"There's a ruin ahead."
Guided by Roman's white dove, the Straw Hat Crew arrived in front of a collapsed ruin. A crimson figure emerged from within, elegantly brushing the dust off his shoulder.
"Not here either, huh?"
"Boss..."
Pato started to step forward, but the moment he saw the 'raccoon' climbing up his boss's pant leg and perching on his shoulder, he froze.
That used to be his spot. Now, his 'copy' had taken it.
The Red the Aloof looked up at the Straw Hat Crew and slowly spoke.
"Nico Robin."
"Why not join me? Help me find the Devil Fruits. I can offer you a suitable reward..."
?
Sanji was furious!
"As if that would ever happen...!"
He launched a powerful kick! The impact was like a black thunderbolt tearing through the sky. The roaring wind and the cracking earth were all swept up by Sanji's black shoe, charging at the Red the Aloof like a raging dragon.
"Help you?!!"
"Spectacular Blooms—!"
?!
As Sanji's kick came flying toward him, the Red the Aloof simply stood there, unmoving, resting on his umbrella.
Instead, a massive hand suddenly came crashing down at Sanji from the side!
The familiar voice, the familiar attack—Sanji was so shocked he forgot to dodge.
"GIANT TREE!"
BAM—
In an instant, Sanji was slapped away, sent flying into the ruins with a loud crash.
"Sanji!"
"What is that?"
"I didn't—I wasn't—"
Under Nami and Pudding's sharp stares, Robin looked completely stunned, almost blurting out a string of denials.
But just then, from the ruins on the other side, someone walked out—
Sunglasses on her head, denim short-sleeved top, orange dance skirt, tall and curvy—
A 'Nico Robin.'
"That's... mine..."
"I almost forgot,"
The Red the Aloof tapped his head, laughing at himself. "I already asked for your help. Lately, I keep forgetting things..."
"Sanji,"
On the other side, Chopper had rushed over to check on Sanji. Compared to his injuries, the psychological shock was even greater.
"Alright then, let's go, Nico Robin."
"Yes,"
Robin placed her hand in the Red the Aloof's outstretched palm.
Then—
SWOOSH.
In an instant, the two of them, along with the raccoon, vanished before the Straw Hat Crew's eyes.
The Red the Aloof's speed was truly... astounding.
"Damn it! They actually took my Robin… *cough cough* I mean, our Robin!"
You were about to say "my," weren't you? Roman glanced at Sanji, whose arm was being held by Pudding, and silently mourned for the chef's slip of the tongue.
Hopefully, he won't have to kneel on a chopping board when we get back…
"That was just a copy of me. But—"
Robin glanced at the surrounding buildings.
"If they need my knowledge, that means this 'Devil Fruit' must have appeared in history before. And it must have been famous… Wait a minute!"
Robin's expression suddenly changed—she had just thought of a certain *legend*.
"This place… is 'Sleeping Ancient Town'?"
"Yeah, what about it—?"
Seeing Nami's confusion, Robin explained, "Legend has it that 300 years ago, there was a great pirate who possessed eternal youth. He lived for hundreds of years but never aged! He had become the strongest person of that era. But then—"
"No one knows where he suffered a fatal injury. Even his so-called endless life force couldn't sustain him anymore. He barely made it to an island, leaving behind a single statement: 'I will leave my power here and wait for the strong to claim it.' And then… he vanished."
"And the island in that legend—the place where the Ancient Demon sleeps—is…"
"The very island we're standing on?"
Hearing Zoro's words, Robin nodded.
"That's right. But…"
The knowledgeable archaeologist walked up to the ruins and carefully traced her fingers over the carvings.
"I always thought it was just a myth… But these buildings are indeed ruins from 300 years ago. So, Red the Aloof's real goal is that legendary Devil Fruit—the one that grants eternal life?"
"Whoa, whoa, whoa—where did all this 'strongest from 300 years ago' and 'eternal life' Devil Fruit stuff come from…?"
Usopp muttered. But then he remembered Roman's introduction—how their opponent was said to be as strong as an entire Four Emperors crew by himself.
"Well… A big shot like Red the Aloof doing something this crazy isn't surprising. Searching for a legendary Devil Fruit totally fits. We should just get out of here while we can."
Usopp quickly tried to persuade the group, "If we mess up his plan, we're the ones who'll end up suffering!"
"That may be true, but—"
Roman pointed straight ahead. "You guys might not have noticed, but we've actually fought our way around the entire island. If we get past this last checkpoint, we'll be back in Sleeping Ancient Town."
"Then what are we waiting for—"
BOOM!
"This sound… No way."
Looking at Usopp's face—full of desperate denial—Roman shattered his last bit of hope.
"Yeah. That's the sound of cannon fire."
And not just a few cannon shots—this was relentless bombardment!
"Uh… Maybe we should turn back…"
"We've come this far—there's no reason to turn back now! Let's go!"
Luffy charged ahead. "Besides, if Roman's right, going this way is the fastest way back!"
"Hey, hey, hey! With all this cannon fire, what if we attract the Marines—"
—————
Turns out, Usopp's words were alarmingly accurate.
"This… This can't be…?!"
"Hmm, two years already, huh? This sight really brings back memories."
Roman scanned the surroundings—burning warships, a frozen sea, countless cannons… and looming ahead—
The execution platform!
"Marine Headquarters—Marineford."
Jinbe instinctively touched his shoulder, where a terrifying scar lay beneath his clothes—the wound Akainu had nearly burned through him.
"So… So that means… our opponents are…?"
Usopp was completely paralyzed. It didn't take a genius to figure out who they were about to face in Marine Headquarters—
"That guy…"
On an execution platform a thousand meters away, a middle-aged man stood wearing a dark red suit, a Marine cap, a rose on his left chest, and a Marine Admiral's coat draped over his shoulders.
"Akainu————!!!"
Seeing his enemy, Luffy's eyes burned with rage! He lowered his head and charged straight toward him, making Roman sigh.
"Follow him. Let's clear the way for him."
"Oh!!"
As the entire Straw Hat Crew sprinted forward across the ice, a towering golden figure blocked their path.
"Oh my, you're all here... I suppose you're not here to surrender, right~~?"
"Kizaru, move!!"
Before Luffy even finished speaking, he had already launched an attack. His fist, covered in Haki, tore through the air, igniting flames from sheer friction as it shot toward Kizaru's chest!
Swish—
"Advanced Armament Haki? How scary~~"
In a flash of light, Kizaru appeared elsewhere, smiling—no, smirking. Hands in his pockets, he looked at the Straw Hat Crew and spoke in his usual lazy tone, but his words carried deadly intent.
"You monsters... just die here~"
"...Leave this to me!"
"They may be tough, but we've grown stronger too."
Zoro drew his three swords, and Sanji stepped forward. The Straw Hat Crew was no longer the weaklings who had been crushed at Sabaody Archipelago two years ago. Now, they had gained much more:
"Sanji, Zoro, we'll back you up!"
"To be honest, I really don't want to deal with something that'll break my bones~ Yohoho~~"
"If we lose, I'm not taking responsibility!"
Brook, Carrot with her clawed gloves, Pedro with his rapier, and even Pudding decided to stay. They were all fast fighters—at least they wouldn't be taken down instantly by Kizaru.
Meanwhile, Franky and Usopp specialized in long-range attacks. As long as Kizaru didn't use Haki, they could at least keep him occupied.
"Alright, we'll leave this to you guys!"
Luffy continued his charge, leaping into the air to vault over Kizaru's head.
"You think I'd let you?"
Still with his hands in his pockets, Kizaru shifted into a kicking stance, his right leg glowing with golden light. He aimed upward—
Boom! Boom!
Blinding laser beams crashed into the nearby warship. Though they only lasted for a fraction of a second, the intense brightness burned itself into everyone's retinas. For a moment, all they could see was pure white—nothing else existed except that light.
BOOM—
The light expanded into a massive sphere, swallowing the entire warship. When it faded, a crater the size of a stadium remained, the ground charred black—the last trace of the Marine ship.
"We're not the same as we were back then,"
Sanji bit down on his cigarette as he kicked Kizaru's attack off course.
"Didn't I just say that?!"
Sanji looked effortlessly cool~~
"Oh... so scary,"
But as Kizaru spoke his usual catchphrase, his raised finger began glowing with light.
"Cook, get out of the way!!"
Three ferocious slashes came crashing down! The swords, coated in Haki and brimming with an ominous aura, turned pitch black—like fangs thirsting for an enemy's blood!
Swish—
With a flash of light, Kizaru vanished into midair. At the same time, Sanji kicked off the air, soaring upward with Moonwalk. As he spun, gathering power, his right leg turned black with Haki, radiating an intense glow as it swung toward Kizaru's neck.
"Love Struck Meteor Kick!"
Swish—
But that kick was caught. Even without Haki, Kizaru was still a Marine Admiral who had ruled the seas for decades. His physical strength and combat experience were undoubtedly top-tier.
"Love Spin—"
Whoosh—
Unfortunately, with a flash of light, Kizaru appeared behind Sanji again. His "Glint-Glint Fruit" was truly unfair! An opponent who could teleport infinitely… "Here I come~~"
!? The next moment, a flying kick engulfed Sanji in a massive spherical explosion!
"Sanji?!"
"Sanji-san—"
"Tch."
Sanji, dressed in a jet-black trench coat, flew out of the explosion. His Armament Haki still couldn't cover his entire body. If not for this battle suit, he would've taken a serious hit.
"Oh? Germa's battle suit, so scary~~"
"Damn it!!"
The explosion behind him made Luffy, who was charging toward the execution platform, instinctively glance back.
At that moment—
"If you're too distracted by others…"
?! Whoosh—
Luffy suddenly leaped away and saw a familiar figure nearby.
"Aokiji…"
Crack, crack, crack!!!
Layers of ice instantly crawled up Luffy's legs—after all, this frozen battlefield was Aokiji's creation.
"…You'll leave an opening for yourself."
"I'll return those words to you—"
A blazing fist formed from raging flames and came crashing down where Aokiji stood.
?!
"Ace!!!"
"I'll protect you."
The man who landed on the ground raised his head, revealing a face with freckles.
"Because you're my brother."
"No way… He's just a 'clone.' How could he disobey the boss's orders…?"
"Because that's what makes humans so incredible."
Roman, clad in White Knight armor, and Nami, wearing a luxurious pirate coat, stepped past the small tanuki, Chopper.
"Luffy!"
"We'll handle things here. You keep going!"
"Thanks, Roman~~"
As Luffy and Ace rushed toward their target, Akainu, Aokiji scratched his head.
"Hey, I can't shake the feeling that you two look really familiar…"
"Now's not the time for small talk, 'former Marine Admiral' Aokiji."
Facing Roman, who had taken a combat stance, and Nami, who had activated her ability, Aokiji's expression turned serious.
"That's right. My motto is 'Unshaken Justice.'"
"Ice Age!"
In an instant, Roman's vision was filled with thousands of pure white ice spears surging toward him.
Bring it on—
(End of Chapter)
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