One Piece: Reborn in God's Valley

Ten minutes earlier.

Dressrosa, a flower field on the southern side of Central Avenue.

The sun had just begun to rise. Rows of sunflowers stretched their petals wide, as though welcoming the new day with golden smiles.

"Your Majesty, please hang on. Dressrosa can't survive without you."

Tank, the army captain, was pressing hard against Riku's chest, blood gushing from between his fingers in rhythmic spurts.

He was overwhelmed with guilt. Just moments ago, when Marco had been chasing after Komilin, a pirate had seized an opening. 

With a single Shigan, a flying finger thrust, he aimed straight for Tank's skull.

Had Riku not thrown himself in the way to shield him, Tank would already be dead.

"Haa… haa… I… can still hold on… What's the situation over there?"

Riku's voice was rasping, broken into gasps. Each word sounded like it might be his last.

"Please stop talking. The bleeding's out of control."

Tank was panicking now. The color had drained from Riku's face. The blood loss was severe. 

"Don't worry, that Marco guy… somehow… he's recovered. I don't know how, but he's up again."

He said it only to comfort the king, to stop him from speaking. In truth, Marco's condition was far from good.

"Pant… You're with the World Government, aren't you? That Shigan was too precise. You're not just some grunt."

Wiping the blood from the corner of his mouth, Marco panted heavily. The constant use of his regenerative powers was rapidly depleting his stamina. He had no choice but to stop.

That last Shigan made one thing clear, Komilin wasn't the strongest of his crew. The real threat had been hiding in the shadows all along, Ulrich.

"Hmph! Seems I can't hide this identity anymore. But it's too late for you to realize that now."

Ulrich's narrow, triangle-shaped eyes gleamed coldly. He kicked out a Rankyaku, sending a slicing air blade at Marco.

At the same time, Komilin's tongue shot forward like a lightning strike.

Tch!

Marco was already at his limit. Faced with attacks from both sides, he had no choice but to take the lesser blow.

He dodged Komilin's tongue and took the brunt of Ulrich's Rankyaku. The sharp blade slashed into his shoulder, nearly knocking him off his feet.

"You… sided with the World Government? If word gets out, you'll be driven out of the New World, Komilin."

Marco gritted his teeth. He had to figure out the truth, was the attack on Whitebeard's hometown a coincidence? Or was it under World Government orders?

If it was the latter, he had to return and warn Pops immediately. If the World Government had discovered that place, the Whitebeard Pirates would be at a serious disadvantage.

As for escaping? Marco wasn't too worried. He could still fly. He had just enough energy left to get away if he really needed to.

"Whether I was or not doesn't matter now. From this moment on, I am."

Ulrich laughed darkly, glancing sideways at Komilin as if waiting for his response.

"That's right. I'm done being some stupid pirate. From now on, I serve the World Government."

Komilin eagerly declared his allegiance the moment Ulrich looked his way. There was no hint of the pride he once held as captain, only flattery.

He finally understood now. The reason Ulrich's plans were always flawlessly executed… It was because he had the World Government backing him. 

With them behind him, what intelligence couldn't he get?

And besides, who would believe he wasn't aligned with the World Government now? 

The Whitebeard Pirates certainly wouldn't let him live. And if the news got out, every pirate in the New World would be after his head.

Rather than be hunted by the world, he might as well switch sides. Maybe he'd even get a cushy post in the government.

"Very good, Komilin. If this mission ends in success, I'll recommend you for CP0."

Ulrich was pleased. Not only would they acquire the Helgrave Pirates' technology, they'd also bring in a notorious pirate. This success would look good to the elders.

He turned back to Marco and said to Komilin, "Let's take him together. Capturing him alive will be a huge bonus."

…

A few minutes later, in the sky.

On the back of Abbas the eagle, Ashen was witnessing a surprising scene.

"Isn't that Marco? What's he doing here? And… he's been captured?"

Then he spotted Riku collapsed on the ground nearby. Understanding dawned.

"No time to figure it out. First, I'm killing those two."

On the ground below, Ulrich was walking toward the unconscious King Riku, while Komilin followed behind smugly, carrying Marco like a trophy.

Boom!

A shadow crashed heavily in front of them, flattening a swath of sunflowers with the force of his landing.

"Put him down."

Ashen's voice was dark and low. Seeing Marco and Riku's wounds filled him with a deep, simmering rage.

Soru!

Ulrich instantly vanished and reappeared beside Komilin. His sharp fingers pressed against Marco's temple.

"So… My mission failed, huh? If you're here, that means those two idiots are already dead."

He narrowed his eyes at Ashen. 

"Don't move, or I'll kill him."

As Ashen took another step forward, Ulrich's fingers pulsed with Armament Haki. His nails pierced Marco's skin, drawing blood.

If he couldn't complete the original mission, delivering Marco might still satisfy the Celestial Dragons.

"Captain. You must save Marco. Without him… we'd all be dead."

Riku's hoarse voice rang out one last time before he fainted.

"Heh…heh… Don't come any closer."

Ulrich began backing away, fully confident now that he held Marco hostage.

"I said put him down."

Vmm!!! 

Ashen had reached his limit. 

The Nether energy read flared from within him, and Conqueror's Haki exploded outward in a violent surge, crashing down upon Ulrich and Komilin like a tidal wave.

"Ugh…."

The overwhelming aura, imperious and absolute, struck both men like a hammer to the soul. Their eyes went vacant in an instant.

Clang!

The massive black sword, Anduril, slid from its sheath. In Ulrich's dazed gaze, the black sword aura expanded, devouring the air around it.

Slash!

The once-smug Ulrich barely had time to gasp. A crack split his skull from the crown down. Blood and brain matter spilled from the widening fissure as it tore through his body.

"Aaaaaaaah…."

Komilin snapped back to his senses just in time to see Ulrich's lifeless body collapse, cleaved clean in two. His tongue lolled out in terror.

"Mmgh!!."

Before he could retract it, the very blade that had ended Ulrich drove straight into Komilin's mouth, piercing through the back of his skull and out the other side.

"Disgusting thing!"

With a kick, Ashen sent Komilin's corpse flying. He caught Marco as he stumbled forward and asked, "You alright?"

"I'm fine… Thanks. But uh, mind pulling that thing out of my thigh?"

Marco looked down at his left leg, wincing.

Ashen knelt and carefully inspected the wound. After a moment of searching, he pulled out a tiny object embedded deep in the muscle.

It was a fingernail… made of Sea Stone.

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