Saved!

Hey everyone,

I just wanted to take a moment to share something with you all. As some of you might have noticed, the frequency of our weekly chapters has gone down a bit recently. I'm navigating through some challenging times right now, and it's been impacting my ability to maintain our usual pace.

I really appreciate your understanding and continued support during this period. Your patience and encouragement mean a lot to me. I'm committed to keeping the story alive and will do my best to deliver quality content, even if it's a bit less frequent for now.

Thanks for sticking around and for being such an awesome community!

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Jack stood amidst the dim light of the subterranean chamber, his posture a stark silhouette against the eerie glow of the fungi-lit walls. The sight of the terrified children, now freed, clustered around him, looking up to him with a mix of awe and uncertainty. It was a rare moment where the stoic barrier he kept around himself seemed, if just barely, more permeable, though it was only reflected in the subtle softening of his gaze.

Caesar, with his wrist ensnared by the Sea Stone, glanced up at Jack with a concoction of fear and defiance. The air, still heavy with the dampness of the underground, vibrated with tension, the sort that precedes a storm.

"People think they have a chance to come back," Jack said coldly, his eyes darkening to the tempestuous hue that spelled impending doom. "But I have yet to see anyone coming back from death."

The statement hung heavy in the cavern, a shiver running down Caesar's spine. The man who had delved so deep into the abyss of his own ambitions had never contemplated the stark finality that Jack's words so casually delivered.

Lysander, caught between his duties and the stark reality before him, looked conflicted. He was bound by the laws governing his actions, his conscience tugging at the strings of protocol and morality. Caesar was, despite his crimes, still under the jurisdiction of the government. The decision to deliver judgment was not theirs to make, especially not for a pirate hunter like Jack.

"Jack," Lysander began, a hint of caution in his voice, but he was swiftly cut off by the unyielding gaze of the man before him.

"There is no power in this world that can take him away from my hands. Try me if you want." The finality in Jack's voice was not a bluff—it was a promise.

Lysander, taken aback, felt the weight of responsibility settle on his shoulders like chains. He knew Caesar's crimes were heinous; he had annihilated the LeviTribe to abduct the children of the local tribe from a neighboring island. Jack's determination to go to such lengths for those children had not been anticipated. With a heavy heart, Lysander capitulated. "Fine, take him. I will shoulder the responsibility."

In the underground chamber, the tension hung thick as the freed children clung to their savior. Jack's expression remained unreadable, a stark contrast to the storm brewing in his oceanic eyes. There was a relentless nature about him, a calm before the inevitable tempest that Caesar had unwittingly invoked.

Jack's attention turned back to Caesar, his stance unyielding. "Your path ends here, Caesar. The world you knew, the freedom you squandered – it's all over."

Caesar's eyes darted around, looking for any means of escape or reprieve, but there was none to be found. The steely grip of the man before him promised no absolution.

Vegapunk's silhouette was stooped with the weight of a regret. His gaze, heavy with sadness, lingered on Caesar, the colleague he had known for many years. Vegapunk had harbored hopes that his friend could be pulled back from the brink of his dark descent, but those hopes had been dashed against the cruel rocks of reality.

He sighed, the sound echoing softly in the cavernous space. "Let me inspect the children. It's the least I can do for being part of the cause of this tragedy." His voice was tinged with a sorrow that resonated in the cold, damp air, a stark reminder of the oversight that had allowed such darkness to flourish under his governance.

The children, their small faces streaked with the residue of tears and fear, huddled closer together as the man knelt before them, his expertise as a doctor taking over his tormented spirit.

Jack observed the scene, a silent sentinel whose presence commanded attention even in stillness. His decision was swift; he gave a subtle nod, granting Vegapunk the permission to care for the young ones. It was a silent acknowledgment of the scientist's sincere intention to make amends.

Once assured of the children's safety, Jack's attention shifted back to the task at hand. Caesar's form wavered as Jack banished him into the Bead's Space, a secure prison crafted from his own life force. With a twist of his wrist and a deepening of his gaze, Jack sealed Caesar away from the world.

Jack retrieved Lysa from the hidden space within the Bead. As soon as the air of the chamber greeted her, she caught sight of the children and her relief spilled forth in a cascade of tears. These were the last remnants of her people, the precious hope of her homeland's future, now rescued from the clutches of a malevolent force.

As Vegapunk kneeled down, his movements deliberate and careful, the children surrounded him. They were tentative at first, their small forms shaking with the remnants of fear and the chill of the damp underground. Yet, his kind demeanor soon coaxed them into acceptance, and one by one, they allowed him to check their health, to offer them the first gentle touch they had received in far too long.

"Are you hurt anywhere?" Vegapunk asked softly, his voice a soothing balm. The children shook their heads, their eyes wide but slowly shedding the layer of terror that had gripped them.

Jack stood a little apart, watching the scene unfold. His expression was unchanging, but the children, sensing the safety he emanated, began to gravitate towards him. They didn't clutch at him or seek reassurances with words. Instead, they stood close, their small bodies leaning into the space he occupied, finding silent comfort in his unwavering presence.

It was Lysa's gentle hand on his arm that finally drew Jack's attention. "They're scared but unharmed, thanks to you," she whispered, her voice thick with gratitude.

Jack merely nodded, his eyes still scanning the chamber, ever vigilant. "The tunnels need to be collapsed. We can't leave a place like this intact," he said, his voice a quiet rumble in the still air. It wasn't a suggestion, but a decision, one that Lysander readily agreed with.

As the rescue operation continued, the children started to open up. They spoke in hushed tones, their words spilling out in hurried, broken sentences – tales of fear, but also of the hope that they had clung to, a hope now personified by their rescuers.

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