One Piece: Deriving All Things

"Looks like Sengoku won't be getting much sleep these days," Rayleigh laughed. "Especially now that the Thunder God Pirates have gained the Float-Float Fruit ability. He's probably afraid you'll storm Marineford or even the Holy Land Mariejois like Golden Lion Shiki did."

"I'm not as reckless as Shiki," Sanders chuckled. "I'm not about to go throwing myself at Marineford."

If Shiki had just dropped a few islands and escaped, Garp and Sengoku wouldn't have been able to do anything to him. But he chose to face both Garp and Sengoku head-on, refusing to retreat even when he was outmatched. It was no wonder he got caught.

Sanders had no intention of ending up as Douglas Bullet's cellmate. Sengoku had likely already strengthened Marineford's defenses after hearing of his arrival on Sabaody Archipelago. With Akainu stationed in the New World, Marine HQ still had Sengoku, Garp, Aokiji, and Kizaru as formidable forces nearby. And with Mariejois not too far away, they could quickly call upon the Five Elders or the Holy Knights if needed. Only a fool would charge into Marineford under such conditions.

"Once you're heading for Fish-Man Island, I'll ask Hachi to guide you," Rayleigh offered.

"Sure, whatever you think is best," Sanders replied with a stretch. Without a Fish-Man guide, finding Fish-Man Island could indeed be challenging.

"Alright, you enjoy yourself. I'll see to the coating for your ship," Rayleigh said.

After reminiscing, Sanders waved goodbye and wandered back into Sabaody Archipelago.

Not long after Sanders left, Rayleigh turned towards the ocean and spoke, "You can come out now, Hachi. Sanders is gone."

A six-armed, octopus Fish-Man emerged from the water, with the mark of the Sun Pirates on his forehead. His eyes held a mix of terror as he gazed in the direction Sanders had left.

"Rayleigh… Are you sure he won't come after me?" Hachi asked, trembling. "He's terrifying. He electrocuted Arlong's entire crew to cinders, and they crumbled to dust on contact."

"Don't worry," Rayleigh assured. "He said he wouldn't harm you, and a man of his strength doesn't lie. Plus, do you really think hiding in the water would have kept him from sensing you?"

"You mean… he knew I was there?" Hachi's eyes widened in horror, his body shaking.

"Of course. You should know by now he has Observation Haki," Rayleigh replied with a smile. "So don't worry; just show him the way in a few days."

Hachi wiped the cold sweat from his forehead and nodded quietly.

Sabaody Archipelago - A Clothing Store

Robin took the outfit she liked and entered the fitting room. She removed her coat, revealing her graceful figure, and was about to try on the clothes when a man's voice drifted over from the adjacent fitting room.

"Nico Robin."

Her hands trembled slightly as she held the clothes, and a bead of cold sweat appeared on her forehead.

"Aokiji!"

She recognized the voice immediately—it was Admiral Aokiji.

"Have you finally found a place where you belong, Nico Robin?" Aokiji's calm voice came from the other side.

"Yes, the captain and the others are trustworthy companions," Robin replied softly as she put on the new coat she intended to buy.

"Are you here to arrest me, Admiral Aokiji?"

"No," Aokiji said, falling silent afterward, leaving his reason for being there a mystery.

After a long pause, Robin spoke first, "Thank you, Mr. Aokiji."

"Hmm?" Aokiji sounded slightly surprised from the next stall.

"Thank you for sparing Saul."

"Saul is my friend… but how did you know he was still alive?" Aokiji asked, sounding puzzled. Years ago, he had indeed spared Saul, who had since lived in hiding, his survival unknown to others. So how did Robin know?

"Sanders told me," Robin replied, a slight smile forming on her lips. Even though she trusted Sanders, hearing confirmation from Aokiji that Saul was alive brought her genuine joy.

"Sanders, huh? That guy seems to know quite a bit," Aokiji mused. "But I wonder… why did he invite you onto his ship?"

"Our captain knows more than you think, and he's far stronger than you realize," Robin replied calmly. "Since joining the Thunder God Pirates, I've read two Poneglyphs, yet he's never asked me about the contents." She mentally added that he already knew well what was recorded on them.

"Is that so? He sounds like quite the partner. Congratulations, Nico Robin. So keep on living well," Aokiji said softly. "Let's see how that seed Saul protected with his life will grow."

Robin heard the sound of a door opening next door. She quickly put on her clothes and exited the fitting room, but Aokiji had already vanished. Just then, Nami entered the store, laden with bags and packages hanging from every limb.

"Robin, have you decided yet? Let's check out some other shops. We should pick up a few things for the captain and the others, too."

"Picked everything I need. Let's go," Robin replied with a smile, and they continued their shopping spree.

Sanders strolled through the streets, a beer in hand. He had been scanning the entire island with Observation Haki, but he hadn't detected any sign of the Celestial Dragons.

"Bad luck, I guess," he muttered. Just as he was about to look for a place to grab some food, he suddenly stopped and turned his head in another direction. In a small alleyway, he spotted Aokiji leaning against a wall.

"Hey, Kuzan, it's you again?" Sanders called out, smiling. "Why didn't Sengoku send that guy Borsalino?"

He casually tossed two bottles of beer to Aokiji. "Give me a quick chill on these, will you?"

"What do you think I am, a fridge?" Aokiji sighed, but he caught the bottles, froze one, and tossed it back to Sanders.

"You better not cause any trouble here," Aokiji warned. Sengoku had sent him to keep an eye on Sanders, hoping to prevent any chaos on Sabaody Archipelago. If they'd sent Borsalino, it would almost certainly have led to a massive conflict. Sengoku preferred to let the Thunder God Pirates head off to the New World and clash with the Emperors rather than provoke another fight right now. If those battles led to injuries or casualties, it would benefit the Marines, after all.

"Well, that's unfortunate," Sanders said, raising an eyebrow. "I was just planning to toss the whole Sabaody Archipelago at Sengoku's doorstep."

"Are you kidding me? Sabaody has a population in the millions. Do you plan to kill them all?" Aokiji asked sharply, knowing Sanders had the power to do it. After all, the islands floating in the sky earlier were proof enough. Sabaody Archipelago, as a "starting point" island, housed countless merchants, pirates, and Marines—easily over a million people.

"Not my problem." Sanders shrugged nonchalantly.

"Unless you spar with me, I'll go ahead and drop an island on Marineford!" Sanders demanded, facing Aokiji.

They had already fought twice before, and Sanders had nearly mastered the Ice-Ice Fruit's abilities. One more fight, and he'd be able to fully integrate its power—a skill he'd long coveted. Not only would it allow him to create advantageous battle terrain, but it would also come in handy for cooling things down during the summer.

"A fight?" Aokiji squinted, suspecting Sanders had some ulterior motive.

"Yeah, a fight! After all, I'll be around Sabaody Archipelago for a few days anyway. A good sparring match would be fun," Sanders replied nonchalantly. "Besides, when was the last time you improved your skills? Sparring with someone strong is the only way to get better. Otherwise, before you know it, I'll be strong enough to take you out in seconds." Sanders sounded perfectly serious, which made Aokiji twitch.

At their level, any improvement—even a tiny one—was almost impossible. But this guy was a freak, growing visibly stronger every time they crossed paths. Sometimes Aokiji even felt nervous for Borsalino. At the rate Sanders was advancing, Kizaru would eventually be in trouble.

"Have you decided?" Sanders urged. "If you don't agree, I'm going to start moving these islands."

As soon as he said that, Aokiji felt the ground beneath his feet begin to tremble as if an earthquake were taking place. Even though he knew it would be difficult to lift Sabaody Archipelago—since it was essentially a giant cluster of trees with exposed roots forming islands above the sea—he couldn't be sure Sanders wouldn't find a way to uproot the entire place.

"I'll do it," Aokiji sighed, giving in.

Sanders stopped using his Float-Float powers immediately. Truthfully, he couldn't actually lift all of Sabaody, with the roots anchored deep in the ocean bed. It would take a ridiculous amount of time to sever them.

"Alright, let's go find a secluded spot," Sanders said. They quickly moved to a remote area of Sabaody Archipelago, where the battle began.

Unlike their previous two encounters, this one was more of a sparring match, with both of them holding back.

Not far from the battlefield, a Marine scout was watching and quickly reported back.

"Urgent! Sanders and Admiral Aokiji have started fighting!" At Marine Base 66 on Sabaody Archipelago, the officer in charge immediately contacted Sengoku.

"Fleet Admiral Sengoku! Admiral Aokiji has engaged Sanders. Should we seize this opportunity to capture other members of the Thunder God Pirates?"

On the other end, Sengoku quickly ordered, "Don't make any rash moves! Fighting the Thunder God Pirates isn't something we can just initiate on a whim. As long as they don't cause trouble on the island, let them be. Your primary duty is to ensure the safety of Sabaody Archipelago until they depart for the New World."

"Understood, Fleet Admiral Sengoku!"

Sengoku hung up with a sigh. The Thunder God Pirates had grown too formidable for direct confrontation. Yes, this was an opportunity to arrest crew members like Nico Robin, the "Demon Child," or Nami, the "Cat Burglar," but capturing them now would be reckless.

With Sanders and Issho still free, any rash move to detain the crew would only enrage Sanders—especially now that he possessed the powers of the Float-Float Fruit.

At any moment, Sanders could pose a massive threat to Marineford and even the Holy Land, Mariejois.

Sengoku had come to understand this well. As long as no one provoked Sanders, the most he would likely do was kill a few Celestial Dragons, leaving innocent civilians unharmed. The death of some Celestial Dragons wasn't worth getting too worked up over—even if it meant putting up with the Five Elders' complaints. But if they truly angered Sanders, the death of countless elite Marines would be a far greater loss.

So, upon learning that the Thunder God Pirates had arrived at Sabaody Archipelago, Sengoku simply sent Aokiji to keep an eye on them and refrained from taking further action. The real priority was to send Sanders off to the New World, where he could create as much chaos as he liked. And if he happened to take down a few notorious pirates, all the better.

On the battlefield where Sanders and Aokiji clashed, lightning flashed and ice fragments scattered. As they fought, Sanders kept pestering Aokiji for tips on how to develop ice-based abilities, which was starting to irritate Aokiji.

"What are you asking all this for? You don't even have the Ice-Ice Fruit!" Aokiji finally snapped.

"What if I get it one day?" Sanders chuckled, giving Aokiji a knowing look.

Aokiji's expression grew serious as he recalled Sanders' mastery over the Float-Float Fruit.

"What's going on with you?" he asked. "Why do you have multiple powers?"

"Curious?" Sanders grinned. "Join my crew, and I'll tell you."

Sanders was still trying to recruit Aokiji. If he could get Aokiji on board, the Thunder God Pirates would be a formidable force, even against the Marine's top fighters like Akainu, Kizaru, Sengoku, and Garp. Three against four might be tough, but at least they'd stand a chance. And if needed, Sanders could push himself to take on two of them.

"Don't be ridiculous. I'm a Marine!" Aokiji replied, his face darkening as he launched an Ice Pheasant attack.

"So what?" Sanders replied, shattering the icy bird with a bolt of lightning. "Don't forget—I was a Marine once, too. And Garp's own son also left the Marines, didn't he? If you're fighting for justice, why limit yourself to titles, Kuzan?"

"You even know about Dragon? You were only in the Marines for two years; how do you know so much?" Aokiji asked, clearly puzzled.

It was one thing that Sanders knew Saul was alive, but to know about Dragon, too? Dragon had left the Marines over a decade ago, and only veteran Vice Admirals even knew the details—that Garp's son, Monkey D. Dragon, also known as Monkey D. Luffy's father, was now the most wanted man in the world.

"I know plenty." Sanders smirked. "If the government knew half the things Garp's been involved in, they'd consider it a betrayal. He secretly protected and raised the bloodline of the Pirate King himself. And with a son who's the world's most dangerous criminal, he's still free to walk around as a Marine hero."

"Think about it, Kuzan. Join me, and you'll uncover secrets beyond imagination. Immortality, the truth of the world, and even the three ancient weapons of legend. Join us, and I'll tell you everything."

Aokiji looked unconvinced. "Are you serious? How could you possibly know any of that?"

"Believe it or not, I know more than you think," Sanders replied with a grin. His knowledge of the world's secrets was a huge advantage; he didn't know every detail, but it was enough to shock anyone.

"You… We should have used every resource we had to capture you the moment you showed up!"

Aokiji's expression grew darker. Immortality, the truth of the world, ancient weapons—any one of these could drive people to madness. If Sanders really held even a trace of knowledge about them, who knew what kind of chaos he could unleash upon the world? Even if he knew nothing concrete, his influence alone could spark disorder. With a bounty of 2.8 billion and his notoriety, a single word from Sanders could send countless pirates into a frenzy, much like how Roger's final words ignited the Great Pirate Era.

Sanders might not be as legendary as Roger, but he still had the power to create chaos. The world was already unstable enough; Aokiji didn't want to see it plunge into further disorder.

"Yeah, it's a shame you missed your chance," Sanders replied with a faint smile. Had the Marines sent three or four of their top forces when he first arrived at Sabaody Archipelago fresh out of Impel Down, escaping would've been nearly impossible. But he knew that was unrealistic—Sengoku would never deploy that much high-level power in one place.

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T/N:

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