Reincarnated into the world of One Piece, in a land of giants with open eyes?!

Chapter 105: Even the heaviest rain cannot wash it away.

Chapter 106: Even the heaviest rain cannot wash it away.

As the last glimmer of red light on the horizon was about to disappear, the last fleet on this infernal island set sail.

There were five ships in total: three warships and two transport ships, carrying more than a thousand soldiers who had decided to follow Zephyr and Garp.

With sails billowing in the wind, the bow cleaved through the waves as the ship sailed in the opposite direction from Enies Lobby.

Garp stood at the stern of the dog-headed warship, watching the island grow smaller and smaller, more and more blurry, until it finally became a black dot on the horizon.

As darkness fell, stars began to appear, and a crescent moon hung in the eastern sky, casting a cool, clear light.

He stood there for a long time until Zefa came over with two bottles of wine and handed him one.

"Want some drinks?"

Karp took the bottle, bit off the cap with his teeth, and took a big gulp.

The liquor was strong, burning his throat, but he didn't stop. He took a few more gulps until half the bottle was gone, then he finally stopped, panting.

"Where to next?" he asked.

"Let's go to a temporary base I've prepared first."

Zefa also took a sip of his drink: "It's on the edge of the Calm Belt, very secluded. Let them settle in, rest for a few days, and then decide on the next step."

"and then?"

"Then----"

Zefa looked at the distant sea: "Then we need more people, more ships, and more resources."

"We need a place where we can truly establish ourselves."

"What about the person who's been keeping you as a sugar daddy?"

Zeff was caught off guard and choked by Garp's words: "Watch your words! You bastard! Cooperation! Do you understand cooperation?!"

Garp gave Law Enforcer a knowing look, which infuriated Zeff. He took a breath before continuing, "He will provide support—money, supplies, and intelligence—but he also has his own things to do, and—we can't rely on him completely."

Karp nodded, took another sip of his drink, and the alcohol began to take effect, warming his body but making his mind even clearer.

He was so lucid that he could recall every detail of that long river of blood and flesh.

"Zefa".

"Hiccup, just say what's on your mind. You're not one to fuss over nothing."

Have you ever regretted it?

Garp asked, "Leave the Navy and start this new Navy?"

Zefa remained silent for a moment.

"I regretted it."

He answered honestly, "I regret not leaving sooner."

"I regret not discovering it sooner. Some things are rotten to the core and can't be repaired. The only option is to break them down, throw them into the furnace, melt them down, and then reshape them."

Garp laughed, a hint of relief in his voice: "You're right! If it's broken, it's broken! Just break it and start over!"

The two clinked their bottles together and took a big gulp.

As night deepened, the fleet sailed under the starry sky. The sounds of the waves, the wind, and the creaking of the sails blended together, becoming the most common accompaniment on this vast sea.

Behind them, the blood-stained island had completely vanished into the darkness and was no longer visible.

It started raining on that island.

The rain started after nightfall, initially just a light drizzle, but then it grew heavier and heavier, threatening to turn into a storm.

Rain poured onto the still-smoking ruins, hissing and creating a cloud of white mist.

The flames were extinguished, the last glimmer of light vanished, and the entire island sank into darkness, with only the sound of rain and waves crashing against the rocks.

Sengoku lay on his back on the ruins, and hadn't moved since Garp's punch.

The mask was still on his face, and rainwater flowed down the curve of the mask, into his collar, and soaked through his coat of justice.

Raindrops pattered against the mask, making a dense tapping sound.

Rainwater seeped into his mask, making it difficult for him to breathe.

But he still did not take off his mask.

He lay there for what seemed like an eternity, then vaguely heard footsteps.

The footsteps were very light, making a soft pattering sound on the wet ground, as they approached.

Zhan Guo did not move or turn his head; he simply listened.

The footsteps stopped beside him, and then the rain stopped.

No, it's not that the rain stopped, it's that someone held up an umbrella and blocked the rain from above him.

"Arise, Sengoku."

It was the sound of a crane.

After waiting for a while, seeing that Sengoku, who was lying on the ground, still did not move, Tsuru squatted down and placed another umbrella on his chest.

"They've gone far away."

Crane's voice was as cold as ever: "Zefa should have a plan. If all else fails, he can ask his backer for help."

Sengoku finally moved. He slowly raised his hand, grabbed the mask on his face, and slowly removed it.

Beneath the mask was his face, without wounds or blood, but his complexion was frighteningly pale, his eyes were bloodshot, and his lips were tightly pursed.

He tossed the mask aside; it landed on the gravel, rolled a few times, and came to rest next to a piece of charred wood.

"crane."

He spoke, his voice hoarse: "Why didn't you go with them?"

"If I leave too, what will happen to those ordinary naval soldiers? Are you going to put the burden of millions of people on your shoulders?"

"I'm more patient than Garp, smarter than you, and more conscientious than both of you bastards."

He answered naturally, as if it were the most obvious thing in the world. She squatted there, holding an umbrella in one hand, her neat short hair wet with rain, sticking to her young face.

Sengoku remained silent for a moment, then propped himself up on the ground and slowly sat up.

It took him some effort to sit up. After catching his breath, he reached for the umbrella on his chest, opened it, and held it above his head.

"crane."

Sengoku's voice calmed down somewhat: "You've been in contact with Zephyr, haven't you?"

"Yes."

Tsuru did not deny it: "But I did not leak any naval secrets. I found this island and found you by following them."

"You knew all along what was happening here?"

I guessed part of it.

Tsuru said, "But I have no evidence. And even if I did, what could a mere lieutenant general like me, without Garp's military might, possibly do?"

Zhan Guo remained silent, gazing at the ruins before him, at the gray remains that were faintly visible through the rain.

The rain diluted the bloodstains and washed away the ashes, but it couldn't wash away the burnt chemical smell, which had been the smell of death for the past few days.

"Garp's punch—"

He suddenly said, "Actually, it could be a little heavier."

"He held back."

He smoothed his short, wet hair: "He always goes easy on you."

"He should have killed me."

"I'll kill you, and then what?"

Zhan Guo did not answer, and He did not press for an answer. The two listened to the sound of rain in silence.

The rain was getting heavier and heavier, pattering against the umbrella. The sea that Garp and Zephyr had sailed away from was completely obscured by the rain, and nothing could be seen.

After a long while, Zhan Guo asked, "What do we do next?"

"Answer me one question first."

He looked up at the increasingly hazy coastline in the heavy rain: "What are you planning to do next?"

"Should we keep wearing the mask and head to the next island? Or return to Marine Fendo?"

"The ten-day trial is just around the corner; you can feign illness or injury."

Sengoku stared at the umbrella handle in his hand for a long time.

"I don't know," was the only answer he could give.

"Then let's not think about it for now."

Crane stood up and extended her hand to him: "Leave here first."

Zhan Guo looked at her outstretched hand. It was a steady hand with long, slender fingers and neatly trimmed nails.

He hesitated for a moment, then grasped the hand and used it to stand up. He stumbled as he stood, and the crane steadied him.

"The boat is over there."

Crane pointed in the direction of the dock: "A small ship, with just a few of my trusted men."

Sengoku nodded dejectedly, followed the crane a few steps, and then looked back at the ruins, the hell he had helped build.

The rain was still falling, washing over the ruins, the bloodstains, and everything else.

However, even the heaviest rain couldn't wash away the burnt, fishy smell.