The inferno Ethan unleashed spread far beyond anything that had happened in the original timeline.
Mary Geoise was drowning in flames.
Entire districts burned beneath the night sky while thick smoke swallowed the Holy Land like a rising storm.
The disaster had grown so severe that hunting escaped slaves was no longer the Marines’ highest priority.
They simply didn’t have enough manpower.
The moment Kuzan arrived in Mary Geoise, he was immediately redirected into large-scale fire suppression.
Between the spreading inferno and the overwhelming number of fleeing slaves, the Holy Land’s defenses were being stretched to their absolute limit.
At the highest level of Pangaea Castle, a lone figure stood quietly within the palace gardens.
Imu.
The hidden sovereign of the world gazed down upon the burning city below.
Firelight flickered across those ancient eyes.
Yet there was no rage.
No humiliation.
Only amusement.
A faint smile curved at the corners of Imu’s lips.
After obtaining absolute authority over the world, life had become unbearably dull.
Especially during the last century.
Nothing surprised her anymore.
Nothing entertained her anymore.
But tonight?
Tonight was interesting.
Like a spectator watching a grand performance unfold, Imu calmly admired the chaos consuming Mary Geoise.
How many slaves escaped?
How much wealth was destroyed?
How badly was the Holy Land damaged?
She didn’t care in the slightest.
Meanwhile, Ethan and Fisher Tiger had already escaped the central districts and reached the outer edge of the Red Line.
Ethan glanced sideways at the massive Fish-Man traveling beside him.
Honestly, he hadn’t expected Tiger to continue following him this long.
Helping him earlier had simply been practical.
The Marines blocking Tiger’s path had also blocked Ethan’s escape route, so intervening had benefited them both.
That last large-scale Wood Release attack had nearly emptied Ethan’s Chakra reserves.
If not for the absurd vitality granted by Senju physiology and Wood Release, he probably would’ve collapsed already.
As they moved along the narrow cliffside paths, Tiger quietly observed Ethan in return.
The strange tree-based ability Ethan displayed earlier looked remarkably similar to a Devil Fruit power.
Tiger was curious.
Very curious.
But he wasn’t foolish enough to pry into someone else’s secrets after knowing them for only a few hours.
Their relationship hadn’t reached that point.
Eventually, the two stopped near the edge of a massive cliff.
Ethan looked down— and immediately swallowed.
The Red Line dropped into darkness like the edge of the world itself.
Far below, violent waves crashed endlessly against black stone hidden beneath the night.
Ethan wasn’t afraid of heights.
But this?
This would make anyone’s legs feel weak.
“I’m pretty sure there’s a transport system somewhere nearby…” He scanned the surrounding cliffs while muttering to himself.
“Elevators.
Lift ships.
Something used to move people up and down the Red Line.” Then he continued thinking aloud.
“The guards are probably all occupied dealing with the fires right now.
If we can find one of the transport routes, escaping should be possible.” Tiger immediately nodded.
“I know where it is.” Ethan blinked and looked at him strangely.
Weren’t you just an escaped slave?
How do you know that?
Tiger seemed to understand the suspicion instantly.
“When I climbed up here before,” he explained, “I saw the transport route.” Ethan nodded absentmindedly.
“Got it…” Then he froze.
“…Wait.” Slowly, he turned toward Tiger.
“You climbed up here from where exactly?” Tiger casually pointed toward the abyss beside them.
Ethan stared at him.
Then the realization finally clicked.
There was only one person in history capable of scaling the Red Line barehanded to infiltrate Mary Geoise.
The legendary liberator of slaves.
Fisher Tiger.
Now that Ethan knew who he really was, he couldn’t help studying the Fish-Man more carefully.
The massive frame.
The crimson skin.
Yeah.
In hindsight, it was painfully obvious.
Meanwhile, Tiger was growing increasingly uncomfortable beneath Ethan’s intense stare.
“Little brother,” he said awkwardly, “I swear I’m not lying.” “I know.” Ethan paused briefly.
Then asked casually: “So you came here to start fires too?” Tiger nearly exploded.
“The fires weren’t me!” He looked genuinely offended.
“I only took advantage of the chaos to free some slaves—” Then he stopped abruptly.
“…Hold on.” Tiger narrowed his eyes suspiciously.
“Why did you say ‘too’?” Ethan’s expression changed instantly.
“No time to chat.” He immediately turned and started walking.
“If we stay here any longer, the Marines will catch up.
Lead the way to the transport ship.” Tiger frowned, but eventually let the matter drop.
“…Fair enough.” The two hurried along the cliffside paths until they finally discovered one of the Red Line transport platforms.
Just as Ethan predicted, security was almost nonexistent.
Only four guards remained at the entrance.
Tiger knocked them unconscious effortlessly.
One punch each.
The “fight” ended before it even began.
Afterward, Tiger glanced back toward the burning Holy Land and let out a quiet sigh.
“If security everywhere else is this weak…” His expression softened.
“Then hopefully the civilians can escape safely and return home.” What a genuinely decent person.
Ethan respected that sincerely.
Compared to Tiger, Ethan knew he was far more pragmatic—far more self-serving.
People like Fisher Tiger were rare.
Under the cover of darkness, the two boarded a transport vessel and descended from the Red Line toward the sea below.
At the base of Mary Geoise stood a small settlement built around the transport station.
Normally, merchants and travelers gathered there before ascending to the Holy Land.
Tonight, however, the town felt unnaturally silent.
No patrols.
No guards.
No one noticed Ethan and Tiger slipping quietly through the empty streets.
After walking in silence for a while, Tiger finally spoke.
“So…” He glanced sideways at Ethan.
“Are you heading home now?” Home.
Ethan laughed bitterly.
“What home?” “My home’s gone.” “And even if it wasn’t… I can’t go back.” Tiger misunderstood immediately.
To him, Ethan was simply another victim whose family had been destroyed by slavers.
Sympathy appeared in the Fish-Man’s eyes.
“Then what will you do now?” That question made Ethan fall silent.
Yeah.
What was he going to do now?
He needed strength.
As quickly as possible.
The next time the Soul Palace activated, he couldn’t afford to contribute nothing again.
Borrowing power from his counterparts was incredible, but Ethan understood something clearly: If every version of himself relied entirely on the others, none of them would truly grow stronger.
So what should he focus on first?
In Ethan’s opinion, the most valuable power system in the One Piece world was unquestionably Haki.
Its potential was absurd.
In many situations, powerful Haki mattered even more than a Devil Fruit ability.
And unlike Devil Fruits, Haki came with almost no crippling weaknesses.
The problem was obvious.
Where exactly was he supposed to find someone willing to teach him?
The New World had countless Haki masters… but going there now would basically be suicide.
Even with Wood Release, Ethan was nowhere near strong enough.
Outside the New World, the only realistic option he could think of was Amazon Lily.
Hancock’s homeland.
An island where nearly everyone naturally possessed Haki.
Unfortunately— Amazon Lily also had one very strict rule.
No men allowed.
And Ethan definitely did not possess the kind of protagonist plot armor needed to survive trespassing there.
As for alternatives… Swordsmanship?
Maybe.
The best early option would probably be Shimotsuki Village in the East Blue.
Isshin Dojo.
Training alongside a young Zoro wouldn’t be a bad path at all.
The issue was obvious.
Ethan was currently stranded on the Grand Line.
Traveling all the way back to East Blue alone was wildly unrealistic.
Which left hand-to-hand combat.
But honestly… outside of the Marines’ Six Powers, Ethan wasn’t especially impressed by most martial arts in this world.
Compared to the Shinobi World— One Piece combat techniques felt noticeably less refined overall.