himself:
"What... what have I done...?"
A bolt of Inazuma pierced the night, suddenly illuminating the entire horizon.
In the brief flash of white light, Roy leaned slightly forward, his lips moving slightly—his words were so soft they were almost swallowed by the wind, yet they stirred a tremor deeper than thunder in Teach's heart.
Then, thunder rolled across the sky, and the sound of wind and rain was drawn out.
In the blink of an eye, the wind stopped and the rain ceased.
The dark clouds were slowly torn apart by the sea breeze, revealing the night sky washed clean by the rain.
Under the pale blue sky, starlight flickered faintly, and the sea surface rippled with a silvery-gray glow.
The transparent barrier vanished silently, and the wind and waves returned to the world.
At the top of the cliff, only Teach remained— Roy's figure had vanished without a trace.
Teach sat frozen in place, his hands braced against the muddy ground, his breathing rapid and disordered.
Raindrops slid down his fingers along the lines of his palm as he stared blankly at them falling off the cliff, his eyes reflecting the lingering flashes of Inazuma.
He slowly raised his head, his throat feeling like it was blocked by something, and it took him a long time to stand up with difficulty.
He seemed stiff, as if his soul had been hollowed out, leaving only his physical form swaying in the wind.
"Boss--!"
The jungle in the distance was parted, and the one-armed Van Augur was the first to rush out, his pistol gleaming coldly.
Then came the sound of Lafitte's boots clicking, followed by the intermittent echoes of his entourage's footsteps on the damp rock.
"What happened just now...?" Lafitte squinted, cautiously surveying his surroundings.
Teach didn't answer immediately, but instead looked down at the abyss below, where the tide was crashing against the cliff.
Wave after wave surged in, as if trying to swallow up all traces of his feet.
A slight smile played on his lips, but the smile was no longer the arrogant one of the past; instead, it carried a hint of suppressed weariness and gloom.
"... nothing."
He spoke in a low voice, his voice so hoarse that it was almost unrecognizable as its original ruggedness.
"But the wind is about to change..."
The sea breeze howled past, carrying the scent of pebbles and sea salt, which lashed coldly against everyone's faces.
Van Oka and Lafitte exchanged a glance, but both wisely remained silent.
The roar of the waves once again swallowed the silence of the Deserted Island, with only the lightning on the horizon still flashing, as if providing a final footnote to the silent conversation that had just taken place.
The following day, in Holy Land Mary Geoise.
The Reverie continued as usual inside the magnificent circular conference hall.
The morning mist on the Red Line dissipated, and sunlight shone through the dome onto the rows of golden chairs of representatives from various countries, creating an interplay of light and shadow, as if nothing had ever happened yesterday.
The royalty and representatives from various countries continued to calmly exchange opinions, discussing the economy, trade, and international cooperation—even the laughter and applause remained unchanged.
No one mentioned the chaos that shook the Holy Land yesterday anymore, as if it were just a deliberately erased illusion carried away by the wind.
At the conclusion of the meeting, the speeches by high-ranking World Government were brief yet profound.
"In order to maintain global balance, the government will reopen its covert investigation into the movements of the Revolutionary Army and strengthen its cooperation system with other countries."
Everything is as usual, everything is in order.
There was no anger, no turmoil.
Mary Geoise remained as solemn and serene as ever... even eerily serene.
--
Night slowly fell, and the Flame of the Holy Land shone through the mist of the Red Line.
The Reverie concluded successfully, and everything seemed calm and uneventful.
Garp, Ace, Luffy accompanied Neptune and Shirahoshi back to their temporary residence in the Ryugu Kingdom.
The room was dimly lit, and the aroma of tea wafted through the air, but a strange sense of oppression hung in the air.
None of them spoke first.
Garp leaned back in his chair, his brow furrowing even deeper, and muttered in a gruff voice, "Strange... the World Government is being too quiet today."
"That farce caused such a huge uproar, yet they didn't mention it at all."
Ace frowned, tapping his fingers lightly on the rim of his teacup. "This isn't like them."
"Those guys are always vengeful and hold grudges."
Neptune nodded slightly and replied in a deep voice, "Yes, this calm... is more unsettling than the storm itself."
Just as Garp was about to speak, hurried footsteps suddenly came from outside the door.
"Report--!"
The messenger pushed open the door, his clothes damp with sweat, and clutched an invitation bearing the golden emblem of the World Government.
"An urgent notice has just arrived; please review it, Vice Admiral!"
Garp frowned as he took the envelope; it was thick and cold, the wax seal gleaming with a faint light.
He slowly tore open the envelope, his gaze sweeping over the few lines of the letter, but his face froze instantly, and even his breathing became heavier.
"... What?"
Neptune sensed something was wrong and immediately stepped forward to ask, "Brother Garp, what's wrong?"
Ace and Luffy also looked tense and moved closer together.
Garp remained silent for a moment, his face ashen, then raised his head and handed the letter to Neptune.
"See for yourself."
Neptune took the letter, unfolded it, and quickly scanned its contents.
A few seconds later, he froze, his hands trembled uncontrollably, and his face turned deathly pale.
"Wh... what?!"
His voice was barely audible, trembling with shock.
Ace asked anxiously, "What happened?!"
Neptune spoke with difficulty, his voice hoarse. "Tomorrow— the Holy Knights will publicly execute a Celestial Dragons..."
Everyone froze, the air instantly thick with tension.
He took a deep breath and continued reading the last sentence of the letter.
His name is Donquixote Saint Mjosgard.
"What--?!!"
Ace blurted out, Luffy slammed his hand on the table, causing the chair to overturn. Shirahoshi gasped and covered her mouth with her hands.