Kaguya's hand paused as she turned her head and said, "What did you say?"
"N-Nothing," Nami quickly waved her hand and stepped down from the stone slab. "I'll give teacher a massage instead."
"No need, I can do it myself."
"How could that be okay? I've never massaged teacher before."
Without waiting for a response, she forcibly pressed Kaguya down onto the stone slab, her fair, delicate hands starting to knead—sometimes light, sometimes firm, sometimes slipping up along the curve of Kaguya's chest.
It had to be said, Nami's massage skills were quite good. Her control of strength was just right—after the soreness and numbness came a kind of indescribable comfort.
At the same time, great waves stirred across the Grand Line. Countless pirate crews swarmed into the New World, rushing toward the direction of the legendary Uranus. The Navy was not to be outdone, dispatching nearly all forces from nearby branches and sending a large number of fleets. It was clear they were determined to obtain the Uranus.
And in a place unknown to most, another force was also stirring restlessly—it was the Revolutionary Army. They too had joined the scramble for the Uranus.
In an instant, the winds surged and dark clouds gathered—signs of an approaching storm.
One month later, on an island somewhere in the New World.
The island was surrounded by towering mountains that pierced the clouds. At its center was a dormant volcano. Its circular crater was covered in a forest of giant trees and flourishing vegetation. From afar, it looked like a sea of lush green. A gentle breeze rustled the leaves, producing a swoosh swoosh sound.
"Found it! We found it!"
A sudden cry of ecstatic excitement shattered the tranquility of the forest.
"Where is it?"
With a flurry of chaotic footsteps, a group of pirates clad in colorful outfits rushed over.
"Over there!"
The pirate from earlier pointed ahead, shouting excitedly.
Everyone followed the direction of his finger and instantly stared in shock, their jaws nearly dropping.
What met their eyes was an enormous colossus, occupying nearly half of the island. It looked like a rectangular object, with four massive propeller-like structures on its sides—likely engines. Its exterior was covered in thick steel plates that reflected a dazzling light under the sun.
"The Uranus! It's the Uranus!" the pirate shouted excitedly. "Great! We've finally found it!"
Meanwhile, on the other side of the island—
Hearing the cheerful cries from afar, Red-Haired Pirates' vice-captain Ben Beckman gazed into the distance and turned to say, "Captain, should we make a move?"
"Yeah, we can't let those guys get ahead," Lucky Roux said, taking a bite of the meat stick in his hand and chewing noisily. "That's not our Red-Haired Pirates' style."
Beside him, Yasopp added, "That's right. Now is the perfect opportunity. A weapon like that shouldn't fall into the hands of such lowlifes."
Sitting on a tree stump, Red-Haired Shanks took a sip of wine, let out a hiccup, and chuckled. "No need to rush. It's not like it'll run away. Let them hold onto it and warm it up a bit."
Lucky Roux said, "But Captain, if we leave them be, they'll take the Uranus away."
"You're not just being lazy because you want to drink, are you?" Vice-captain Ben Beckman exposed him mercilessly.
"Relax, relax, no need to be so anxious," Shanks replied drunkenly. "Let's have a drink first. There's still plenty of time."
"But boss, it's almost dark."
"Huh? Really? Hahahaha, don't worry about those little details."
Suddenly, a commotion erupted from the dense forest in the distance. The thick tree canopies swayed violently, startling the birds into flight.
The members of the Red-Haired Pirates all turned to look in that direction, their gazes sharpening.
Judging by the intensity of the commotion, it was a large force—likely consisting of many people. Yet within the vast forest, their formation was orderly and disciplined. If the guess was correct, this was most likely a Navy unit. Only the Navy could be this well-trained.
Shanks' eyes sharpened, and he stood up abruptly, his gaze blazing as he stared into the distance. At that moment, he no longer looked the least bit drunk.
"Just as I expected," Shanks said with a grin.
Boom boom boom—!
Amid deafening cannon fire, shells rained down. Bright flames burst from the forest, and rocks shattered into pieces under the bombardment. Debris flew everywhere, and tall trees were blasted in half. Sawdust filled the air as flames engulfed the wood, and thick smoke surged skyward.
"Aaaah—!"
"Help—!"
Gunfire rattled and cannons roared. Amid the blood-curdling screams, panicked pirates scattered in all directions. They fled in terror. These kinds of pirates shouldn't have made it into the New World in the first place. But with the successive downfalls of the Four Emperors, they had arrived here by sheer luck.
However, with their pitiful strength, how could they possibly stand against battle-hardened Navy soldiers? The moment they clashed, they were beaten until they cried out miserably.
"Bastards!!"
Orlumbus, captain of the Yonta Maria Grand Fleet, clenched his teeth and glared hatefully at the suddenly appearing Navy. He had thought the Uranus was within his grasp—never expecting the Navy to interfere.
"This is bad. I didn't think the Navy would move so fast. They've already caught up," said Don Sai of the Happo Navy, his expression grim. As Navy soldiers swarmed forward, his heart sank.
"This thing is mine. How could I let rough brutes like you get your hands on it? Let me teach you a lesson!"
A handsome young man kicked off the ground, his figure shooting forth like an arrow, streaking like lightning toward the Navy!
Seeing this, Don Sai was alarmed and quickly stepped forward, shouting, "Cavendish, stop! Come back!"
"I'm not like you cowardly rats. It's just the Navy," Cavendish said, flipping his long hair and striking a cool pose. "Watch as I show you my graceful form!"
But before he could finish his dramatic moment, a sudden punch slammed into his head with a boom, knocking him flat to the ground. Like a kite with a broken string, he plummeted from the air!
The pirates stared as if they'd seen a ghost, pointing at the burly figure emerging from the forest and stammering, "H-Hero Garp—!"
The man who stepped out of the dense forest was none other than Vice Admiral Garp of the Navy!
It wasn't just Hero Garp who had arrived—following closely behind were Sengoku, Aokiji, Kizaru, and other powerful figures from the Navy. Virtually all of the Navy Headquarters' elite forces had gathered here!
Garp strode forward, clenched his fists, and grinned as he said, "Brats, this isn't something you can have. If you know what's good for you, surrender quietly!"
The pirates' expressions turned grim.
These were the top combat forces of the Navy Headquarters, possessing overwhelming strength. Even on the Grand Line, they were among the most powerful. With so many admiral-level powerhouses present, even the appearance of a Yonko might make no difference.
Had they forgotten what happened to the Whitebeard Pirates at Marineford?
They were merely ordinary pirates who had come from the first half of the Grand Line, hoping to get lucky. At most, they were pirates with bounties just exceeding 100 million. Compared to the great pirates, their strength was far too lacking. They weren't foolish enough to think they could fight against Navy admirals. At least they were self-aware.
Before the real battle even began, the pirates' morale was completely suppressed by the Navy. Some were already planning to flee.
To fight the elite forces of the Navy Headquarters—wasn't that just suicide?
"This is bad," said Don Sai, seeing the pirates' reactions. His expression was grim and cold sweat beaded on his forehead. "We never expected the Navy Headquarters to deploy its full force. This was a miscalculation."
"But there's no turning back now. We have no choice but to fight with all our might," Orlumbus said in a deep voice. "If we join forces, we might be able to carve out a bloody path."
At this point, he had completely given up the idea of claiming the Uranus and was instead focused on finding a way to escape safely. As precious as the Uranus might be, his own life was more valuable. He wasn't foolish enough to sacrifice it for a weapon.
Cavendish climbed up from the ground, his nose bleeding profusely. Garp's punch had hit hard. Now he even staggered when he walked. When he heard Don Sai talking about retreating, he shouted angrily, "How can we leave? Just an old has-been dares to treat me like this? I'll fight him to the death!"
"If you're looking to die, don't drag us down with you," Orlumbus said coldly, casting him a glance. "But if you want to throw your life away, I won't stop you. You can even cover our retreat."
Cavendish froze, then angrily drew the sword at his waist and roared, "What do you mean by that? Are you looking to fight me?"
Orlumbus sneered. "Just a defeated nobody. But if you're so eager to humiliate yourself, I'll gladly oblige."
Seeing the tension between them rise, Don Sai barked, "Enough! Is this the time for fighting among ourselves? Right now, we should be working together to get through this. Do you want to end up imprisoned in Impel Down?"
Orlumbus and Cavendish exchanged looks, snorted in disdain, and turned away.
"Now's not the time to argue. We need to retreat immediately," Don Sai said, glancing around at the encircling Marines. His tone was serious. "When I count to three, we run."
"Three!"
"Two!"
"One!"
"Run!"
Don Sai, Orlumbus, and Cavendish turned and ran, and the pirates scattered like monkeys fleeing a falling tree—fleeing in a panic. They had come in search of gold and treasure, not to throw away their lives.
But just then, several golden beams of light shot through the air, speeding toward them!
Boom—!
A thunderous explosion erupted. Fire and heat surged forth, and amid bloodcurdling screams, pirates were blasted into the air like broken kites. With a bang, they crashed heavily to the ground!
Don Sai's pupils suddenly contracted!
"Oh? Trying to run away?" Kizaru gazed at them with a mocking expression and said, "I can't let you all leave so easily. If you were to get away, I'd be quite troubled."
"This is bad!" Orlumbus's expression changed drastically. "It's Admiral Kizaru!"
"Why him!" Don Sai's face turned grim.
Cavendish drew the sword at his waist and gritted his teeth. "Looks like we'll have to fight to the death!"
"Ignorant weaklings... Seems making you obedient is going to take some effort. But no matter," Kizaru curled his lips, retracted his foot, and narrowed his eyes. "As long as you can't move, that's enough."
Meanwhile, at the location of the Uranus—
"So this is the legendary Uranus?" Aokiji stepped forward and placed his hand on the metallic surface, which radiated a cold touch.
Short and stout Chaton came over and stomped a few times with his foot. "Doesn't look that impressive to me."
"Idiot! Don't be careless!" Sengoku shouted. "This is an ancient weapon with terrifying power. If we act rashly, it could bring unnecessary disaster!"
"Disaster?" Chaton curled his lip in disdain. "Something like this? What kind of mess could it possibly cause?"
"I believe... it may not be that simple," said Fujitora, who had been silent until now.
Sengoku asked in a deep voice, "You've noticed something?"
"Yes," Fujitora replied, leaning on his cane-sword. "This island wasn't on any maps before. No one ever noticed anything strange here. It's as if it appeared out of thin air."
Sengoku's brows furrowed. "You mean—this was all deliberately arranged?"
"It's just my suspicion," Fujitora said solemnly. "But I keep wondering—what exactly is the mastermind trying to achieve by doing this?"
"Isn't it obvious?" Chaton snorted. "They just used the Uranus as bait to lure foolish pirates who don't know the truth. Too bad—those morons could never stir up any real trouble."
Just then, the dark cannon of the Uranus suddenly rose. Enormous power gathered at its muzzle, forming a faint blue, translucent sphere!
"Not good!" Sengoku's pupils contracted sharply!
Boom—!
With a deafening roar, an extremely bright beam of light shot out from the cannon, streaking like lightning toward a distant hill!
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