章節 252: Chapter 252
As the revolutionary forces continued to grow, their new base of operations had been carefully chosen—a secluded island within the Grand Line, hidden from prying eyes.
The place was perfect, surrounded by natural defenses, its location shrouded in mystery. Emperor Ivankov, one of the Revolutionaries' most colorful and bold figures, marveled at the island's secrecy as they arrived at the newly constructed headquarters.
"So, this is the place you told me about, huh? Pretty convenient to use such a spot for our revolutionaries' headquarters!" Ivankov's exaggerated voice rang out as they surveyed the surroundings. "I'm sure no one else would even be aware of such a place existing in the Grand Line!"
Dragon, however, remained stoic, his sharp eyes scanning the horizon. "Don't be too sure of that, Ivankov," he cautioned. "Though this part of the sea is shrouded in mystery, we cannot let our guard down. Make sure all precautions are taken. The secrecy of this island must never be compromised."
Ivankov huffed and crossed his arms. "So serious! Well, I suppose that's what makes you the leader of this little revolution, huh?" With a mischievous glint in his eyes, Ivankov leaned in closer, his oversized head now hovering too close to Dragon's personal space.
"But what about those rumors I've been hearing? People say you've finally found a lover! Is it true? Have you started dating someone? Hmm? Who is it?!"
Dragon's expression remained perfectly composed, betraying no hint of embarrassment or amusement, much to Ivankov's dismay.
"Tch, you're such a bore! Livia-san, help me out here! Do you know who Dragon's mysterious lover might be?" Ivankov turned to Livia, who was overseeing the logistical preparations for the base.
Her presence alone demanded respect; as Dragon's second-in-command, Livia was revered among the revolutionaries, her strength and mind unmatched by most.
Livia sighed, casting Ivankov a sideways glance. "I'm afraid I'm too busy with more pressing matters than indulging in your gossip, Ivankov," she replied, her voice cool and firm. "Now, if you'll excuse me, I have some business to attend to."
Leaving Ivankov to sulk, Livia made her way toward the ships docked at the makeshift pier. One particular ship caught her eye, and with purpose in her stride, she walked toward it, a sense of warmth filling her as she approached the cabin. She knocked lightly, and a soft voice from within welcomed her.
"Come in," Sora's voice called out, gentle but strong, as always.
Livia entered the cabin to find Sora seated comfortably, tending to her newborns—the quadruplets. Each baby was neatly swaddled in blankets, their tiny forms nestled in Sora's arms.
Since her rescue by the revolutionaries, Sora had become a beloved member of their ranks. She was not only knowledgeable in medicine but had proven herself to be a strong and resilient woman, helping wherever she could despite her pregnancy.
As soon as Livia stepped in, her eyes softened, and a warm smile spread across her face. "Sora, it's been a while," she greeted, moving closer to the babies. She bent down, cooing at them.
"How are these little ones doing today?"
Sora smiled, her expression one of both exhaustion and pride. "They're doing well, Livia. Growing stronger every day, thanks to the care of everyone here."
She watched as Livia carefully reached out to gently stroke the cheek of one of the babies, her doting touch bringing a smile to Sora's face. "I swear, you're more attached to them than I am sometimes."
"I can't help it," Livia chuckled, picking up one of the quadruplets and holding them in her arms.
"They're perfect." She looked down at the child, whose tiny fist grasped at her fingers. "Ichiji, Niji, Sanji, and Yonji," she murmured, saying their names with affection. "Such strong names."
Sora sighed as she leaned back slightly, her eyes gazing fondly at her children. "I just want them to have a better life than I did... a better life than what Judge would have given them."
Livia's expression darkened slightly, the mention of Judge stirring a mix of anger and concern. She had read the reports, learned about what Vinsmoke Judge had done to his own children—experimenting on them before they were even born, tampering with their very DNA. He had tried to mold them into the perfect soldiers, emotionless and obedient, mindless weapons for his ambitions.
Livia's grip on the baby tightened slightly, and her voice lowered. "The things he did… to you and to them," she began, her tone filled with controlled rage.
"He tried to strip them of their humanity before they even had a chance to live. He altered their physiques, changed their very essence, all for the sake of his twisted vision of the future. He didn't even see them as children, just tools to further his ambitions."
Sora lowered her head, a flicker of sadness crossing her face. "I know," she whispered. "It's hard to think about sometimes… knowing what he wanted them to become." She glanced at her children, her eyes softening.
"But now, they're free from him. They're not going to be his soldiers or his weapons. They'll grow up with love, not as tools of war."
Livia placed a comforting hand on Sora's shoulder, her voice firm but reassuring. "We'll make sure of it. They'll never have to endure what you did."
Sora smiled faintly, her eyes meeting Livia's with a shared understanding. "Thank you," she said softly. "For everything. I don't know what would have happened if the Revolutionaries hadn't found me when they did."
"You're stronger than you give yourself credit for," Livia said, gently cradling Sanji. "You've been through hell, but you're still standing, and now, you can give them the life they deserve." She looked down at the children again, brushing her fingers gently over their soft hair.
"These little ones—they're lucky to have you as their mother. And we'll all make sure that Vinsmoke Judge's legacy ends with him."
Sora let out a soft laugh, though it was tinged with emotion. "I just want them to grow up happy… free to make their own choices."
Livia nodded, her anger toward Judge momentarily fading as she gazed at the peaceful faces of the children.
"They will, Sora. With you as their mother, and us by your side, they'll have the chance to be whoever they want to be." She paused, then smiled again, this time teasingly. "And maybe one of them will become a revolutionary, following in your footsteps."
Sora chuckled, her spirit lightening. "Maybe," she agreed, her eyes sparkling with hope. "But whatever path they choose, as long as it's their own, I'll be happy."
Livia stood up, carefully placing Sanji back into Sora's arms. "We've got a lot of work ahead of us, building this new base," she said with a smile.
"But you've already built something even more important here." She gestured toward the babies.
"A future."
Despite Livia's words, Sora sat cradling Sanji in her arms, her eyes clouded with a deep sadness. It had been nearly a year since she had lost her eldest daughter, Reiju. The grief still weighed heavily on her, a constant ache that never seemed to fade.
As she looked at her newborns, she couldn't help but whisper, her voice filled with sorrow, "If only Reiju were here… everything would be perfect."
A single tear slid down her cheek, followed by more as the overwhelming weight of her loss resurfaced. She had fought to accept it, to live with the belief that her precious little girl had been taken from her. But the wound was still raw, a grief that no passage of time could fully heal.
Livia, who had been standing nearby, suddenly froze. Her eyes widened as she remembered the reason she had come to see Sora in the first place. In the chaos of setting up their new base, she had completely forgotten about the critical intel she had gathered. Her heart raced, and she hurriedly turned to Sora, her voice trembling with excitement.
"Sora!" Livia's words rushed out, her eyes alight with hope. "I need to tell you something. Reiju… your daughter—she's not dead. I think she's alive!"
Sora's body went rigid. For a moment, her mind struggled to process what Livia had just said. She blinked, disbelief clouding her expression.
"W-What…?" she stammered, her voice barely above a whisper, as if speaking too loudly would shatter the fragile hope she suddenly felt. "Reiju… alive? What are you saying?"
Livia stepped closer, her excitement palpable. "I received some recent intel, just before we relocated. There's been a report about a little girl who's joined the core of the Donquixote Family. At first, I didn't think much of it, but when I heard the description… it matched Reiju exactly."
Sora's heart hammered in her chest. She clutched Sanji closer, her breath coming in quick, shallow bursts. "Tell me… What did you hear? What does she look like?"
Livia nodded, her voice becoming steadier as she recalled the details. "She's a girl, about three, maybe four years old. They say she has soft, light pink hair, cropped short. She's skilled, sharp, and has a commanding presence despite her young age. But it was her eyes, Sora—the way they described them. Those bright, blue eyes. They're the same as yours."
Sora's lips trembled, her body shaking with a mixture of disbelief and hope. She had imagined this moment for so long, had clung to the faintest sliver of hope that Reiju might still be alive.
"My Reiju… alive…" she whispered, more to herself than to anyone else. Then the reality of it sank in, and her tears flowed freely, but this time they were tears of joy, of overwhelming relief.
She held Sanji close to her chest, pressing her cheek against his soft skin, as if drawing strength from the connection to her child. "I can't believe it. After all this time… I thought she was gone."
Livia smiled gently, watching the raw emotion on her friend's face. "I never stopped keeping an eye out for her, Sora. I knew how much you were hurting, and I couldn't let it rest. When I heard about the girl, I knew I had to tell you right away."
Sora wiped at her eyes, her body trembling from the surge of emotions. "Thank you, Livia… thank you so much. I—" Her voice cracked as she looked down at Sanji, then back at Livia. "Is there any way… any way we can reach her? Bring her back to me?"
Livia's expression faltered slightly, and she took a deep breath before replying. "That's the tricky part," she admitted, her tone softening with regret.
"With everything that's been happening, and now that we've moved to this new headquarters, trying to contact her directly could expose us. We know the Donquixote Family is powerful, and while we've had dealings with them in the past, it doesn't mean we can fully trust them. If they find out about our location, it could put all of us at risk."
Sora's face fell, her hope dimming slightly, but she nodded. She understood the precarious situation they were in. The Revolutionaries had just relocated, and secrecy was their greatest defense. Still, the thought of her daughter being so close yet out of reach was almost unbearable.
"Livia, I have a favor to ask; I know this would be dangerous…but," Sora said, her voice filled with desperation. "I need to know if she's okay. I need to see her, hold her. Please, Livia, tell me there's something we can do."
Livia reached out, placing a comforting hand on Sora's shoulder. "I promise you, we'll find a way. It may take time, but we'll get a message to her, discreetly. We can't rush this, Sora. I'll personally make sure we reach her without tipping off the Donquixote Family. But for now, we have to be patient. I know how much this means to you."
Sora nodded, her heart aching but filled with hope once more. "Just knowing she's alive is enough for now," she whispered, her tears still falling but her spirit lighter. "I've dreamed of this moment for so long, Livia. I thought I'd never see her again, but now… now there's hope."
Livia smiled, squeezing her shoulder reassuringly. "There's always hope, Sora. And we'll bring her back to you. I swear it."
Sora looked down at her newborns, each of their tiny faces bringing her immeasurable joy. But the thought of Reiju—alive, out there somewhere—filled her with a renewed sense of purpose.
She would wait as long as it took. She would do whatever was necessary to be reunited with her daughter.
"Thank you, Livia," Sora whispered, her voice breaking with emotion. "Thank you for everything."
******
Unnamed Island, New World
The air was thick with sand, swirling violently around the battlefield as the island itself seemed to tremble under the pressure of the clashing powers. Crocodile, his form towering and ominous, stood at the heart of the maelstrom.
The sandstorm he had conjured was massive, its roaring winds capable of flaying flesh from bone. His eyes gleamed with fury as he prepared to unleash his most devastating attack yet. The storm obeyed his will, spiraling tighter and faster, every grain of sand sharpened by his power.
"Desert La Spada!"
With a roar, Crocodile raised his golden hook, his fingers twisting in the air. The sand obeyed instantly, condensing into a massive crescent blade. The edge of the blade shimmered dangerously, capable of slicing through anything in its path. He swung his arm down, launching the attack toward his opponent with deadly intent. The sheer scale of the attack was enough to carve the island itself in two.
But Jozu stood firm, his enormous frame unaffected by the deadly storm surrounding them. His body, already shimmering with the glint of diamonds, gleamed brighter as his entire form transformed into the indestructible mineral.
His face remained calm, focused. He had fought Crocodile before, and while the Warlord of the Sea had grown stronger, Jozu was no slouch. His mastery over Haki, combined with his fearsome Devil Fruit ability, gave him a significant edge.
The crescent sand blade hurtled toward him, cutting through the air with a high-pitched whine, its sheer force ripping the landscape apart as it neared him. Jozu crouched slightly, muscles tensing as he prepared to meet the attack head-on.
"Diamond Dash!"
With a roar of his own, Jozu launched forward, his entire body coated in shimmering diamond and layered with advanced Armament Haki. His fist, the size of a boulder, collided with Crocodile's attack. For a moment, the world seemed to stand still as the two titanic forces met. The island groaned beneath their power.
Jozu's Haki-infused diamond shattered through the sand blade, dispersing it into harmless particles. The force of his movement carried him forward, his diamond-coated body crashing through the storm like a meteor.
Crocodile's eyes narrowed, his Observation Haki flaring as he sensed the danger approaching. He shifted, letting his body disperse into sand, but Jozu was faster.
With a thunderous impact, Jozu's shoulder speared into Crocodile's chest, catching the Warlord before he could fully transform into his sand form. The force of the blow sent shockwaves across the island, shaking the very ground beneath them. A massive crater formed where Jozu landed, the earth cracking under the sheer force of the attack.
Crocodile grunted in pain as the wind was knocked from his lungs. He managed to slip away, his body reforming several meters away as he clutched his side, breathing heavily. Blood trickled from the corner of his mouth, but his eyes burned with defiance.
"You've gotten stronger, Jozu," Crocodile growled, his voice filled with frustration. "But I'm not the same man you fought a year ago."
Jozu wiped dust from his diamond-coated arms, his gaze unyielding. "You've improved, Crocodile. But it's still not enough. And did you think while you were training we were sucking on our thumbs…?"
Crocodile's face twisted into a snarl. With a sharp gesture, he summoned another wave of sand, this time wrapping it around his body like armor. His golden hook gleamed as he coated it in Haki, the darkened sheen making it all the more lethal.
"Desert Encierro!"
The ground beneath Jozu began to shift as the sand obeyed Crocodile's command. The sandstorm intensified, forming a massive prison around Jozu, with walls of compacted sand trapping him inside. Each grain was razor-sharp, cutting deep into anything they touched.
Crocodile raised his hand, and the prison began to collapse inwards, seeking to crush Jozu where he stood.
But Jozu was not so easily cornered. His eyes glinted with the steel of a seasoned warrior, and as the walls closed in on him, he stomped his foot into the ground with all his might.
"Diamond Shield!"
His entire body shimmered again, and in an instant, Jozu expanded his diamond form outward, creating a protective dome of unbreakable diamond. The collapsing sand prison crashed into the diamond shell, but it crumbled on impact, unable to penetrate his defense.
Jozu charged forward once more, his diamond body gleaming under the scorching sun. He was a juggernaut, his entire frame moving like a battering ram aimed directly at Crocodile.
Crocodile raised his hand, summoning another massive sandstorm, but Jozu's Haki-infused body tore through it with ease, his sheer physical power overwhelming the sand.
"Desert Girasole!" Crocodile shouted, slamming his hand into the ground. The sand beneath Jozu's feet shifted, opening into a massive pit. The ground collapsed beneath him, threatening to swallow him whole.
But Jozu didn't even bother to slow down. With a single leap, he launched himself out of the trap, his diamond body gleaming in the sunlight. He soared through the air like a cannonball, his massive fists cocked back.
"Diamond Avalanche!"
With a mighty roar, Jozu slammed his fists down toward Crocodile. The sheer force of the attack sent ripples through the air, creating shockwaves that flattened the surrounding landscape. Crocodile barely managed to evade, using his Logia powers to disperse into sand and reform further away.
Even as he reformed, however, Crocodile was breathing heavily. His mastery of Haki had improved, but he wasn't on the same level as Jozu. Every blow from the Whitebeard commander was crushing, his power augmented by years of battle-hardened experience.
"You've always been reckless," Crocodile hissed, trying to mask the exhaustion creeping into his voice. He formed another sand blade with his hands, coating it with Haki. "But brute strength alone won't save you!"
With a swift motion, Crocodile slashed at Jozu with the sand blade. But Jozu was prepared. He blocked the attack with his arm, his diamond skin reinforced with Haki. The blade clanged against his diamond armor, sparks flying as the two forces clashed.
Jozu smirked. "Maybe not. But it's enough to beat a little sand lizard like you."
Before Crocodile could react, Jozu twisted his body and delivered a devastating punch to Crocodile's midsection. His fist, coated in advanced Armament Haki, slammed into Crocodile with bone-crushing force. The Warlord's eyes widened in shock as the blow connected, sending him flying backward. He crashed into the ground, skidding across the battlefield and leaving a deep trench in his wake.
Crocodile lay on the ground, coughing and gasping for breath. He tried to stand, but his body was slow to respond. Blood dripped from his lips, and he clutched his side in pain.
Jozu approached him, his diamond form gleaming, his shadow looming over Crocodile. "You've improved, but you're not ready to take on the top commanders of the Whitebeard Pirates."
Crocodile grit his teeth, anger and frustration boiling within him, but he knew Jozu was right. His mastery of Haki, while impressive, still had a long way to go. The fight had been one-sided from the start.
Jozu turned away, his diamond skin shimmering in the sun. "When you've learned more than the basics of Haki, maybe we'll fight again. Until then, put more effort into your training."
*****
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Silent_stiele
Silent_stiele Dear Readers,
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