The Choice

The artillery fire continued. Black cannonballs traced parabolic arcs through the sky, destroying everything within their blast radius—the grasslands, the lake, and the houses. Before long, everything on the island had been blasted beyond recognition, reduced to ruins.

Firelight flickered across Ohara Island, quickly spreading in every direction.

All life had been extinguished. Death hung heavy in the air as the island was ravaged and destroyed.

"We have to leave this place as soon as possible!"

Although Ye Qiong was carrying two people, his physique meant he was not greatly affected.

The main problem was the frigid energy invading his body, along with the backlash from the Space-Space Fruit's power. He had no idea how much longer his body could endure.

"Qiong, what should we do?" Robin asked fearfully. The sudden black calamity and the fiery hell surrounding them filled her with terror.

Fortunately, Ye Qiong and Olvia, whom she had only just reunited with, kept her from falling into despair.

"We'll flee toward the island's western shore. I prepared a ship there long ago. As long as we get there..."

As Ye Qiong answered, he nimbly dodged the cannonballs falling from above.

Suddenly, crimson, scorching magma burst from the sea of flames, carrying roaring tongues of fire with terrifying force.

Before the magma even touched skin, it made them feel as though they had fallen into a furnace. The heat was unbearable!

"What is this?!"

Ye Qiong's expression changed drastically. With a toss of both hands, he threw Robin and Olvia several meters behind him, then thrust both palms out before him.

"R Tensei!!"

The tidal wave of magma came to an abrupt halt, then violently burst apart and rebounded in the opposite direction. Magma splashed everywhere, and even the flames were melted away and extinguished.

Cold sweat poured down Ye Qiong's face. He stared straight ahead, his expression more solemn than ever.

Amid the surging crimson magma, a tall and imposing figure emerged from the smoke and fire, revealing an immaculate white Marine coat.

Someone who could manipulate such powerful magma, wore the coat and title of a Marine vice admiral, and had appeared on this island—his identity was obvious: Sakazuki, the Logia-type Magma-Magma Fruit user, a current Marine vice admiral. Like Kuzan, he was one of the future Navy's three strongest admirals, code-named "Akainu"!

His strength was absolutely monstrous, even somewhat greater than Kuzan's. He was utterly ruthless, willing to do anything for his absolute justice!

A deep sense of powerlessness suddenly rose in Ye Qiong's heart. Fate truly knew how to toy with people!

CP9, Kuzan, Sakazuki—more than half the Buster Call's high-level combat power seemed to be targeting him. Every disadvantage was stacked against him.

"As a devil, a sinner of this island, do you still wish to escape?"

Sakazuki stepped completely out of the magma mist. Beneath his Marine coat, he wore a black cape and a hat that buried his eyes in shadow. His face was hard and sharp as if carved with a blade.

"Heh. Who the real devil destroying this island is, you know better than anyone. Unfortunately, there's no point discussing so-called justice with someone like you." Ye Qiong gave a faint laugh and looked at him coldly.

"Then give up resisting and be buried on this island!" Sakazuki said icily. His left hand transformed into crimson magma, bubbles and rolling smoke rising from it.

"Meigou!"

His magma-transformed arm shot forth, its palm reaching to seize Ye Qiong.

"R."

Ye Qiong swiftly expanded a spherical space and vanished from the spot with Robin and Olvia behind him. The crimson magma continued melting the ground, emitting a sizzling sound.

After hiding Robin and Olvia behind a boulder, Ye Qiong stepped forward and shot out, channeling his spatial cutting power through his right hand. A milky-white gleam condensed into a sharp edge.

Ye Qiong rushed forward, his hand blade slicing fiercely toward Sakazuki. Sakazuki's arm, having launched Meigou, could not be withdrawn in time.

The two passed each other. Sakazuki's arm was cut open, but boiling magma bubbles filled the wound, rapidly fusing it back together.

"Great Eruption!"

Sakazuki spun around at once. A massive molten fist condensed over his left hand, gleaming with dazzling crimson light. Its scorching heat nearly vaporized all the surrounding moisture in an instant.

If hit by that attack, there would be nothing left—not even bones!

Ye Qiong decisively teleported away. The molten fist smashed into the ground, instantly melting and vaporizing the earth as magma flooded in, forming a crater like a small volcano.

Ye Qiong's figure flickered into view more than a dozen meters away to the side.

"Will you only keep hiding?" Sakazuki snorted coldly. His eyes darkened as another massive molten fist formed on his left hand.

He stepped forward, bursting through the air with Geppo and launching into the sky. Trailing rolling black smoke, the crimson magma suddenly turned in midair—but it was not charging toward Ye Qiong.

He flew straight toward a cluster of rocks, where Robin and Olvia were hiding!

"Stop!" Ye Qiong's face instantly turned pale. He hurriedly attempted a spatial teleport, but his body suddenly shuddered. After moving only a few meters, he was forcibly stopped and fell weakly to the ground.

"Damn it!" He coughed up blood as he watched Sakazuki rush toward Robin. In that moment, his heart hurt countless times more than his body.

"Sakazuki! Stop!!!"

As the molten fist in the distance was about to fall, Ye Qiong slammed his fist into the ground and roared in fury, his eyes nearly splitting apart!

Boom!

A massive mountain flew through the air, carrying terrifying momentum as it crashed toward Sakazuki.

Sakazuki raised an eyebrow. In the end, his molten fist lifted and struck the mountain descending upon him.

Boom!

The entire mountain was instantly shattered by the molten fist. Crimson magma surged out, directly destroying the mountain's rocks.

"Ye Qiong! Take Olvia and leave!" A giant as large as a mountain charged over, every step making the earth tremble.

"Saul, nicely done!"

Overjoyed, Ye Qiong activated his spatial power again and teleported to Robin and Olvia's side, grabbing each of them.

Seeing Ye Qiong teleport over, Sakazuki directly stomped down at the three of them. Magma surged around his foot, but he struck only empty ground.

Ye Qiong teleported Robin and Olvia dozens of meters away. After releasing them, he braced both hands against the ground and continued coughing blood.

Seeing this, Robin hurriedly supported him. "Qiong, what's wrong?!"

"I... I'm fine."

Ye Qiong shook his head forcefully, but his mind was dizzy, and everything before his eyes had become somewhat blurred.

He was nearing his limit!

If not for the physique granted by the Vajra Body, which was close to completing its first level, his body would have long since been riddled with damage.

Although Saul was also a vice admiral, he could not possibly be Sakazuki's match. At best, he could barely stall for a little time.

Even if Sakazuki were somehow driven back, the other Marines had already noticed the commotion here. There was no chance of reaching the western shore and escaping by ship.

The hope of escaping this place had already...

Ye Qiong's eyes dimmed. Suddenly, he felt deeply unwilling to accept it.

He had yet to leave this island and see the wonderful world outside. He had yet to truly witness the splendor of this world's powerful people. He had yet to live peacefully and comfortably in this world.

What he was most unwilling to accept was that he had still failed to use his own strength to change Robin's fate. He might even cause her, along with himself, an outsider, to die here.

If possible, he wanted to live properly too.

"Right, there's still that move..." Ye Qiong murmured, a glimmer of brightness suddenly appearing in his eyes.

"Qiong, what is it?" Robin looked at him in confusion.

"Robin, I have a way to escape from here." Ye Qiong smiled.

"Really?"

Robin's sparkling eyes widened.

"Yes. Robin, remember this—once your mother wakes up, find a place with her and live in seclusion." Ye Qiong lovingly stroked her head.

Robin parted her lips, confused and about to say something, but Ye Qiong stopped her. "Remember, you have to be good and listen."

"You're usually so quiet, but at night you always kick off your blanket. When the weather gets cold, make sure you cover yourself properly. No one will teleport over to tuck you in anymore."

"You used to love eating hard bread. It's bad for your stomach and has no nutrition. I spent years turning you into a meat eater, so don't casually turn back."

"You often gazed out at the sea all alone. Maybe you won't need to anymore, because your mother will be by your side. The two of you must live happily, no matter what the future brings."

"In the future, you'll definitely become an absolute beauty. Lots of people will chase after you... Ah, forget it. I'm being way too naggy!"

Ye Qiong helplessly waved a hand, lowered his head, and wiped at his slightly reddened eyes. "Damn it, something got in my eye."

He looked up at Robin and found tears falling from her eyes like pearls.

"Qiong, weren't you going to escape with us?" Robin asked through tears. "Didn't you say... you wouldn't leave me?"

"Are you going to abandon me?" Her voice trembled and turned hoarse. She must have been heartbroken beyond measure.

"How could I?" Ye Qiong embraced her soft, petite body, breathing in her faint fragrance as he desperately tried to convey his feelings. "I've always, always liked you."

"Sorry, girl."

He suddenly pushed Robin away and stretched his left palm toward her.

"R."

The spherical space was neither too large nor too small, just enough to envelop Robin and Olvia.

Ye Qiong bit his pale lips and extracted the spatial power from within his body, continuously pouring it into the spherical space until it shone with an inky black luster.

"Ye Qiong..." Robin's voice was gradually cut off by the space, her body entirely wrapped inside the black spherical space along with Olvia.

"If I get the chance, I really want to hold you again, girl."

Ye Qiong smiled faintly and pressed down hard with his right hand.

"R · Spatial Exile!"

The inky-black spherical space trembled slightly and slowly moved downward, but in an instant, space itself collapsed. Everything nearby, including the light and rocks, twisted.

Rumble!

Like thunder, the void cracked apart like a mirror. The fissures revealed dark spatial turbulence, and the black spherical space was finally pressed completely inside, vanishing from the air.

When everything returned to calm, Ye Qiong stood motionless. Smooth cuts had appeared across his body, leaving him covered in wounds. Blood continuously seeped from his skin, staining the ground red.

"It worked..."

Ye Qiong's lips moved slightly, and a somewhat savage smile appeared on his bloodstained face.

"Robin. If I can leave this place alive..."

"I'll definitely hold your hand and never let go again."

His sigh drifted softly through the air before quietly fading away.