"...Monkey D. Luffy."
Gazing at the projection screen, Selene immediately singled out the straw-hatted boy within the crowd from the real-time combat data uploaded by the Ninth Astartes Legion, the Blood Angels.
That iconic straw hat, the red vest, blue knee-length shorts, and straw sandals. "How familiar... memories long sealed away."
Narrowing her eyes, Selene reclined lazily on her side. A pure-colored blanket woven with flowing golden patterns covered her body. On the low table beside her, steam rose silently from a crystal cup filled with red tea.
Not far away, an arched floor-to-ceiling window stood slightly ajar. A gentle breeze drifted through, causing the crimson curtains on either side to sway softly.
"He probably won't surrender... It's hard to even imagine the word 'surrender' appearing in his life. Asking him to give up his dream of becoming Pirate King... he'd rather be beaten to death."
In her impression, no one could change Luffy's ambition. It had nothing to do with being a protagonist. The world of pirates produced a special kind of stubborn people.
The sort who, once they set a goal, would rather die than give it up. Unyielding. Unbreakable.
Ah... embarrassing to admit, but Selene could not do that. What she pursued was short and narrow—things she could see and grasp.
Grand, lofty ideals painted like empty promises? Selene had never believed in them herself. At most, they were tools to motivate her subordinates.
Luffy's dream of becoming Pirate King—he likely did not even fully understand its true meaning.
"Pirate King" was a broad and expansive title. The peak of the pirate world? The ruler of the New World? The adventurer who conquered the Grand Line? The one who fulfilled his dream?
Different people interpreted it differently.
Even if the former Pirate King, Gol D. Roger, were resurrected and retraced the Grand Line, he likely would not know what awaited him. Everything stemmed from the unknown, filled with surprises waiting to be uncovered.
That was something a ruler like Selene—who calculated too much—could never accomplish.
Her moral bottom line was flexible. Likewise, the methods she used to achieve her goals were adaptable. She acted with clear purpose.
Unless there were benefits to gain or personal pleasure to be found, Selene rarely did anything meaningless.
On the grand scale, she had only one fundamental objective—grow stronger.
Everything she did was built upon that foundation.
As for the other pirates?
A group of parasites who produced nothing and survived only through burning, killing, and plundering. There was nothing worth discussing. Selene had no intention of recruiting them—not even as Servitor Army. They were not worthy.
She was confident that Sanguinius' views aligned with her own.
Accepting surrendered Marines or members of the World Government's CP organizations was acceptable. Pirates were out of the question. No matter how strong they were—even if Whitebeard himself were resurrected.
From the lowest lackey to the Four Emperors, pirates all shared common traits—lax attitudes, poor discipline, unruly personalities.
And those were precisely the tendencies the Imperial Army crushed without mercy.
All pirates were the same. Irrecyclable trash—that was Selene's only evaluation.
Pirate crews like Roger's, who claimed no territory and sailed purely to complete the Grand Line journey, were exceedingly rare.
Whether the small-time pirates of the Four Seas or the so-called Four Emperors entrenched in the New World—even the supposedly most reputable among them, the Red-Haired Pirates—were no exception.
Take a step back. Before becoming one of the Four Emperors, perhaps Shanks and his crew were more like adventurers sailing for their dreams. But after becoming an Emperor?
Were the pirate crews under his banner adventurers as well?
Do not tell her the Red-Haired Pirates were simply small in number but elite. That was only relative. Compared to the other three Emperors, their scale was indeed the smallest.
But as one of the Four Emperors who occupied a quarter of the New World's territory, was he truly operating with just a single ship?
Would anyone believe that? How could one ship maintain control over such vast lands? Where did the money come from? Where did the supplies come from?
In that regard, Luffy's Straw Hat crew was no different. You could call them adventurers... and that would not be entirely wrong.
Luffy had saved villages, saved kingdoms, helped civilians oppose so-called "evil" CP organizations. Reckless and crude as those actions were, they remained within tolerable bounds.
But after the Summit War, the nature of things changed entirely.
The Impel Down incident—how many true monsters escaped from prison?
At that moment, regardless of Luffy's intentions, no matter how moving his fraternal love was in rescuing his brother, by universal standards the label of a grave criminal could never be shaken.
Later, when the Straw Hat Grand Fleet was formed, Luffy was no longer merely an adventurer.
He was a pirate.
"However... the Navy, the World Government's CP organizations, the Naval Headquarters' science unit—especially that scientist, Dr. Vegapunk—he is talent."
"Liver should have arrived by now. I just wonder whether he'll attempt to recruit on the spot again... wasn't Hak Foo brought back that way?"
Suddenly—
"Wait!"
A thought struck her. Selene abruptly lifted her head. A certain yellow, wretched figure surfaced in her mind.
"Borsalino! Liver wouldn't try to recruit him, would he?!"
...
Sabaody Archipelago, Area GR 50.
From Area GR 50 to GR 69 were concentrated shipyards, coating craftsmen, Marine garrisons, government entrances and exits—vital facilities clustered together.
This was also the most fiercely contested region of the entire archipelago.
The closer one moved toward the harbor of Area GR 50, the more corpses lined the path. Judging by their attire, the vast majority were Marines and members of the World Government's CP organizations.
Most of the bodies had been pulverized by large-caliber projectiles. Others had been severed clean through the waist by some sharp blade.
Regardless of how they died, the remains were grotesque. Severed limbs were scattered everywhere. Blood, flesh, and bone layered upon one another, giving the horrifying impression of a slaughterhouse.
The thick stench of blood mixed with the charred scent of burned human flesh filled the air, suffocating.
"Moss-head, hurry up!"
"Shut up, love-cook! Easy for you to say. There's soldiers everywhere—and their weapons are way stronger than flintlocks. I'm already moving fast!"
Behind the two of them, nearby Imperial Auxilia forces erupted into motion. Thousands upon thousands of soldiers raised their laser rifles, advancing in a fan-shaped formation.
"Who goes there?!"
"Enemy attack! Do not allow intruders to disturb Lady Arisa!"
Dense orange-red beams streaked across the battlefield, chasing after the constantly sprinting Sanji and Zoro, melting small craters into the earth.
Locking onto a section of fortress wall that had not yet collapsed, Sanji leapt upward from the grass, tracing an arc through the air before landing atop the battlements.
"It's the Thousand Sunny. Just as I thought—it's here..."
Using the height of the wall, Sanji caught sight of the Thousand Sunny by the harbor and exclaimed in delight.
But at that very moment—Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang!
The sound was entirely different from the flintlock rifles used by the Marines. Sanji's Observation Haki flared, and he instantly curled his body and rolled off the battlements.
Boom! Boom! Boom!
Crash!
The crenellation where Sanji had been standing shattered outright. Gravel scattered as dense explosions erupted across the wall's surface, as though hundreds of cannons had fired in a single concentrated volley.
"Sanji!"
Even if they usually bickered, they were still crewmates. Seeing this, Zoro roared in alarm.
Thud—!
A high-energy bolt round grazed Sanji's shoulder. Though he activated Armament Haki in time, the focused detonation of the explosive head still tore away a large chunk of flesh from his shoulder blade along with part of his black suit.
Burning fabric and bloodied flesh flew outward.
"Ah!" Sanji let out a low growl, clutching his arm before kicking off the ground and rolling away.
The next instant—
"Die!"
Boom—!
Several towering Astartes in heavy armor descended from above, smashing directly into the already crumbling wall.
Rumble!
A thunderous explosion erupted. Bricks flew, dust billowed, and the shockwave expanded outward in a circular blast.
"Sky Walk!"
Using the shockwave's force, Sanji flipped backward in midair, stepping on the air itself as he retreated at high speed to widen the distance.
"Oh? More have arrived. Pirates, or Marines? Stand down."
Accompanied by a crisp, clear voice, Sanji felt the countless killing intents locking onto him vanish at once.
Turning toward the source of the voice, he saw a girl dressed in elegant attire, gray hair flowing, sky-blue eyes shining—like a princess—walking forward amid the escort of countless red-armored warriors.
"Eh?! Looking closely, isn't she a beautiful young lady?!"
In an instant, reflexively, Sanji's eyes turned into hearts as though the wound on his shoulder did not exist.
With a lecherous laugh, rubbing his hands together, his body wriggling like kneaded dough, he drifted forward, spun once, and dropped to one knee with solemn reverence.
"Ahhh! It must be destiny! After escaping that demonic hell, at last, such a beautiful lady—we finally meet. For you, I would gladly—"
"..."
Even for Arisa, this was her first time encountering such a seasoned degenerate. Staring blankly at Sanji kneeling before her, she was utterly stunned.
Quickly recalling the etiquette Sebas had taught her, she paused. "Uh, um... you may—may rise."
"Luffy—!!"
Just as Sanji's inner pervert spirit flared and Arisa assumed someone was surrendering and seeking her ennoblement, Zoro's panicked shout suddenly rang out.
Instantly—
"Luffy?!"
As if struck by instinct, hearing his captain's name snapped Sanji back to clarity. He turned to look.
And what he saw made his face change drastically.
"Luffy!"
Forgetting beauty entirely, Sanji scrambled to his feet and rushed toward the harbor, which had been utterly devastated by lightning.
The area still reeked of blood. The pirate corpses executed by multiple punishments had yet to be cleared away. The stench of rot hung thick in the air, nauseating.
Within a seawater-filled crater lay Luffy's body, motionless.
His ever-present straw hat had been knocked away, resting quietly beside the cracked stone.
"Hey! Luffy! Wake up! Luffy!"
Dropping to one knee beside the crater, Zoro's voice trembled. There was none of the bearing of a great swordsman—nor of the "Pirate Hunter."
"How could this be?! Luffy! Hang in there! Chopper's almost here—he'll treat you! You'll be fine!"
Sanji knelt beside him as well, examining Luffy's wounds with shaking hands.
Hearing his companions' familiar voices, Luffy weakly opened his eyes. "Zoro... Sanji... cough... leave... don't worry about me..."
His short black hair was filthy. His body was charred black. His internal organs were gravely injured, blood foam mixed with fragments spilling from his mouth.
His clouded gaze rested on his friends as he struggled to rise—but he had no strength at all.
"Oh? So you know each other? And you, rubber boy—you're still breathing. Quite the tenacious vitality."
Stepping forward in purple high heels and thigh-high stockings, Arisa tilted her head slightly, one finger resting against her cheek.
According to the intelligence Selene had provided, she had deliberately knocked Luffy into the sea. As expected, he had weakened instantly.
Though he could still stretch and use that blackened attack and defense method, his abilities had been greatly suppressed.
Depending on the user's physical strength, the effects of seawater and Seastone differed. Some collapsed the moment they touched seawater. Others could still move like ordinary people even while wearing Seastone cuffs.
But universally, once in contact with seawater or Seastone, a Devil Fruit user's power would be weakened—even if not entirely nullified.
Faced with lightning of the same voltage as before, Luffy's rubber body suffered actual damage once he touched seawater. After that, he completely lost the ability to resist Arisa's assault.
"Hey! You're the one who hurt Luffy, aren't you?!"
In unison, Sanji and Zoro rose to their feet, glaring at Arisa and the massed Astartes forces, fury blazing in their eyes.
Shing! Shing! Shing!
Zoro's three swords were drawn.
"I don't hit women. But this time—I'll make an exception."
Sanji clenched his fists until his knuckles whitened, raising his head with a grim expression.
"I thought you were here to surrender. Oh well... it doesn't matter. I'll send you to reunite with him."
Crackle—snap—!
...
Elsewhere—
The latter half of the Grand Line. The New World. Former G-1 Branch—now Naval Headquarters.
Inside the headquarters' conference room, smoke filled the air. The atmosphere felt heavy, like a sponge soaked in seawater—oppressive.
Whether Vice Admirals or Admirals, none could remain calm in the face of a war that now engulfed half the world.
"Speak. How should we respond?"
"Judging by the scale, this will surpass the Summit War—a world war affecting the entire globe."
"The Holy Land, Mary Geoise, is already under organized assault by rebel forces. The Five Elders are urging us to withdraw our main forces from the New World at once."