A massive steel ship sailed steadily over the surging waves.
Kuzan never imagined there would come a day when he would stand aboard the Pluton.
Curiosity stirred within him—just how many ancient secrets did this "Ghidorah" truly command?
As the Steel colossus cut through the sea, an island gradually grew larger in his view.
The island wasn't prosperous—rather barren, in fact—but everywhere he looked, people were hard at work.
Though drenched in sweat, their faces radiated determination and energy.
It was a stark contrast from the oppressed slaves Kuzan had seen in the past. In these people's eyes, he saw flames of drive and hope.
Everything here was moving toward a better future...
"You're finally back, Sabo!"
Just as the two disembarked from the ship, a man rushed over, anxiety written all over his face.
"Something's wrong—Ships No. 4 and No. 5 are out of contact."
"What happened?"
Sabo frowned. "Who was in charge of those two ships?"
"Commander Lindbergh. We lost contact two hours ago—no response at all."
"Lindbergh, huh...?"
"You know where they were last located?" Sabo asked, thinking it over.
"New World—Lamorric Island (OC). The two supply ships went there to purchase materials..."
"Got it. You go handle your tasks."
With that, Sabo turned to Kuzan. "Sorry, I won't be able to give you a proper tour of the forward base just yet."
"You can stay here for now—once I finish this, I'll come back and show you around."
"No need," Kuzan said as he glanced at the developing island. "I'll come with you."
Although he'd already joined the Ghidorah faction, he wasn't familiar with anyone yet. If the only person he knew—Sabo—left, staying behind would feel awkward.
Better to go with him to Lamorric Island.
If he remembered correctly, that island used to be under Kaido's control. With Kaido now gone, it should be a power vacuum.
With that in mind, he shared all the information he had with Sabo.
Upon hearing that the island had belonged to Kaido's forces, Sabo seemed to realize something. He paused briefly, then decided not to trouble a certain "gentleman" for now.
Decision made, Sabo and Kuzan boarded a small boat and departed the forward base.
With the revival of the Kingdom of Joy, and the reemergence of the mysterious "D" lineage, the entire sea now whispered about a fearsome family:
The Monkey D. clan.
Whether it was the former Marine hero Garp, the revolutionary leader Dragon, or even the Supernova pirate Luffy...
All of their files had been exposed.
The first two—due to their immense strength—were generally left unbothered. But the last one... well, he was a troublemaker.
Ever since the end of the Paramount War, Luffy's life had been filled with hardship and shadow.
Back then, after leaving aboard Whitebeard's ship, Garp—having rested a few days—left the Whitebeard Pirates and used unknown means to track down his grandson, who was then training with Rayleigh.
With Marineford gone, Luffy had no place to ring the sacred bell. In the end, he begged his grandfather to help deliver his message to his crew.
Unexpectedly, that decision—accepting his grandfather's training—left him with a deep psychological scar.
But the world is fair—effort and reward go hand in hand. At this point, Luffy's strength had already far surpassed his two-year post-war level from the original story.
Returning stronger than ever, he reunited with his crew at the Sabaody Archipelago and once again set sail.
When passing Fishman Island, thanks to Ghidorah's prior intervention, nothing unpleasant occurred. In fact, they were treated as honored guests by King Neptune and escorted into the New World.
Their smooth and fortunate journey made the crew suspicious—was it the influence of this rubber-brained family?
But on these seas, there were always people who craved chaos.
And some—especially the dim-witted—only knew how to charge in headfirst.
Jack, once one of Kaido's All-Stars, had since joined Big Mom's pirate crew. Leaving Whole Cake Island, he set out to reassemble Kaido's former forces.
That very day, while passing by Lamorric Island, he happened upon the Revolutionaries' supply ships. Putting his infamous skills to use, he transformed into the "King of Boarding."
In a single move, he captured the leaders and seized a huge stockpile of supplies.
Compared to true powerhouses, Jack might not measure up. But against someone like Lindbergh, it was an easy win.
Flush with success, Jack didn't leave right away. Instead, he threw a feast on the island with his newly-gathered pirate followers.
Which brings us to the present scene.
"You bastard!"
Luffy winced, clutching his chest as he glared at the massive mammoth before him—Jack in his ancient Zoan form.
"Why the hell did you attack me out of nowhere?!"
Luffy and his crew had just arrived on Lamorric Island when they stumbled upon Jack's boisterous feast.
But before they could say anything, the hulking brute with a savage gaze struck without warning.
The fight had started for no reason at all!
"Why? Just because your damn name is Monkey! That cursed family... If it weren't for you people, I wouldn't be stuck like this—serving that fat hag every day..."
As he mentioned Big Mom, Jack's eyes turned bloodshot.
Whatever trauma he'd endured under her command, he had now redirected all his hatred toward Ghidorah.
But he didn't dare challenge that monster—so instead, he dumped all his rage onto the Straw Hat boy in front of him.
With Jack's attack, the two crews were fully at odds.
To these vicious pirates, the Straw Hats looked like lambs to the slaughter.
But what followed shocked everyone.
Faced with hundreds of pirates, only one man from the Straw Hats stepped forward.
Zoro.
No fear in his eye, the swordsman didn't even bother to draw three blades.
With a flash of violet lightning from his lone sword—
Whoosh—!
A single slash, and bodies fell like wheat before the scythe.
"Bastard!"
Jack roared, his hooves tearing at the ground as he charged. Darkness cloaked his massive trunk, swinging it down toward Luffy with overwhelming force.
All his fury was about to be unleashed.
Luffy may have a rubber brain, but he could still tell good from evil.
And someone who attacked unprovoked—yeah, that was definitely a bad guy.
And when it came to bad guys, his solution was simple:
Smash 'em.
Seeing that enormous trunk coming down on him, Luffy didn't hesitate.
He squatted, then launched into the sky.
"Gomu Gomu no... Battle Axe!!"
With a thunderous cry, a colossal foot came crashing down from the sky—like a tower descending.
Right toward Jack.
PS: Access the complete chapters/series at