If Zoro and Saka were the characters in the dramas before Polusalino crossed over, the two would definitely stage a bloody drama of "one is persuaded to leave, and the other is unwilling to leave, but neither has taken actual action", and it will also be interspersed with some extremely empty words that show the deep relationship between the two.

But unfortunately, Saka and Zoro are best friends who grew up together and practiced swordsmanship together in the Kenjutsu Dojo - even if they haven't seen each other for a long time, they still have a real tacit understanding and trust in each other.

So Zoro nodded without hesitation, approved Saka's idea, turned around and cut down all the pirates in front of him, killed a bloody path, and returned to the cargo ship like a bridge with the fallen mast, wanting to find the pirate captain who Saka might fish in troubled waters.

And yet—

"You can't die...... Zoro! ”

Saka looked down at the bottom of the cabin, where the pirates stored their cannonballs. Saka did not tell Sauron that there was already a fire there and would soon explode.

Rumble!!!

The pirate ship suddenly erupted with flames like red lotuses, and the huge explosion almost overturned even the cargo ship on the side.

"Saka!"

Zoro grabbed the side of the ship and steadied himself, completely bewildered as he watched his friend surrounded by flames like that, completely frozen as the pirate ship sank to the bottom of the sea.

Later, although Saka miraculously survived the explosion of the pirate ship, his right arm was also very badly injured and has been scrapped ever since. Then, in a daze, Saka boarded the ship bound for the Great Voyage, where he drifted frustratedly until he came to the island. ”

Finally finished talking about Saka and Zoro's past, and Maya also took a deep breath.

"In other words, that person is Sauron's savior......"

"Agreed?"

Frankie and Chopper were still pondering.

"I understand the story of Saka and Zoro, but Miss Maya, you and Saka...... Do you say ......"

Nami's dark crystal eyes were full of heroism as she looked at Maya.

Maya also felt the sensitive part of Nami's words, and fell silent in a daze.

"When he first came to this island, Saka lost his right hand, which was very important as a swordsman, so he was dead every day. However, under Miss Maya's constant encouragement and gentle persuasion, he seems to gradually open his heart and become full of hope for life again. He also lived with us villagers, and even taught us some simple moves. ”

Lacks replied in place of Maya.

"I also thought about getting the two of them married and living in this village like this."

"Huh?"

Listening to the old woman's words, Chopper showed a surprised expression, as a reindeer, its reaction in this regard can only be said to be not surprising: "Miss Maya, the man named Saka......"

That is, Maya and Saka were once a pair of lovers.

The sadness in his heart, thinking of those sad memories of Maya, seemed to be stabbed in the chest with a sharp knife, and ran away from everyone with his face covered.

She stopped on a high platform in the middle of the village overlooking the entire lake.

The wind—as if it was constantly teasing Maya's long hair.

"It was half a year ago,"

Lax said as he looked at Maya's back, "The pirates attacked this peaceful island, and Saka and we picked up the sword with us, intending to fight the pirates. It was a battle that I still can't help but be afraid of when I think about it, and everything has been out of control since then. ”

"In that castle in the lake, Saka became the host of the sealed 'Ultimate Killing and Destruction', resurrecting the cursed Demon Sword Seven Star Sword."

Maya began to speak again.

……

The short knife that Saka was holding in his left hand was knocked to the ground.

Saka, who had been chased to the castle in the lake with no way out, was slashed by the pirates and fell on a sarcophagus placed in one of the castle's rooms.

Maya, who wanted to protect Saka, was also knocked to the ground by the pirates.

If one arm can't move freely, it's already a loss for the swordsman, and now he can't even protect one of the girls he loves - Saka, who feels this sense of powerlessness and despair, curses his fate to everyone.

(If I had the strength......)

Saka longs for power, very much for the power he once lost!

Now, as long as you can kill these pirates, whether it's a demon or a god, anyone else, you can give them your soul!

And the "ultimate killing and destruction" awakened by the once cursed Holy Sword Seven Star Sword happened to be sealed in this sarcophagus.

Saka's blood, having lost everything, seeped into the sarcophagus.

"No, you can't! Put it down, Saka! ”

Maya was too late to stop it......

An apple with a strange pattern, as if attracted by Saka's blood, floated slightly from the sarcophagus, attracting everyone's attention, and then Saka grabbed it and bit it down.

"Hahaha...... That's power! ”

Saka laughed - laughing at the weakness of the pirates, laughing at his own weakness.

Feeling the absolute power that this fruit brought to him, Saka suddenly felt a sense of sadness—the harsh cultivation he had started since he was very young was really too insignificant compared to this power.

"Why ......"

Covered in the blood of the pirates who had been brutalized by Saka, Maya looked in despair at the demonic Saka in front of her, her once righteous and admirable lover, who was now shuddering.

"Hey, hey, hey...... Hehehe...... Hahaha! ”

……

"I see, it was to protect Miss Maya that Saka ate the fruit...... Is that fruit the legendary 'Ultimate Killing and Destruction' that has been sealed? ”

"Listen to your description, Miss Maya...... Could it be a Devil Fruit? ”

"I don't know," Maya shook her head, "anyway, after Saka ate that fruit, he gained the strength of a swordsman, even beyond his original strength, and completely regained his self-esteem. ”

Finally finishing the incident that happened half a year ago, Maya let out a long sigh of relief.

"Self-esteem? For the sake of this, can even the heart that wants to love others be abandoned? ”

Chopper stared at Maya's back with tears of sadness streaming from his eyes with a complicated expression.

"If only we could protect Miss Maya......"

"Don't talk about Lacs, no one needs to blame themselves."

Facing Lacs, who clenched his fists and kept remorse, the old woman persuaded in that majestic and gentle language.

"Since that day half a year ago, Saka has been dominated by the 'ultimate killing and destruction'. Then Saka, no, 'Ultimate Killing and Destruction' resurrected the Demon Sword Seven Stars and rallied the navy. In order to get more people's blood, so that this sea can once again be dominated by the forces of darkness......"

"And when that time comes, the 'ultimate killing and destruction' will be fully awakened in Saka's body, and our world will enter the ...... of destruction in a never-ending struggle."

……

"I've been walking around since yesterday and I can't do it anymore. Our physical strength is limited! We have to think of a reasonable countermeasure! ”

Watching the night come again from the depths of the cave, Sanji lit the last cigarette and sat down on the ground.

"Hmm."

Luffy was in front of Sanji, as if he had really listened to Sanji's thoughts, and looked left and right with that rare expression. Suddenly, he struck his palm.

"That's right! The exit is right here! ”

"Wait Luffy!"

"Huh?"

"I suddenly felt that if I followed the path of your idiot and went in the opposite direction, I might be able to get out!"

Sanji quickly stood up, grabbed Luffy's arm, and walked in the opposite direction to Luffy's choice.

And then—

"Bad luck, bad luck, bad luck!"

"Hahaha! It's so interesting! ”

Instead of choosing to deal with the stones as before, the two of them stood on them, like monkeys stepping on a ball in a circus, completely unconsciously following the rolling of the stones and falling into the depths of the cave.

"Huh?"

"Luffy?"

"The sound of water!"

Before the smoke and dust caused by the rolling stones dissipated, Luffy quickly crawled out of the middle of the rocks, and with the light of the glowing plants, he walked towards the source of the sound of water.

In the depths of the cavern, in a hall like a space, there is a spring with beautiful water gushing out of it, filling the ground.

"Water? So, if there's water here......"

"Hey, Sanji!"

"What's wrong?"

"I found something strange."

While Sanji was thinking, Luffy had already bent down into the water and picked up something from the water.

"Hey! Don't mess around with weird things! ”

"Wow!"

Luffy's foot suddenly slipped on the slippery rock, and one accidentally hit the wall of the cave again.

Bang!

A button-like rock on the wall was also pressed down.

"Luffy...... What did you do......"

"Wow——!"

The spring seemed to explode suddenly, squirting water out.

The cave was filled with water in an instant, and it looked like a flood in terms of the amount of water!

and—

"Help, Sanji! I can't swim! ”

"I knew it was sea!"

In the impact of the current, Luffy coiled on Sanji's body like an octopus, and the precious sunglasses were clutched in his hands.

"It's disgusting! Don't cross your legs! Luffy! Damn it! ”

"Walking in the water - propellers!"

……

"Mother-in-law, is there no other way to stop this?"

Nami asked Maya's grandmother.

"The three orbs that were supposed to be placed in the pagoda have been taken away, and we can't hold the ceremony."

The mother-in-law shook her head and said.

"It's all a good thing that Zoro did!"

Both Frankie and Nami silently accepted the meaning of Chopper's words.

"So you can only wait helplessly for the darkness to dominate the world?"

Nami continued.

"There's only one last way left."

"Maya!"

The old woman's voice was stern and tried to stop her granddaughter's decision, as if she had made up her mind.

"What else can be done?"

"The legendary shrine maiden is my ancestor, so I'm the only one left to give my life...... I don't know exactly how, but ......"

"Give your life? That is, will Maya die? ”

Frankie looked at her in surprise.

"What are you talking about, Miss Maya? This old story is just a legend, right? I don't believe Maya can make this end by sacrificing herself! What a fool's errand! ”

Chopper shouted.

"However, whether it is the Seven Star Sword or the 'Ultimate Killing and Destruction' that resides in Saka's body, they are all real."

"Mother-in-law......"

"Saka's heart was taken away, and that power took Saka away from me......"

Maya finally hid her face in front of everyone this time and whimpered.

"If you don't seal it, there will be an even greater tragedy! The more people will be hurt! ”

"Is it for this reason that Miss Maya, who was once saved by her lover, to put in again?!"

Chopper couldn't accept Maya's decision to sacrifice her life.

"I know!"

The old woman suddenly looked at everyone with a serious expression.

“……”

"Maya knows that—but that's true, it's the fate of those of us who have inherited Askar's shrine maiden bloodline."

"Fate?"

"All of us are descendants of shrine maidens. In particular, Maya's ability is a complete inheritance of the ability of the Askar Witch! It can be said that there will be one such person on this island for a hundred years! ”

"On the night of the red full moon, which comes once in a hundred years, the ceremony of sealing is performed with the orb in hand. So every 100 years, a young girl who has fully inherited the abilities of the Askar Witch will appear, right? ”

Nami remembered another similar legend that Polusalino had told her—that every 800 years, there would only be one mermaid princess who could communicate with the sea kings, the king of the sea kings......

(End of chapter)