Above Egghead Island, an azure dragon coiled its body and soared into the air, startling the birds to scatter and flee. Its dense azure scales glittered with a gem-like brilliance under the sunlight.
Action was better taken sooner rather than later. After making the decision, the group set off immediately.
The Merry was taken back to the Labophase warehouse by Vegapunk for protection. After Nami got the eternal poses for Hachinosu and Egghead from him, Reiner summoned his undead to carry everyone and left directly.
The azure dragon flew out of the cloud mass, and wisps of cottony white cloud, that had been clinging to its body, were shaken off. Reiner and the others either sat or lay on the dragon's back, holding onto its mane tightly, somewhat excited.
"Hahaha! Dragon Knight Luffy, at your service!"
Luffy was even standing directly on the dragon's head, his hands gripping the two majestic and domineering dragon horns, as if he were piloting the azure dragon through the clouds, his face filled with excitement.
"Let's go! Let's charge to Hachinosu just like this!"
"Me too, me too! Dragon Knight Chopper, at your service!"
Chopper jumped up and rode on his shoulders, his face excited and a little scared, tightly hugging Luffy's forehead.
At the side, Usopp and Franky teased:
"No, Chopper. You should be called the Dragon Knight-Knight."
"Wouldn't it be better to call Luffy 'Knight'?"
"Ah, I've got it."
A lightbulb appeared above Usopp's head. His eyes lit up as he held up an index finger and said:
"Luffy is a rubber man. Let's just call him the Rubber Knight."
Might as well call him Nika Knight, or Sun God Rider. That would be good too.
Reiner thought to himself. He did not participate in their games, but turned his head to look at Zoro, Sanji, and the others.
"The primary goal of this operation is to save someone. The battle itself is fine, but what's more troublesome is that I'm worried Blackbeard will use Hancock as a hostage to threaten us."
"Indeed. From the information I have, Blackbeard is a person who will do anything to achieve his goals. The possibility of him doing this is very high."
Robin added, her tone worried.
The group fell silent. Just then, Zoro suddenly spoke up,
"Don't blame me for pouring cold water, but this is all under the premise that Hancock is still alive. What if she's already dead by the time we get there? Are we still going to start a war?"
"What did you say! Do you believe I'll kick you off this thing, you bastard Moss-head!"
"I'm just stating the worst-case possibility. Going to war with a power of the Sea Emperor's level is no joke."
Faced with Sanji's cursing, Zoro just said lightly, unconcerned.
After all, this operation was a bit rushed. In fact, everyone in the group knew this in their hearts.
Teach had possessed the strength to defeat Ace two years ago, and had also gathered many powerful subordinates from Impel Down. And in these two years, the Blackbeard Pirates had been plundering Devil Fruits from everywhere. Their overall strength was definitely even stronger than before.
Besides that, the Blackbeard Pirates had another guy they had to take seriously.
—Former Marine Admiral, Aokiji.
They had all personally experienced the other's strength. They had had several encounters two years ago. In their hearts, the threat level of this person was not at all inferior to Blackbeard.
Faced with such a lineup, they absolutely could not be careless about starting a war.
In the latter half of the New World, Hachinosu.
The island was full of entertainment facilities for pirates, such as taverns, casinos, and red-light districts. It was also known as the [Pirate Paradise]. It was filled with a large number of wanted criminals. Once invaded, the pirates would swarm out like a hive.
The terrain of the entire island rose continuously from the outside to the inside. At the highest point in the center of the island stood a 'living' skull rock.
That was Avalo Pizarro. His Isle-Isle Fruit ability allowed him to merge with the entire island, taking in every corner.
Here, people believed in the law of the jungle. Under Blackbeard's rule of force, free killing was allowed. The victor would gain wealth and status.
Today, the sky above Hachinosu was filled with the usual clamor. Scenes of revelry and tragic, deadly battles were staged in every corner.
"Hahaha! Hey, have you guys heard? Hancock has already been captured by the Governor-General!"
In a tavern, a drunken pirate sat at the bar and slammed his wine bottle heavily on the table, a fanatical look in his eyes.
"That's right! The Pirate Empress! The one called the world's most beautiful woman, Boa Hancock!"
"The Pirate Empress?!"
"Hey, is that for real?"
His voice quickly attracted the attention of the surrounding people, their faces excited, as if that legendary empress was about to fall into their hands.
"Of course it's true! I personally heard Pizarro say he wants to add Hancock to his collection! It's said that in order to capture her, several great cadres were sacrificed!"
"The 5th ship captain, Lafitte! The 6th ship captain, Catarina Devon! The 8th ship captain, Vasco Shot the Heavy Drinker, were all petrified! It's unknown if they're alive or dead, hahaha!"
The drunken pirate laughed wildly, which made the surrounding pirates also become fanatical.
"Doesn't that mean there are vacancies for the position of captain!"
"Whoa! Is a new round of selection going to start? Let's just use a deathmatch to decide the winner as usual!"
"Hahaha! Of course! You don't think it's decided by rock-paper-scissors, do you?"
"Hahahaha!"
The tavern roared with laughter. This kind of atmosphere was already commonplace on this island.
Bang!
Suddenly, a noise came from above. The gazes of all the pirates in the tavern were drawn to it. They saw that a hole had been smashed through the ceiling, and wood chips were flying.
And on the ground directly below, a pitch-black lead pellet the size of a finger was embedded in the floor.
"What's going on?"
A lead pellet with such power... it must have fallen from an extremely high altitude. The pirates thought subconsciously and were about to run outside to check the situation.
A white light so dazzling it was hard to open one's eyes. Before the disbelieving eyes of the group of pirates, the pellet suddenly detonated!
Boom!!
The violent explosion blasted the tavern to smithereens, and thick smoke, mixed with flames, rolled into the sky.
"—Uwaah!!"
"Hiss, aaah!"
"What's going on!"
"Has another fight broken out?!"
Hearing the ear-splitting explosion and the wails, the people near the tavern all looked over in a panic, thinking that some people had started another conflict.
However, the next moment.
Boom!! Boom!! Boom!!
One violent explosion after another rang out at the same time in the surroundings. Only then did the pirates suddenly realize that something was wrong.
"Wait! It's an enemy attack!"
"Someone is attacking here! Is it the Marines!"
"Brothers, quick, grab your weapons!"
"How dare you attack here! No matter who it is, we'll make them pay!"
The pirates, who were usually constantly fighting among themselves, showed an incomparable unity at this moment when they were facing an external enemy. One by one, they erupted, picking up their weapons with ferocious expressions and entering a battle state.
The giant rock skull in the middle of the island looked up at the sky. Pizarro naturally had a clear view of the explosions in various parts of the island and clearly saw that the enemy had launched the attack from the sky.
"Hmm?"
With this one look, he immediately saw an extremely small black dot falling rapidly from the sky. Pizarro's pupils focused, locking onto that figure. He heard a loud shout coming from far and near.
"Get out here!—Teach!!"
"Th-that's...?!"
Seeing the newcomer's face, Pizarro's expression changed.
"Why?!"
"Why is he here?!"
"What's wrong, Pizarro? Did a guest come?"
Inside the skull rock, a cold voice was heard. A man smoking a cigar strode out of the shadows.
He wore a white cape, a police cap, and a sword at his waist. Shiryu stopped by the window. He had already sensed the rapidly approaching powerful aura and looked up at the sky in the direction of the presence.
"Hmm?"
Shiryu frowned. Seeing the figure falling from the sky, he, like Pizarro, was also shocked.
"Straw Hat?!"
He was an emperor-level super-power, just like them. Why would their captain, Straw Hat, suddenly run here? And, crucially, in Teach's absence!
Luffy in the sky bit his thumb and blew hard. His arm suddenly swelled up like a giant's. He pulled it back, and dense, purplish-black Haki covered his fist from his wrist, and then a fierce flame erupted from it!
"Quick, stop him, Pizarro!"
Seeing this, Shiryu roared.
Pizarro came back to his senses from his daze and hurriedly activated his ability. The island's surface, earth and rocks rose up, converging into a giant, earthy-yellow arm.
No!
It's too late!
Panic appeared in Pizarro's eyes. Before he could raise the giant stone hand, the burning fist had already landed.
"Gomu Gomu no... Red Hawk Elephant Gun!!"
Before the countless terrified eyes, the giant fist of fire, like a rapidly falling meteor, smashed heavily into the square, where a large number of pirates had gathered!
Boom!!!
In an instant, the entire earth trembled violently.
A terrifying wind pressure, mixed with high temperatures, forcefully blasted out from the spot where the fist had landed. Rows of buildings were torn apart and pulverized, and people, along with the stones, were sent flying out!
A mushroom cloud rolled up into the sky above the island. With one punch, an area of several hundred meters in radius had been instantly razed to the ground!!
"Wh-what is this power...?"
The shaking of the ground gradually stopped. The pirates in the distance were stunned, their mouths agape as they looked at this scene, their hearts shocked and unable to calm down for a long time.
Thud.
A pair of sandals landed on the ground. Luffy squatted and stood up. He grabbed the straw hat on his head and put it on his back, his lips curling up as he looked up.
"Hee hee. That should be a big enough commotion."
Seeing his appearance, all the pirates swallowed hard, their hearts in their throats, their pupils trembling in shock!
"The enemy is!"
"The Fifth Emperor! Straw Hat Luffy!!"
A shadow spread across the sea, and soon, it enveloped the entire island.
Before the disbelieving shock of everyone on the ground, a giant azure dragon poked its ferocious dragon head out from the clouds, and after descending, it stopped above Hachinosu, coiling its body.
"Honestly... although I said to make a big commotion to lure all the cadres out... isn't this a bit too reckless?"
On the azure dragon, Nami couldn't help but hold her forehead and sigh as she looked at the pirates swarming up like a tide below.
"Heh. It's not the first day you've known this brainless guy. Now all the limelight has been snatched."
Clang!
A corner of Zoro's mouth lifted slightly. He put his hand on his sword hilt and quickly drew his swords.
"Let's go."
Zoro leaped and dived towards the ground. Sanji lit a cigarette, closed his lighter, and followed closely behind, leaping out.
The remaining people looked at Reiner, blinked, and were speechless for a moment.
After a few seconds of silence.
Reiner looked bewildered.
"What are you waiting for? Get going."
"You don't expect us to jump down, do you!"
Usopp and the others, lined up, bared their teeth and roared.
Only then did Reiner react. He sheepishly waved his hand:
"Ah, sorry, sorry. I just thought this entrance would be cooler."
"Are you kidding me! Do you think everyone is a monster like you three!"
"We'll fall to our deaths! We'll 100% fall to our deaths, hey!"
Faced with the ferocious accusations of Usopp and Chopper, Reiner just picked his ear and turned his back to them.
"Got it, got it."
"Ugh... he's disgusted with us."
Chopper's body stiffened. What a blow.
"Let's go."
Reiner controlled the undead dragon to lower its altitude. Just as it lowered, countless cannonballs immediately shot up to welcome them.
At the same time...
"Kill them!"
"This is our turf!"
"Black Snake Reiner's head is mine!!"
A large group of ferocious pirates, holding swords and guns, rushed out from various houses and streets, converging into a human tide and charging up!
"Hey, hey, hey. This number... it's almost making my trypophobia act up."
Usopp's throat bobbed, and he couldn't help but swallow.
"Electromagnetic Cube!!"
Nami's arm contracted, dragging lightning as she swung it at the flying cannonballs.
Crackle!
The several bolts of lightning flew out and formed a hollow cube in front of them. Lightning shot out from each of the cube's inner corners and converged at a central point.
All the cannonballs in front slowed down their flight speed, their surfaces sparking with arcs. As if being pulled, they were all sucked over and exploded with a roar inside the electromagnetic cube.
"Yohohoho~ Well done, Nami-san!"
"Let's go!"
"Weapons Left: Franky Gatling!"
Rat-tat-tat!
Faced with the swarming pirates, Franky, Brook, and the others charged forward without any fear.
The remaining one who had come down with 'I'll-die-if-I-set-foot-on-Hachinosu disease' was also tossed out like a little chick by Reiner.
"Black Snake Reiner! Why? What is your purpose in coming here!"
Above, the rock skull's two eyes frowned, showing apprehension as it looked down at Reiner.
He was not like the hot-headed pirates below who dared to go up and demand Reiner's head. He knew his own limits.
Now that Teach and Aokiji were not here, Hachinosu only had him, Shiryu, and two other great cadres who had won their positions through combat.
Faced with the entire crew of the emperor-level Straw Hats, this battle was unwinnable. The only thing they could do was to stall for time.
As long as they waited until Teach and Kuzan arrived...
A Mythical Zoan, Model: Necro-Lord... if I can take his fruit ability too, we won't be far from dominating the seas!
Thinking of this, Pizarro was overjoyed. His gaze was fiery as he stared at Reiner. He was about to continue speaking to stall for time when a flash of fire ignited!
The azure dragon slowly raised its dragon head. Reiner stood on it with his hands in his pockets.
The other was trying to stall for time, but their plan was the exact opposite. To prevent falling into a dilemma because of a hostage, they also had to have enough bargaining chips to counter the other.
And Reiner's bargaining chip was the life of every pirate on Hachinosu!
With a thought, the undead dragon opened its two rows of sharp fangs, and a ball of explosive energy brewed in its mouth, continuously contracting.
"Wait a minute, stop! Teach and the others will be back soon! Do you really want to start a war!"
Sensing the increasingly terrifying power, Pizarro cried out in alarm, and the two giant earthy-yellow arms he had formed subconsciously raised.
"Damn it!"
Seeing that the other had no intention of stopping, Pizarro gritted his teeth, his eyes fierce, and pushed the giant rock hands, smashing them at Reiner!
"Since you won't listen to reason! Then go to hell, Black Snake!!"
"Roar!!"
A clear and bright dragon's roar echoed through the sky. Even the white clouds were churned and scattered. A beam of breath, containing terrifyingly high temperatures, suddenly erupted!
Boom!!
The scorching red, magma-like breath struck the giant palms, instantly melting the earth and stone and piercing through them. Its undiminished momentum slammed into the rock skull's face!
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