A sword slash cut across the sky in an instant.
Boom!
A deafening explosion rang through the heavens. The wall shattered with a tremendous crash, sending fragments flying in all directions, raising a cloud of dust. The clouds above seemed to be split in two, revealing the clear blue sky.
As the dust slowly cleared, the ruined Gate of Justice was revealed. It was covered in deep scars, and a massive, savage gash appeared in the middle. The exposed steel reinforcements twisted and curled, forming jagged, menacing shapes.
The crew stared in stunned silence at the massive hole that had been torn in the Gate of Justice, their jaws nearly hitting the ground, unable to close their mouths for a long while.
Is this something humans can actually do?
They had all experienced how tough the Gate of Justice was. Even with all their might, it had been impossible to leave a scratch on its smooth surface. Yet, with a single swing of her sword, Kaguya had cleaved it open.
How much power does one need to achieve something like this?
"With so many people here, and you can't even break a gate... how embarrassing. I wonder how you even managed to sail here," Kaguya scoffed as she turned and walked toward the cabin, not even looking back. "What are you all standing around for? Go to work."
Only then did the crew snap out of their stupor. When they looked at Kaguya again, their eyes were filled with awe. Even Zoro, who never easily admitted defeat, had to acknowledge that with his current strength, he was no match for her. His earlier loss had been entirely justified.
"Amazing," Luffy said, his fists clenched, his eyes sparkling like stars. He drooled in admiration.
Nami facepalmed, thinking, Only Luffy, that idiot, could be so carefree.
Meanwhile, at Marineford...
At the small harbor, over ten thousand fully armed naval soldiers had gathered, all standing solemnly.
Admiral Sengoku stood on a high platform, flanked by the three admirals—Aokiji, Kizaru, and Akainu—along with Vice Admirals Garp, Tsuru, and others. Further off were the Warlords of the Sea, including Hancock and Mihawk.
This was perhaps the most powerful fleet the Navy had ever assembled.
On the high platform, chained with Seastone shackles, stood a young man with wild hair, sharp sword-like eyebrows, slender black eyes that gleamed with sharpness, and a thin, lightly pursed mouth. His face was marked with a few freckles, and his slender frame, though not bulky, carried an air of sharpness—Ace, the second division commander of the Whitebeard Pirates.
The air was thick with the smell of gunpowder, the tension suffocating. Many of the rookie Navy soldiers had already started shaking in fear before the battle had even begun.
Sengoku stared intently at the horizon and spoke in a low voice, "Where is Whitebeard's fleet?"
A Navy soldier quickly responded, "According to reconnaissance reports, Whitebeard's fleet is less than one hundred nautical miles from Marineford. At this rate, they should be here very soon."
"Hmm," Sengoku nodded, waving his arm. "Send the order to all divisions to increase their alertness and prepare for battle."
"Yes, sir!" The Navy soldiers saluted.
"Wait a moment," Sengoku suddenly recalled something. "Earlier reports mentioned that the Straw Hat Pirates were near the Gate of Justice."
"Yes, Admiral," the soldier replied. "They're currently attacking the Gate of Justice."
Sengoku coldly said, "With them? They think they can breach the Gate of Justice? How foolish."
Sengoku, as the Admiral, knew better than anyone the strength of the Gate of Justice. He had been involved in its construction. Not only was it made with high-strength reinforced concrete, but it also used a large amount of Seastone to reinforce the structure. The hardness was truly astonishing. Even he found it difficult to leave a mark on the gate, let alone anyone else.
The Navy soldier hesitated before asking, "Should we let them in and capture them all?"
"No need," Sengoku waved his hand, saying, "They will never break through the Gate of Justice. Instead of wasting energy on these small-time pirates, we should prepare for Whitebeard's attack."
The greatest threat they now faced was Whitebeard.
"Yes, sir."
At that moment, a black streak of light shot through the sky like a meteor, followed by a deafening crash and violent tremors shaking the earth.
Boom boom boom!
The ground quaked like an earthquake, cracks appearing on the rocky surface. Navy soldiers lost their footing, stumbling in all directions. Buildings began to sway, and even the temporary high platform shook precariously.
"This is bad! This is bad!" A panicked Navy soldier rushed forward.
Sengoku's heart sank. He grabbed the soldier's shoulder, his voice low and commanding, "What happened? Speak quickly."
"The Gate of Justice... the Gate of Justice..." The soldier gulped nervously, stuttering, "The Gate of Justice has been breached!"
"What?!" Sengoku's heart jolted. He immediately asked, "How could the Gate of Justice be breached? Did someone infiltrate the control room for the gate?"
"No..." The soldier shook his head, uncertainty in his voice. "That's not it... The Gate of Justice was breached head-on."
"Head-on breach?"
Not only Sengoku, but also Karp and the three admirals, all displayed shocked expressions. Even they found the Gate of Justice difficult to deal with, let alone break through.
Suddenly, a thunderous roar came from the distance. Along with flying debris and swirling dust, a massive black shape emerged from the smoke, crashing down into the harbor before Marineford, creating massive waves.
At the same time, Marineford seemed to come alive like a beast. Iron walls rose, turret guns slowly rotated, all aimed at the incoming black shape. Navy soldiers began to surround it, ready for battle. With a single command, they would launch their attack.
Everything was orderly and well-trained, clearly the result of long, hard preparation.
The atmosphere at Marineford grew tense as everyone stayed alert, watching the newcomer closely, ready to act at any moment.
The air was thick with the scent of gunpowder, and a fierce battle seemed imminent.
Could it be Whitebeard's attack had begun?
Sengoku's heart sank. It seemed the fated battle was finally about to begin.
However, when the mist cleared, everyone froze. What emerged wasn't a warship or Whitebeard's fleet, but a ship with a unique design. The bow was shaped like a sunflower, with a skull flag flying from the mast— it was the Thousand Sunny.
Kaguya stepped out from the ship's cabin. Upon seeing the Navy soldiers and the multitude of guns aimed at her, she paused, cleared her throat, and casually said, "Uh, don't get me wrong, I'm just here to watch."
It was clear that Kaguya's joke was not well received. The Navy ships had surrounded the Thousand Sunny, trapping it inside. At the slightest command, the prepared Navy soldiers would launch their attack.
"Hey, Franky, what's going on?" Usopp looked pale, staring at the mass of Navy soldiers. His legs were shaking in fear.
"Ah, this? There was just a small miscalculation. Nothing major, though... but," Franky gave a thumbs-up and winked, "my Coup de Vent cannon is still pretty accurate, right?"
"Accurate my ass! Do you want to get us all killed?" Usopp's face turned ashen. "I can't believe they were already waiting here for us to walk right into their trap. We just blundered in!"
"You've got it wrong," Kaguya, who was standing nearby, smiled faintly. "Don't worry, they're not after us. They've mistaken us for someone else."
"So, they're not after us?" Usopp breathed a sigh of relief and patted his chest. "That's a relief, then. They won't do anything to us, right?"
"Don't worry, they won't do anything," Kaguya smiled lightly. "They'll just sink the ship, that's all."
"Huh?!"
Meanwhile, at Marineford...
On the high platform, Sengoku gazed at the pirate ship in the harbor and asked in a deep voice, "Have you figured out who they are?"
A nearby Navy soldier respectfully replied, "Report, Admiral. They are the Straw Hat Pirates, a crew that recently rose to prominence in the Grand Line. Although they've only recently debuted, their members are all quite powerful. Also, their captain, Luffy, is likely to be Ace's brother. They've come here for Ace, most likely."
"Luffy?"
Sengoku unconsciously glanced at Karp, who was standing nearby. How could he not know Luffy?
"The other person on the ship is someone who caused a huge uproar a few years ago and has recently reappeared. She's known as one of the Four Emperors, Artoria," the Navy soldier paused. "According to reports from the Gate of Justice guards, the one who breached the gate earlier is likely her."
It's her.
If it's her, then everything that's happened can be understood. Her strength was unquestionable; she had already reached the pinnacle a few years ago, defeating several top Navy experts. She had been placed under heavy surveillance by the Navy.
It was unexpected that she had come. Did she also want to get involved in this mess?
Sengoku's expression grew serious.
Sengoku strode forward and shouted loudly toward the distant ship, "You've already been surrounded. I advise you to drop your weapons and surrender. We'll let you go if you do. If you refuse to listen, then don't blame us for being impolite."
At that moment, a figure suddenly leaped out from the ship's cabin. Standing at the bow, they shouted, "Ace, I'm here! Let him go now, or I'll knock you all flying!"
Ace, who was bound to the high platform, shuddered. A look of disbelief flashed in his eyes, and he quickly looked up toward the source of the voice. His pupils contracted sharply as he saw who it was—Luffy.
"Idiot! You fool!" Ace panicked, shouting, "Luffy, you guys need to leave! This is a trap! You can't win against them!"
"Ace, I knew you were here!" Luffy's eyes lit up as he responded. "We're not leaving unless you come with us. We won't go without you!"
"This is no time to be reckless, Luffy!" Ace urgently struggled against the chains, the clinking sounds echoing. "Hurry and go!"
As the two brothers were caught up in their deep bond, a figure emerged from the cabin. It was Monet, who had boarded the Thousand Sunny when they left Dressrosa on their way to the Gate of Justice.
"Master, everything is in place," Monet said respectfully. "Shall we proceed with the plan now?"
"No, not yet. This is just the beginning. The real show is about to start," Kaguya waved her hand with a smirk, her gaze fixed on the heavily fortified Marineford in the distance. She teased, "The climax will be the most exciting, won't it?"
At that moment, Kaguya seemed to sense something. She looked up and saw a breathtakingly beautiful face. Cold as ice, with frosty eyes that were locked onto her, Kaguya's fist clenched involuntarily, her tall frame trembling slightly.
It was Hancock.
The Marine's weasel-faced Rear Admiral also noticed Hancock's strange behavior and asked, "Hancock? What's going on?"
Hancock didn't respond to the question. Instead, she suddenly stamped her foot, and like an arrow shot from a bow, she dashed toward the Thousand Sunny at incredible speed.
"Hancock, what are you doing?!" The Rear Admiral was taken aback and shouted urgently, reaching out to grab Hancock, but she missed.
"Stop, stop!"
As the Navy soldiers instinctively prepared to open fire, the Rear Admiral quickly halted them. He turned to watch Hancock's graceful figure, a sinking feeling in his chest.
Despite their confusion over why Hancock would disobey orders and suddenly act, the beauty of her figure immediately captivated the soldiers, and they instinctively began to cheer.
"Hancock! Hancock!"
"What a beautiful woman!"
"Go, Hancock! Knock those guys out!"
Luffy and his crew on the Thousand Sunny quickly became alert, taking battle stances. Monet instinctively stepped in front of Kaguya, a cold aura surrounding her as she warily eyed the newcomer, ready to act at any moment.
Kaguya patted Monet's shoulder with a slight smile. "Don't worry, nothing's going to happen."
Monet didn't know what was going on, but out of trust in Kaguya, she stepped back obediently.
Kaguya had told Monet about Artoria's identity but had not explained the history between Kaguya and Hancock. As a result, Monet wasn't aware of the tension between the two.
Just as everyone was expecting an intense battle to break out, the scene before them left them dumbfounded, their jaws nearly dropping. Even Sengoku on the high platform couldn't help but show an expression of surprise.
The sight that unfolded was that Hancock, who had been racing toward the Thousand Sunny, had suddenly crashed straight into Kaguya's embrace.
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