The coast fell silent.
Mihawk sheathed his black blade first.
"If you're going after Teach, there's no reason to keep fighting."
Shanks glanced at him.
"You're not stopping me?"
"Go wherever you like."
Mihawk's tone was flat.
"Just stay out of the way at Mary Geoise."
Shanks understood and said no more.
Nearby,
Loki hoisted Iron Thunder back onto his shoulder and scoffed.
"If you'd figured that out sooner, we could've skipped the fight."
Shanks turned to him.
"I still don't think you're right."
Loki grinned.
"Funny."
"Neither do I."
Rayleigh sheathed his sword, and Gaban lowered his twin axes.
The Conqueror's Haki that had shaken the entire coast moments ago quickly faded.
No one had beaten anyone into submission.
It was just that someone far more troublesome had slipped inside.
Beckman had already spread out a sea chart. He had circled the last known position of Blackbeard's fleet in red, just outside the Red Line.
Gaban looked down at it.
"The ships vanished, but a passage appeared in the rock face?"
He stroked his beard.
"Going in underground. That does sound like something that kid would do."
Rayleigh folded his arms.
"He doesn't need to fight anyone right now."
"The Navy's attacking from the front, and the Holy Land is in chaos."
"All he has to do is hide underneath."
Beckman looked up.
"And wait?"
"For the door to open."
Rayleigh looked toward the Red Line.
"The fiercer the fighting above, the less anyone will pay attention to him."
Shanks's expression darkened.
That was what had worried him all along. Everyone was watching the front, but what about what lay beyond the door?
Beckman pointed at the chart.
"He's been inside for a while now."
"Even if we go over there, we might not catch him inside."
"Then