Hancock withdrew her hand.
King had already sunk to the bottom of the sea.
She flicked a glance at the surface—like tossing away trash without a second thought—then turned into a streak of pink light and returned to the sleeping palace.
Inside, the lamps still glowed warm and soft.
Nami was still asleep. Nojiko lifted her head to look at Hancock.
Hancock didn't explain. She padded lightly to the bed.
Rei Ao sat at the head of it, his hand resting by the edge of Nami's blanket.
Hearing footsteps, he looked up. Hancock threw herself into his arms and wrapped her arms around his neck.
"Rei Ao-sama."
She buried her face in the hollow of his shoulder, voice muffled, ending with a little spoiled lilt.
"A bad guy nad King ca to steal our territory. I tossed him into the sea."
Rei Ao didn't move. He stayed quiet for three seconds, then raised an arm and drew her waist in.
"The Beast Pirates."
He repeated the na, tone flat—flat like he was reading off a nu.
But Hancock could tell: he was "two-four-three" angry.
Not rage. More like—you touched what's mine, so you no longer get to exist—calm.
She lifted her head, eyes sparkling as she looked at him.
"Yeah. He said Kaido wants to conquer Amazon Lily and make it his territory."
Rei Ao was already on his feet. He lifted his hand and loosely closed his fingers—space tore open like fabric.
The裂缝 was pitch-black, with tiny flecks of light crumbling off its edges.
He took Hancock's hand.
"Co. We'll wipe out the Beast Pirates."
…
Onigashima, Wano.
The Beast Pirates were in the middle of a feast.
Barrels littered the floor, at bones thrown everywhere.
The Tobi Roppo were drunk and swaying. Queen hugged a jug and snored.
Kaido sat atop the highest throne. He tipped his head back and drank, liquor running down the corners of his mouth and soaking his beard. His eyes were half-lidded, his expression satisfied.
The New World was in chaos. The World Governnt had collapsed. The Navy was too busy saving itself.
Territory, resources, weapons—everything was up for grabs.
This was the era he'd been waiting for.
After a mont, Kaido set down his jug. "Wororororo… why isn't that guy King back yet?"
Queen cracked open one bleary eye. "Said he went to Amazon Lily."
"That won's country?" Kaido clicked his tongue. "Tch. He sure knows how to pick his jobs."
Kaido snorted.
"The Calm Belt—easy to defend, hard to attack. Taking it would be good."
He raised his jug again.
"When King gets back—"
Before he could finish, the space above Onigashima shattered.
Not cracked—shattered, like glass struck by a sledgehamr.
Rei Ao stepped out of the裂缝, holding Hancock's hand.
Night wind poured into Onigashima.
The roar of the banquet got its throat cut—everyone looked up.
Kaido lowered his jug, bell-like eyes narrowing.
"Who the hell are you?"
Rei Ao didn't answer. He flicked his hand as if tossing sothing aside.
A stone statue dropped from midair and slamd into the center of the banquet.
Stone chips exploded outward.
King's face was frozen in the final instant of petrification—shock, confusion, unwillingness.
Kaido stared at that face for three seconds.
Then he stood, haki surging as the air rippled into visible waves.
"KING!!"
He roared.
The sound detonated, splitting barrels as the entire Beast Pirates crew erupted.
"Calamity-sama!"
"Kill them!!"
Blades rang free. Guns ca up. Devil Fruit users started transforming.
Hancock stepped forward half a pace.
She didn't ask Rei Ao.
She simply raised a hand.
Pink light rippled out again.
This ti it wasn't aid—this was a full-area sweep.
ro ro llow rolled out like a tide, centered on her, and in an instant swallowed the whole of Onigashima.
Queen's gun hand locked in place.
The Tobi Roppo froze mid-transformation. The fodder didn't even have ti to scream.
One statue after another ford—like soone hit pause. The hall fell silent, leaving only Kaido still standing.
He looked around.
Everyone—everyone—petrified.
He turned and locked onto Hancock, eyes murderous.
"You woman—"
Hancock lifted her chin.
No explanation. None needed.
Kaido didn't waste words either. He sucked in a breath, his body swelling.
"ROAR!!"
Azure scales rolled up from beneath his skin. Dragon horns punched through his forehead. Whiskers whipped violently in the night wind.
An azure dragon, blotting out the sky.
"ROAR!!"
The dragon's cry shook all of Wano.
"Arrogant fools—"
His maw opened, heat gathering in his throat.
"I'LL KILL YOU—"
Rei Ao lifted his gaze.
He didn't dodge. He simply raised a hand, loosely closed his fingers, and gave the empty air a gentle grip.
Before the blast could fire, Kaido's body abruptly stiffened.
No—not his body.
His power.
The Devil Fruit he'd eaten—Fish-Fish Fruit, Mythical Zoan: Azure Dragon—was being stripped away.
Not nullified. Not suppressed.
Pulled out. Peeled off…
Like drawing thread—like reaching barehanded into a boiling pot of oil and pulling fla out strand by strand.
Kaido felt sothing inside him snap.
The dragon form couldn't hold.
Scales faded. Horns shrank back. His body rapidly collapsed in size, and he crashed onto the floor of Onigashima in human form.
His face was full of shock. Full of bafflent. He opened his mouth to speak—
Hancock's ro ro llow was already falling over him.
Kaido's petrification wasn't fast.
It crawled up from his feet, inch by inch.
He stared at Rei Ao.
To the very last mont, he couldn't understand what that ability was—or what kind of person this was.
Onigashima lost balance.
Kaido's throne collapsed. The banquet hall's do split apart.
The entire island began to tilt, then drop.
Rei Ao didn't look back.
He tore open space again, took Hancock's hand, and stepped through.
Behind them, Onigashima smashed into the waters off Wano.
A massive wave surged thirty ters high, a tsunami rushing toward the shore.
Kaido's stone statue sank into the deep.
…
The sleeping palace on Amazon Lily.
The lamps still glowed warm and soft.
Nami was still asleep.
She rolled over and hugged her wallet to her chest.
Nojiko heard footsteps. She looked up and saw Rei Ao step out of the裂缝, hand in hand with Hancock.
They'd gone out and co back without even rumpling the hem of their clothes.
Nojiko opened her mouth, wanting to ask sothing—then felt like anything she asked would be wrong.
In the end she forced out a few words: "…It's handled?"
Rei Ao nodded.
He didn't elaborate.
He sat back down at the bedside, hand returning to the edge of Nami's blanket. Hancock leaned against his shoulder.
Outside, the Calm Belt was still windless.
But Hancock knew: from tonight onward, Amazon Lily wasn't just the Won's Country.
It was Rei Ao's territory.
A place no one could covet.
She curved her lips and closed her eyes.
Robin was still by the window. She nudged her glasses up, watching the distant white line of a giant wave that still hadn't settled.
She didn't ask where Rei Ao had gone.
But she could guess. The World Governnt had fallen, the New World had no king.
In tis like this, so people fought for territory, so fought for resources—
and so just protected what they wanted to protect.
Softly, she said, "The stars tonight are brighter than last night."
Rei Ao didn't answer. Hancock didn't open her eyes. Nojiko glanced out the window.
"Yeah," she said. "Much brighter."
The night was still long.
And the lights of Amazon Lily never went out.
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