At Ringo's harbor, the Victoria Punk's engines rumbled low, churning up murky spray.
Kid stood at the bow and took one last look at Luo, who stood silently on the shore. His red hair whipped wildly in the faintly briny sea breeze, his gaze conflicted.
"Madman." Kid spat the word under his breath, turned, and never looked back.
"Let's go!"
He had already obtained the rubbings of Kaido's and Big Mom's Poneglyphs, indispensable for reaching Laugh Tale.
These were the keys to fulfilling his ambitions and challenging the pinnacle of the world.
At a moment when he was closer to his dream than ever before,
he would never drag himself and the entire Kid Pirates into a seemingly unwinnable battle for a temporary ally,
a certain-death showdown against none other than "Heavenquake."
Sometimes, the rules of survival for pirates were that cruel and pragmatic.
In some respects, Gern's name carried more menace than the title of the Four Emperors.
The Heart Pirates' crew watched their captain anxiously.
Bepo hesitated to speak, while Shakky and Penguin looked deeply worried.
Luo silently put away the chilling photograph.
He neither watched the departing Kid Pirates nor answered his companions' questioning looks,
merely sheathed Kikoku and then, alone, set off toward the Flower Capital.
"Captain!" Bepo couldn't help calling out.
Luo never broke stride. With his back to them, he calmly left them a single instruction. "Stay here and be ready to pick me up."
"I'm going alone."
Bring his companions? There was no point.
Against an opponent of that caliber, numbers no longer meant anything.
They would only become a burden.
This was a confrontation between captains, between those at the very top-or perhaps... a negotiation.
All he could do was confirm the situation and perhaps... find that almost nonexistent opening amid despair