A towering figure landed heavily at the entrance of Thriller Bark.
"Hm… a Pacifista?"
Hawk's sharp gaze locked onto the newcomer. The massive frame, the inhuman stillness it almost fooled him for a moment. But then his eyes narrowed.
"No… that's not a Pacifista. He's holding a Bible."
Recognition flickered across Hawk's face.
"The Warlord of the Sea Bartholomew Kuma."
Information surged through his mind like a tactical stream.
Bartholomew Kuma the former king of the Sorbet Kingdom in the South Blue. A descendant of the Buccaneer Tribe, blessed with a body that rivaled a giant's and a Devil Fruit power that defied logic itself.
Once, he had been a high-ranking officer of the Revolutionary Army. But to save his adoptive daughter, Jewelry Bonney, from the fatal illness known as "Sapphire Scales," he made an unimaginable choice.
He struck a deal with the Five Elders.
He surrendered his freedom, offered his body for the Pacifista weapon project, and became one of the Seven Warlords of the Sea in exchange for her cure.
To the world, he was "The Tyrant." But Hawk knew the truth.
Beneath that cold, silent exterior lay a soul too gentle for this cruel ocean a pacifist in the purest, almost naïve sense.
A fragile pacifist born into a merciless world.
But the question was why was he here? Why was Kuma appearing in the Devil's Triangle at this point in time?
According to the original timeline, he should have been stationed at Sabaody Archipelago or undergoing modifications at Egghead Island under Vegapunk.
Hawk's brow furrowed. As his thoughts sharpened, Kuma's eyes locked onto him from across the deck.
During his flight, he had already spotted the immense Marine fleet below.
And now, standing on the flagship's deck, was a man who stood tall, steady, and exuded an unshakable presence Renn Hawk, Rear Admiral of the Navy.
Exactly the man he had been ordered to find.
Kuma approached, his heavy steps thudding like distant thunder.
Then, standing before Hawk, he bowed formally his towering body lowering with grace that seemed almost out of place for someone of his size.
"Rear Admiral Hawk."
"I have come under orders from Fleet Admiral Sengoku."
Hawk's eyes flickered.
"Under Sengoku's orders?"
"Yes," Kuma replied quietly. "The Fleet Admiral has instructed me to report directly to you and to follow your command."
For a brief moment, silence hung between them.
Then, like lightning, the pieces clicked together in Hawk's mind.
Vegapunk's compliance. The mysterious "Deep-Sea Salvage" plan. And now, Kuma's sudden arrival.
The answer was clear.
This was part of the larger plan the one Sengoku had initiated in secret. And Kuma's cooperation was likely Vegapunk's condition for joining the Navy's cause.
Hawk exhaled slowly, a smirk tugging at the corner of his lips.
Old man Sengoku's efficiency was… frightening.
As expected of the Fleet Admiral. Lightning-fast execution.
Still, Hawk couldn't help but marvel at the advantage he'd just gained.
Kuma was one of the Seven Warlords a top-tier combat asset whose Devil Fruit, the Paw-Paw Fruit, was nothing short of miraculous.
The power to repel anything he touched: pain, fatigue, even physical injury. The ability to compress air into explosive bursts. And, most terrifying of all, instantaneous displacement across vast distances.
The possibilities were endless.
Hawk began assessing his forces with renewed clarity.
Long-range firepower Hibari.
Battlefield control Peacock.
Navigation Nami.
Cultural and research division Robin.
Defensive garrison Dain.
Support and logistics Smoker and Tashigi.
Frontline assault Zoro and Sanji.
But even with all that… they still lacked one critical role.
A medic.
And Kuma could fill that gap perfectly.
With his ability to literally remove pain and fatigue, his subordinates could push their limits, train harder, fight longer, and recover faster than ever before.
It was an opportunity to forge an unstoppable fighting force.
Hawk's gaze drifted toward the looming shadow of Thriller Bark the monstrous ship-island ahead.
An army of zombies.
The swordsman Ryuma.
The ancient giant, Oars.
It was a perfect proving ground.
And with the war at Marineford drawing near, his men needed one last trial one final crucible of blood and fire before facing the coming storm.
As for the pain and exhaustion they would inevitably suffer…
Crack.
Hawk clenched his fist, veins standing out like steel cords. The power coursing through his body hummed with life.
An Admiral-level physique isn't just for show.
The kind of agony that would break most men he could endure without flinching.
If he bore that burden himself, it would do more than inspire loyalty. It would forge unbreakable trust.
He smiled faintly.
"Welcome aboard, Kuma."
Kuma gave a short nod and took a step back, standing silently behind Hawk like an iron tower awaiting orders.
"Fleet, listen up."
Hawk's voice echoed through the transponder snails on every ship.
"Fire!"
"BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!"
The battleships roared in unison, their cannons vomiting flame. Black shells arced through the sky, cutting through the mist before smashing into Thriller Bark's colossal hull.
Wood splintered. Fire erupted. The fog blazed orange with reflected fury.
From within came shrieks inhuman, dissonant, and endless.
Hawk raised his hand again.
"Advance."
Three massive battleships pushed forward, the sea foaming beneath their hulls until they reached the massive iron gate of Thriller Bark.
Clang!
The metal ramp slammed down onto the enemy deck, shaking the ground.
Hawk stepped onto it first. Behind him, thousands of Marines lined up in formation, their discipline sharp enough to cut through the creeping dread that hung in the air.
"Today," Hawk said, his voice deep and calm, "I'll witness your transformation."
He gestured to the giant beside him.
"Standing with me is our newest ally Warlord of the Sea, Bartholomew Kuma."
The Marines stared in awe. Murmurs rippled through the ranks respect, curiosity, disbelief.
Then Hawk's next words stunned them all.
"This time, I won't intervene."
A hush fell over the deck.
"The complete annihilation of the Thriller Bark Pirates will be your mission alone."
His gaze landed on Zoro and Sanji, standing at the front of the formation.
"You two are the vanguard. Work together and don't disappoint me."
The two glanced at each other, a rare moment of understanding passing between them.
"Yeah," Sanji muttered.
Zoro grunted in reply.
They knew what this meant.
If Hawk had to step in himself, it would mean they had failed.
This wasn't just a battle. It was a test.
Hawk turned back to the rest of the troops. His voice grew sharper, cutting through the thick air like a blade.
"I know what's coming. You'll suffer. You'll bleed. You'll feel pain, exhaustion, and despair."
He paused, his expression hardening with resolve.
"But today "
"I'll cover you all."
He pointed at Kuma.
"As long as you're still breathing as long as your limbs are attached Kuma can remove every trace of pain, every shred of fatigue, every wound from your body!"
At first, there was silence. Confusion. Disbelief.
Then it hit them.
If pain could be erased… if exhaustion could be removed…
That meant
They could fight without restraint.
They could fight until their bodies broke and still rise again.
It was as if each of them had been given not one, but several lives.
The realization spread like wildfire.
Their eyes changed burning with untamed ferocity, the kind that only surfaces when men are freed from fear.
The lust for combat, for glory, for victory ignited in their chests like a storm.
Hawk's voice thundered across the battlefield.
"Go!"
"ROAAARRR!!!"
Their answer was a deafening roar that shook the sky.
"Charge!"
And so, with their commander's promise echoing in their hearts, the Marine soldiers surged toward Thriller Bark ready to carve their names into legend.
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