Meanwhile.
At the exit of the Underwater Great Prison, inside the guard post.
Luffy was firmly restrained by Seastone Cuffs, slumped against the corner of the wall.
Despite his disheveled state, his face still wore that trademark goofy grin, as if no amount of adversity could extinguish his optimism.
His straw hat sat crookedly on the back of his head, his clothes stained with dust and blood—clear evidence of the ordeal he'd endured.
Yet even so, his eyes still sparkled with a thirst for adventure and longing for freedom.
Hannyabal stood outside the post, his spear trembling slightly in his hand, sweat beading on his forehead.
His gaze kept darting toward the distant sea as he silently prayed.
"Please don't let anything go wrong, please don't let anything go wrong..."
The words echoed in his mind, tinged with panic and unease.
However, his prayers clearly went unanswered.
In the distance, Ron and his group emerged slowly from the exit of the Impel Down.
Bullett, Redfield, and Crocodile carried a chill in their eyes, while Zoro, Sanji, Nami, and Robin followed closely behind, their weapons held tight as they vigilantly scanned their surroundings, ready to confront any potential danger.
When Hannyabal's eyes fell upon Ron's group, his pupils contracted sharply, his legs began shaking violently, and his spear clattered to the ground with a loud clang.
Several names flashed through his mind: Devil's Heir Douglas Bullet, Red count Patrick Redfield, Desert King Crocodile... and those others whose names he didn't know but whose eyes screamed they were ready to kill.
'It's over, it's really over this time!' Hannyabal's mind went blank, his heart pounding wildly.
He knew he stood no chance against this group.
Escape? Too late.
Fight? That would be suicide.
Play dead? Yes, play dead!
That was the only solution he could think of.
"Urgh... ah!" Hannyabal suddenly let out an exaggerated scream, clutched his chest, rolled his eyes back, and collapsed stiffly to the ground.
His body twitched twice before going completely still, even holding his breath.
"Hmph!" Bullett snorted coldly with a trace of disdain in his eyes.
He glanced at the fallen Hannyabal with a slight smirk curling his lips.
"He's not bad at playing dead."
Zoro and Sanji ignored Hannyabal and quickly rushed toward Luffy inside the guard post.
Their eyes filled with urgency, their steps swift. Zoro shouted loudly.
"Luffy, are you okay?"
"Luffy!" Nami and Robin followed close behind, their beautiful eyes brimming with excitement.
They knew that rescuing Luffy would mean their mission was successfully completed.
Nami said urgently: "Luffy, we're here to save you!"
"Huh? Zoro! Nami! Robin! Sanji! You... how are you all here!" Luffy jumped up excitedly when he saw his crewmates, his signature goofy grin spreading across his face despite the Seastone Cuffs still locked around his wrists, his eyes filled with surprise and emotion.
Redfield stood nearby, his gaze fixed on Luffy as a complex light flashing in his eyes.
He murmured softly, "It's been a long time since I've seen such a pure heart. But such innocence isn't suited for these seas. It would be better for you to return home early."
Ron smiled faintly with a meaningful glint in his eyes.
He knew Redfield was talking about Luffy, but he understood even more clearly that Luffy was this world's protagonist.
Without plot armor, Luffy would have probably died ten thousand times over when he encountered Shiki in the movie version.
"Old man, I'm going to be the King of the Pirates!" Luffy glared defiantly at Redfield, his tone carrying a stubborn refusal to yield, his eyes firm as if nothing could ever block his dream.
Zoro and Sanji's expressions darkened slightly.
If this were before, they might have supported Luffy's dream without hesitation.
But now, having witnessed so many opponents hundreds of times stronger than themselves, they couldn't help but feel somewhat shaken.
However, this shock didn't discourage them—instead, it ignited an even stronger fighting spirit.
"So they're strong, huh? We'll become that strong ourselves one day!" Zoro tightened his grip on his sword, a resolute light shining in his eyes.
Sanji lit a cigarette, took a deep drag, and slowly exhaled a smoke ring.
"That's right. If Luffy's dream hasn't been extinguished, we'll keep moving forward together too. No matter how many strong enemies stand in our way, we'll break through them all!"
Ron stood calmly to the side, his gaze steady: "Ideals are plentiful, but reality is stark."
Facing hell mode, even if you're the chosen protagonist, how can you possibly shift the tides of an era?
Just then, Sanji found the key to the Seastone Cuffs on Hannyabal's body.
He quickly rushed to Luffy's side and unlocked the cuffs.
Finally free, Luffy flexed his wrists, his trademark silly grin spreading across his face.
"Great! I'm free at last!"
However, their joy didn't last long.
In the distance, Marine warships had completely surrounded the entire Underwater Great Prison.
The cannons on the battleships were aimed directly at them, as if ready to fire at any moment.
Nami's face turned pale, her voice tinged with unease: "This is trouble..."
Robin's eyes swept across their surroundings as she said quietly, "There are too many Marine reinforcements. We need to leave here quickly."
Bullett sneered with a hint of disdain in his expression as if he didn't consider the Marines worth worrying about while clenching his fist.
"Mere Marines dare block our path?"
Redfield's red cloak fluttered gently in the wind and a flicker of killing intent gleaming in his eyes as he prepared for battle.
Crocodile remained indifferent, his gaze fixed on Ron—clearly, he would only follow Ron's lead.
...
On the battlefield ahead
Akainu's fist wreathed in blazing magma slammed toward Big Mom like a volcanic eruption.
The magma's intense heat spread through the air, distorting the surrounding atmosphere into blurred, shimmering light.
Steam billowed from the sea surface as the entire ocean boiled, as if even the sky had been dyed blood-red by this scorching power.
"Akainu, is that all you've got?" Big Mom's voice echoed across the battlefield, carrying a hint of disdain and provocation.
As she swung the Napoleon Great Sword, it whipped up fierce gusts of wind, tearing through the very air itself.
She effortlessly deflected Akainu's attack, a mocking smile playing on her lips.
Akainu's face was dark, sweat beading on his forehead.
A deep wound on his chest bled profusely, droplets of blood sizzling as they hit the ground.
His gaze fixed intently on Big Mom and his voice filled with anger.
"So this is all a Yonko amounts to!"
However, just as he prepared to launch another attack, his peripheral vision caught a scene at the prison entrance.
"Damn it, these bastards!"
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