With Gecko Moria's death, the shadows he once controlled were completely freed.

Unlike Sugar's Hobby-Hobby Fruit, the power of Moria's Shadow-Shadow Fruit vanished entirely upon his death.

Back on the warship, Kyros received word from Yoriichi Tsugikuni and quickly led the limited number of Marines ashore. Following Yoriichi's orders, they began shackling and dragging each pirate back to the ship.

But there were fewer than ten pairs of Seastone handcuffs aboard.

In this era, the secret government factories that manufactured Seastone tools had extremely limited output. Forget a New World branch like Yoriichi's, even Marine Headquarters had a very low supply of them.

The Marines' lack of dominance over the seas was, in part, due to the scarcity of Seastone weapons.

This ocean held far too many Devil Fruit users to count. Defeating them often required Haki. Even the most basic Paramecia or Zoan users could, with training, become overwhelmingly dangerous.

For a normal person to oppose a Devil Fruit user, intense training was required, enough to push the human body to its limit. But the time needed for that couldn't keep up with the rate at which Devil Fruit users appeared.

That's why this world had fallen into chaos.

The name "Devil Fruit" didn't come from its drawbacks... but from what it created.

To eat a Devil Fruit was to gain the power of the devil itself. And people, drunk on that power, often lost themselves. Amplified by desire, they eventually became the real demons of this world.

Because of the shortage of Seastone cuffs, the process of moving prisoners aboard was slow. No one could be sure which survivors were Devil Fruit users.

Once on board, Kyros led the effort to identify them.

Gecko Moria's crew was massive, and Yoriichi's warship couldn't hold them all. Nor was Yoriichi inclined to waste precious rations on scum.

The point of identifying them was simple, he only needed to find the ones marked "Only Alive" on their wanted posters. As for the others, those marked "Dead or Alive" or with no bounties at all, they had only one fate.

Death.

The ruined castle still burned. Flames dyed the sky red. The harbor waters beneath the anchored Dawn ran crimson with blood.

On the deck, pirates screamed, cursed, begged, their voices painting a chilling scene. Every splash of a corpse thrown overboard added to the ship's dreadful atmosphere.

Yoriichi had returned to the ship.

The fire continued to rage, so rather than wait, he sent Issho and a few Marines back to clear out the site with his abilities. They would search the ruins for any treasure Moria had stolen.

Yoriichi himself stayed behind to guard the warship. If any hidden Devil Fruit user lashed out, his soldiers could be in danger.

"Vice Admiral… are we… being too cruel?"

A young Marine stood beside him, whispering with hesitation.

Most of Yoriichi's crew had been transferred from Garp's ship. They weren't rookies, but many had never seen an execution like this.

Killing a pirate in battle was one thing. Adrenaline dulled the weight of death. But watching someone weep, beg, and then get beheaded… that stirred a different kind of guilt.

And Yoriichi's crew wasn't without compassion.

"Cruel?" Yoriichi echoed softly.

"Cruelty depends on who it's directed at."

"Save your compassion for the innocent."

"Eradicating evil is how we protect the good."

Though his tone was calm, the young Marine stiffened. A chill ran down his spine. Straightening instinctively, he saluted and retreated.

That round of identification and execution took nearly three hours.

The result?

Not a single pirate in Moria's crew had a bounty marked "Only Alive."

But there were dozens of wanted criminals. The combined bounty totaled nearly 500 million Berries.

Each head was preserved in formaldehyde, photos taken for proof.

Meanwhile, Issho's team returned with crates of treasure. Marines jogged back and forth, each carrying massive chests. They had to make multiple trips to bring it all aboard.

After counting it, the loot added three to four hundred million more to Yoriichi's construction funds.

Funny how the pirates' heads were worth more than the treasure they'd stolen.

Then again, with so many mouths to feed, a pirate captain had to work hard to keep the crew happy. Not everyone could sit back like the Four Emperors and collect protection money.

With everything finished, the Dawn set sail once more, slowly pulling away from the so-called "island."

Fog closed in again around the Thriller Bark.

And as the tides rolled on, the blood in the harbor gradually faded to blue once more.

No one, save the Marines, would ever know what had happened here.

Moria and his crew would eventually fade into history, forgotten, like countless others before them.

Just another day at sea.

"Hey, Issho, why're you changing the scabbard?"

"Even if you're using Shusui as a cane, the original scabbard's fine, right?"

"And it's not just the scabbard! Why are you replacing the tsuba and grip too?!"

The return voyage to Dressrosa would take nearly two weeks. And Issho, having just received Shusui, was now remodeling it.

Naturally, he asked Yoriichi to help.

But Yoriichi couldn't understand it. Why mess with a sword that was already perfect?

Shusui, Ryuma's blade, was not just one of the 21 Great Grade swords, it came with top-tier craftsmanship from top to bottom. Scabbard, tsuba, hilt, everything was elite.

Yet Issho wasn't satisfied.

"I'm blind," he replied calmly. "I'm used to walking with a cane. Without one, it's inconvenient."

"For me, a cane grip fits better in the hand than a sword hilt."

"Please, just help me out."

The two sat on deck, Issho handing Yoriichi the pieces while he quietly worked. Kyros hovered nearby, eyes wide with curiosity, marveling at Yoriichi's "carpentry."

"To think someone with your swordsmanship could carve wood this precisely…"

Yoriichi didn't take it as praise. He felt mocked.

Without a word, he carved a rounded cane handle from a solid stick, then had Kyros bring over a brazier. Heating the wood slightly, he bent it to match the curvature of Shusui's blade.

Without any fancy tools, he fitted it together, no glue, no pegs, just pressure and precision.

"Done."

He handed the modified Shusui to Issho.

The blind swordsman held it, ran his fingers over the surface, and smiled.

"Much appreciated."

He was clearly satisfied, twirling it a few times.

"You really are wasting a masterpiece," Mihawk muttered.

"That blade… looks so plain now."

Shusui had become a simple walking cane.

In contrast, Yoru, Mihawk's black blade, was almost flamboyant.

Believe it or not, Mihawk was a man of style.

Yoriichi had just stood up when a Den Den Mushi in his coat pocket began to ring.

"Hmm?"

"Moshi moshi?"

Dusting off some wood shavings, Yoriichi pulled it out and answered with a grin.

But before he could say more, Kenshirou's urgent voice burst through:

"V-Vice Admiral!"

"We just spotted the Pirate King, Gol D. Roger, on the island!"

Everyone froze.

Issho, Mihawk, Kyros, they all turned to Yoriichi at once.

His pupils shrank slightly. But his voice remained calm.

"If he doesn't cause trouble, leave him be."

"Don't engage. Wait for us to return."

But just as he gave that command, a laugh came through the speaker.

"Hahahahaha!"

"Come on now, that's no way to treat a pirate!"

"I'm a criminal, remember? Shouldn't you be chasing me?"

The unfamiliar voice made Kyros tense. Issho and Mihawk leaned closer.

Yoriichi didn't flinch.

"To think I'd be speaking with you directly… Gol D. Roger."

"What's this? Are you calling to say you've taken over my base?"

He chuckled. There was no fear in his tone.

He knew Roger wasn't a typical pirate.

Even if Roger was in Dressrosa, Yoriichi wasn't worried. Kenshirou could handle himself.

"Taken over?"

"Well, if you want to call it that, I don't mind."

"You better hurry back, Yoriichi Tsugikuni."

"I'll be waiting for you in Dressrosa. Don't even think about running."

And with that, Roger hung up.

Bzzt, only static remained.

Yoriichi stared at the receiver in silence.

"Why is the Pirate King, of all people, in Dressrosa?"

"Don't tell me… he came here just for me?"

He frowned slightly.

That morning, in a quiet bar called Three Guns near the Dawn Marine Branch, the bartender welcomed his first customer of the day.

"Yo~ Roger, early as always!"

"Burmester again?"

For over half a month, Roger had been a regular. No disguise. Just… Roger.

"The usual," he said with a grin.

But as he stepped through the saloon doors, a violent cough shook his frame.

"Hey, Roger, you've been coughing for days now."

"Why don't you skip the booze and see a doctor?"

The bartender was a kind man. Seeing Roger in pain, he worried.

"Huh?"

"No way," Roger laughed.

"What's life without a drink or two?"

"Don't worry, I'm fine. Just bring the bottle."

He took a long swig, brushing aside the bartender's concern.

"So, Roger," the man asked, "you've been here a while. Planning to settle down in Dressrosa?"

By now, everyone knew who he was. At first, the bartender nearly fainted when he learned the truth. But after spending time together, he saw a different side of Roger.

"Settle down?" Roger laughed.

"Nah. I'll be leaving soon."

"Won't be drinking here much longer."

He said it so casually, so cheerfully. The bartender smiled, unaware of the deeper meaning.

"Nonsense. You're welcome anytime."

Roger just laughed again.

After a bit more small talk, he stood abruptly, tossed some Berries onto the counter, grabbed the bottle, and left without another word.

The bartender called out, but Roger didn't look back.

At the harbor, Roger stepped onto the dock. Far out at sea, a silhouette appeared.

A warship.

He grinned.

✦✦---------------------------------------------------------------------✦✦

150 P.S = 1 Extra Chapter

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