Awakening

What was the most terrifying thing in the world?

Was it the most fearsome enemy?

Losing your family?

An unpredictable future?

An inevitable death?

Yes, but also no. At the root of all these things, there was really only one: losing hope. Wasn't the most terrifying thing in the world to finally find hope, only to lose it at the moment you felt most grateful to have it?

Louis felt cold all over. Not because he was now immersed in the sea, where he couldn't stay at the surface for long; the churning waves would soon force him back under. No matter how cold the water was, it couldn't extinguish a burning heart. Only despair could.

The Den Den Mushi's signal had been cut off. It wasn't simply being jammed; there was something wrong with the Den Den Mushi itself. The communication function of Cipher Pol's specially made Den Den Mushi was monitored and controlled by superiors. Even when an agent didn't make a call, plenty of ordinary sounds were transmitted. And when the higher-ups decided it was necessary, cutting the signal wasn't unusual.

Skello had done a very neat job this time. Even though Louis wasn't someone he liked, he wouldn't blindly try to kill him. He'd waited until Louis had completed the mission and reported the intelligence to the Navy before making his move. The mission was considered complete, and even his superiors couldn't find fault with it. The only unlucky one was Louis.

What should he do?

What should he do?

What should he do?

What should he do?

Louis bobbed up and down in the water, his mind circling the same few words over and over. There was no doubt about it: he was in the most desperate situation he'd ever faced. He had three enemies: the Roger Pirates, the storm, and the Navy that would soon arrive.

There were countless people in the Roger Pirates who could easily kill him. Sneaking aboard in disguise was pure fantasy. Even Rayleigh could instantly distinguish the presence of every beast on an island. Could he really fail to recognize people he spent every day with aboard a ship? And then there was Roger.

The storm needed no explanation. Now, even trying to break the surface for a breath took an enormous amount of strength. The sea was even more turbulent beneath the surface, and its surging currents carried overwhelming force. He wasn't part of the Fish-Man Race, and Louis had no idea how long he could last if he stayed in the water.

Then there was the third enemy: the Navy, who should have been coming to help him. Without a way to prove his identity, they'd undoubtedly be his enemy now, too. If he could meet Admiral Sengoku or other Navy higher-ups, the call he'd just made might be enough. Even if they didn't fully trust him, it would at least buy him some time. All they had to do was verify things with Cipher Pol. But the problem was, could Louis even meet the Navy's higher-ups?

Louis figured his most likely fate was to be sunk to the bottom of the sea by the Navy's indiscriminate bombardment.

"Am I done for?"

Louis fought his way to the surface and shot into the sky.

"Absolutely not!"

He didn't want to die. He absolutely didn't want to die. Louis didn't want to die here. He had no grander dream—he just wanted to live! No matter what, he had to make this simple dream come true!

Besides, there were two people waiting for him. He absolutely, absolutely couldn't die here.

And more than anything, he absolutely, absolutely, absolutely had to kill that man!

"Geppo!"

There was no time to worry about anything else. Louis used Geppo. He could always take another identity later. For now, all he needed to do was survive. Besides, he wasn't that easy to spot right now. The torrential rain limited visibility to just a few meters, making it difficult to find him.

"There!!"

Louis spotted a ship. It wasn't very big—small compared to the large ships common in the New World, probably only big enough to carry a few dozen people. It drifted helplessly across the sea, but it was enough. For Louis, it was more than enough.

"Bang!"

Geppo combined with Soru—the move Lucci had named Razor. Louis hadn't bothered naming it. All that mattered was that it was fast.

Louis covered the vast distance in a mad dash, then dropped from the sky.

"There's no one here, either!"

Louis gritted his teeth. The ship was full of dead men, just like the others—it had been ravaged by the Roger Pirates. He knew how to sail, but handling a ship alone was clearly difficult.

"Fine! Bring it on!"

There was no time left to hesitate. He sprang up and landed on the mast, lowering the sail. The small ship immediately began racing forward under the gale. Louis dropped behind the helm on the deck and put his hands on it. "A mere storm! You think you can take me down?!"

Louis had never felt so worked up. The Grim Reaper had seized his heart, so now he had to pry its fingers away.

"Splash!"

A huge wave crashed toward him, its crest towering far above the ship's mast.

"Ahahahahaha!"

Louis burst into wild laughter. Losing control of his emotions like this was incredibly rare for him.

He turned the helm as far as it would go. The small ship was more nimble, so Louis didn't try to dodge. He steered straight toward the crest. Just as he reached the base of the wave, he turned the helm again. The ship changed direction and swung broadside, sailing right along the wave's crest. Louis looked up and saw the dark seawater above him, with fish swimming through it.

"I'm going to—"

Louis said softly, "survive."

"Boom!"

The towering wave crashed down like a collapsing mountain, but it didn't reach the ship itself. Louis piloted the little vessel clear of the tsunami. He'd actually survived.

"Huff, huff, huff."

Cold sweat poured off him. He'd received some sailing instruction during his Cipher Pol training, but this was his first time steering a ship in conditions like these—and by far the most dangerous. Fortunately, he'd made it.

He could do this!

A smile tugged at Louis's lips. He could do this!

"Hmm?"

Suddenly, Louis noticed something bobbing on the surface beside the ship. The rain was pouring so hard he couldn't see clearly. After watching closely several times, he finally made it out: a person.

"That's..."

A delighted smile spread across Louis's face. He carefully scanned the surroundings. The sea was relatively calm, so he dashed to the railing like lightning, picked up a coil of rope lying on the deck, and tossed it out. It wrapped around the person in the water.

"Get up here!"

He yanked hard, and the man flew onto the deck, landing in front of Louis.

Louis had no time to spare. He planted a foot on the man's chest. "Captain! You still alive?"

It was Rhode, captain of the Blood Hand Pirates—Rhode.

"Ugh!"

His vitality was astonishing. He was badly injured, but after spitting out a large amount of seawater, he came around. "Mario?"

"Thank goodness, Captain!"

Louis returned to the helm. He was genuinely glad. With Rhode here, their chances of survival had risen. The man was strong. "With your help, we'll be fine!"

"You saved me? I remember the Roger Pirates knocked me into the sea. Ugh, that hurts!"

He clutched his chest. "I've probably broken several bones, huh? That Big Cat was strong!"

"It's fine. We're alive, and that's what matters!"

Louis said with relief, "This storm couldn't have come at a worse time!"

"Where are we going, Mario?"

Rhode struggled to his feet. "You know how to sail?"

"I learned for a while," Louis said plainly. "The waves are too rough! If we stay here, we'll both die. I think we need to get out of this area first. Captain, help me manage the sail. The wind's too strong—I'm afraid the ship might capsize."

"Leave?"

Rhode stared, then raised his voice. "Why would we leave? What are you talking about, Mario? The battle with the Roger Pirates hasn't been decided yet, has it? Admiral Golden Lion hasn't ordered a ceasefire! We have to go back and keep fighting!"

"Go back? Captain," Louis said in disbelief. "Are you joking? Going back means certain death! In this storm, against the Roger Pirates?"

"This is our duty! The Admiral hasn't given the order, so how can the soldiers under him flee in the middle of battle? Mario, you've really disappointed me!"

Rhode rebuked him loudly. "As pirates, how can we have no sense of honor?"

"But, Captain, hasn't Admiral Golden Lion abandoned us?"

Louis shouted. "He doesn't care whether we live or die!"

"What nonsense are you talking about? Isn't Admiral Golden Lion still fighting Roger?"

Rhode pointed at the sky, where slashes still shrieked through the air. Roger and Golden Lion's battle was growing ever more intense. "How many of us have already sacrificed ourselves? The crew still up there might be just one step away from victory! If we go back and keep fighting, we can defeat Roger! Mario! Hurry back!"

"..."

Louis sighed. "So this is your resolve, Captain?"

"It is," Rhode said solemnly. "I'm willing to fight for Golden Lion's ambition until I die!"

"I see."

Louis licked his lips. "Then I'm sorry, Captain. I don't want to risk my life for someone else's dream."

"What?"

Rhode's eyes widened.

"After all,"

Louis kept his hands on the helm. "Admiral Golden Lion has nothing to do with me, does he? He's not my idol."

"Mario, you..."

"Captain, I won't go back. I want to live. My voyage has only just begun."

Louis spoke bluntly.

"All right, I understand. I respect your choice,"

Rhode said with a nod. "But in my current condition, I can't get back by myself. Please, Mario, I beg you. Take me back!"

He bowed deeply.

"..."

Louis looked at the man. Perhaps the existence of people like him was why that manga had moved Louis so much back then. But... "I'm sorry, Captain. I told you, I won't go back."

"Mario..."

Rhode raised his head, his expression especially solemn. "Is that really how you feel? I don't want to force my crewmates, but I have to go back now! In the name of the captain, Mario, take me back! That's an order!"

"Don't make me angry, Mario!"

"I see. Looks like there's no changing your mind, no matter what. I understand. When two people disagree, one of them has to give way, right?"

Louis looked Rhode in the eye, then nodded. "Captain, I've seen your resolve. All right, Captain, take the helm for me. I'll check the currents around us. Turning blindly in a storm like this will surely capsize the ship."

"Ha, really? That's great."

Rhode smiled and came over beside Louis, placing his hands on the helm. "So I just keep it steady, right? Don't worry, Mario. Once you take me back partway, I'll let you go."

"Yeah, Captain. I understand now. I can't change your resolve."

Louis's voice was quiet.

"Of course! A man's resolve—"

Rhode said with a smile. "—can never be changed!"

"Yeah. That's right."

"Lotus Finger Gun!"

"AAAAAAAH!!!"

"That's right. My resolve, too, is something I absolutely refuse to change."

### A three-thousand-five-hundred-word special chapter. You know what that means, right?