Several days passed just like that...
On a bright and sunny morning, Ryuuto finally stirred and slowly awoke.
"So hungry, so hungry!"
Before he even opened his eyes, Ryuuto was struck by an immense feeling of hunger, causing him to cry out instinctively. In his groggy state, he saw a figure dash out of the room.
By the time Ryuuto's eyes were fully open, Hancock had appeared before him with a huge pile of food.
"Ryuuto, eat up! You must be starving!" Hancock said, her face wreathed in a joyful smile, her voice filled with delight.
Ryuuto didn't stand on ceremony. He gently stroked Hancock's cheek and thanked her, making her blush a deep red. Then, his gaze fell upon the mountain of food, and he couldn't help but swallow.
And then—
He began a feast of epic proportions.
Thanks to his incredibly powerful constitution, the food was quickly converted into waves of energy, rapidly replenishing his famished body.
Hancock rested her chin on her hands, watching him with eyes full of love.
...
"Captain Ryuuto, there's some bad news. You should take a look," Dragon said, his expression complicated as he placed a thick stack of newspapers in front of Ryuuto in the main hall. "It's all in here."
Setting aside their personal animosity, the two could be considered comrades who had fought side by side. And from a certain standpoint, Ryuuto hadn't done anything wrong regarding Garp's death. Both men had gambled their lives for the ideals they held dear.
A chaotic jumble of thoughts flooded Dragon's mind.
In the past few days, the Revolutionary Army had managed to construct an entirely new headquarters on the deck of the ancient weapon, Pluton. Many revolutionaries had already arrived on various ships, turning the colossal vessel into their new base of operations. Their former headquarters, Baltigo, had been exposed to the World Government and was subsequently abandoned by Dragon.
Ryuuto flipped through the papers, his expression growing more solemn with each page. Baby 5 stood beside him, ready to refill his teacup at a moment's notice, much like an attentive maid.
"This is both a natural disaster and a man-made calamity! We have to do something for these ordinary people!" Ryuuto slammed the newspapers onto the table, his voice ringing with conviction as he addressed Dragon and the others.
"I've already taken some measures," Dragon said slowly. "This warship, Pluton, will be of great use."
Before Ryuuto had woken up, Dragon had already dispatched the army commanders to rescue those who had lost their homes. The numerous rooms aboard Pluton would soon serve a new purpose. They had previously explored five of them: Room 1 was a forest, Room 2 a swamp, Room 3 a grassland, Room 4 a frozen tundra, and Room 5 a volcanic region. Further exploration by Dragon and his men revealed that Room 6 was a desert, Room 7 a lake, Room 8 a mountainous area, and Room 9 a city.
The ninth room was exceptionally vast, filled with neatly planned buildings that could accommodate at least ten million people.
Ryuuto nodded in approval as Dragon explained everything.
"What about Kaido?" Ryuuto suddenly remembered the island of Wano, which was now serving as Pluton's mast, and asked.
"We've reached an agreement," Dragon replied calmly. "They will largely maintain their autonomy. As a show of good faith, I've agreed to purchase their manufactured weapons and Seastone."
Hearing this, Ryuuto nodded in satisfaction. As expected of the leader of the Revolutionary Army, he had managed to arrange everything in such a short amount of time.
After saying this, Dragon looked at Ryuuto with a hint of caution.
Ryuuto instantly understood his concern: the ownership of Pluton.
But Dragon's worries were unnecessary. Ryuuto had no intention of vying for control of the ancient weapon. He already had the Ark Maxim, which was perfectly suited for him. Pluton's only real use to him was its immense firepower. But then again, forming an alliance with Dragon achieved the same result; all that mattered was that the weapon was on his side.
Therefore, Ryuuto didn't bring up the topic.
He had more important things to do, namely returning to the East Blue to save his old friends, like Nojiko and Eve.
With that, Ryuuto bid farewell to Dragon.
...
"Nami, let's go back to Cocoyasi Village!" Ryuuto said, approaching her soon after.
"Okay!!" Nami nodded emphatically after learning the full story. As a navigator, she knew that Cocoyasi's elevation was not high. With the sea level having risen by a meter, Nojiko and the others were certainly in danger.
The crew quickly prepared their things and steered the Ark Maxim toward the East Blue.
"I hope Nojiko and the others are okay!" Nami said to Ryuuto, standing at the bow with a worried expression.
"They'll be fine," Ryuuto said softly, patting her shoulder to comfort her.
Because Nami had no Den Den Mushi to contact Nojiko or Genzo, she had no way of knowing what had happened until they returned.
Vivi and Hancock, on the other hand, had immediately contacted their respective countries. Alabasta was in a precarious situation, but thanks to Cobra's wise leadership, things were currently stable. Amazon Lily, being at a high altitude, was almost completely unaffected by the rising waters.
"It's going to be okay, Nami," Vivi said, walking over to offer her own words of comfort.
But Nami's face remained clouded with worry.
Seeing this, Ryuuto could only push the Ark Maxim to go faster, hoping to reach Cocoyasi Village as soon as possible.
At an altitude of ten thousand meters, they were above most cloud layers, in a realm of near-eternal sunshine. The whirring of the propellers was a constant hum in their ears. Looking down from the cloudless sky, the sheer vastness of the ocean was on full display. The islands below were like scattered chess pieces on a board, appearing incredibly small.
"The god of the sea is angry!!"
Suddenly, a voice echoed in Ryuuto's ears.
Time flew by in the sky...
Before long, with Nami's guidance, the Ark Maxim arrived above Cocoyasi Village.
"Captain!!"
Even before they descended, it was clear that almost no land remained visible above the water. The sight caused Nami's taut nerves to snap, and she collapsed into Ryuuto's arms, sobbing.
"Let's go down and take a look. Things might not be what you think..." Ryuuto said to her, his expression strangely grim. He then continued in a voice only he could hear, "A Marine Admiral... in the supposedly weakest sea, the East Blue!!"
Having already sent out his lightning to scout the area, Ryuuto knew the situation below.
On the sea near Cocoyasi Village...
A Marine warship with a green paint scheme and a figurehead shaped like a massive, budding flower floated on the waves, its flag of Justice flying brazenly.
This was the ship of the newly appointed Marine Admiral, Ryokugyu. He had come to the East Blue to carry out Imu's will: to capture a large number of ordinary civilians. As a die-hard loyalist of the Celestial Dragons, Ryokugyu believed in "Thorough Justice." He was convinced that "the world would collapse without the Celestial Dragons."
Below the deck of his warship, countless imprisoned civilians stared blankly, their faces ashen. They still couldn't believe they had been captured by the very Marines they had always trusted.
The world had surely gone mad.
The Marines were doing the work of pirates.
And ahead of Ryokugyu's ship was a pirate vessel with a figurehead of a giant lion with a green cockscomb.
It was Bartolomeo's pirate crew.
"Admiral Aramaki, we've encountered a pirate ship ahead! It appears to be the Barto Club, with a bounty of 26 million Berries!" a vice admiral reported, approaching Ryokugyu, who was lounging on a wicker chair.
"As expected of the weakest sea," Ryokugyu muttered. The 26 million Berry bounty immediately killed his interest. Since when did he, Aramaki, bother with pirates this small-time?
"You handle it," Ryokugyu said, taking a sip of his fruit juice with an air of complete indifference. "I recall there being quite a few small islands ahead. They should provide us with a few thousand slaves."
"Yes, Admiral Aramaki! According to our data, there is a cluster of about twenty village islands just ahead," the vice admiral replied instantly. He saluted and quickly scurried away.
A moment later, the vice admiral's voice could be heard barking orders to the Marine soldiers.
"Open fire! Blast those pirates into the sea!"
"Sir!!"
The sounds of cannons being loaded echoed across the deck, followed by the hiss of fuses being lit. The Marine warship roared to life like a machine of war.
Meanwhile, Bartolomeo and his crew had already drawn close to Cocoyasi Village. His men were busy helping Genzo and the other villagers board their ship, the Going Luffy-senpai.
"Careful now, old-timer!" a yellow-haired pirate said gently, carefully helping an elderly man walk up the gangplank.
BOOM!!
Just then, the cannons roared...
In an instant, a dozen flaming cannonballs soared toward Bartolomeo and the others.
"Barrier!"
Seeing this, Bartolomeo's eyes narrowed. He crossed his fingers in his signature pose and shouted. A transparent barrier instantly materialized in front of the Going Luffy-senpai.
BANG!! BANG! BANG!
A series of explosions followed as the cannonballs slammed into the invisible wall and detonated, creating a massive cloud of smoke.
Protected by the barrier, the Going Luffy-senpai was completely unharmed.
"What was that? A Devil Fruit ability?" the vice admiral on the Marine ship wondered aloud, frowning in uncertainty.
"A little interesting," Ryokugyu chuckled, a malicious grin spreading across his face. This was making him feel like stretching his legs.
Bartolomeo, user of the Paramecia-type Bari Bari no Mi, could create barriers of absolute defense. They could completely block frontal attacks and were nearly impervious to both physical and energy-based assaults.
"The boss is amazing!!" Bartolomeo's underlings cheered.
Genzo and Nojiko, who had just made it aboard the Going Luffy-senpai, were bewildered by the situation.
"If I'm not mistaken, the pirates are protecting us, while the Marines are trying to capture us?" Nojiko thought, the familiar scene reminding her of Captain Nezumi, who had colluded with Arlong.
Just then, Ryuuto began to pilot the Ark Maxim downward.
After the Marines' initial volley—
The Ark Maxim had descended to an altitude of four thousand meters.
"Oh... more players have joined the game. How lively!" Ryokugyu noticed them immediately and chuckled. He clearly recognized Ryuuto. This string of unexpected events prompted him to get up and walk slowly to the bow of his ship.
"Is that a battle down there?" Van Augur asked, a cold glint flashing across his spectacles.
Nami immediately leaned over the railing, her eyes scanning the scene below, desperately searching for Nojiko and Genzo.
"A flying pirate ship, with a black dragon flag..."
"The Emperor—Ryuuto!"
Connecting these features, the vice admiral beside Ryokugyu instantly realized who it was and let out a cry of terror.
Ryokugyu, however, had never personally witnessed Ryuuto's power. He was now looking up at the sky with a strange grin, thick vines already growing from his right hand.
He wanted to test the strength of an Emperor.
The Ark Maxim's arrival had also caught the attention of Bartolomeo and his crew.
"Why is there a pirate ship in the sky?"
"That's so cool!!"
Bartolomeo's men, clearly unaccustomed to such sights, gasped in amazement.
Two thousand meters!
One thousand meters!
As it descended, the sheer size of the Ark Maxim became more and more apparent.
"I found them! Everyone... everyone's okay!!" Just then, an expression of immense joy washed over Nami's face, and she shouted excitedly to the others. She had spotted them on the deck of the Going Luffy-senpai.
"Now's my chance!"
"Binding Vines!"
Ryokugyu seized the opportunity. With a fierce roar, he unleashed a torrent of tough, powerful vines that shot toward the Ark Maxim. These vines were incredibly durable; once ensnared, escape would be nearly impossible.
This was the power of Ryokugyu's Devil Fruit.
As the user of the Logia-type Mori Mori no Mi, Ryokugyu could become the "forest" of nature itself. He could freely create, manipulate, and transform into all kinds of plant life, including trees, vines, flowers, and fungi.
As for his elemental form—
The user can turn any part of their body into plants. When hit by a physical attack, their body disperses like other Logia users but can quickly regenerate through plant growth, rendering them nearly invulnerable to harm.
Furthermore, this Devil Fruit possessed a terrifying ability: life-force absorption.
Through physical contact or by ensnaring an opponent with his plants, the user can directly drain their nutrients and moisture, causing them to wither and weaken rapidly, eventually leading to death. The absorbed life force is then converted into the user's own energy, which can be used to heal injuries and restore stamina.
...