Purururu....
Just as everyone was staring in shock at Sakura, the Den Den Mushi beside Spandine rang. In his panic, he picked up the receiver.
"Hello, Spandine, how is the situation being handled?"
"S-Saint Saturn!"
Spandine's face collapsed into a grimace, yet he still treated the Den Den Mushi in his hands as though it were a sacred treasure.
"We've already obtained evidence of the scholars' crimes."
"But my deepest apologies… the Buster Call Den Den Mushi was stolen by a pirate."
The man in the heavy coat cast a hateful glance at Sakura standing in the distance, gritting his teeth as he reported to his superior.
"Idiot! How could you allow such a situation to occur!"
The Den Den Mushi's eyes suddenly bulged wide, the buzzing of static interference proving the fury of the powerful voice on the other end.
After a long silence, the serious voice spoke again.
"We've already informed the Marine to initiate the Buster Call. Leave the Den Den Mushi, and take your men… get off that island!"
Spandine snapped to attention, saluted, and placed the Den Den Mushi on the ground before hastily retreating with his men.
From beyond the shore, rows of heavily armored battleships began to move. Their cannons rotated, aiming at Ohara.
Boom!!!
Amidst the deafening roar, the town trembled. Flames spread outward in all directions, surging inward, consuming the island inch by inch into scorched earth.
Several shells struck the Tree of Knowledge, flames devouring the ancient library within.
"Ah, the library!"
The frantic scholars rushed toward the blaze, doing everything they could to fetch water from the distant lake to put out the fire.
Sakura was about to step in and knock them out to forcibly evacuate them when a voice, aged and solemn, cut her off.
"You must be the pirate Haruno Sakura… the one who stole the Buster Call Den Den Mushi!"
Sakura turned her head to see the Den Den Mushi on the ground faithfully transmitting everything before it straight to the world's highest authority.
"Former member of the Roger Pirates, nine years old, suspected to be from Wano Country. Why are you interfering in Ohara's affair?"
More than the scholars who now faced the Buster Call, it was the Five Elders, the five most powerful men, who were deeply disturbed.
At such a tense moment, to have a former crewmember of the Pirate King meddle in a matter involving the Poneglyphs… it made the rulers' hearts tighten.
For them, these lawless pirates, no matter the era, always caused headaches.
"What do I want?"
Sakura picked up the Den Den Mushi. The corners of her mouth curled wide into a big grin.
Standing amidst the flames, the pink-haired girl spread her arms wide. The will of a conqueror surged, dark lightning stirring the storm and tearing through the fire.
Her voice, young but unwavering, declared to the Five Elders on the other end of the Den Den Mushi:
"Of course, I want to stand at the very top of this sea and behold the most beautiful scenery in the world!"
"And when I reach the summit, I'll gladly spread the ideals of that kingdom across the seas… just to cause you trouble!"
Suddenly, the person on the other end of the Den Den Mushi went into an uproar.
The sound of tables and chairs crashing rang out, as if someone had leapt to their feet in shock.
The Den Den Mushi was knocked over, hissing static into the air.
When it was picked back up, it radiated killing intent!!!!
"Silence! Brat, you know too mu..."
Gacha!
The Den Den Mushi was cut off mid-sentence, smashed into the flames with a kick from the girl.
And just then, Saul crashed through the flames with his massive body, arriving before the Tree of Knowledge.
"Sakura! Where's Robin, where is she?!"
"Saul, you came just in time!"
Sakura led him through a gaping hole in the burning library. Sure enough, the scholars had already fainted from the surge of her Conqueror's Haki earlier.
"Take them and seize a Battleship to escape!"
Sakura slapped the giant's leg. Frost spread from under her feet, and in the blink of an eye, she froze solid all the books the scholars had thrown into the lake.
Saul stepped forward, gathering the scholars one by one. Finally, he found Robin, held in Olvia's arms, among the pile of people.
"Wonderful!"
Tears streamed down the giant man's face as he saw the young life preserved, overcome with joy.
"Sakura-chan, what about you?!"
"I'll hold off the guests who are about to arrive!"
Frost gradually coated Sakura's body. Her pink hair fluttered as she exhaled a puff of pure white icy mist.
Saul looked up. His Observation Haki detected a powerful presence rapidly approaching.
'Within the entire Marine, only one of the three new Vice Admirals hailed as monsters possessed such oppressive pressure!'
"No! You come with us!"
"Someone has to delay them, Saul. Believe me! I won't die!"
Sakura hefted the giant ice sword onto her shoulder. Her emerald pupils, illuminated by the firelight, were breathtakingly beautiful.
Holding the numerous scholars, Saul's face contorted in agony. For the first time, he hated his own powerlessness so intensely.
"Sakura-chan, you must... you must survive! Dereshishishishi!"
The Giant forced himself to raise a smile traced with tears, then ran toward the sea of fire.
"Arara, this kind of thing… I really can't just pretend I didn't see it!"
A tall man, also wreathed in frost, stepped out of the sea of flames.
With his arms crossed, spears of ice condensed in midair, rising from the surging cold before shooting forth.
"Ice Block: Pheasant Beak!"
The ice spears whistled through the air, aimed straight at the distant Saul.
Clang-!
Suddenly, a crimson radiance streaked across the sky, cleaving apart the barrage of ice spears in an instant, ice mist bursting outward!
"Eh? You are... Frost Guy! Long time no see! Looks like you're doing well for yourself ~"
Kuzan looked down and saw the girl grinning oddly up at him.
Dead memories suddenly began to attack him… the ribs she had shattered with her fist that day throbbed with a phantom pain.
"You rude little brat, I have a name! It's Kuzan!"
The young man in the black overcoat slammed his hand onto the ground. A metallic clang echoed as endless frost spread across the earth.
'Damn, ice?'
The freezing air instantly spread to Sakura's feet, forming a circle. Menacing pillars of ice shot skyward, trapping her firmly within a block of solid ice.
"Though I don't know what you did to piss off those five old geezers so much, I'll still be sending you to Impel Down!"
Even though he had received an annihilation order, the young Marine Vice Admiral, striving to emulate his idol Garp, naturally wouldn't take the Five Elders' instructions to heart.
Tsk! Tsk! Tsk!
An abnormal sound reverberated, and a red gleam flashed through Kuzan's pupils.
"What?"
Crack!
In an instant, the solid ice shattered.
What escaped from within easily stomped through the flames. Dark lightning flashed wildly around her, churning the storm!
Before her, the steam-wreathed great sword suddenly extended, swinging towards Kuzan.
And then, they brushed past each other.
Squelch!
A grimace twisted Kuzan's face as a gash appeared on his chest, blood soaking through his torn uniform.
"Opposing attributes? It seems you've obtained a troublesome fruit!"
Kuzan began to regard Sakura seriously.
Back then, Sakura had no Haki, no Devil Fruit's Ability, and had defeated him relying on her wits.
Though he was unwilling to admit it, he still hadn't paid much mind to the girl, thinking it was just child's play.
But now, even without Haki, she had mastered a means to counter his Logia's elementalization.
'I could no longer treat this girl with a playful attitude. Otherwise... I might truly die!'
"From now on, we are truly enemies, pirate!"
Kuzan retracted his ability, raised his fists, and adopted a fighting stance.
Black Armament Haki coiled around his fists. The muscles honed under the tutelage of the Marine Hero faintly roared, emanating an aura of combat.
"This is... just great!"
The girl with cherry-pink hair raised her head, a genuine smile spreading across her face.
And then, amidst maniacal laughter and shouts, their fists collided with a thunderous impact.
A shockwave of air erupted skyward, violently ravaging the surroundings.