About an hour later, a red cape, a pair of black boots, and a blue fitted waistcoat with multiple stitched pockets appeared on the altar before Ebner.
As it was already late, he praised "The Fool" briefly, then began to change into his new attire.
He had to admit, Xio's taste was quite good—the size she chose was just right for Ebner.
The stitching on the pockets, however, was a bit rough... Did Xio sew those herself?
After organizing his talismans into the respective pockets, Ebner found himself picturing Xio working diligently with needle and thread, and a small smile crept to his lips.
Shaking off such thoughts, he turned his attention back to equipping himself:
The "Heart of Flame" pendant was secured around his neck, hidden beneath his shirt; "Lily's Tear" was tucked at his wrist, ready at his fingertips; the "Ring of Light" adorned his left index finger; he wore a tinted "Hand of Wisdom" glove on his right hand; and the "Puppet Strings" was placed in his left chest pocket, taken from the blood-stained jewelry box. Finally, he strapped on the long-lost "Sword of Dawn" across his back—few had seen the sword in combat, so he wasn't worried about being recognized by it.
As for the rapier from Ludwell, gifted by Jane, he chose not to bring it—its utility was limited, and it was too conspicuous, making him easy to identify among other pirates.
Once he was fully equipped, Ebner activated his "Pure White Eye" to calm the minor disturbances between his items before using "Psychology Stealth" and "Door Opening," slipping out of his cabin and into the sea. From there, he used his "Water Manipulation" abilities to quickly swim toward his meeting point with Vice Admiral Iceberg.
Since this "Doctor Strange" couldn't open portals, Ebner had little choice but to adopt "Aquaman's" method of moving—at least, the one from the comics.
At this moment, before this feared ship that could make even the boldest sailors tremble, a towering figure of a man floated alone on the sea, standing over five meters tall and clad in intricate silver armor.
He drove the massive orange-glowing greatsword in his hands downward, piercing through the water's surface and into the seabed below.
An invisible barrier arose around the Black Emperor, trapping it within.
"Nast, you'll stay here for now," the silver giant's rough voice echoed over the waves.
"Panin, it was Agalito who killed your son." The King of the Five Seas' voice was deep and resonant as it emanated from the Black Emperor.
"I know that. But I'll settle with him after he kills Maria!" The silver giant, whose name was Nyango Ezima Panin, responded without a trace of hesitation.
"If that's the case, then knowingly transgressing... You are guilty."
As these words fell, the invisible barrier shattered instantly, and Panin seemed to suffer a severe blow, unable to maintain his giant form. He reverted to his "normal" height of two meters and three centimeters.
Wiping blood from the corner of his mouth, he muttered in disbelief, "How could this be?"
"You're not a true 'Silver Knight,' so naturally, there are flaws to exploit... especially when I've prepared for your appearance in advance. Did you truly believe the sea floor was the sea floor?" The majestic voice resounded again.
Nast answering his question directly? And in that tone? This thought had barely flashed in Panin's mind when he suddenly realized the truth. His expression darkened as he turned his sharp gaze toward the captain's quarters on the Black Emperor, demanding, "You're not Nast! Where is he, and who are you?"
"Oh dear, you've seen through me so soon. What a shame..." After a few seconds of silence, a tall and slender figure stepped elegantly out of the captain's quarters, speaking with a hint of regret.
It was a man in a red suit with round glasses and a long, narrow face. Looking up at Panin floating above, he placed a hand on his chest and bowed, saying, "A pleasure to meet you, Mr. Panin. I am Adabao."
"Adabao?! Are you the Adabao who Roselle secretly titled the 'Duke of Terror'?" Panin was visibly startled upon hearing the name, and he quickly guessed where Nast might be at this moment. He activated a mystical item, intending to leave as fast as possible.
But his escape attempt failed. The invisible barrier he had created earlier reappeared—this time trapping him within.
"In fact, Roselle preferred calling me the 'Terror Duke'... though I could sense a peculiar satisfaction in him every time he used that name..." Adabao responded first to Panin's question before bowing again, this time elegantly, and continued, "The Earl of White Maple may be absent, but he temporarily granted me partial command over the Black Emperor. With this authority, I can 'exploit' certain flaws and 'utilize' your own abilities against you.
"As you know, second to the 'Black Emperor,' we demons are the best at finding loopholes."
Adabao's tone only fueled Panin's fury, but he quickly suppressed it. Exposing emotional shifts before a "Whisperer" was a death wish!
As the other had said, demons were adept at exploiting not only loopholes in rules... but vulnerabilities of the heart as well.
"It's too late, Mr. Panin." This time, Adabao's voice sounded close to Panin's ear.
Meanwhile, the Pale Maiden, all in white, was blocked by a massive ship nearly two hundred meters long, with bow and stern curving upward like a crescent moon.
"The Death Announcer!" a voice filled with solemnity came from the first officer, Kent.
"But how did Agalito know we were here? We changed our course several times..." Second Officer Nico murmured in disbelief.
At this moment, Maria, who had been standing motionless with her eyes closed, leaning on her sword, suddenly opened her eyes. She turned slightly, casting an emotionless gaze toward a nearby blond-haired youth.
The youth, caught by her gaze, paled instantly, nearly collapsing to his knees. He stammered, "It wasn't me! It wasn't me!"
The surrounding sailors understood immediately, and curses and scornful comments were flung his way.
Nico walked over and kicked him in the chest, knocking him to the ground, cursing, "Ben! Are you even human? The captain once risked her life to kill an 8,000-pound bounty pirate just to avenge you! And now... now you betray her?"
As she continued, Nico's eyes began to redden.
"What could I do? The Immortal King's voice was right in my ear! If I didn't obey, I'd be dead!" The blond youth, Ben, finally broke down, shouting in his defense.
"Only those with wicked thoughts fall prey to demons." Admiral Pale Maria's face remained impassive as she spoke. She drew her ornate greatsword and advanced steadily toward the cowering boy on the floor.
"Captain... please, spare me! I'll never do it again!" Ben, seeing Maria's resolve, sobbed and pleaded desperately.
But his cries couldn't move her. Her steps remained firm, closing the distance.
"Captain..." Nico felt a pang of sympathy and was about to plead for him when First Officer Kent pulled her back, shaking his head.
Once the captain had made up her mind, it couldn't be changed.
Facing his imminent death, the blond boy Ben unleashed a torrent of resentment. "Yes, I did have wicked thoughts about you! But that's normal for a person! And you wouldn't understand... You're just a cold machine! A monster!"
His words barely left his mouth before Maria's sword came down, splitting him in two...
After wiping the blood off her sword, Maria turned swiftly and commanded, "Do not engage the Death Announcer. Alter course and evade it.
"All Beyonders and gunners, prepare for combat."
"Yes, Captain!" Nico and Kent answered in unison.
Once everyone was busy carrying out their orders, Maria bent down to gather Ben's remains, murmuring quietly,
"I indeed lack ordinary human emotions...
"Because I have a 'greater desire!'"