Chapter 306: The Hound's Obsession! Fierce Battle with the Snow Monsters and Caesar's Trump Card
Facing Luffy's carefree greeting, Smoker bit down hard on the burning cigar in his mouth, feeling a mix of helplessness and irritation.
Without hesitation, he activated his Smoke-Smoke Fruit ability, and his entire right arm instantly elementalized, turning into rolling clouds of thick smoke.
His fist at the end gripped the Sea Stone Jitte tightly, instantly coating it in a layer of pitch-black, cold, and hard Armament Haki. It tore through the surrounding poison mist and smashed ruthlessly toward Luffy in mid-air.
"Stop acting like we're friends! Straw Hat!"
"I am the natural enemy of pirates!"
"Take this, White Vine!"
Facing this menacing and powerful attack, Luffy sat calmly on the back of the Centaur, not even making a move to stand up.
He simply raised his right arm casually, his fist also quickly wrapping in pitch-black Armament Haki, meeting Smoker's Jitte and smoke in a heavy collision.
BOOM—!
A deafening muffled explosion erupted across the wasteland.
A violent shockwave rippled outward from the center of their clash, instantly blowing away the snow and poison mist on the ground.
Luffy grinned, his body not moving an inch, easily blocking the angry strike from the Marine Vice Admiral with just one hand.
Feeling the incredibly solid Haki on Luffy's fist, Smoker's pupils shrank slightly, and a storm of shock surged within him.
He realized clearly that the Straw Hat boy who, two years ago in Loguetown and during the Marineford War, still needed to rely on desperate escapes and being saved by others, had now completely transformed. He had grown into a monster-level powerhouse capable of dominating the seas.
Just as Luffy clenched his fist, preparing to jump down from the horse's back to "catch up" with this persistent "Smoke Guy," Victor, who had been silent the whole time, suddenly frowned slightly.
He spoke calmly, interrupting Luffy's high battle spirit:
"Luffy, stop playing around."
"The cook and Nami's group are in trouble over there."
Hearing that his companions were in danger, the relaxed smile on Luffy's face vanished instantly.
He pressed down on the back of the Centaur Brownbeard beneath him and shouted an order:
"Everyone, hold on tight!"
"Centaur-old-man, full speed ahead!"
"Target: our friends' location!"
Brownbeard was completely intimidated by the terrifying residual power Luffy had just unleashed, and he was so scared that tears streamed down his face like wide noodles.
How could he dare say a single "no"? He immediately galloped on all fours, like a speeding chariot, running madly through the lightning storms and poison mist.
Smoker watched the Straw Hat's departing back, initially wanting to turn into smoke and pursue immediately.
However, the complex and rugged ruins and the lethal fog with extremely low visibility severely limited the movement of the Marine main force.
He could only grit his teeth, waving his Jitte to order the subordinates behind him to force their way forward:
"Don't just stand there dazed!"
"Even if we have to chase them to the ends of the earth, we must not let them escape!"
...
The abandoned branch base where the stay-behind group was hiding.
Under the cover of the howling blizzard and poison mist, the Yeti Cool Brothers were using their thick body hair, which was the same color as the mist, to perfectly cloak themselves in the harsh environment.
Like ghosts hiding in the shadows, they continuously fired specialized hypnotic gas shells at the cave entrance and occasionally took treacherous sniper shots from the dark.
Sanji and Franky were trying to prevent the pungent toxic gas from drifting into the cave, which would affect Chopper's concentration while he extracted the life-saving medicine inside.
The two stood like two insurmountable gate gods, blocking the cave entrance firmly.
Bang! Bang!
Several powerful sniper bullets accurately hit Franky's chest.
However, only a few crisp metallic clangs were heard as sparks flew; Franky was completely unharmed.
He used his indestructible cyborg body of steel to tank the sniper rounds, then pounded his broad chest hard, letting out a heroic laugh:
"SUPER—!"
"Soft bullets like these aren't even enough to scratch an itch for a hard-boiled steel man like me!"
"Come at me again if you have the guts!"
On the other side, although Sanji dodged most of the attacks with his agile movements,
His long legs were still accidentally grazed by the electric current attached to a bullet, leaving a charred mark.
However, there wasn't a hint of panic on the blond cook's face.
He took a deep drag of the burning cigarette in his mouth, slowly closed his eyes, and instantly pushed his Observation Haki to the limit.
His perception was like an invisible net, sifting through the deafening thunder, howling winds, and thick mist to capture the breathing patterns and faint heartbeats of those two massive beings.
"Got you... So you're hiding there."
"Two big rats who only know how to hide!"
Sanji snapped his eyes open, a sharp killing intent flashing in his gaze.
His legs rubbed rapidly against the air, instantly igniting with scorching high-temperature flames.
Without hesitation, he performed "Sky Walk," stepping continuously on the air.
His whole body became like a burning meteor piercing the darkness, charging resolutely into the pitch-black fog:
"Diable Jambe: Flambage Shot!"
Accompanied by a shrill scream that pierced the clouds, one of the snow monsters hidden in the mist was struck squarely in the face by Sanji's scorching kick.
Its mountain-like body instantly lost balance and crashed to the ground, kicking up a spray of snow.
Its thick fur was ignited by the high temperature, and the blazing flames became exceptionally conspicuous in the dark mist, like a giant living target.
"Franky! Now!"
Sanji flipped and landed in mid-air, shouting a reminder.
Seeing the bright marker lit up in the mist, Franky laughed and immediately assumed a combat stance.
He pressed his thick steel arms together in front of him, and a terrifying, blinding light glowed deep within his palms:
"I've been waiting for this! Taste the crystallization of the genius scientist Vegapunk's technology!"
"Franky Radical Beam!!"
BOOM—!!!
A devastating blue laser cannon roared from his palms, instantly vaporizing the one marked by Sanji as well as the snow monster that was about to ambush Sanji from the rear flank.
The cold-blooded killers Caesar specifically sent to silence them were easily taken out by the perfect cooperation of the Straw Hat's two main powerhouses.
Just as Sanji and Franky had neatly dealt with the enemies,
Luffy, Victor, Zoro, Robin, and the others, riding the panting Centaur, finally arrived at the cave entrance, and the two groups successfully reunited.
Luffy and the others dismounted and walked into the cave.
When they saw the haggard, giant children tortured by the drugs inside, everyone's expressions instantly turned dark as water, and an uncontrollable rage burned in their eyes.
Fortunately, at that moment, Chopper ran over from the makeshift workstation holding several vials of medicine emitting a blue glow, announcing loudly:
"Everyone! The sedative has finally been successfully extracted!"
"The children's pain can be relieved immediately!"
Hearing this good news, the grim faces of the group finally showed a bit of a relieved smile, and they hurried forward to help comfort the children and administer the medicine.
...
Meanwhile, in the luxurious control room deep within the Punk Hazard research facility,
Caesar's pale and bizarre face was now completely distorted by extreme fear and anger.
Through the listening devices scattered across the island, he clearly knew that everything had spiraled out of control.
The tough Marine Vice Admiral Smoker, the terrifyingly powerful Straw Hat crew, and that scheming Shichibukai Trafalgar Law.
All these factions had now converged on this poison gas island that should have been forgotten by the world.
What made him even more desperate was that his precious experimental subjects used for the gigantification experiments were now all lost and had fallen into the hands of the pirates.
Once these secrets were exposed, "JOKER" Doflamingo would absolutely send someone to ruthlessly eliminate him without hesitation.
Caesar turned his entire body into gas, floating anxiously back and forth in the control room.
He realized clearly that the situation before him had completely spun out of control and was beyond salvation.
To completely cover up all this inhumane evidence and leave no survivors,
Caesar's eyes became bloodshot, and he let out a piercing, ghastly laugh:
"Shurororororo!"
"Since you idiots all love this island so much and insist on ruining my plans,"
"Then you might as well go to hell forever along with this island!"
With a mad roar, Caesar suddenly reached out and pulled down the red emergency lever on the control panel that was heavily locked.
RUMBLE—!
As the lever was pulled, a giant pit in the center of the island, which had been tightly locked by heavy steel and seals, burst open amidst a world-shaking roar.
Almost at the same time, the purple-green poison mist permeating the entire island seemed to receive a powerful summons from some evil force and began to madly converge toward that abyssal pit.
Then, amidst the rolling thunder and pouring rain, a nauseating, massive object emerged from the edge of the pit.
It was a creature as large as a mountain range, its entire body dripping with lethal purple toxic slime.
Furthermore, it was a terrifying gelatinous monster that continuously released dangerous high-voltage static electricity—the ultimate gas monster, "Slime."
This monster, a convergence of endless poison gas and resentment, slowly crawled out of the abyss, its massive and disgusting body writhing amidst the interlacing lightning.
It let out a hair-raising, muffled roar toward the sky...Chapter 307: Takemikazuchi's Divine Retribution! The Vice Captain Who Sliced the Island and the Captain Who Refused the Alliance
Accompanied by ear-piercing screeches, Slime's massive, mountain-like body began to frantically split and wriggle across the desolate island.
It was like a purple tsunami of death, sweeping forward with a force that could crush anything in its path.
Wherever it passed—be it hard rocks, broken ruins, or the corpses of Centaurs who couldn't dodge in time—
everything was corroded away the instant it touched the terrifying venom, turning into rising plumes of pungent, nauseating purple toxic smoke.
Facing this overwhelming, life-extinguishing venom that threatened to swallow everything, Victor's eyes suddenly sharpened.
A vast and majestic surge of purple Chakra erupted from his body, soaring straight into the clouds.
"Hum——!"
A purple Tengu War God, as massive as an ancient mountain with wide wings on its back, rose from the ground.
Susanoo's enormous body carried Victor directly, breaking through layers of toxic mist and flying into the lightning-ravaged sky.
With a slight thought, Susanoo suddenly drew the massive Chakra light sword from its waist.
The originally wild and chaotic purple lightning in the sky seemed to receive a supreme summons, frantically converging and compressing onto the blade, erupting with a brilliance so dazzling it was hard to keep one's eyes open.
"Takemikazuchi!"
Accompanied by Victor's cold and ruthless low shout,
Susanoo swung the giant sword, and a world-destroying lightning sword light slashed down!
This strike, carrying unparalleled Kamui, sent sword Qi surging and agitating, actually splitting the hard earth of Punk Hazard in two.
Accompanied by the deafening sound of the crust fracturing,
a bottomless, massive abyss appeared directly in front of the Straw Hat Pirates and the others.
The purple venom tsunami that had been surging forward didn't even have time to spread further; like a waterfall losing its support, it all tumbled down the cliff into the massive gap, finally swallowed completely by the unfathomable backflow of seawater.
In the deepest control room of the research institute, Caesar, who had been laughing maniacally, now watched this soul-shaking scene like a divine punishment on the monitor, his eyes nearly popping out of their sockets in terror.
His legs went weak, and he slumped onto the cold floor, screaming at the top of his lungs:
"How is this possible... what is with this monster?!"
"I'm not fighting anymore! Run, run!"
In front of the research institute's gate, Law, who had been waiting quietly, now stared blankly at the distant island that had been split by a single sword strike.
And at that terrifying sword Qi that shot into the sky and refused to dissipate for a long time.
He gripped his Nodachi tightly, veins bulging on the back of his hand, yet his fingers were trembling uncontrollably.
Deep within Law's usually calm heart, a tempestuous sea of shock was raging.
The Straw Hat crew... what exactly did they go through during these two years?
He knew Victor was strong.
But had he actually become powerful to such an inconceivable degree?
With the crisis temporarily averted, Victor deactivated Susanoo in mid-air and landed back on the ground as light as a falling leaf.
He brushed the dust off his trench coat and casually beckoned the still-dazed group to hurry and leave this dangerous place.
Luffy, Zoro, and the others immediately sprang into action, directing the Centaurs led by Brownbeard to carefully carry all the giant children on their broad backs.
Luffy stood by the edge of the cliff, peeking down into the bottomless crack. Without any sense of having just escaped death, he instead laughed heartily and mindlessly:
"Victor is really amazing!"
"That sword strike was so cool!"
To the side, Zoro turned his head and gave a cold "Tch."
But his large hand, which was gripping the hilt of the sword at his waist, tightened suddenly, his pupils burning with a hot desire for battle.
Nami made no effort to hide her inner admiration and pride.
Her eyes sparkled like stars, and she raised her hands, cheering and jumping with excitement, feeling incredibly proud of her boyfriend's awe-inspiring display of power.
Taking advantage of this gap, it wasn't long after the giant children, who were still struggling in pain, took the medicine.
The children's distorted expressions gradually smoothed out, and they finally stopped their dangerous rampage, regaining their original reason and calm.
The Straw Hat Pirates quickly organized the group to prepare for retreat.
Nami put away her smile and regained the professionalism and composure of a Navigator.
She looked down at the Log Pose on her wrist, which was spinning wildly, then looked up to observe the surrounding severed terrain.
Then, she extended a slender finger, pointing straight at the massive building in the center of the island, which was tightly encased in heavy alloy armor:
"Next, let's go straight there and drag out the culprit responsible for all of this!"
"Besides, that place is a completely enclosed structure. As long as we get inside, we can block out these deadly toxic gases!"
Hearing Nami's instructions, Luffy excitedly raised both arms and cheered, a blazing fighting spirit igniting in his clear eyes:
"Alright! I'm going to go and beat up the guy who made the little kids cry!"
On the other side, Smoker, whose body was still in a weakened state, led the Marines of the G-5 branch and was also attacked by the Slime fragments.
Fortunately, thanks to Victor's world-destroying sword strike, which forcibly drew the attention of the main Slime body and completely changed the island's terrain to block the spread of the venom,
the attacks the Marines faced weren't that intense, and they managed to hold them off.
Smoker stood on high ground, looking at the purple venom flowing all over the ground. He bit down hard on the cigar in his mouth, his normally resolute face now filled with rage.
He finally understood completely that the scientist Caesar, who was treated as an honored guest by the high-ranking officials of the World Government, was fundamentally a lunatic who viewed human life as grass!
To cover up his crimes, he even intended to indiscriminately kill the Marines on this island along with the pirates.
To save the lives of the subordinates who had gone through life and death with him, Smoker shouted the order to retreat with bloodshot eyes:
"Everyone, listen to my command! Do not fight these toxins!"
"Immediately retreat at full speed toward Caesar's research institute!"
"Even if we have to crawl, we must get inside alive!"
"We have to live to make the dark truth hidden here public!"
...
Braving the blizzard and lightning, Luffy and the others rode the Centaurs, charging grandly toward the main gate of the research institute.
However, just as they stopped in front of the gate, their path was blocked by Trafalgar Law, who had been waiting for a long time.
After personally witnessing Victor's terrifying power that could slice an island, Law became even more determined about the plan in his heart.
He pressed down his Spotted Hat, a hint of hard-to-conceal fervor showing in his deep eyes as he threw the bait directly to Luffy:
"Straw Hat-ya, you have already shown me your strength."
"If you are willing to form a 'Pirate Alliance' with me,"
"I have a meticulous plan with about a thirty percent success rate that can pull down one of the Four Emperors reigning over the New World, 'Kaido of the Beasts,' from his arrogant imperial throne!"
As soon as these words were spoken, the entire scene instantly fell into a death-like shock.
The Straw Hat crew could hardly believe their ears.
They had only just provoked one of the Four Emperors, 'BIG MOM,' on Fish-Man Island.
Now, on their very first day in the New World, someone had actually come running to propose pulling another of the Four Emperors down from their seat!
The most cowardly ones, Usopp and Chopper, hearing the names 'Four Emperors' and 'Kaido of the Beasts,' were so scared they hugged each other, their bodies shaking like sieves.
The scene was silent; everyone held their breath.
They turned their gazes to Luffy, who was sitting on horseback, waiting tensely for this Captain to make the final decision that would affect the fate of the entire pirate crew.
Luffy didn't answer immediately.
He stared calmly into Law's eyes for a few seconds.
Suddenly, he pressed down the Straw Hat on his head, grinned, and let out a signature laugh brighter than the sun, answering in a clear and loud voice:
"Sure!"
"I refuse!"
As those words fell, the entire world seemed to have been put on mute in that instant.
The members of the Straw Hat crew widened their eyes, their faces full of shock; no one had expected such an illogical twist.
Law's originally confident expression instantly froze on his face.
Even Victor's eyes widened in rare shock, looking at his own Captain who was forever unpredictable...Chapter 308: A Pirate's Resolve and a "Convenient" Crusade
Facing the sudden, dead silence that caused everyone present to freeze up instantly.
Luffy extended a finger and picked his nose quite naturally.
Then, with an expression that said it was only natural, he offered a reason that the other person couldn't possibly refute:
"Because, the way it sounds, this so-called 'alliance' is just like having to listen to your orders in everything and follow your meticulous plans step-by-step."
Luffy flicked his finger, which had been picking his nose, casually against his clothes, puffed out his chest, and declared loudly with incredibly pure eyes:
"I am Monkey D. Luffy! The man who will become the Pirate King!"
"I am going to be the freest person on this great sea, and I won't take orders from anyone!"
Hearing this bizarre reason that perfectly matched Luffy's single-celled brain, the Straw Hat Pirates, who had originally thought their Captain had some deep, far-reaching plan, all let out long, helpless sighs.
Then, they looked at each other, and seeing their Captain's righteous demeanor, they couldn't help but laugh in tacit understanding.
This was the Captain they were willing to risk their lives to follow.
Whether facing the Four Emperors or an Admiral, he always put that unconstrained "freedom" first.
Just as Law was getting a splitting headache from Luffy's brain, which completely defied common sense.
Victor, who had been standing at the back of the crowd, suddenly stepped forward.
He walked up to Law, the corners of his mouth slowly curling into a meaningful arc, and lightly tossed out a sentence:
"You want to kill Donquixote Doflamingo, right? Am I right?"
As soon as these words were spoken, they exploded in Law's mind like a thunderclap.
Law's pupils contracted violently, and shock, which he couldn't hide, appeared on his normally ice-cold face.
He widened his eyes and stared fixedly at Victor.
His ultimate revenge goal, buried deep in his heart for over a decade and not even mentioned to his most trusted crew members of the Heart Pirates, had been casually laid bare by the man before him.
Watching Law's instant, guarded posture as if facing a formidable enemy.
Victor sighed with a smile and shrugged nonchalantly:
"Sorry, sorry, don't be so nervous. I was just guessing."
"But looking at your shocked reaction, it seems I hit the nail on the head."
"In that case, why don't you tell us your real plan?"
"Our Captain doesn't like being ordered around, but if you can give a good reason, you might just convince him."
Standing to the side, Luffy listened to their conversation with a face full of question marks.
He scratched his Straw Hat and, completely oblivious to the mood, interjected:
"Dofla... what-mingo?"
"Who's that?"
However, the attention of everyone present was focused on the confrontation between Law and Victor, and no one paid any heed to Luffy's question.
Suppressed by the invisible yet abyss-like, powerful aura of Victor, cold sweat seeped from Law's forehead.
He took a deep breath, forcing himself to calm down.
He finally understood that in front of these people, any disguise or scheming was superfluous.
He set aside his arrogant demeanor and laid out his long-planned, crazy scheme:
"Caesar Clown, who is currently on this island, is the only scientist in this world capable of manufacturing something called'SAD'—which is the core ingredient for artificial Devil Fruit."
"My plan is to... kidnap Caesar and cut off this sole supply of raw materials."
"Then, use him as a bargaining chip to force Donquixote Doflamingo to immediately relinquish his position as one of the Shichibukai."
"Next, taking advantage of the chaotic situation, we infiltrate Dressrosa and destroy the underground factory that produces'SMILE' artificial fruits in one fell swoop."
"Donquixote Doflamingo is the biggest intermediary in the Underworld, and he has been providing these fruits to the Four Emperors 'Beast' Kaido to build an army of ability users."
"Once the fruits are gone, Donquixote Doflamingo won't be able to deliver the goods to Kaido on time."
"Faced with a breach of contract, a furious Kaido will absolutely not listen to his explanations and will definitely tear Donquixote Doflamingo apart with his own hands!"
After hearing this interlocking chain of schemes, the Straw Hat Pirates had varied expressions.
Some were amazed at Law's cunning, while others felt grave about being dragged into a conspiracy involving the Four Emperors.
Robin rested her chin in her hand, a flash of admiration in her eyes.
She slightly bowed her head, nodded elegantly, and summarized it incisively:
"I see. Cut off the chain of profit and let monsters deal with monsters. Using a borrowed knife to kill."
Just as everyone was seriously considering the feasibility of this plan, Luffy, who had been completely left on the sidelines for several minutes, finally couldn't take it anymore.
He was so angry his face turned red, and like a cat whose tail had been stepped on, he waved his arms vigorously in place and started shouting at everyone:
"Hey! I already said!"
"Who the heck is that Dofla-whatever-mingo guy!"
"Why are you all ignoring me!"
"I'm the Captain! I'm really angry!!!"
Watching his Captain throw a tantrum, Victor chuckled and walked over.
He reached out, patted Luffy's Straw Hat soothingly, and patiently explained to him:
"Donquixote Doflamingo, that guy is the ruler of Dressrosa in the New World, the 'JOKER' of the Underworld, and also one of the Shichibukai."
"More importantly, he is the boss behind that crazy scientist Caesar on this island."
After hearing Victor's simple and clear explanation, Luffy finally gave an "Oh" and stopped making a fuss.
At this moment, Law looked at Luffy and took a deep breath.
He stepped forward and made an astonishing move that everyone present least expected.
The man known as the "Surgeon of Death" actually brought his legs together and bowed his head deeply toward Luffy, his tone filled with unprecedented sincerity:
"So... Straw Hat-ya, I am solemnly requesting you here: please join my alliance and lend me a hand."
"Without your strength, this plan will be very difficult to succeed."
Watching Law, who had actually bowed his head to request something from him, Luffy put away his previous carefree demeanor.
He raised his hand and slightly lowered the brim of his Straw Hat.
His clear eyes became unprecedentedly serious and deep in the shadows.
He looked at Law and asked in a low voice:
"Why?"
"Why do you have to go to such lengths, and why must you kill that guy named Donquixote Doflamingo?"
Hearing this question, Law's bowed body trembled slightly.
He slowly raised his head, and in those eyes that were usually so calm, there now surged endless pain, hatred, and extreme murderous intent that had been suppressed for over a decade.
His voice became hoarse and heavy:
"Because... that man killed someone extremely important to me... a benefactor who gave me a second life."
"I have lived until today just to take revenge on him."
After hearing Law's heavy and sorrowful reason for revenge, the sound of the wind and snow around them seemed to quiet down, and the air felt somewhat heavy.
However, faced with this heavy hatred.
Luffy suddenly raised his head, breaking the silence.
He let out a burst of carefree, heroic, and hearty, earth-shaking laughter:
"Hahahaha!"
"I thought it was some big deal!"
"As a pirate, since you've chosen to sail on this great sea, you must have the resolve to die at any moment!"
Luffy's seemingly callous words caused a flash of bewilderment in Law's eyes, not understanding what he meant at all.
But immediately after, Luffy looked at Law and grinned with his iconic, brilliant smile.
He held his Straw Hat with one hand and gave his final decision:
"I'm not interested in your revenge."
"So, I still refuse to join your alliance and take your orders!"
In Law's gradually dimming gaze, Luffy's tone took a sharp turn:
"But... since I find you agreeable, we can lend you a hand."
"Because..."
Luffy puffed out his chest righteously and announced loudly: "Because going to beat him up is just on the way!"
This illogical twist and absurd reason left Law completely stunned in place, unable to say a word for a long time.
Luffy turned his head and looked grinningly at the Navigator standing to the side, seeking her opinion:
"Huh? Don't you think so, Nami?"
Faced with their Captain's rash decision to willfully get involved in the massive vortex between the Shichibukai and the Four Emperors.
Nami closed her eyes helplessly, rubbed her forehead heavily with the back of her hand, and let out a long sigh.
But in the end, the corners of her mouth couldn't help but curl up slightly.
She looked at Luffy and nodded gently:
"Ah... there's really nothing I can do with you, you idiot Captain."
"Since you've said so, I guess we'll just have to make a scene on the way."Chapter 309: The Traitor Within the Marines, The Ruthless Black Rod
Just as Luffy's casual "on the way" remark faded, a chaotic and heavy sound of footsteps suddenly emerged from the wind, snow, and dense fog outside the main entrance of the research facility.
Smoker and Tashigi led the Marines of the G-5 Branch, supporting each other and gasping for breath as they rushed out from the desperate situation filled with poison gas.
Smoker's iconic coat of justice was now damaged beyond repair.
He panted heavily, his lungs feeling as if they were burning.
When he looked up, his sharp, hawk-like eyes locked onto the open space ahead, and his expression instantly darkened to freezing point.
He saw clearly that Trafalgar Law, one of the Seven Warlords of the Sea who should have been at odds with them, was now standing unharmed with the entire Straw Hat crew.
There was absolutely no sign of hostility between the two sides.
"As I thought..." Smoker bit through the remaining half of the cigar in his mouth, veins bulging on his forehead, his voice suppressing endless rage.
"Trafalgar, you bastard, you actually teamed up with the Straw Hat!"
"What do you take your position as one of the Seven Warlords of the Sea for!"
Facing Smoker's murderous gaze, Law just expressionlessly adjusted his spotted hat, offering no defense.
But Luffy didn't feel the tension and hostility at all.
He pointed forward with his finger, his clear, large eyes suddenly lighting up: "Ah! It's Smoke Guy! You actually ran here too!"
With the arrival of the main Marine force, the members of the Straw Hat Pirates instantly dropped their relaxed demeanor.
Zoro's thumb gently pushed his sword guard, Sanji ground his toe against the ground, and everyone gripped their respective weapons, ready to fight at any moment.
However, before the hostility between the two sides could erupt into an armed conflict, a pungent stench suddenly rolled in from behind them like a tsunami.
Although Victor's earth-shattering sword strike earlier had forcibly severed the island's terrain, forcing most of the Slime's main body and venom into the abyss.
But the dense poison gas remaining in the air, fueled by the strong sea breeze, was rapidly spreading toward this last safe zone in front of the research facility's gate.
"Sizzle, sizzle, sizzle—!" A hair-raising sound rang out as the edge of the purple poison mist touched the rocks and debris on the ground.
Those hard objects were instantly completely petrified, then turned into a pile of gray-white powder and dissipated with the wind.
Facing this indiscriminate, terrifying, deadly poison gas, everyone standing here, whether they were unruly pirates or Marines representing justice, deeply felt the approach of death.
"Now is not the time for spacing out or reminiscing! Everyone, get inside first!" Victor said helplessly.
"Franky! Do it!" Sanji roared, his legs instantly igniting with scorching high-temperature flames.
"SUPER—Watch this!" Franky brought his arms together, his palms lighting up with a dazzling glow.
"Diable Jambe: Collier Strike!" "Franky Radical Beam!"
The violent attacks from the two main powerhouses slammed simultaneously into a spare heavy alloy door on the side of the research facility.
Accompanied by a deafening, earth-shaking blast, that alloy door, which was strong enough to withstand bombardment, was forcibly blown open, creating a huge gap.
"Quick! Get inside!" In this life-or-death moment, no one hesitated.
The Marines, the Straw Hat crew, and those huge children carried by the Centaurs scrambled into the dim passageways inside the research facility.
Just as the last Marine soldier thrillingly dove through the gate, "Clang—Boom!"
The research facility's heavy, thick alloy door slammed shut behind everyone.
The heavy mechanical locking sound echoed in the empty corridor, completely cutting off the deadly purple poison mist from the outside.
Everyone had just survived, and before they could even catch their breath, a crackling sound of electricity suddenly came from the broadcast speakers overhead.
Immediately after, Caesar's incredibly smug, ear-piercing laughter exploded in everyone's ears: "Shurorororo! Welcome to my underground death maze!"
"I was originally having a headache about how to wipe you all out in one go, but I didn't expect you to crawl into my cage like a bunch of stupid mice!"
Caesar's voice was filled with undisguised cruelty and madness: "Since you've come in, no one is leaving alive!"
"All of you, just stay here obediently and be the perfect lab rats for my latest poison gas experiment! Shurorororo!"
As Caesar violently pressed the red start button in the control room, the originally spacious corridors inside the research facility suddenly shook violently.
Accompanied by deafening mechanical roaring, heavy steel partition walls on the ceiling and both sides began to move crazily.
"Boom! Boom! Boom!" Like a massive steel maze quickly folding, the partition walls ruthlessly forced the crowd, who had been crowded together, to separate.
Pirates, Marines, and children were scattered into countless bottomless, intricate, dim corridors amidst gasps and chaos.
…After a burst of ear-piercing metal friction, the surroundings finally returned to silence.
In the midst of the chaos, to protect Tashigi from being crushed by the falling partition walls, Smoker grabbed her and pulled her into a remote, dimly lit metal corridor.
At this moment, both ends of the passage were sealed, and they were completely separated from the main Marine force.
Smoker held his Jitte, vigilantly scanning the dark surroundings, a layer of cold sweat seeping from his forehead.
Just as he was about to find an exit, suddenly, his pupils shrank slightly. In the dim, crisscrossing shadows at the front of the corridor, a tall figure stood quietly.
The person was wearing the large Vice Admiral coat symbolizing Marine justice. Although he could only see the back, when Smoker saw the person turn his face, the familiar face, which was usually stern and currently comically had half an unfinished burger patty stuck to it, made his long-tense nerves relax significantly.
"Base Chief Vergo?!" Smoker walked up quickly, his tone filled with a trace of confusion and the relief of seeing a colleague.
"Why are you suddenly here? Shouldn't you be guarding the G-5 Branch?"
"But you came just in time, that insane bastard Caesar is secretly conducting inhumane human experiments, and even attempted to wipe us all out with poison gas!"
"We must now…" However, before Smoker could finish his sentence, his urgent report came to an abrupt halt.
The man in front, known as Vergo, turned around abruptly. There was no small talk about meeting after a long time on his face, nor was there any concern for his colleague who was in danger.
His eyes revealed a cold, bone-chilling intent, as if looking at a dead person. In the moment he turned, the seemingly ordinary bamboo stick in Vergo's hand was instantly covered by a layer of pitch-black Armament Haki.
Without any warning, Vergo moved like lightning. His arm muscles bulged violently, and he mercilessly smashed the pitch-black bamboo at the head of the unsuspecting Smoker!
"Bang—!!!" A dull, loud noise exploded in the cramped corridor. Vergo's strike was extremely cold and ruthless, aimed entirely at taking a life.
Although Smoker, at the final moment of facing a death threat, relied on the instinctive reactions cultivated from years of combat to barely lift his Sea Stone Jitte to block it.
But that tyrannical, unparalleled power directly shattered his defense. "Argh!" Smoker let out a miserable groan, his tall body instantly flying off the ground as if hit by a train moving at full speed.
He slammed heavily into the hard metal wall behind him, creating a huge dent in the wall, then fell hard to the ground, a mouthful of hot blood spewing out, staining the clothes on his chest red.
"Vice Admiral!!!" Tashigi, standing to the side, was so shocked by this sudden turn of events that her mind went blank. She stared in disbelief, looking at the Base Chief who was usually deeply loved and respected by all the Marine officers and soldiers of the G-5 Branch.
Her hands gripped the hilt of her sword, her voice trembling violently: "Ve… Vice Admiral Vergo? What are you doing! Stop it! We're on the same side!"
Facing Tashigi's desperate questioning, Vergo was expressionless. He slowly raised his hand, used his thumb to casually wipe off the half of the funny burger patty stuck to his face, his eyes cold without a shred of human emotion.
He walked with heavy steps, slowly to the front of Smoker who had fallen in a pool of blood. He lifted his foot, which was wearing a shiny leather shoe, and stepped heavily onto Smoker's chest.
Vergo looked down at him from above, and said slowly: "On the same side? Don't be so self-indulgent and have such ridiculous misunderstandings, Smoker."
"I have been a pirate from the very beginning." "I have been lurking in the Marine camp, painstakingly managing for so many years, climbing step by step to the position of Base Chief."
"It was just to cover up the unspeakable secrets on this island for the 'Young Master'."
Hearing these words, Smoker gritted his teeth hard, enduring the excruciating pain of his fractured chest. His eyes were bloodshot from extreme anger, staring fixedly at Vergo's hypocritical face:
"'Young Master'… Seven Warlords of the Sea, 'JOKER' Donquixote Doflamingo?!"
"So that's it… I did find it strange! The G-5 Branch has often received desperate reports of missing children in the surrounding seas these past few years, but they were all brushed off by superiors as ordinary shipwrecks and accidents, without any investigation at all!"
"So, it was all you bastard working in the dark, abusing your power to cover up their crimes!"
Listening to Smoker's accusation, Vergo's rock-hard face remained noncommittal, without a shred of remorse or guilt.
"You know too much, Smoker." "If I let you leave alive, things will become very troublesome."
"But don't worry, as long as I kill you both in this unknown corner. Then I can naturally push all the blame onto that self-righteous, brainless Caesar, and the Young Master's business can continue to run smoothly."
A hint of cold cruelty flashed in Vergo's eyes, and he raised the pitch-black bamboo in his hand high again: "Sorry, Smoker."
"If you really want to blame someone, you can only blame your own stupidity for letting you blunder into this hell that you shouldn't have come to at this time."Chapter 310: Rubber from the Sky! Perfect Armament Haki and a Deathmatch in the Operating Room
In the dim metal corridor, Vergo swung the pitch-black bamboo rod in his hand, ruthlessly aiming for Smoker's head.
This strike was heavy and powerful, with no mercy whatsoever. If it were to land, this upright and unyielding Vice Admiral would surely have his brains splattered and die on the spot.
"ROOM!" A deep, cold voice rang out abruptly in the corridor.
Immediately following, a massive, hemispherical light dome emitting an eerie blue glow suddenly expanded, instantly enveloping both Smoker and Vergo completely.
"Shambles!" With the activation of the ability, the bizarre laws of displacement within the space took effect instantly.
A tenth of a second before the bamboo rod landed, Smoker's tall frame vanished into thin air, replaced by an ordinary piece of rubble.
"Bang!" The pitch-black bamboo rod slammed down hard, and the hard rubble was instantly pulverized into powder by the violent force.
Smoker, who had been in grave danger, had already been successfully relocated a few meters away.
Amidst the flying stone powder and dust, Law took steady steps, firmly blocking the space between Smoker and Vergo.
Seeing Law's familiar face, Vergo slowly retracted the bamboo rod in his hand.
His face, as cold and hard as rock, showed no irritation at missing the attack; instead, the corners of his mouth slowly curled into a cruel sneer: "Long time no see, Law."
"Back on Minion Island, it was indeed my mistake not to kill you outright and let a little rat like you survive until today."
Hearing these words, facing this absolute enemy who had cruelly abused him countless times and even personally murdered the most important benefactor of his life, "Corazon," Law's pupils contracted violently.
The dark memories of his childhood, filled with blood and despair, surged into his mind like a tidal wave.
That tall, cold figure had once been his nightmare for countless nights.
Under the suppression of Vergo's terrifying aura, Law's breathing became heavy.
Just as Law was about to be overwhelmed by this fear originating from the depths of his soul, a calm and unhurried sound of footsteps rang out leisurely from the other end of the corridor.
Victor walked slowly into everyone's line of sight with a lazy expression.
He tilted his head slightly, his heterochromatic red and purple eyes carrying a sense of condescending indifference.
He glanced at Vergo casually, his tone filled with undisguised mockery: "Where did this trash come from? Daring to spout such nonsense here—you're really noisy."
Facing Victor's disdainful attitude, as if looking at an ant on the side of the road, Vergo, who had always prided himself on being cold and ruthless, was thoroughly enraged.
"You arrogant fool who doesn't know the meaning of death!"
Vergo roared, tearing off the Vice Admiral coat that symbolized hypocritical justice and tossing it casually onto the ground.
As his muscles swelled violently, a powerful, ink-deep Armament Haki instantly began to spread wildly from his arms.
In the blink of an eye, that layer of pitch-black Haki, shimmering with a cold metallic luster, flawlessly covered every inch of his skin!
Vergo transformed into a black demon god exuding a terrifying pressure.
He clenched his pitch-black fists and stared arrogantly at Victor, sneering: "Don't think that just because you could split this island in half with a single sword slash outside, you can act arrogant in front of me!"
"That was just relying on the power of a Devil Fruit!"
"In front of my perfect Armament Haki, which has no blind spots, all those flashy abilities are useless scraps of paper!"
Watching Vergo, who had instantly turned into a "little black man" in front of him, Victor not only felt no pressure but let out a snort of laughter.
He shook his head, looking at Vergo as if he were watching a comical clown: "Perfect Armament Haki? That's hilarious."
"So, smearing Haki all over your body without any skill, like applying cheap paint, is what you have the audacity to call 'perfect'?"
"You pathetic guy, you really are a true frog at the bottom of a well."
Hearing this merciless mockery, killing intent flared in Vergo's eyes, and he prepared to deliver a fatal blow to this arrogant Vice Captain.
Meanwhile, a dangerous purple glint flashed in Victor's eyes, as he prepared to directly deal with this ignorant fellow.
"Creak—Boom—!!!" Accompanied by a deafening, earth-shattering sound.
The thick alloy ceiling was smashed through from above by a pair of Gum-Gum fists covered in pitch-black Haki, creating a huge hole.
In the stunned gaze of everyone, Luffy descended from the sky, right on target, amidst a flurry of huge flying rubble and twisted steel bars.
"Bang!" With a thud, Luffy landed squarely on Vergo's bald head, which had just been covered in "perfect Armament Haki"!
This sudden, crushing weight directly caused Vergo's legs to buckle, and he collapsed face-first onto the ground, completely caught off guard.
The culprit, Luffy, was currently sitting securely on Vergo's head.
He brushed the dust off his body and waved his fists angrily, complaining loudly: "Damn maze! There are dead ends everywhere, and the walls keep moving around!"
"Since I can't find the way at all, I'll just smash all your ceilings and walk in a straight line!"
After complaining, Luffy seemed to sense something unusual beneath him.
He twisted his body in confusion and looked down: "Huh? What is this? What is this black, hard, ball-like thing under my butt?"
Vergo, who had been used as a cushion by Luffy and insulted as a "hard ball," was absolutely furious.
He let out a beast-like roar, pushed hard against the ground with both hands, and violently threw Luffy, who was sitting on his head, away.
Vergo scrambled up from the deep pit in a disheveled state, the veins on his forehead bulging like earthworms on his pitch-black face.
His murderous gaze was locked onto Luffy, as if he wanted to tear him apart.
Luffy did an agile flip in mid-air and landed steadily on the ground.
He completely ignored Vergo's murderous glare, stood up straight, and scanned the corridor.
When he saw everyone in the corridor, his face was full of confusion: "Victor? Law? Smoke Guy?"
Luffy scratched his head, then pointed at the pitch-black Vergo and asked curiously: "By the way, is this guy who looks like a coal ball the bad guy named Caesar who uses children for experiments?"
Hearing Luffy's heartless question, Law took a deep breath.
He gripped his sword hilt and corrected him in a low voice: "No, Straw Hat Captain, you've mistaken the person."
"This guy is a lackey sent by JOKER, the former Marine base commander Vergo!"
"The culprit, Caesar, is currently hiding in the central control room in the deepest part of this research facility!"
Smoker, standing to the side, also wiped the blood from the corner of his mouth with the back of his hand.
Enduring the excruciating pain of his broken bones, he stood up straight with a determined gaze, facing Vergo without backing down: "Straw Hat, Trafalgar is right."
"You and your Vice Captain go settle the score with Caesar. As for this scum who betrayed justice and wears the skin of a Marine, I will clean house myself and seek justice for the G-5 Branch!"
Watching Law and Smoker, who were fighting for their lives just moments ago and had now chosen to fight side by side, Luffy paused for a moment.
Then, pressing down on his Straw Hat, he tilted his head back and let out a hearty laugh: "Hahahaha! So that's it! Since this is a personal grudge between you two, leave it for yourselves to solve. We won't interfere or get in the way!"
Luffy turned around, his gaze locked on the direction of the deep corridor, his eyes burning with fighting spirit, and shouted: "Victor! Let's go! Forget about this place, let's go drag that hateful Caesar out of his rat hole! I'm going to punch that bastard who makes children cry!"
Victor chuckled, glanced indifferently at the battle-ready Law and Smoker.
Leaving behind a "Good luck," he turned and followed Luffy, striding towards the central control room in the depths of the corridor.
Meanwhile, in the central control room in the deepest part of Punk Hazard, Caesar was staring in terror at the huge surveillance screen in front of him.
On the screen, Luffy and Victor, those two unreasonable monsters, were ignoring the layers of traps he had set, rapidly approaching the control room where he was located with unstoppable momentum.
Caesar backed away repeatedly, shivering all over.
He clearly realized that the alloy partition walls and traps in the research facility, which he was so proud of, were as fragile as thin paper in front of these two monsters.
They couldn't stop their progress at all.
In order to save his own life, Caesar stumbled to the main console.
"Shurororororo! You forced me to do this! Since you like running around so much and won't just wait to die obediently..."
Caesar let out a shrill, hysterical laugh: "Then you can all be buried with me!"