At 5:30 in the morning, the air by the sea was biting cold and Ray still hadn't slept.
He remained seated on a large, flat rock by the shore with his eyes closed.
Suddenly, his ears twitched.
He sensed two powerful presences approaching from the direction of the city—one of them was exceptionally strong.
Ray didn't turn around. He simply exhaled slowly.
"Something the matter?" Ray asked calmly.
"Just came to see how your preparations are going."
The arrivals were none other than Iceburg, the mayor of Water 7, and the former Admiral, "Black Arm" Zephyr.
Iceburg looked exhausted, having spent the entire night arranging the evacuation logistics, while Zephyr looked as stoic as a mountain.
Hearing the question, Ray ignored their inquiry about his preparations.
He kept his eyes closed and continued adjusting his combat state, dismissing them with his silence.
Seeing Ray's cold demeanor, Iceburg smiled wryly.
He adjusted his jacket and shook his head.
"You know," Iceburg chuckled softly, "with a cold personallity like that, you're more suited to be named 'Iceburg' than I am."
Being a mature individual who dealt with all kinds of people, Iceburg wasn't angered by Ray's aloof behavior.
He understood that warriors had their own ways.
He walked up to the side of the rock and looked out at the dark ocean.
"I want to be honest with you," Iceburg began, his voice serious. "Initially, I was very displeased about what Water 7 would face next. I hated it. Why should our beautiful city become the sacrificial ground for your pirates and the Marines to clash? It felt unfair."
Iceburg clenched his fist slightly. "Even though your people rescued me from CP9 yesterday, my resentment toward you didn't fade immediately. You brought this storm to my doorstep."
Hearing this, Ray remained unmoved.
He didn't defend himself or apologize.
However, he noticed that Iceburg's tone was remarkably calm, devoid of any actual anger.
In fact, through his Haki, Ray even detected a hint of relief in the mayor's voice.
Iceburg looked at Ray's back and continued speaking with a genuine smile.
"But... after learning the true cause of events from Zephyr-san, and witnessing your crew's actions firsthand last night, I no longer hold any trace of resentment."
"The Straw Hat Pirates," Iceburg mused, "possessing formidable power yet performing righteous deeds to save strangers. It's rare. It's romantic. And it's highly idealistic."
Iceburg took a deep breath of the salty air.
"I must return to the frontlines immediately to evacuate the few remaining citizens. I came to see you this time just to inform you all: go wild."
"Protecting citizens is solely the responsibility of the government—us and the Marines. But now..." Iceburg's expression darkened.
"It's up to me and the residents alone. The Marines... sigh."
Upon hearing this, Zephyr, standing beside Iceburg, could only take a deep, shaky breath.
He looked utterly helpless.
He offered no excuse for his organization.
That was the ugly truth.
The ones about to destroy Water 7 were the Marines.
Whether it was the World Government's demand or the Celestial Dragons' whim, the fact remained: the Marines had become the blade that would slaughter civilians today.
After saying this, Iceburg fell silent for a moment. He placed a hand over his heart and saluted Ray's back with profound respect.
"Stay safe, Ray. You have no obligation to protect everyone, but thank you for what you've done."
Seeing that Ray still didn't respond, Iceburg turned to head back toward the city to finish his duty.
Just then, Ray's lips parted slightly.
"You should say that to Luffy," Ray said, his voice flat. "I never cared whether you live or die."
Iceburg paused.
He looked back at the silver-haired man.
To Ray's surprise, Iceburg showed an expression that said, 'I understand you perfectly.'
"Is that so?" Iceburg replied with a knowing smile.
The rhetorical question was met only with a cold snort from Ray.
Soon after, Iceburg left, disappearing into the morning mist.
Silence returned to the beach, but one person remained.
"Aren't you leaving?" Ray asked.
He noticed Zephyr was still standing behind him, unmoving as a statue.
Zephyr chuckled, a raspy sound from his chest.
He took a cigar from his coat, lit it, and took a deep drag.
He exhaled a faint cloud of smoke that drifted into the air, oddly forming the shape of the letter "Z" before dissipating.
Without explaining the meaning of the letter, Zephyr spoke with utmost seriousness.
"My position demands that I take action," Zephyr said. "When the battle starts... I am a Marine. You are a pirate."
Ray had long anticipated this. He didn't flinch.
"That doesnt matter," Ray replied. "Do whatever you want."
Hearing this arrogant yet simple response, Zephyr burst into loud laughter.
"Hahaha! Good! Don't hold back then, kid!"
Zephyr turned and walked in the direction Iceburg had gone, his heavy coat swaying in the wind.
...
7:00 AM
The sun had fully risen, casting a golden light over the water, but the warmth didn't reach the hearts of those on the beach.
All members of the Straw Hat Pirates and Buggy's Pirates had gathered on the sand.
They stood in formation, weapons checked, bellies full from the banquet, ready for war.
Buggy floated gently over to Ray's side, his body separated into segments.
"Hey," Buggy whispered nervously. "Are they here yet?"
Ray didn't look at him.
"Can't you see for yourself?" he replied impatiently.
Unexpectedly, Buggy shook his head. He spread his hands and slowly curled his lips into a mischievous smirk.
"My eyesight isn't as sharp as your dog nose," Buggy teased him loudly.
"GYAHAHAHAHA! Ray! If Luffy hadn't told me last night, I'd never have known you were actually a dog monster! A dog of all things! Hahahaha!"
Buggy had been holding that joke in all night.
He finally couldn't contain himself and laughed hysterically while clutching his stomach.
Silence.
The air temperature seemed to drop ten degrees instantly.
A terrifying, red-black killing intent began to radiate from Ray.
It expanded outward, chilling the air for a hundred meters around, even the seagulls in the sky stopped screaming and fled.
Startled by this suffocating pressure, Buggy's laugh died in his throat.
"EEP!"
Buggy immediately leaped back ten meters, his body parts clicking together frantically.
He raised his hands above his head in surrender.
"Bro! Calm down!" Buggy shouted, his smile twitching with fear. "It was just a joke to lighten the tension! Don't kill me before the Marines do!"
Ray ignored Buggy's antics.
He slowly turned his head back to the ocean, focusing intently on the vast, endless horizon.
The waters seemed calm.
Everything seemed no different from yesterday morning.
But Ray had already noticed something amiss.
"Get ready," Ray commanded, his voice cutting through the wind. "The vanguard is here."
At these words, everyone tensed up.
Luffy stepped forward, shading his eyes. "I see something!"
Looking closely, they could see the surface of the water beginning to boil.
A massive school of fish was charging rapidly toward the shore, jumping out of the water in a panic.
There was only one explanation: something enormous was chasing them from the deep.
Usopp peered through his sniper scope, adjusting the lens.
His face turned pale.
"G-G-Giant!" Usopp gasped. "One giant Sea King is charging straight at us! It's fast!"
Three seconds after Usopp spoke, the water exploded upward.
A colossal figure came into view, blocking out the sun.
It was a massive monster with the head of a feral wolf and the massive, blubbery body of a whale.
Water cascaded off its giant teeth as it roared, creating a shockwave of sound.
"Initial estimate: nearly 150 meters long," Robin noted calmly.
Zoro grinned, his hand resting on the hilt of Wado Ichimonji.
"So, the Marines are trying to intimidate us right from the start by driving this beast at us? Cute."
Sanji strode forward slowly, lighting a fresh cigarette.
"I'll handle this guy, Moss Head," Sanji said coolly. "Don't interfere. You'll just get lost on the way to the water."
"Tch!" Zoro clicked his tongue but didn't argue. "Fine. Don't slip, Dartboard-Brow."
Zoro couldn't be bothered to respond further.
Besides, letting Sanji take the lead was indeed the right choice strategically.
If such a colossal creature were to charge onto the shore, the shockwave alone would wipe out the weaker members of the alliance.
Aside from the dozen or so officers, the underlings of the Buggy Pirates would likely suffer severe injuries.
Among those capable of fighting at sea, aside from Sanji who could use Geppo, only Ray, Buggy remained.
Chouchou wasn't here at the moment; the dog had been assigned to another location by Ray to guard the rear.
As for Ray and Buggy taking action? Even less likely.
They were the trump cards.
They had to conserve their strength for the Vice Admirals and Aokiji.
...
ROAAAAR!
The Wolf-Whale Sea King moved with incredible speed, its massive body churning up turbulent waves that threatened to flood the beach.
The roaring sea produced a thunderous sound, like war drums heralding the start of the battle.
The underlings of the Buggy Pirates were shaking in their boots.
"We're doomed!" one cried. "That thing eats ships for breakfast!"
Normally, they would steer clear of such a gigantic Sea King, fleeing at full sail.
But now, they had to stand their ground.
This "Nightmare of the Sea" was merely the enemy's vanguard.
At that moment, a dark shadow flashed past them.
It was Sanji.
He ran toward the water, kicking off the ground with tremendous force. He leaped into the air, running up an invisible staircase in the sky.
"Sky Walk," Sanji whispered.
Then, he spun his leg.
But this time, it was different.
Sanji had recently made another breakthrough in his training.
He no longer needed to spin his body wildly to generate the friction required to superheat his legs.
"Diable Jambe!"
His leg erupted into flames, glowing like molten lava.
"SORU!"
The intense heat enveloping his leg mixed with the high-speed movement.
Combined with dozens of instantaneous "Sky Accelerators," Sanji closed in on the sea beast at near-teleportation speed.
BOOM!
A sound akin to an air explosion echoed across the bay.
Sanji moved so fast he broke the sound barrier, leaving several red pressure rings in his wake as he shot toward the monster's face like a meteor.
Witnessing this display of speed and power, Ray narrowed his eyes slightly and silently acknowledged the cook's growth.
'His speed and durability are increasing abnormally,' Ray analyzed.
'He's close... very close to awakening his exoskeleton.'