(A/N Just to clarify from the last chapter only the area the blast detonated is inhabitable, that is the northern area with the castle wiping all of them out. So Bonney should be alive a taken away from the island somewhere in the world. Also ill edit it later but Saturn did survive the blast)
The Hunter Pirates had set sail, putting as much distance as possible between themselves and the chaos they left behind. Their plan was simple: lay low, recover, and figure out what to do next. Except for Ronin, who had miraculously come out unscathed, the rest of the crew had been in pretty rough shape. But thanks to the healing potions and a night in the recovery pods, they were back to full strength, as if the brutal battle never happened.
Now, gathered in the kitchen, the crew sat around the table enjoying a hearty breakfast. The smell of freshly cooked eggs and sizzling bacon filled the room, but the atmosphere was thick with unspoken tension.
Ronin, who had been quiet up until now, finally broke the silence. "So, you two gonna talk about what happened back there?" His voice was casual, but the weight of his words hung in the air. "You both came back nearly beaten to death and passed out without saying a word. And, not to mention, there was a massive mushroom cloud that covered half the island."
Te and Koby exchanged glances, their expressions hard to read, but both knew there was no avoiding the conversation any longer.
Koby, leaning back in his chair, let out a sigh. "Yeah… things got out of hand."
Ronin raised an eyebrow. "Out of hand? You blew up half an island. That's more than 'out of hand.' What happened?"
Te, who had been quietly eating, finally spoke up, his voice low. "Saturn happened."
"Saturn? The old guy? Who the hell is he to push both of you to the brink of death like that?"
Te sighed, setting his fork down as he explained. "Like Koby said last night, there are old monsters in this world, and he's one of the worst. He's not just some random old man—he's one of the Gorosei."
Ronin's confusion deepened. "The Gorosei? I've never even heard of them. How does someone like that fly under the radar?"
Te continued, his tone serious. "They're the highest authority in the World Government. Only the top-ranking Marine officers, Celestial Dragons, and pirates way beyond our level even know about them."
Ronin's eyes widened, his voice rising with disbelief. "And one of them was at the Sorbet Kingdom? What the hell was he doing there?"
Te gave a small, sarcastic chuckle. "Yeah, sorry, I didn't exactly have time to ask while he was beating us within an inch of our lives."
Lila, trying to lighten the mood, chimed in, "Well, at least we made it out in one piece, and that's all that matters, right?"
Not exactly," Koby said, his voice serious.
"What do you mean?" Lila asked, her smile fading as she picked up on the tension in his words.
Koby took a deep breath. "As much as I hate to admit it… Saturn probably survived."
"Survived?!" Lila and Ronin both exclaimed, their eyes widening in shock, cutting Koby off before he could finish.
Koby nodded grimly. "Yeah, that last attack might've been enough to send him flying, but someone like him? He's not going down that easy. And if he did survive, there's no way he wouldn't alert the World Government about us. Not only that but a lot of innocent civilians got caught up in the blast from Te's attack. The fallout from that... we'll be blamed for the destruction, no question."
"Guess I'll be a man with a billion Berri," Te chuckled, trying to lighten the mood.
"This is not a joke!" Koby snapped, his voice sharp with frustration. "You ended the lives of a lot of people back there. We're supposed to be adventuring, staying under the radar—not picking fights with the World Government a week into our journey, and definitely not ending the lives of women and children."
Te's smirk faded, and his head lowered. "I'm sorry," he said quietly.
"You're sorry... Look, I know you didn't have much of a choice—it was them or us. But it's still frustrating. After all these years of training, and when it mattered most, we were still so helpless." Koby's voice softened, but his disappointment was clear. Without another word, he stood up and left the kitchen, heading toward his lab.
Te watched his brother walk away, guilt settling heavily in his chest. He stood up as well, feeling the weight of their situation. "Yeah... I'm gonna head out too," he muttered before turning and heading to his room, his earlier bravado now completely gone.
Ronin glanced over at Lila, raising an eyebrow. "What do you make of all this?"
Lila leaned back in her chair, folding her arms. "Honestly, after facing Saturn for just a second and getting wrecked instantly, I don't blame Te for what he did. He didn't have much of a choice. As for being on the World Government's radar... I'm not too worried. What are the odds we run into someone like that again?"
Ronin shrugged, standing up. "I guess you're right. But still, better safe than sorry. I'm gonna go hit the gravity room and get some training in.
keep an eye out for any enemy ships."
Before Lila could respond or object, Ronin quickly hurried out, shouting a quick "Bye!" over his shoulder