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"Hmm?" Sengoku saw the usually steady and composed Captain break in without knocking, sweat pouring down his face. A bad feeling immediately rose in his gut.
"Fleet Admiral Sengoku! The Thunder... The Thunder Emperor, Arthur! He's appeared in Water 7! He's back!!!" The Captain gasped for air, speaking as if the sky itself were collapsing.
"What did you say?" Sengoku's heart skipped a beat, and he froze in place.
Garp lowered his bag of rice crackers and looked up at the Captain, the playful grin wiped clean from his face. "Are you... sure this intel is real? I threw Arthur into the Rainbow Mist with my own hands. How could he escape from warped time?"
"Someone risked their life to take this photo..."
The Captain hurriedly produced a photograph. In it, Arthur's profile and his distinct blue cloak were unmistakably clear. And standing beside him was—Stussy!
"At first, I thought it was fake too. But a Marine ship passed by Ruluka Island and discovered that the Rainbow Mist there has disappeared!!"
"Impossible!" Sengoku stood up abruptly, losing his usual calm.
The Thunder Emperor had cost them the lives of Fleet Admiral Kong and Admiral Kizaru. Fearing Arthur would take flight at the last moment and become impossible to kill, Garp had knocked him into the Rainbow Mist.
After such a massive sacrifice, he was back after only a year?
"No, I have to go verify this myself!" Garp stood up as well, his expression grave, ready to leave Marineford immediately.
"Wait, Garp!"
From outside the office came the voice of Vice Admiral Tsuru. "The Thunder Emperor's return is certainly important, but right now, there is something even more critical that requires you and me to handle together!"
"Tsuru-chan, what mission could possibly be more important than the return of the Thunder Emperor?" Sengoku asked solemnly. He knew Tsuru wouldn't joke in a situation like this.
"The real Op-Op Fruit (Ope Ope no Mi) has appeared in the North Blue... The Five Elders have issued a death order: we must secure it before anyone else!"
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Thunder God Island, Underground Laboratory.
Even the earth-shattering battle raging outside couldn't disturb the peace here. Dr. Vegapunk's expression was as placid as ever as he scribbled calculations on the blueprints in his hand.
Jessica sat blankly in a chair nearby, her brows furrowed in worry. Her usually pristine face looked haggard; she had absolutely no interest in Vegapunk's experiments.
"Don't worry. Evil lasts a thousand years. A calamity like Arthur won't go down easy. We don't need to worry about him!"
Vegapunk glanced at Jessica, baffled by how easily these people lost their composure. Unlike him... even if the sky fell, he wouldn't panic; he'd just be curious to find out why it fell.
"Hmph..." Jessica snorted coldly, turning her head away, too tired to deal with him.
Vegapunk shook his head and continued his work. Suddenly, he felt a movement in his pocket, like a bug struggling to crawl in a specific direction.
Reaching in, he pulled out Arthur's only Vivre Card in existence. The card was pulling towards the Red Line. His expression remained calm as he spoke.
"See? I knew he'd come back!"
"Arthur's Vivre Card!!" Jessica's eyes lit up, her entire demeanor instantly revitalized.
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The eerie green light blooming from the Seven Star Sword looked like a death warrant from the Grim Reaper. A dazzling, blinding slash of sword energy pierced through the head of another crew member behind Byrnndi World—a small, frail old man hooked up to an IV drip.
"Byojack!!"
World watched helplessly as the man who had been his strategist, the man who was like a big brother to him, was ruthlessly slaughtered by Shiryu. But... he couldn't do a thing to stop it.
In close-quarters combat, Shiryu—now fully consumed by his bloodlust—was powerful beyond imagination. World felt the same crushing sense of powerlessness he felt when facing the Thunder Emperor.
Completely helpless. Any resistance was futile; he was just waiting to die.
"How can he be this strong... How is this possible?!"
Watching his crewmates die before his eyes one by one, World's eyes nearly split with rage. The men he viewed as family were being butchered, and he was on the brink of a breakdown.
Unknowingly, Shiryu had grown strong enough to threaten an Emperor. But... how could someone with such terrifying talent be so loyal to the Thunder Emperor, willing to follow him to the death? World couldn't believe it.
He knew Shiryu's past—a Head Jailer of Impel Down, a Marine recruited by Arthur because of his excessive bloodlust. A man like that should be lawless and uncontrollable.
Is acknowledgment really that important...?
SLASH—
The blade sliced into the arm of the Cube-Cube Fruit user, Gairam. Another officer down. World was almost numb. A moment later, his vision went black as he was thoroughly defeated by Shiryu.
Ambition had driven World to betray the Thunder God Pirates. His only mistake was choosing to face Shiryu!
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"Shanks, get him!!"
The members of the Red Hair Pirates stared unblinkingly as Shanks challenged the legend. Not just them—almost everyone who was still conscious was fixated on this earth-shattering duel.
Even Shiryu silently purging the World Pirates and the Silver Alliance didn't draw their gaze. Only Hawkeye Mihawk, who had kept an eye on Shiryu's movements, witnessed the slaughter, his own fighting spirit rising.
The clash between Redfield and Shanks had reached a fever pitch!
SWISH—
The bat-umbrella weapon pierced through the sky in an instant. Terrifying Haki and physical mastery were on full display as it slammed heavily against Shanks' blade, Gryphon.
The unbearable force of the impact cascaded downwards, shocking the ocean beneath Shanks. It was as if an invisible force had pressed the surface of the sea down by dozens of meters!
Redfield's face was calm, but inside, he was furious. Did this brat from Roger's ship think Roger's teachings were enough to challenge him? Being younger than the Thunder Emperor didn't give him the right to be arrogant!
The moment Shanks was pressed down, Redfield leapt from the mast. A swarm of bat shadows lifted his body, and currents of air the color of blood swirled densely around him.
"You're too green, Red Hair!!"
The two exchanged blows across the air, dragging long afterimages over the sea. Their speed was appalling, and sparks flew from their constantly clashing weapons.
CLANG! CLANG! CLANG! CLANG!
The piercing noise vibrated eardrums; pirates too close were deafened instantly.
Blood-red light enveloped the bat-umbrella. As it opened, two fangs suddenly extended from the surface, biting viciously into Shanks' sword energy. Like tearing through thin paper, it easily pierced through, sending Shanks flying hundreds of meters until he smashed violently into a ship's hull.
"Let's end this. Your heart's blood must be delicious!!"
Redfield's voice was hoarse, his expression cold. Tapping his feet lightly on the water, his body shifted like a phantom, crossing hundreds of meters in an instant. The tip of his umbrella aimed straight for Shanks' heart.
"Shanks—"
"Fight back!!" the crew shouted. Yasopp even drew his gun.
Benn Beckman stepped in front of Yasopp, blowing a smoke ring. "The Captain made his decision, and the crew supports him to the end, even if we know it's wrong. Besides... Shanks hasn't even started!"
"He was yielding on purpose just now!" Hawkeye crossed his arms, his eagle eyes taking in everything.
Shanks had challenged Redfield, yet he hadn't attacked proactively. Instead, he chose to endure Redfield's assault. Perhaps this was his final respect to Redfield, a legend from Roger's era!
After respect, comes the earth-shattering counterattack!
Sure enough, in the split second before the umbrella tip pierced his heart, Shanks' Gryphon suddenly extended from a bizarre angle. The blade deadlocked the thrust in front of his body. Then, with a flick of his sword tip against the umbrella, he launched himself away from the shattered hull, sliding dozens of meters sideways.
"Hahahahaha! Mr. Redfield... please, become a legend!!"
CLANG!!
Shanks laughed loudly. He finally went on the offensive, and his first strike was an all-out killing blow!
The slash he unleashed seemed to condense his Conqueror's Will. It possessed the terrifying power to destroy both body and mind. It crossed the tens of meters in a mere instant...
"Something's wrong!"
Redfield, pursuing closely, narrowed his eyes. He stopped abruptly, but the inertia of his sprint meant he couldn't dodge the slash in time!
SLASH—
Blood sprayed. It was merely a flesh wound on his face, but a sudden blast of Haki shook his very soul.
Forcing down the mental shock with his own terrifying will, Redfield gasped for breath. Finally, he began to take Shanks—this super-powerhouse even younger than Arthur—seriously!
But it was too late. The Vampire Fruit was incredibly powerful, but every fruit has an inherent weakness. Redfield could fly, split into bats, and regain his youth by drinking blood. He could recover stamina mid-battle by feeding. But... he could not afford to bleed!
Because blood represented his life force! Once he bled, his life drained away at rapid speed.
Shanks' slash had all but decided the outcome!
Wrinkles began to appear on Redfield's sinister face. His tall, straight posture hunched slightly, and the hand gripping the umbrella became withered and dry.
Pale hair and wrinkled skin. In just an instant, he aged decades!
Touching the deep wrinkles on his face, Redfield's pupils constricted violently. He actually showed... fear of his own aging!
He darted sideways over a hundred meters, grabbing a screaming, panicked pirate. He sank his fangs into the pirate's neck, frantically sucking blood to restore his youth and stamina...
However...
SHING—
The blade followed close behind, piercing into his body. Pain swept through him. Redfield looked down mechanically to see Shanks' Gryphon had already pierced his heart, pinning him to the cabin wall!
"Roger, Golden Lion, and now me? The era... has it finally, ruthlessly eliminated remnants like us who were struggling to survive? Hehehehehehe—"
His voice was hoarse and desolate, yet sounded almost... relieved?
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