The sea did not calm after the punch.
It remembered.
Waves surged violently toward Pirate Island, crashing into the massive crater carved by Luffy's Galaxy Impact. Water poured into the wound in the earth, hissing violently as molten stone met the tide. Steam rose in towering columns, thick enough to blot out the sky, turning the battlefield into a boiling graveyard of mist and ruin.
Yet through it all—
The Thousand Sunny advanced.
The ship did not hesitate. Its lion figurehead cut through the turbulent waters as if answering a call older than fear. The sails strained, ropes groaned, and the hull shuddered, but the Sunny moved forward with the stubborn resolve of its captain.
No retreat.
No doubt.
On the deck, the Straw Hats stood braced against the wind and spray.
Usopp clung to the railing, legs trembling. "I—I just wanna say… if we survive this, I'm telling everyone I planned it."
Zoro smirked, tightening the bandana around his arm. "Then make sure you survive."
Sanji exhaled smoke slowly, eyes locked on the ruined island ahead. "That punch wasn't just an attack," he muttered. "It was a challenge."
Jinbe nodded solemnly. "A declaration of war."
At the bow, Monkey D. Luffy remained silent.
The terrifying pressure that had once radiated from him was gone—but in its place was something heavier, denser. Like a mountain that had decided to walk forward.
Nami stepped closer, her voice careful. "Luffy… your body—are you okay?"
Luffy flexed his fingers slowly. There was no shaking. No strain visible.
"…I'm fine," he said.
Jinbe frowned. "Condensing Ryou to that level strains even the strongest bodies."
Luffy nodded once. "Yeah. But Gramps didn't teach me to stop halfway."
Zoro laughed quietly. "That explains a lot."
Behind them, Sara stood near the cabin doorway, holding Misa close. The child slept soundly, unaware that the world itself was shifting beneath her dreams.
Sara's hands shook.
She had seen destruction before. She had lived through the burning of her island, watched soldiers and pirates alike tear apart lives for amusement and power.
But this—
This was different.
That punch had not been wild. It had not been cruel.
It had been intentional.
Like a judge's gavel striking stone.
And the man who had thrown it now stared ahead, not with hatred—but with certainty.
If someone like him exists… Sara thought, maybe hope isn't dead.
Pirate Island — The Yonko Stands
The steam parted.
Marshall D. Teach stepped forward from the ruins.
Blood ran down his face from a deep gash above his eye. His coat was shredded, boots cracked, skin bruised—but his grin was wider than ever.
"Zehahahahaha!"
The laughter echoed unnaturally across the shattered island.
"That punch!" Teach roared. "That was it!"
Around him, the Titanic Captains emerged from the destruction—some limping, some furious, some laughing like lunatics who had survived the impossible.
Avalo Pizarro slammed his stone fist into the ground, cracking it further. "That brat nearly split the island in two!"
Catarina Devon licked her lips, eyes gleaming. "Mmm… such a pretty monster."
Van Augur adjusted his rifle calmly. "The calculations were… off."
Teach wiped blood from his mouth and laughed again. "Off? Nah."
He looked toward the horizon, where the Thousand Sunny approached through smoke and wreckage.
"They were perfect."
Darkness leaked from Teach's body, writhing like living smoke. The shadows twisted around his feet, swallowing broken stone and pulling debris inward.
"That punch," Teach growled, "means he's finally ready."
He spread his arms wide.
"Prepare the island," he ordered. "Let the world watch."
Beneath the Island — The Man in Chains
Deep underground, the prison groaned as shockwaves finally settled.
Chains rattled violently as Monkey D. Garp exhaled through bloodied teeth.
"…Heh," he chuckled. "That idiot."
He leaned back against the cold stone, ignoring the pain screaming through his battered body.
"So you figured it out, huh, Luffy…"
Nearby, prisoners shouted in confusion and hope. Guards screamed orders. Somewhere, a Den Den Mushi crackled frantically.
In another cell, David Loura lifted his head weakly.
The ground had shaken.
The air had screamed.
"…An earthquake?" he whispered.
A guard laughed nervously. "No."
"That was a declaration."
David clenched his fists slowly.
Someone came.
Across the World — The Ripple Spreads
The shockwave did not stop at Pirate Island.
It raced outward—through sea lanes, through currents, through invisible lines that bound the world together.
At Marine Headquarters, alarms screamed.
Sengoku stared at the projection of Pirate Island, eyes wide but steady.
"…Galaxy Impact," he murmured.
An Admiral slammed his palm on the table. "That level of power—he's directly challenging a Yonko!"
Sengoku turned slowly.
"No," he said calmly.
"He's answering one."
Koby stood frozen, fists clenched so tightly his knuckles bled.
"…Vice Admiral Garp," he whispered. "Please… hold on."
On a massive ship cutting through fog, Monkey D. Dragon stared at the sky as reports flooded in.
"Confirmed massive energy event near Hachinosu."
"Island structure compromised."
Ivankov laughed sharply. "Fufufufu! Straw Boy just shook the world!"
Dragon closed his eyes.
"…You chose your war," he murmured. "And so did I."
The Sunny Reaches the Shore
The Thousand Sunny slowed as they neared the ruined coastline.
Debris floated everywhere—splintered ships, broken masts, bodies drifting lifelessly in the water.
Sanji cracked his neck. "This place smells like hell."
Robin's eyes moved constantly, analyzing the terrain. "Blackbeard won't engage immediately. He'll let chaos thin us out."
Franky grinned, cannons deploying from his shoulders. "Then we punch through."
Zoro rested his swords on his shoulder. "Point me at the strongest."
Luffy turned to face them.
For the first time since Egghead, his eyes held no playfulness.
"Listen," he said.
The crew fell silent instantly.
"Blackbeard's using people," Luffy continued. "Prisoners. Slaves. Families."
Sara stiffened.
"We free them," Luffy said.
No hesitation.
No debate.
Chopper nodded fiercely. "No one stays in chains!"
Jinbe bowed his head. "Then our path is clear."
Luffy smiled—not wild, not carefree, but true.
"Yeah."
A Yonko's Welcome
Darkness surged outward from Pirate Island, swallowing what remained of the docks and forming a warped battlefield between land and sea.
Teach stood at the shoreline, arms spread wide.
"Zehahahaha! Welcome, Straw Hat!"
His eyes locked onto Luffy.
"You rang the bell," Teach snarled. "Now let's see how long you can stand."
Luffy stepped to the edge of the Sunny.
The wind howled.
"This ends," he said quietly, "when the chains break."
Behind him, the Straw Hats stepped forward as one.
The silence was gone.
The world had answered back.
And war—
Had only just begun.