The Clandestine Truth

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An infinite black hole was slowly engulfing him in its pitch-black darkness... The void seemed never-ending, and despite his struggles to break free, its pull was relentless, a rush of fear washed over him. The dread gripped his heart, suffocating him with each passing moment, suffusing every fiber of his being with an overwhelming sense of despair...

In the midst of the dark void, a loud and familiar voice suddenly cried out, "Don't leave us, captain!! Don't leave our sideeee!!" Bepo's voice echoed throughout the darkness as he felt himself being pulled farther and farther away....

"No!!!" Law jolted awake, gasping for breath. His heart pounded, and his body was covered in a cold sweat. He quickly sat up, trying to steady his breathing and dispel the lingering fear that clung to him...

"It was just a nightmare...or was it real?!" He questioned himself, feeling an ache in his heart as Bepo's voice still rang in his ears.

Trying to self-meditate and focus, Law slowly began to recollect the most recent events... "Right, I was rescued, managing to cheat death from that cliff..." A moment pause, and then he remembered, "Those little cubs and the Guardian Tree...Are they all safe?!"

Before he rushed to find them, he took a brief respite to check his own conditions. It seemed that his body had rested and replenished quite enough, and his injuries had been treated somehow. How long had he been out cold? he wondered.

Stepping out of the room, he felt a sense of chaotic commotion all around the vessel. The sounds of people walking, chatting, and hurriedly running, giving the ship an unfamiliar buzz of activity. It felt quite strange, as if there were a mass presence of people onboard.

Following the loud commotion, he ventured above towards the main deck of the unfamiliar vessel...

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As soon as the lean surgeon emerged into the open air once again, he was met with a surprising sight. The vicinity was crowded with people who didn't look anywhere like pirates; they appeared to be ordinary civilians of all mixed genders and ages. Some dozed off, others received care from their companions, while a few simply rested.

Yet, an undeniable pallor of exhaustion and lifelessness loomed over all of them...

'Am I really on the Red-Hair Crew's ship?' Law was slightly confused, only to be suddenly greeted by the Red Hair Captain himself, who walked over to him, sporting a wide smile,"Doctor! You're finally awake!! You've been out for three days you know!! There's some serious worry creeping in!"

'Three days? That's unusually long...' perplexed the young man. "I'm quite alright now, Red Hair-ya. Thanks for the treatments and...of course, the timely rescue," he silently acknowledged. There were numerous things he had wanted to ask the taller captain, yet the current situation seemingly took precedence. "By the way, what's happening here? Where did all these people come from?"

The redhead let out a heavy sigh before beginning to explain, "A lot has happened... it's hard to sum it up quickly but right now, we're focused on getting these poor people to safety. They are the only survivors from Rinascita Island, as far as we know."

Law's eyes widened, not fully grasping the full extent of the story, but realising that the large island's population had been reduced to only just a few hundreds...

What a tragedy...

The captain continued while looking towards a certain direction, "We'll be heading to Elbaf in a little while. Our Giant friends are sending their ship to help us relocate most of these refugees, since we can't risk setting sail with this overloaded capacity."

"Elbaf?" The raven-haired doctor barely had a moment to process what he heard when a commotion instantly erupted at the other side of the deck, where the other crew members had gathered, their frustrations and annoyance apparent...

"What's all this crap?!!" shouted Yasopp.

"How dare they portrayed us like this?!" added Punch, clearly agitated.

"And it was their own negligence, sending only one ship in the first place!!" remarked Hongo, with obvious disapproval.

"Hey, let's not get too worked up! We're used to this kind of things, aren't we?" said Benn calmly, with his usual grin and smoking cigar...

"What's going on, you guys?" Their redhead casually asked while approaching the gatherings with the newly-awaken brunet close behind.

"Law, you're up! Are you well now?! You've had us worried, man!!" the group gleefully greeted while waving at the doctor-turned-patient in unison.

"Look at this, chief! We got it from the News Coo just now," Limejuice came over, handing Shanks a daily newspaper and pointing to a specific news article.

After the redhead took some time to peruse the page, he let out a chuckle, "Dahahaha...This is quite amusing!!!"

"It's not funny, chief! Look how they've twisted our efforts and drawn such a ridiculous conclusion!!" protested Yasopp.

Shanks then passed on the paper to Law, while saying, "Well, as pirates, we don't really care about their lame propaganda, do we?"

Questioningly, Law skimmed through the news article, a large column emphasised its significance, stating:

TRIUMP AND TRAGEDY OF RINASCITA ISLAND: A Tale of Heroism:

In a daring operation, the government successfully eliminated the legendary Guardian Seeds that have been sought after by pirates for ages. The Seeds, known to harbour unimaginable powers, were deemed too dangerous to fall into the malicious hands, posing a threat to innocent lives across the seas. The recent discovery of these coveted artifacts on Rinascita Island prompted the government to take swift and decisive action.

The once serene island became the battleground for two formidable pirate crews, the Red Hair Pirates and the Basilisk Pirates, both vying for possession of the potent Seeds. As tensions escalated and violence ensued, the Marines had no choice but to unleash the overpowering 'Buster Call,' a last resort measure, after ensuring the safe evacuation of all the island's citizens.

Thanks to the unwavering cooperation of the courageous residents, the Marines' operation unfolded with unprecedented effectiveness. The combined efforts of these valiant individuals led to the successful expulsion of all pirates, ensuring that the dangerous Guardian Seeds would never fall into the wrong hands again.

Yet, amidst the triumph, a heart-rending tragedy unfolded during the evacuation. As the Refuge Ship set sail to safety, an unforeseen calamity struck as a ferocious thunderstorm descended upon the vessel, filled with our brave officers and innocent civilians onboard, leaving them battling against the merciless elements.

Despite desperate attempts to send out an SOS signal, no other marine ship could reach them in time for a rescue, resulting in an unimaginable loss of life.

The successful mission came at a great cost, as we mourn the fallen heroes who sacrificed everything for the greater welfare of all. In recognition of their bravery and dedication, the government has decided to honour their memories by renaming Rinascita Island as Winner Island.

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