The Kingdom of Music, Elegia, was known to Zehp. Among the countless countries in the world, this one was relatively happy. Its royal family did not oppress the citizens; they were immersed in the art of music.
Could there be a Four Souls Jewel shard in this country?
Zehp was planning to visit next, but before the meeting ended, he asked Shanks, "Is there really a great demon in that country?"
Even as a Navy officer, great demons were notable figures, similar to the notorious pirates. Zehp should have known if a great demon existed in Elegia.
Shanks replied, "You'll understand when you get there. In fact, the shard's location is likely related to the great demon."
The Music Demon King Totomjika was a legend Shanks heard while searching for information on demons. According to the legend, this powerful demon resided in the music kingdom. Shanks initially sought him out to learn about the demon's curse.
A demon king… might be an exaggeration.
In the list of the Eight Great Demons that Shanks knew, there wasn't one that matched the element of music. It couldn't be one of the elemental lords of earth, fire, water, or wind. Aatrox represented annihilation, and Makima and her sisters represented Apocalypse. Of the remaining two, one was said to represent Kozuki Oden of Wano. Thus, Totomjika didn't fit into any known category of the Eight Great Demons.
Shanks believed Totomjika was a powerful demon but not a demon king, and he seemed to be sealed.
Shanks said, "Since it involves a Four Souls Jewel shard, it's definitely connected to a demon. You'll need to explore further to find out more."
Zehp nodded and said, "Alright, then our deal is complete."
Shanks also nodded, and they returned to the main hall of the giant meeting room.
The others were curious about what they discussed, but it wasn't something they could share openly.
With no more trades to be made, the meeting ended, and everyone returned to the real world.
Shanks woke up from his dream, stretched, and prepared to head to the North Blue to find the ice demon, Scar.
Robin also woke up, still fearful, after learning some of the truth about Ohara's incident. She felt like she was caught in a grand conspiracy. Terrified, she fled from her temporary hiding spot.
"Unfortunately, I don't know Driver's identity or intentions…" Robin thought anxiously.
If Driver had no ill intentions, Robin would consider seeking refuge with him. But she knew too little about the members of the Twilight Hermits.
She couldn't help but think of the woman who saved her from the Black Order, but Robin didn't regret leaving immediately. That woman didn't reveal her identity, which made Robin suspicious.
Robin resumed her fugitive journey, unsure of how long it would last.
"The man in the mirror…"
In the New World, Akainu, who was on a mission with Ann, woke up and muttered the name "Mirror."
Those who joined the Twilight Hermits simultaneously as Akainu would have figured out who the Mirror was if they hadn't been foolish.
Akainu had been interested in the identity of the Mirror because he often opposed pirates and handled them in a way that aligned with Akainu's harsh justice.
Akainu thought the Mirror might be a Navy officer who hated evil, but this meeting confused him.
The Mirror was connected to the World Government, but his willingness to sell information about Ohara puzzled Akainu and made him uneasy.
The man in the mirror… the Mirror…
While walking, Akainu pondered this person's identity and saw Kuzan returning to his room.
He paused but continued walking. Could the Mirror be Kuzan? Kuzan could use ice to conceal the power of the Mirror, just like Akainu used his magma fruit to disguise his fire abilities.
The more Akainu thought about it, the more plausible it seemed. He decided to keep a close eye on Kuzan.
Without the Ohara incident, Kuzan was still a proponent of burning justice, despising evil. His approach to dealing with pirates pleased Akainu and fit the Mirror's persona.
Lost in thought, Akainu noticed Ann leaning against the railing, seemingly deep in thought.
"Admiral Ann!" Akainu saluted. Ann snapped out of her thoughts, nodded, and said, "No need to be so formal, old friend. Besides, with Zehp retiring, aren't you about to be promoted?"
Akainu's strength was acknowledged. Initially wielding the magma fruit and now enhanced by the fire card, Akainu's power had reached admiral level. With Zehp stepping down, Kong planned to promote Akainu.
Akainu was no longer a vice admiral but an admiral candidate. He just needed a few more missions to accumulate merit for the promotion.
Ann had brought them to the New World to give them more training and help them earn merits.
Akainu said, "Recently, the Mirror has rarely appeared."
Ann, intrigued by the Mirror, replied, "It's probably just one person, and he must have been injured fighting Moriah. He's likely recovering."
Moriah had been a significant figure, capable of contending with Kaido. His death at the hands of the Mirror made headlines.
Moriah was the strongest pirate the Mirror had defeated so far.
But Akainu knew the Mirror wasn't injured at all. His sudden disappearance must have another reason. Akainu suspected that the information about Moriah's whereabouts was valuable because Moriah had some treasure.
The Mirror must have gone treasure hunting.
Akainu didn't know Zehp had obtained the Emperor's Extreme Book and was engrossed in its profound knowledge.
At that moment, Zehp had also exited the Twilight Hermits meeting. He looked up at the sky, pondering Driver's words.
A great demon in the Kingdom of Music, Elegia, and the Four Souls Jewel shard…
Using the Emperor's Extreme Book knowledge, Zehp attempted to deduce something and discovered a strange celestial phenomenon.
"There is a powerful force in Elegia, but to awaken it requires a little girl?"
Zehp deciphered the celestial signs and realized there was a talent similar to Kidd in the music kingdom.
Through years of studying the Emperor's Extreme Book, Zehp had mastered magnetic field rotation, achieving a power level of over 100,000 horsepower.
This increase in power also enhanced his wisdom, making the book easier to understand. He believed his sudden insight was correct and that he had found another genius.
"This child is in danger!"
Observing the celestial signs, Zehp's expression changed. The signs indicated the girl in the music kingdom was in imminent danger, with a chance of surviving or perishing.
"Father?"
Four-year-old Kidd asked, seeing Zehp's changed expression, "Is something wrong?"
Zehp's expression softened as he replied, "Continue practicing your magnetic field power. I will bring back a sister for you."
Sister?
Kidd was puzzled, but Zehp had already vanished.
Zehp hurried to the location indicated by the stars.
With Zehp in action, the remaining new members of the Hermits—Enel, Mihawk, and Roger—had their tasks.
Enel, now holding the Thunder Card, realized the card's power depended on the holder's strength. He was still too weak, but the card provided a path to greater power. Recognizing the vastness and wonder of the world through the Twilight Hermits, Enel was determined to seize this opportunity to train.
Mihawk, though already somewhat famous, wasn't satisfied. He returned to reality to test the Sword Card and found it enhanced the power of his "Yoru" sword.
As a swordsman, this delighted him. His goal was to become the world's greatest swordsman, and his desired opponent was Kenshin Himura of Wano, the country's top warrior who had defeated a powerful demon.
Himura had left Wano for unknown reasons, but his whereabouts were almost unknown in the wider world. Mihawk considered him one of the strongest swordsmen but had yet to find him.
"Perhaps I can inquire about him in the Twilight Hermits next time," Mihawk thought, continuing to test his sword's new capabilities.
Lastly, Roger embarked on the most exciting journey among them.
He was placed in a virtual world created by Izayoi, walking through an endless desert. Above him was an unchanging night sky with a crescent moon offering a glimmer of light, providing a faint hope.
Below was an infinite expanse of white sand, occasionally punctuated by withered branches, adding to the despair.
The seemingly endless journey through this bleak landscape could erode one's soul over time, making one question whether they were genuinely moving.
In this journey, Roger felt a sliver of despair creeping into his heart as if this were the normal emotion in the virtual world.
He realized the significance of Izayoi's mention of maintaining his sense of self through the Twilight Hermits.
Monotony could slowly erode one's spirit in the eternal, unchanging world. But through the Hermits, he experienced new elements, preventing meaningless erosion of time.
He wondered how long he had been in the virtual world and what the outside world was like now, for in this world, time was imperceptible.
Unfortunately, he hadn't yet found the hollow gatherings or broken masks mentioned by Izayoi.
Leaving the virtual world to find the Star of Bethlehem seemed even more impossible. He still had no idea how to leave the virtual world.
"I wonder if Byakuya Kuchiki is still in the virtual world," Roger mused, continuing his seemingly endless trek through the white desert.
He still trusted Byakuya more than Izayoi.
Before his execution, he gave Ann the Four Souls Jewel shards and the Shinigami substitute badge. He wondered how she was doing now.
And Rouge, he wondered about her and the child she had. Was it a boy or a girl?
Roger thought he had let go of everything, but now he realized he had many unresolved attachments.
But for now, he could only keep moving, endlessly moving forward...
The Twilight Hermits were all engaged in their pursuits. The organization was finally taking shape, and with Luffy's birth, the world was steadily moving towards its "proper" path.
Not just the Hermits but every force influenced by Izayoi, even the entire world, was undergoing dramatic changes.
These changes had already completely deviated the world from its expected trajectory.