Marine Headquarters — Marineford.
A navy soldier rushed in and reported, "Fleet Admiral, sir! We've received news from Dressrosa!"
Behind his desk, Sengoku's eyes narrowed. In a deep voice, he asked, "What happened in Dressrosa?"
The marine wiped sweat from his forehead and quickly said, "According to the intelligence received, a group of pirates appeared and launched a sudden attack on the town of Dressrosa. Due to the impact of the battle, the city sustained severe damage, and there were heavy civilian casualties."
Sengoku's brow furrowed. "Isn't that territory under the control of Shichibukai Doflamingo? Didn't he respond?"
"Doflamingo did act immediately, but he was apparently overwhelmed and seriously injured," the marine replied.
"Seriously injured?" Sengoku's eyes flashed, his frown deepening.
He had always disliked Doflamingo's arrogant and reckless behavior, but as one of the Shichibukai and a Celestial Dragon by birth, even Sengoku, as Fleet Admiral, couldn't easily interfere.
That said, Doflamingo's strength was undeniable—even among Marine HQ's elite. For him to be defeated so soundly was unexpected.
"Have we identified the pirates responsible?" Sengoku asked after a pause.
The marine replied, "Based on the intelligence analysis, the group that defeated Doflamingo is most likely the Straw Hat Pirates. Additionally, there's one more individual reported to have appeared in Dressrosa."
Sengoku asked seriously, "Who is it?"
The marine's face darkened. "Artoria."
It's her.
What was she doing there?
Sengoku's eyes sharpened. "So you're saying she helped the Straw Hats?"
"Not exactly," the marine said hesitantly. "She didn't assist the Straw Hat crew. In fact, she clashed with them. The crew was defeated and their current status is unknown."
What is she playing at?
What is her goal?
Sengoku fell into deep thought.
Since her emergence, Artoria had been active throughout the Grand Line, yet her behavior remained an enigma. Sometimes good, sometimes evil—helping those in desperate need one moment, and opposing the World Government the next. Her actions appeared entirely capricious.
Even someone as experienced and seasoned as Sengoku couldn't fathom her intentions.
Sengoku finally said, "Maintain close surveillance on both Dressrosa and Artoria. Report any unusual movements immediately."
"Yes, sir!" the marine replied. Then he hesitated before asking, "Should we send reinforcements to Dressrosa?"
"No need," Sengoku waved his hand. "In times like these, we have more pressing matters. Some things must be set aside for now."
Just then, another marine rushed in, panting and drenched in sweat. "Fleet Admiral! We've spotted the Whitebeard Fleet—300 nautical miles from Marineford, on a nearby island!"
Sengoku stood up abruptly, a flash of brilliance in his eyes.
They're here.
Meanwhile, aboard the Thousand Sunny—
"Hey, hey, Luffy, are you seriously bringing her with us?" Usopp asked begrudgingly.
"Of course," Luffy replied. "She said she's here to help us, right?"
"And you believe that?!" Usopp was practically in tears. "She's the enemy! She nearly killed us before! How can you trust what the enemy says?! Right, Zoro?"
"Usopp's got a point," Zoro said while lifting a barbell, sweat pouring down. "But the captain's decision is mine too. I just follow what's said on this ship."
"You're so stubborn," Usopp huffed in frustration. He turned to speak again, "San—"
But before he could finish, he saw Sanji proudly offering a freshly made fruit salad.
Usopp's heart sank. Why were all his crewmates so carefree? She was their enemy—someone who nearly killed them!
"Um..." Usopp cautiously stepped up beside Kaguya, cleared his throat, and asked carefully, "Were you joking earlier? You weren't really going to kill us, right?"
Kaguya turned to him with a gentle smile. "Of course. You don't need to worry."
Usopp let out a long sigh of relief, smiling. "That's good to hear."
"Don't worry," Kaguya added with a serene smile. "I'll definitely kill all of you."
Usopp's face went pale, stumbling back several steps. He grabbed Luffy's sleeve in panic. "She just said she's going to kill us! Did you hear that?!"
"She's just joking. What's there to worry about?" Luffy said nonchalantly.
"B-But..."
Usopp was nearly in tears. When he looked back at Kaguya, she flashed him a bright smile, making chills run down his spine.
Franky slapped Usopp on the shoulder and grinned. "Relax. If she really wanted to kill you, you'd already be dead."
Usopp was at a loss for words. Suddenly, he remembered something. "Wait, where's Chopper? I haven't seen him in a while."
"You mean that little reindeer?" Kaguya said with a dazzling smile. "If you're talking about him—he's stewing in the pot."
"Aaaaah!!"
Of course, Kaguya was only teasing. Life at sea was dull, and she needed a bit of fun to pass the time. Naturally, cowardly Usopp had become her favorite target.
At the moment, Usopp had no idea he'd become such a vital source of amusement.
After several days of sailing, the Straw Hat crew aboard the Thousand Sunny finally arrived off the coast of Marineford. Standing before them was a towering, hundreds-meter-tall gate of reinforced concrete—the Gate of Justice.
The Gate of Justice was located within the man-made vortex between Enies Lobby, Impel Down, and Marineford. Not only could it control the flow of ocean currents, but it also opened the passage between the three locations.
If the Gate of Justice wasn't opened, any ship caught within this triangular ocean vortex could be trapped forever, unable to escape.
The gate was constructed with reinforced concrete and heavily embedded with Seastone, making it as tough as steel. Even massive Sea Kings couldn't break through it. Attempting to blast it open with brute force was practically a fantasy.
What now?
The Straw Hat crew aboard the Thousand Sunny were stunned—they hadn't expected to encounter such a situation.
In the original story, the first time the Gate of Justice was opened, it was with R2 disguised as Hannyabal helping to unlock it. The second time, it was the Blackbeard Pirates' Lafitte who hypnotized the marine controlling the gate.
But now, due to Kaguya's arrival, the original plot had been completely disrupted. Since Luffy never went to Impel Down, he had no knowledge of the Gate of Justice, nor that entry to Marineford required the gate to open.
"What do we do now?"
Nami stared in shock at the massive structure reaching into the sky. It was practically like a mountain—no, even a mountain wasn't this enormous. With walls reinforced by Seastone, forcing their way through seemed utterly impossible.
At that moment, Luffy stepped forward and suddenly dashed out like an arrow loosed from a bow, leaping swiftly toward the Gate of Justice.
Sanji panicked and stepped up, shouting, "Idiot! That wall is made with Seastone—you can't break it!"
But Luffy ignored Sanji's warning. He leapt high into the air, bit into his arm coated with Armament Haki, and as the wind howled around him, his form expanded, revealing Devil Fruit-like patterns.
"Fourth Gear: Boundman!"
Luffy retracted his arm tightly, like winding a clock spring, clenched his teeth, and shouted, "Ape King Gun!"
His muscular arm shot out like a black bolt of lightning.
Boom!
A deafening crash rang out as Luffy's fist collided with the Gate of Justice. Shockwaves rippled outward, stirring massive waves.
Violent winds and churning waves rocked the Thousand Sunny, its hull swaying. The crew struggled to maintain balance, gripping the railings tightly as the gale nearly forced their eyes shut.
When the storm finally died down, everyone looked quickly toward the Gate of Justice—and their eyes widened in disbelief.
The wall was completely unscathed. Not even a dent. Its surface was as smooth and pristine as ever—it was as if the gate had never been struck.
"How... how can this be?" Nami said in shock, eyes wide.
Sanji and Zoro were equally stunned. As two of the crew's top fighters, they knew very well how strong Luffy was. In Fourth Gear, his power was terrifying—even they couldn't match it.
But this move, strong enough to knock Doflamingo flying, had landed on the gate and done absolutely nothing.
Luffy looked just as astonished, but he didn't give up. He raised both arms high, muscles bulging, veins throbbing on his neck, teeth clenched. His fists shot forward again like cannonballs.
"Gum-Gum Lion Bazooka!"
Clang!
Luffy's fist slammed into the Gate of Justice, producing a resounding chime like a tolling bell. Ripples spread out from the impact, yet despite the immense force, the gate stood firm and unshaken, as solid as a boulder.
Due to the rebound force, Luffy was sent flying backward, heading straight for the churning sea.
"Luffy!"
Everyone cried out in alarm.
At that moment, a figure shot out from the crowd like lightning. In a flash, they grabbed Luffy's collar and pulled him back.
Bang! Luffy landed heavily on the deck, prompting a collective sigh of relief from the crew.
But before they could relax, Luffy ran off again. With another powerful leap, he soared into the air, bit into his arm once more, inflated further, and launched another strike.
"Gum-Gum King Kong Gun!"
Boom!
A deafening explosion rang out as his massive fist smashed into the Gate of Justice. The thunderous roar made their ears buzz, and monstrous waves erupted. Even the Thousand Sunny began shaking violently.
Luffy crashed onto the deck with a heavy thud, but quickly scrambled up and looked toward the gate. What he saw left him disheartened—the Gate of Justice was completely unharmed.
"Hey, Luffy! What do you think you're doing?! What if you fall into the sea?" Nami stormed over, fuming. "Stop doing these reckless things that worry us all, okay?!"
"But..." Luffy clenched his fists and looked up, shouting, "But Ace—!"
His eyes began to redden.
Everyone fell silent, exchanging looks. They had all met Ace and held a favorable impression of Luffy's polite older brother. They could understand why Luffy was so desperate.
Watching his brother face execution while he remained trapped outside the gate—how could Luffy accept that?
"In that case," Zoro stepped forward, a sword slung over his shoulder, "let's do it together. It's just a wall—no big deal."
"Exactly," Sanji added, lighting a cigarette and grinning. "Let's go all out."
"Everyone..." Luffy looked at them, tears brimming in his eyes. Clenching his fists, he gathered his resolve. "Let's do this—together!"
However, none of them seemed to have taken junior high political science—"matter does not change according to human will." No matter their determination, they couldn't overcome their limits in strength.
Attacks of all kinds struck the Gate of Justice like fireworks—bang bang bang—with sparks flying and smoke rising. But it resembled children playing with toy guns—flashy, but ultimately useless. They couldn't even take down a weakling.
No matter how hard they attacked, the Gate of Justice remained immovable. It looked more and more like kids playing make-believe.
"I can't watch this anymore. Are you playing a game? Move aside—let me do it."
Under everyone's gaze, a stern-faced Kaguya stepped forward with her sword. With a casual swing, a surge of power burst from the blade. A crimson beam of energy tore through the air like lightning, blasting toward the Gate of Justice.
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