"Your Majesty, as your assistant I would like to extend a cordial invitation to your brothers to enjoy a fascinating tour of the rings," expressed Liling with elegance and courtesy.
Haruta and Ace showed their enthusiasm with animated gestures.
"With all due respect, Your Majesty, I'm afraid you won't be able to go. Our schedule is quite tight," added Liling with a mix of deference and firmness, reluctantly taking Ace with her.
Meanwhile, Marco and Haruta were led to the outskirts of the temple, where they were greeted by a young man.
"Oh, what a joy to see you. I've been waiting for your arrival," announced the blonde young man with a radiant smile. He wore a red jacket and sported a helmet adorned with large lenses. He raised his fist in the air with excitement. "You're lucky, because I, the great and spectacular Lin, will be your personal guide through the rings," he proclaimed with pride.
"It's a pleasure. I'm Marco and this is my brother Haruta," said Marco politely, extending a friendly hand.
"Don't be so modest, the pleasure is mine," responded Lin, with a nervous smile and a slight blush on his cheeks.
Lin first guided them through the third ring, a lush area filled with tall trees whose canopies swayed gently in the wind, and several temples adorned with intricate architectural details.
"This is the temple of the most recent gods," explained Lin, leading them to a majestic temple with statues of various deities.
"And the empty spaces?" asked Haruta, pointing to the unoccupied niches in the walls.
"You never know when a new god will be integrated. Just last week, Mrs. Bao created a mooncake so delicious she might have sacrificed her sanity to make it. Do you think that counts? Can you imagine? Mrs. Bao as the goddess of mooncakes. How I love mooncakes!" said Lin, as his stomach began to growl at the mere thought of food.
They continued exploring several more temples, each with its own charm and mystery, and some green areas full of exotic flowers and sweet aromas.
"I think that's all I'll show you of this ring. It's time to go to the second one," announced Lin, hastening his pace with enthusiasm.
As they descended to the second ring, Marco felt like he was forgetting something important, but he dismissed it to try to pay attention to Lin's rapid and passionate explanation of the history and secrets of each place.
"Marco? Lin? Where are you?!" Haruta wondered. He had lost sight of his companions.
He tried to find them but only ended up getting more lost.
He lay down in the grass where he stayed for a while until the smell of incense and a strange sound caught his attention.
He followed the smell until he came across a smaller temple than the previous ones. Inside, there was a woman. She had a table prepared for two in front of her.
"Don't hesitate, sit down, the tea is getting cold," she said with a smile.
Haruta sat down and took a sip of the tea without much thought.
"Is it good?" she asked. Haruta nodded.
"I'm glad, it's a pleasure to meet you, Haruta of the Whitebeard Pirates. I am Lilin. I wanted to see if you could do me a favor," Lilin said.
"A favor?" Haruta asked, still a bit surprised that she knew who he was in such an isolated place.
"Yes, a favor. You see, the energies that form the world are changing. The voices of the world call to me, telling me that something is approaching. That the best way to know what comes ahead is by reading your fortune," Lilin confessed, leaving Haruta completely confused.
"I guess, yes?" Haruta responded. "Perfect, let's go," Lilin said excitedly, pulling him into a room filled with ink and paper.
"Pour the ink onto the paper while I hold it," Lilin handed him some ink while she held the paper.
Haruta poured the ink onto the paper. When he finished, Lilin carefully placed it on a desk and sat down to read it.
"And what does it say?" Haruta asked curiously. "Miss?" he asked again, noticing the uncomfortable silence that began to form.
Minutes passed and there was no response. Then she stood up and started running toward the temple exit.
"Miss Lilin, what happened?!" Haruta said, trying to catch up with her.
"It's bad, bad, bad, bad," she began to murmur. "Bad what?" Haruta asked, and this time Lilin stopped.
"Young Haruta, I need to tell you something. These rings each have a separate regent. The third ring is under my care, along with each temple. The other two rings are under the command of my twins. The second is Liling's, and the first is Lin's," Lilin explained. "In your future, I saw the first ring. I saw shadows. Shadows, shadows, shadows and more shadows." Lilin began to hyperventilate, her heart racing, the voices around her screaming in agony.
"The second ring..." Lin paused for a moment, realizing something important. "Young pirate, let's go, we have to go, quickly, there's no time," Lilin said, pulling Haruta's arm and leading him to the second ring.
Meanwhile, with Marco and Lin.
"Welcome to the first ring, the land I care for!" exclaimed Lin, pointing to a vast landscape of mountains. They had just finished the second ring and finally got to their final ring.
"Our final destination will be the garden of eternal roses," he continued, his voice filled with enthusiasm. "But before we get there, we must traverse the dreaded jungle of despair. Aren't you excited?!" Lin nearly jumped with excitement as he spoke.
The jungle of despair had dense trees that intertwined, forming an almost impenetrable canopy. Shadows danced in every corner, and the flora and fauna, though beautiful, hid deadly dangers.
"I don't think you should use those, they might break!" Marco warned Lin, who didn't seem to care about the danger as he swung from the vines.
"Agh, you're too dramatic," Lin said, using a snake as a vine to swing from.
"Ahhh, stupid snake!" Lin shouted when the snake attacked him. In his desperation, he threw it away.
Before falling to the ground, Lin transformed into a phoenix to land safely. Once on the ground, he returned to his human form.
"Nothing to worry about," Lin declared, giving a thumbs-up.
"You're not taking anything seriously, yoi," Marco said.
"You sound like my sister, always with that," Lin said, rolling his eyes. "That's why I don't talk to her..." Lin muttered.
"Forget that. Let me show you how to have fun," Lin declared.
Lin led him to a cliff. On their side, there was a long vine he was going to use to cross to the other side.
"Don't you dare fly! It's not fun that way!" Lin said as he swung across the vine to the other side.
Marco ended up doing it.
"See, it wasn't so bad!" Lin said, laughing.
"Wait! Where's Haruta?" Marco asked, interrupting Lin's laughter.
"Darn, I think he got left behind in the third ring…" Lin said with a nervous laugh.
"We have to go back," Marco declared.
He couldn't keep wasting time with nonsense.
"But we haven't reached the rose garden yet!" Lin refuted.
"I don't care, yoi! I have to find my brother!" Marco said.
"Marco, is Haruta strong?" Lin asked Marco.
"Of course," Marco affirmed.
"Then he'll be fine," Lin said. "Trust him and trust me. We're not far from the garden, as soon as we see it, we'll go look for your brother."
"Alright, yoi," Marco said.
As they continued their journey, they encountered even stranger and more dangerous things. Marco had to admit the adrenaline was somewhat fun.
It had been a long time since he had this kind of fun.
"We've arrived," Lin said, showing a beautiful garden of blue roses. "One of the wonders of my ring. This place, like everything around it, is under my protection. That's why I leave worries aside and put all my trust in my strength to protect it."
Lin plucked a rose and held it in front of him.
"My sisters and I used to come to this place. After all, it's one of the last remnants of our homeland," Lin confessed.
"I've heard a bit, but I still don't understand what happened, if this wasn't always your home" Marco said with curiosity.
"We phoenixes lived on the island of rebirth. I'm surprised you don't know," Lin said, somewhat surprised.
"I lost my memory," Marco confessed.
"I see…" Lin said. "The island of rebirth was invaded. We had to flee and rebuild our home in these rings."
Lin sat down on the grass.
"It's beautiful, but it's not the same. We always live in fear of losing our home again. That's why the rings only come together a few times every so often. The rings are in constant motion to avoid being found," Lin explained. "My sister Liling is always worried, taking everything too seriously. I don't blame her. It's normal. But one must never take things to the extreme. She still doesn't understand that. Whenever the rings come together, she's too busy to see us," Lin said, holding the rose close to his heart.
"And it hurts because all you want is for your sister to see that you're also important, you should also be a priority. She's losing herself by not balancing her work and personal life." Lin let a tear fall onto the rose.
Marco began to remember all the times he declined his brothers' invitations to explore an island because of paperwork.
Thatch bringing food to his cabin because he didn't have time to go to the dining hall to socialize.
He was always making time for everything while being a complete idiot...
"It's never too late to take some free time, you know?" Lin smiled at Marco.
"You're right, yoi," Marco smiled back.
When they return to the Moby, he would fix his schedule to have a bit more free time.
"Now, I think I owe you an explanation of this garden," Lin said, remembering his role as a tour guide. "These roses are known as eternal flowers. They can be damaged like any other flower, but if they're not, they can live forever, no matter if the root is cut, they will remain beautiful no matter what," Lin explained.
Marco was stunned.
"Eh, Marco, are you listening to me?" Lin asked, a little worried.
"No, they're not just that, yoi…" Marco said, taking a rose.
"Marco! Stay with me!" Lin started shouting, seeing Marco's eyes begin to close.
Marco wasn't sure what was happening; everything became blurry.
He saw his life pass before him, from when he met his father to moments with his brothers. Even things he had forgotten.
Like his sister who wore a blue rose like the ones in the garden.
"Marco!" Lin shouted, seeing Marco collapse in the garden, his body falling onto the grass.
Without wasting a second, Lin ran to him, catching him just in time to prevent him from hitting the ground harder.
He just had to wait for him to wake up. He knelt beside him, watching his breathing and pulse as time passed slowly. Suddenly, someone came running into the garden.
"Kai, shouldn't you be on guard?" Lin asked, surprised to see the commander of his border warriors so far from his post.
"Watch out!" Lin suddenly shouted, pushing Kai away from a lethal attack.
A tall man, with blonde hair, glasses, and a wide sinister smile, laughed as he got closer to them.
"Kai, go get reinforcements," Lin ordered, standing firmly in front of the enemy. Kai nodded and flew away.
"Sorry, sir, but I'm afraid we haven't paid for a clown. I think the children's party you're going to is elsewhere," Lin said to the man with a confident smile, trying to destabilize him with his mockery.
The man slowly raised his hand, and from his fingers emerged shiny threads that he launched in their direction with deadly precision. Lin, with quick reflexes, took flight, narrowly avoiding the attack.
"Fufufu, what do we have here?" the man said mockingly, heading towards Marco with clear intentions.
"Damn it!" Lin thought, feeling a wave of panic. Without wasting time, he flew towards Marco, blocking the attack.
In the Third Ring.
Kai arrived at the main temple, requesting an emergency conference with the king. Instead, he was met by Liling, who thanked him for the warning and then withdrew.
"Start moving the second ring," Liling ordered, using a Den Den Mushi. "Your Grace, the box you requested to be transported is now in the palace of the second ring," said the person on the other end of the call.
"Perfect, I'm on my way," Liling responded, ending the call.
Liling headed to the palace. Once inside, she ensured no one was following her before entering some secret passages. The narrow corridors snaked deep into the palace. Finally, after several twists and descents, she arrived at the cells, where the air was thick and damp, permeated with the smell of mold.
In one of these cells was Ace, who had been drugged with a substance in his food and transported in a box to the cell.
"You're not going to let me go, are you?" Ace said, chained with seastone cuffs.
"I offered you your freedom," Liling said, without any emotion on her face.
"You offered me a lie," Ace said angrily.
"No, brat, I offered you a fortune like no other. The love of an entire society," Liling said.
"I don't need it. I already have people who love me," Ace said, thinking of his family.
"Though I did consider accepting your offer," Ace confessed.
During his stay in the rings, he stopped being Roger's son. A demon child. People saw him as Palila's son. A miracle child, not a curse.
But all that was not meant to be forever, he had a life with the Whitebeard Pirates. He had brothers, a mother, and a father who loved him regardless of his origins.
"Your freedom remains in doubt. For now, you are important. Until my dream is fulfilled..." Liling said with determination.
"Your dream?" Ace asked, curious.
"Since the invasion, my people have been consumed by fear. I myself thought it best to keep the rings separate, meeting only at certain times and then going our own ways to avoid being found," Liling admitted with a sigh. "But with you here, things have changed. Since your arrival, confidence has returned to them. If you stay, we could keep the rings together. With people's spirits lifted, we will be unstoppable and finally return to the great civilization we used to be."
"And how do you plan to achieve that with me in this cell?" Ace asked arrogantly, raising an eyebrow.
"People don't need to see you or hear you. I'm your advisor, they'll believe me if I speak for you. To me, you are nothing more than a pawn. The people will do what their champion asks of them," Liling declared coldly. "Although I admit I'll have to bring you out at least so they can see you from time to time. How I'll do that, I'm still thinking about, but rest assured, I will find a way to make you useful," Liling concluded, leaving the dungeon with firm steps.
Ace watched her go, realizing the firmness and ambition in her words. He knew Liling wouldn't stop until she achieved her goal.
Minutes passed since she had left when he heard a loud crash accompanied by hurried footsteps.
"Kai?" Ace said, seeing Kai, the commander of the border warriors, in front of his cell.
"No time for explanations," Kai said while taking out the keys and freeing Ace from his cuffs. "We have to get out of here now."
Kai quickly guided him through the dark corridors of the palace, avoiding guards and jumping over obstacles. As they reached the main door, they were about to open it when Liling appeared.
"Don't take another step," Liling warned, her voice full of menace.
Ace, without thinking twice, stepped forward and launched a fire fist that destroyed the door in an explosion of fire and debris.
Liling reacted instantly. She leaped, and her arms transformed into wings. With a swift somersault, she flew and landed between them with grace and determination.
"Alright, brat, I'll let you go only if you beat me in a fight," Liling said with a challenging smile. "Or are you afraid of losing?"
Ace responded with fury. "Fire Fist!" he shouted, enveloping his fist in flames and throwing it directly at Liling.
She dodged the attack by flying high and, in a fluid motion, returned to the ground. "Blue Whip!" she exclaimed, creating a whip of fire that lashed out at Ace.
Ace stepped back, dodging the whip with agility. He prepared his fingers and shouted, "Fire Gun!" launching a barrage of fire bullets.
Liling moved with elegance, dancing between the bullets, avoiding each one with skill.
"You'll have to do better than that!" Liling declared, her voice full of confidence, as she attacked again with the fire whip. The whip lashed the ground, raising sparks and smoke.
Ace rolled on the ground, narrowly avoiding the attack. He quickly got up and charged his fists with more fire, launching himself at Liling with a series of quick and powerful blows.
Liling counterattacked, moving with the grace of a dancer, blocking and deflecting Ace's attacks.
Liling jumped back, breathing heavily. "Not bad, brat. But this isn't over," she said, her eyes shining with challenge.
Ace raised his fists enveloped in fire. "Don't underestimate me," he responded, his voice full of resolve.
"Stop." Kai shouted, stepping between the two. "My order was to warn that the first ring is being invaded, why didn't you send reinforcements?" Kai demanded, directing his gaze at Liling.
"According to your reports, they are after Ace. The priority was to keep him away from danger; my brother Lin can handle a few intruders," Liling responded confidently.
"Your Majesty! We have reports from the second ring!" One of the informants addressed them.
Liling and Ace exchanged looks, agreeing to leave the fight for later.
"They've identified who the guardian Lin is facing," the informant said. "It's a Donquixote."
Liling turned pale.
"Stop the order to move the ring, prepare the soldiers, reinforce the borders of all the rings," Liling ordered, clenching her fists. "I won't let a Donquixote take my family away again."
Of the twenty families of Marie Geoise, it was the Donquixotes who invaded the Island of Rebirth.
Rose Garden.
Lin stood, fighting with all his might, his movements quick and precise.
Lin, with sweat dripping down his forehead and his breath labored, knew he needed more time. Every second Marco remained unconscious, the situation became more desperate. But he couldn't give up, he had to protect the garden and Marco, no matter the cost.
"I still have more tricks up my sleeve!" Lin shouted, dodging another attack and counterattacking with all his strength.
"Please, Marco, wake up soon!" Lin thought, his heart racing.
The cause of Marco's fainting was the abrupt return of his memories from before joining the Whitebeard Pirates.