"Dragon, enough nonsense. People's brains can't even be compared. I sent her northwest of Ohara Island. Try searching the islands in that area," Yaen said.
Dragon's lips twitched slightly after being mocked without realizing it. He then replied, "I understand."
"Also, if nothing unexpected happens, Sauron should be captured by the Marines."
After a pause, Yaen continued, "If possible, see whether there's a chance to rescue him. Aside from the fact that Sauron might recognize our ideals, he could serve as a combatant—and might even become a bridge between us and Giant Country Elbaf."
Without waiting for Dragon's answer, Yaen hung up the Den Den Mushi. Then, using the fire engulfing Ohara as cover, he took a slight detour and returned to the coastline near the Marine Fleet carrying out the Buster Call.
Just as Yaen had expected, after he quietly returned to the vicinity of Sauron and Vice Admiral Spandine, the battle between the two sides was also about to reach its conclusion.
Sauron's strength was by no means lacking. He had become a Marine Vice Admiral purely through his own power, and his Giant Tribe physique gave him unparalleled brute strength.
However, after betraying the Marines and traveling day and night, Sauron was already in poor condition. Combined with the cannon fire from the Marine Warships and the attacks from the Soul Reaper Blade: Senbonzakura, his strength had inevitably fallen far below its peak.
"The winner has been decided!"
As Vice Admiral Spandine swung his blade at astonishing speed and cleaved heavily into Sauron's chest, a great deal of blood sprayed out. Covered in countless wounds deep enough to expose bone, Sauron finally could not hold on any longer and collapsed to the ground.
"It's over... Dereshishishi..."
Just before losing consciousness, Sauron still laughed loudly, as though he felt completely fulfilled with his life.
This sorrowful yet carefree scene inexplicably reminded Yaen of a line.
A life that falls on the road of pursuing dreams and one's true self is a happy and blissful one!
Yaen could not help praising him in a low voice. "What a fine man, Sauron!"
Just as Vice Admiral Spandine was arranging for his soldiers to quickly arrest the heavily injured and unconscious Sauron, tie him aboard his warship, and take him back to Enies Lobby for trial...
Yaen had deliberately made himself look disheveled. He stumbled toward Vice Admiral Spandine and shouted,
"Vice Admiral Spandine, wait for me!"
"Hm? Aren't you the young man who was beside Vice Admiral Kuzan and rescued the evacuation ship?" Vice Admiral Spandine asked as he looked at Yaen.
"How did you end up like this?"
Yaen scratched the back of his head, an awkward and embarrassed expression appearing on his face.
"I tried to take a shortcut to chase that little girl, but I got trapped by the fire on Ohara halfway there. I almost... got burned to death."
Just as Yaen thought Vice Admiral Spandine would harshly berate him for his incompetence and severely criticize him as a negative example...
Contrary to Yaen's expectations, the bearded Vice Admiral Spandine, who had a cigar between his teeth and radiated a fierce aura, patted Yaen on the shoulder. His tone was exceptionally gentle as he said,
"Pursuing an enemy despite lacking sufficient strength was somewhat reckless, but this spirit of fearlessly upholding justice, regardless of life or death, is truly commendable. Well done."
Yaen.
He had miscalculated!
Yaen could only offer an awkward smile. Lowering his head without saying a word, he followed Vice Admiral Spandine back aboard the Marine Warship.
"Ship's doctor, quickly, give this young man..."
Vice Admiral Spandine paused, then turned to Yaen and asked, "What was your name again?"
"Teffimoe Yaen," Yaen replied.
"Quickly, examine Yaen. He just risked his life to pursue a criminal, going alone against the tide into Ohara, which was being covered by the Buster Call's bombardment. He was trapped by the flames and only barely managed to escape."
Vice Admiral Spandine spoke loudly, his voice full of praise. As a result, the surrounding Marine Soldiers began looking at Yaen with faint admiration.
"Eh? Isn't he the young man who controlled the cherry blossoms and rescued the evacuation ship earlier?"
One of the Marine Soldiers serving as a lookout suddenly remembered something and cried out in surprise.
"It really is him. Those glasses are unmistakable. I saw him too."
"That's truly incredible. Who would have thought Yaen was not only compassionate and unafraid of authority, but also possessed such a steadfast sense of justice? To pursue a criminal, he actually dared to go against the tide into Ohara, which was covered by artillery fire and had already been transformed into a sea of flames."
"Judging by Yaen's clothes, he doesn't seem to be a Marine yet."
"Are you an idiot? Yaen is being escorted by Vice Admiral Kuzan. Even if he isn't a Marine yet, he's definitely about to join the Marines."
Listening to the Marine Soldiers' animated discussion and feeling their admiring gazes from time to time, Yaen had no idea how to explain himself.
"Do all the men on this sea have something wrong with their thought processes?"
Yaen complained helplessly to himself, then hurriedly followed the ship's doctor away under the pretext of needing treatment.
What the eyes did not see, the heart would not fret over...
Afterward, Yaen lay at ease on the sickbed. While telling the ship's doctor that he was suffering from dizziness, blurred vision, chest tightness, shortness of breath, backache, and various other symptoms, he kept glancing toward the window beside him.
Aboard the Marine Warship in the distance, the battle between magma and ice was also gradually calming down.
This was not because Sakazuki and Kuzan had decided the victor. Rather, the evacuation ship had already sailed out of range, so the two sides no longer had any reason to continue fighting.
Moreover, Sakazuki and Kuzan might have clashing ideals, but their hatred had not yet reached the point where they had to fight to the death.
"Still, after this incident, Sakazuki and Kuzan's promotions to Admiral will probably be delayed. Even if things didn't completely blow up, the impact of this infighting is still extremely bad."
While responding absentmindedly to the ship's doctor, Yaen secretly pondered.
"But this is good too. Old Man is about to be promoted to Fleet Admiral. If the Three Admirals were promoted at the same time, Old Man might not be able to suppress them."
"This way, Old Man will be able to worry a little less. It can barely count as a good thing."
Just as the ship's doctor took advantage of Yaen's inattention to give him a painful nutritional injection, an incomparably tremendous roar suddenly came from outside.
"Rumble!"
Immediately afterward, the enormous Marine Warship, resembling an iron beast upon the sea, began to shake violently, as though it had suddenly encountered some enormous waves.
At that moment, even though Yaen had not seen it with his own eyes, he understood that this was the sound of Ohara Island shattering and sinking into the sea.
In other words, this island that had existed for more than five thousand years had officially become history at this very moment.
Before you continue