The sea shook violently.The waves instantly swelled into towering tsunamis, nearly capsizing the warships.
Curses erupted from inside the vessels. Countless Marines had been sleeping soundly, only to be thrown into chaos by the crashing waves.
The CP0 agent stood there, eyes vacant.
This was the unmistakable sign of a clash between two top-tier Haki monsters.
"Why are they fighting now?!"
The CP0 agent was horrified and hurriedly grabbed a Den Den Mushi to report to the Five Elders.
It was deep into the night. After a long delay, the call finally connected.
"What is it this time?"
"Lords, fighting has broken out at Wano!"
"What?! Didn't I order you not to act and to wait for reinforcements from Marine Headquarters?"
"L-Lords, it's not us—it's the Red-Haired Pirates and the Revolutionary Army fighting!"
"They… how could that be?! Hahaha! So Shanks made that choice after all—just as expected of Figarland blood."
Five different laughs echoed from the other end of the line. The news clearly delighted the Five Elders.
"On enemy territory, the Red-Haired Pirates likely won't have the advantage. Fortunately, Garp is nearby, and Headquarters' reinforcements are on the way. Do whatever you can to stall for time…"
The call ended, leaving the CP0 agent standing there, holding the receiver in despair.
Stall for time?
This is asking me to throw my life away!
Some things the Five Elders would never say outright, but as their enforcer, how could he not understand?With a bitter expression, he relayed the order to the Marines.
The Marine fleet assisting CP0 was led by a Headquarters Vice Admiral, with two Rear Admirals under his command.
Against most forces, a Vice Admiral plus two Rear Admirals would be overwhelming.
Unfortunately…
Their enemy was the Revolutionary Army.
"Close combat gives us no advantage. Pull back and commence bombardment—use firepower to suppress the Revolutionaries on shore!"
At the Vice Admiral's command, the fleet formed up and slowly advanced toward the coast.
The Revolutionary Army noticed the movement and rallied to counterattack.
Just like that, the battle erupted—suddenly and without warning.
The sky filled with cannon fire, yet it didn't affect the fight between Chu Yang and Shanks in the slightest.
Shanks even had time to joke."So the Marines suddenly found their courage? I thought they'd keep standing around like mascots."
Chu Yang grinned."They probably think we're having an internal conflict."
Shanks burst into laughter."Then they're in for a rough time."
As they spoke casually, their Haki continued to clash—black lightning crackling through the air.
The intensity of Shanks' Conqueror's Haki had already surpassed Kaido's. In this regard, his talent was truly unmatched.
By comparison, if judged purely on Conqueror's Haki, Chu Yang was slightly inferior.
"Your Haki is even stronger than I imagined. I thought my recent growth would leave you far behind."
Despite his words, Shanks was genuinely pleased. Only if Chu Yang was strong enough could he feel at ease letting him walk any path he chose.
Chu Yang grasped Fengdu and casually slashed downward.
The sea split open with a hundred-meter-wide fissure. A Sea King beneath the waves was cleaved cleanly in two.
Shanks' expression sharpened—this was already on par with his own full-powered strike.
Drawing his blade Gryphon, Shanks' fighting spirit surged skyward. He had a vague sense that this might be their final battle.
He swung repeatedly, each slash wrapped in Conqueror's Haki, terrifying in power.
Chu Yang stepped through with Shunpo, dodging the strikes.
The slashes missed—some flew into the mountains, others into the sea.
The mountains were pulverized into dust.
The sea split open again with hundred-meter-long gashes, identical to Chu Yang's earlier strike.
Because both fighters were fully serious, even the informed Red-Haired Pirates felt as though the two were fighting to the death.
Everyone else was even more panicked.
Coupled with the Marines' sudden assault, suspicion inevitably arose.
The samurai—who didn't know the Red-Haired Pirates well—were the first to step forward, shouting accusations with hostile glares.
"What is wrong with your captain?! Why provoke war so recklessly?"
"Despicable villains! I knew it—those Marines came because of you, didn't they?!"
"Pirates cooperating with the Marines—what exactly are you plotting against Wano?!"
Seeing the situation spiral, Benn Beckman felt a headache coming on. He'd been ready to watch the spectacle—never expected to become part of it.
"Idiots! Yang has always been one of ours. When he was on the ship, he fought the captain every day—what's strange about that?"
Yasopp couldn't hold back and shot back at the samurai.
"Exactly! If we really wanted to move against you, would we need to call the Marines? Don't underestimate the Red-Haired Pirates!"
Lucky Roux's disdainful tone only poured fuel on the fire.
The samurai grew even more agitated.
Having been enslaved by Kaido, they already harbored deep resentment toward pirates. Because of Chu Yang, they had long suppressed their hostility toward the Red-Haired Pirates—now it erupted all at once.
Both sides flared up, on the brink of all-out fighting.
Tiger hurriedly positioned himself and his crew between the two groups, explaining to the samurai while calming the Red-Haired Pirates.
Dragon was busy leading the Revolutionary Army against the Marines and had no time to deal with this mess.
The battlefield devolved into chaos—everyone fighting their own battles.
Chu Yang and Shanks remained focused on each other. None of these side matters could distract them.
They had entered close-quarters combat.
Aside from Haki and swordsmanship, Chu Yang used nothing else. Even so, he held an absolute advantage.
Tempered by the martial arts world and the Wind and Cloud world, Chu Yang's swordsmanship had reached another dimension—one Shanks could not comprehend.
He didn't deliberately use Taiji Sword or Dugu Nine Swords. He simply swung.
Simplicity and directness were the hallmarks of swordplay in this world. What Chu Yang did was refine that simplicity even further.
Each movement flowed naturally, carrying traces of the Dao—beyond the reach of language.
Shanks was shaken by this strange sensation. Under Chu Yang's blade, the world itself seemed to change.
From Shanks' perspective, Chu Yang was casting magic with a sword.
Swordsmanship that defied understanding couldn't be countered. As the battle drew to a close, confusion dominated Shanks' expression.
The duel gradually turned into a one-of-a-kind swordsmanship lesson.
"Your swordsmanship was strange from the start, and now it's completely beyond me. In pure swordplay, even Hawkeye wouldn't be your match."
Shanks sheathed his blade, looking at Chu Yang with a complex expression. Before the fight, he had never imagined losing like this.
"Whether it's swordsmanship or Haki," Chu Yang smiled, "surpassing yourself matters more than surpassing others."
Shanks fell silent for a moment, then forced a smile."So… you're leaving the ship?"
Chu Yang took a deep breath, nodded, and smiled."Captain, my journey has reached its end. Saying goodbye here is the best way."
Shanks felt relieved and exhaled slowly."Journeys always end. I just never got used to it."
Chu Yang looked at him and said sincerely,"Even after I leave the ship, I'll always be a member of the Red-Haired Pirates."
Shanks nodded as if it were obvious."Of course. Beckman even said he'd give you the vice-captain's seat."
They exchanged a glance and burst into laughter.
The next second—
A massive iron cannonball flew overhead and smashed a historic building to pieces.
A bold, booming laugh followed.
"Red-Haired brat, I've come for you again! You run slower than Roger ever did!"
"When I catch you, I'll make you pay for what you did to Luffy!"
"That little bastard won't stop yelling about becoming a pirate every day!"
"Drives this old man crazy!"
A warship was docking at the shore. On its deck stood a towering, imposing figure.
Wearing a dog-headed cap, Garp glared at Shanks, eyes blazing with fury.
Shanks' expression stiffened. He'd already shaken this old man off before arriving—never expected him to catch up again.
"The Hero of the Marines, Garp. Fighting him as a farewell ceremony sounds perfect."
Chu Yang laughed and stepped forward. In a flash, he vanished—reappearing on the warship a thousand meters away.
Garp blinked. Suddenly, a young stranger stood before him.
"Kid, who are you?"
"You look kind of familiar…"
Garp squinted, his fist—bigger than a sandbag—swinging idly in front of Chu Yang.
A soldier rushed to Garp's side and whispered a few words.
Garp's face lit up in realization.
"You're the one who beat the hell out of Borsalino?! The one who blocked our repeated encirclements of the Revolutionary Army?!"
"Kaido, Charlotte Linlin—those monsters all fell to you too?!"
"Tsk tsk tsk… Guess it's either that I'm getting old, or you youngsters are just too terrifying now, huh?"
Garp seemed to think of something amusing and burst out laughing, clutching his stomach."Putting everything else aside, putting bounties on the Celestial Dragons was brilliantly done. I haven't seen those people wear such ugly expressions in a long time—it made me happy for days."
"Even now, thinking about it… hahaha!!!"
Chu Yang watched him with interest.
Even though they stood on opposing sides, he found it impossible to dislike Garp.
Seeing Garp laugh so freely, the Marines beside him couldn't help but remind him, "Vice Admiral Garp, now isn't the time to laugh. This man is extremely dangerous!"
Garp stopped laughing, scratched his head awkwardly, then coughed a few times and put on a serious face.
"Although what you did was interesting, the result is pirates running rampant and many innocent civilians getting caught up in it. No matter what, this farce has to end." Garp clenched his fist, his expression solemn.
Chu Yang nodded. "You're right. It really should end."
Garp froze for a moment. He'd said it casually, never expecting the pirate opposite him to agree so readily.
"Well, you're pretty sensible then. If you surrender now, I'll go a little easier on you."
"That's one thing I can't agree to."
A fist wrapped in Conqueror's Haki slammed brutally into Garp's face. He flew from the bow all the way to the stern, smashing through the mast in between.
"Your punches are pretty hard," Garp said, climbing out of the wreckage and wiping the blood from the corner of his mouth.
"They're decent. Just a bit harder than yours."
When fighting Garp, Chu Yang had no need for any sense of martial courtesy. After knocking him flying, he began stacking buffs nonstop.
Flashy layers of light and effects surrounded him, leaving the battle-hardened Garp staring in disbelief.
Decades of storms and battles, and this was the first time he'd encountered an opponent like this.
"What kind of Devil Fruit is that?" Garp asked, genuinely envious. Compared to his own plain iron fists, he much preferred something this flashy.
"Ever heard of a 'stacking-armor build'?" Chu Yang chuckled, clenched his fist, and charged straight at him. Fighting a pure brawler like Garp was his favorite.
Simple. Direct. Fists against fists.
The most annoying enemies were sorcerers or Shinigami types who used rule-based powers—hard to kill and capable of bypassing his defenses.
After all that effort stacking armor, how could it be as fragile as a thin film?
As the ceiling of Armament Haki users, Garp clearly didn't take Chu Yang's Conqueror's coating seriously. Seeing Chu Yang rush in, he chose to counter with Armament Haki alone.
He could underestimate Chu Yang's Haki—but he shouldn't have underestimated the mountain of buffs Chu Yang carried.
Conqueror's coating versus Armament coating.
The result was that a careless Garp was punched flying for the second time, blasted straight through the warship and into the sea.
This blow silenced not only the Marines on the dog-headed warship, but even the neighboring fleet that had been exchanging fire with the Revolutionary Army went quiet.
"The Hero of the Marines… got sent flying by two punches?" Marines and CP0 alike stood dumbfounded.
Dragon watched his own father get smashed, and the one doing the smashing was his ally. His expression was indescribable.
"This guy even held back when fighting me?!"The gap was so absurd that Shanks struggled to accept it, repeatedly convincing himself this had to be a dream.
"These two punches shattered the Marines' morale. Now's our chance—let's get Pluton out and break through their defensive line," Tiger said, immediately leading the Sun Pirates away from the shore.
Chu Yang leapt down from the warship, walking on the sea as if on solid ground. He stopped where Garp had fallen, quietly waiting.
The sea suddenly began to churn. Waves radiated outward, crashing against the rocky shore.
Garp burst out of the water, the force of his ascent exploding the sea surface.
"Looks like old age really is catching up to me… misjudged you again and again. Young man, I won't be holding back anymore," Garp said, his entire body wrapped in Conqueror's Haki as he plummeted from the sky like a meteor straight toward Chu Yang.
"No problem, old man. I won't be gentle either."
Chu Yang kicked off the sea, shooting upward. His right fist, coated in Conqueror's Haki, smashed toward Garp.
They collided.
In an instant, heaven and earth changed color.
Night turned as bright as day.
The shockwave of Conqueror's Haki tore through the sky, illuminating the entire sea.
When the light faded—
Only Chu Yang remained standing in the air.
Black lightning coiled around his body.
Garp fell like a shooting star, slamming back into the sea. His body was covered in blood, only a trace of consciousness left.
"How can someone be this strong…"
Garp's vision blurred as he stared up at Chu Yang in the sky, as if gazing upon a god.
With all buffs stacked and a full-powered blow, Chu Yang still hadn't killed Garp outright. His toughness was enough to stand at the very peak of the pirate world.
That punch left Garp shattered inside and out, like broken porcelain. Even with his inhuman physique, he wouldn't be getting out of bed for at least ten days or half a month.
Without going that hard, with Garp's tenacity, there was no telling how long he'd keep fighting.
Floating in the sea like a corpse, Garp was fished out by Chu Yang and casually tossed back onto the dog-headed warship.
The Marines present turned ashen. Decades of belief collapsed before their eyes—the despair was overwhelming.
The Marine fleet fighting the Revolutionary Army ceased fire entirely, abandoning all resistance.
Warships burned, becoming flaming wrecks that sank slowly beneath the sea.
During this time, Dragon killed the CP0 agent responsible for surveillance.
"It's time to go," Dragon said to Ivankov.
"Not going to check on your father?" Ivankov teased.
Dragon paused, turned to look in Garp's direction, stayed silent for a moment—then actually had the ship steer closer.
On the dog-headed warship, the Marines were in panic. Even Bogard struggled to calm them.
As Dragon's ship approached, the soldiers became jumpy as startled birds.
"Help me up," Garp said. His voice lacked its usual strength, and Bogard nearly missed it.
Garp couldn't stand anymore. Leaning against the broken mast, he sat there watching Dragon approach.
"I used a bit too much force," Chu Yang said awkwardly. Beating a man half to death in front of his son did feel a bit inappropriate.
"Understandable," Dragon nodded slightly. He knew Chu Yang's dilemma. If possible, he too would have preferred not to meet his father so soon.
Dragon stepped onto the warship's deck. The tension on the other side instantly maxed out.
He walked slowly to stand before Garp.
Father and son locked eyes.
Neither spoke.
The warship was so silent you could hear a pin drop, broken only by the crackle of flames.
After about ten seconds, Dragon turned and left.
Heavy breaths echoed across the deck.
Garp suddenly smiled with relief."Stupid brat… wanted to say he was right, didn't he…"
"As a complete loser, I can't argue this time. Guess he wins this round."
"Hahahaha…"
Shanks watched with a complicated expression. Garp and Dragon reminded him of the late Roger—the man who raised him, more like a father than a captain.
"I'm leaving," Chu Yang said softly.
"You should. With Garp here, Marine reinforcements will arrive soon," Shanks nodded and smiled. "Don't worry about Wano. I'll stay here for a while."
"And take Mr. Tom with you. His greatest dream in life is to see Pluton with his own eyes."
At the same time—
Tiger led the fish-men as they worked to assemble the sliding rails, extending them from the ruins of old Wano all the way to the sea.
Long ago, Chu Yang had worked with Queen and Judge to build an ultra-large crane.
Now, as soon as the rails were fully assembled, Tiger would be able to hoist Pluton onto them and send it straight to the coastline.
This had been the plan from the beginning, but the arrival of the Red-Hair Pirates had disrupted the schedule and caused delays.
As time passed little by little—
The fish-men were drenched in sweat from assembling the rails. Some tossed their tools aside, shouting that they couldn't go on anymore.
Under normal circumstances, assembling the rails would take an entire day, but now the fish-men were being forced to finish it in a much shorter time.
Tiger looked at his companions, his heart heavy with worry.
The Revolutionary Army was growing stronger. Chu Yang was becoming more powerful, defeating one formidable enemy after another.
Only he and the Sun Pirates remained the same as ever.
If this continued, they would become the ones dragging the entire group down.
Everyone was advancing toward the same goal—yet he alone seemed to be falling behind.
That feeling was unbearable.
As allies and companions, they needed to rely on one another, to support one another—not to be the ones endlessly taking without giving back.
If they couldn't even contribute now, then what about later?
When the time came to storm the Holy Land, was he supposed to lead the fish-men in waving flags on the sidelines like cheerleaders?
To Tiger, that was nothing short of a trial of his soul and conscience!
"Get up, all of you!" he roared. "If you can't even handle something like this, then get out of the Sun Pirates!"
"If any of you are fine with your families and friends continuing to live as slaves, then get the hell out of here! Don't waste time standing around!"
Jinbe lifted a section of the rail, his voice booming with fury."From the day I set foot here, I was prepared to die! If dying right now would mean toppling the Celestial Dragons and ending slavery forever, then I'm ready!"
Jinbe's roar thundered across the site, plunging all the fish-men into silence, their faces filled with shame.
Wano's natural defenses—and Chu Yang's overwhelming strength—had given them a sense of security, as if they were being sheltered.
Over time, their resolve had been worn away.
People who had grown accustomed to peace found it hard to face blades and fire again.
"Mr. Tiger, we're here to help!"
"There's no way you could finish all this work alone!"
"Let us handle it—back when Kaido was around, we did this kind of labor all the time!"
At some point, Wano's civilians appeared in the town, voluntarily picking up tools to help the fish-men assemble the rails.
Every face was filled with smiles, as though they were genuinely happy just to be of use.
Once, these same civilians had been wary of fish-men, the two sides at odds with one another.
Now, they were friends—companions fighting side by side.
"These people destroyed their own natural defenses with their own hands, exposing themselves to the Celestial Dragons just so Pluton could emerge safely!" Tiger shouted, his eyes red. "If we stop now, are we worthy of them?!"
Whether from shame or from the realization that there were now even more people they needed to protect, the fish-men's fighting spirit reignited.
The speed of the rail assembly skyrocketed.
Before long, Chu Yang arrived with Tom, Queen, and the others. Queen and Judge stayed behind to help with the rails, while Chu Yang took Tom straight to the engine room.
Tom caressed the heart-shaped power core like a priceless treasure.
After a long while, he said gravely, "We need sunlight."
Second by second, time ticked away.
At last, the rails were fully assembled, and Queen hoisted Pluton onto them.
Dawn was breaking.
Sunlight bathed Pluton's massive hull.
The terrifying ancient weapon began to tremble. Deep within, the engine roared to life like a primordial beast awakening.
"Solar power?" Chu Yang stared at the power core in astonishment. He'd imagined countless possibilities, but this had never crossed his mind.
"To be precise," Tom explained, "the sun provides the ignition spark that activates this system. After that, it generates nearly limitless energy on its own."
"That sounds like an upgraded version of controlled nuclear fusion…" Chu Yang smacked his lips, suddenly feeling parched.
If he could truly understand the principles behind Pluton's power source, his technological tree would skyrocket on the spot.
If applied to the Marvel world, it wouldn't just upgrade Iron Man's suits several generations—it could create an endless mechanical army.
With power flowing, Pluton resembled a fully awakened demon beast, its internal systems slowly turning.
"You can take it straight out to sea from the control room now," Tom reminded him. "But Pluton isn't easy to operate. It needs an exceptionally capable helmsman."
That was obviously Jinbe.
Seen this way, the fish-men truly were brimming with talent—shipbuilders, navigators, everything they could need.
Chu Yang first brought Tom to the control room, then fetched Jinbe to take the helm.
The Revolutionary Army, the Sun Pirates, and Queen's group all boarded one after another.
Kozuki Hiyori did not board, but the samurai did. Chu Yang tried to persuade them to stay behind, yet they insisted this was their only chance to repay their debt.
Besides, the Red-Hair Pirates were staying behind to protect Wano.
The samurai might not trust pirates—but they trusted Chu Yang.
Unable to sway such stubborn resolve, Chu Yang could only take them along. When assaulting the Holy Land, samurai would be valuable allies.
Once everyone was aboard, Jinbe followed Chu Yang's signal and activated Pluton.
The colossal engine pushed the warship forward along the rails, turning it into a land-going vessel as its speed increased rapidly.
"With a bit of modification, it might even become a land-sea-air tri-mode aerospace carrier," Chu Yang marveled at Pluton's power, his mind flashing to S.H.I.E.L.D.'s Helicarrier.
The idea felt full of potential.
Imagine launching a surprise attack on the Holy Land from the sky—the Celestial Dragons would piss themselves in terror.
Chu Yang went to the control room and shared his idea with Tom. The old shipwright was stunned for a long moment before nodding.
"In theory, it's feasible. I took a look earlier—Pluton does have short-term flight capability."
"Calling it 'flight' might not be accurate," Tom added. "It's more like generating an instant burst of extreme propulsion to launch Pluton to a target location."
Chu Yang thought it over—wasn't that basically the Sunny's Coup de Burst?
So that was where Franky got the inspiration…
As they spoke, Pluton drew closer to the coast. Shanks finally saw the legendary colossus with his own eyes.
"So this is the ancient weapon Pluton… Can it truly rival the power of a god?" he murmured.
The Red-Hair Pirates and the Marines aboard the dog-headed warship stared in stunned silence as Pluton burst from land and plunged into the sea.
Waves surged, swallowing the shoreline.
Pluton sailed forward, passing the dog-headed warship. Its immense hull blocked out the sun, plunging the deck into darkness.
As if a monster had devoured the light.
The Marines stood frozen in the shadows, gazing up at the legendary ancient weapon in terror.
"Compared to Pluton, our warships are nothing but toys," Bogard said hollowly, his spirit drained as he stared upward. He had no idea how the Navy was supposed to face something like this.
The menacing cannons—each the size of a normal ship—could annihilate an entire fleet with a single shot.
Even after Pluton disappeared into the distance, the Marines remained rooted in place, staring blankly toward the horizon.
(End of Chapter)