Luffy slowly opened his mouth, exhaling a large cloud of white mist, as if murmuring,
"Ce...lestial...Dragon..."
Carl raised an eyebrow. That tone didn't sound like the Luffy from just moments ago.
"So, you've forcibly taken over Luffy's body, Joy Boy. You couldn't hold back any longer, huh?"
Joy Boy's lips curled slightly before returning to a neutral expression. He spoke calmly,
"I haven't forcibly taken over his body. He lost consciousness himself after consuming too many Rumble Balls. If not for me maintaining it, this body would have already collapsed."
As he spoke, Joy Boy lowered his gaze to the white cracks forming on his skin and muttered,
"What a reckless guy... There's no room for you to act willfully anymore."
Crackle!
Dense streaks of Conqueror's Haki lightning enveloped Joy Boy entirely, an overwhelming pressure surging from him. On the battlefield, countless Marine soldiers collapsed under its weight.
Carl snorted coldly, releasing a surge of jet-black Conqueror's Haki. In an instant, it pushed back Joy Boy's aura, allowing the soldiers to catch their breath.
Joy Boy slowly removed the straw hat from his back and placed it on his head. A white halo of light bloomed from the hat, covering his entire body, rapidly mending the cracks on his skin.
Suddenly, Joy Boy's eyes narrowed slightly. He swiftly raised an arm to shield himself.
Clang!!
Carl's cursed blade, Muramasa, struck Joy Boy's arm. Carl cast a glance at the straw hat on Joy Boy's head and remarked,
"That hat really isn't ordinary, huh? You sure left behind plenty of safeguards."
Joy Boy didn't respond. With a burst of strength, he forced Carl back, adjusting the brim of his hat. The next moment, the clouds above churned violently, morphing into several colossal white fists that descended toward Carl.
Carl's black wings flapped as he transformed into a streak of darkness, weaving through the massive fists.
Reaching a certain altitude, Carl stopped. His gaze was calm as he looked down at the approaching white fists. He raised his hand.
Deep purple gravitational rings rippled outward from his palm, expanding continuously until they formed a massive pillar of purple energy that crashed down upon the incoming fists.
A deafening explosion erupted as the gravity shockwave obliterated the white fists, dispersing them into mere clouds.
Joy Boy showed no surprise. He clenched his hands before him, feeling the surging power within him. In a low voice, he murmured,
"As expected... Without Luffy's interference, my power has strengthened by more than just a little. Rumble Balls are truly remarkable."
He lifted his head, his gaze locking onto Carl in the sky. The flaming cloud-like tendrils around him began to swirl rapidly.
Boom! Boom! Boom!
The sound of the Drums of Liberation echoed from his chest. Below, all the Marines felt a deep sense of unease, furrowing their brows.
Yet for Nami, Chopper, and Brook, the feeling was entirely different. An inexplicable energy surged through them, and, to their shock, the same white, flame-like tendrils appeared on their bodies.
Before they could comprehend what was happening, their bodies lifted uncontrollably into the sky.
The Marines below immediately tried to intercept them, but at that moment, another anomaly unfolded.
The revolutionaries who had somehow retained their corpses miraculously stood up again. Their eyes were now entirely white, and they, too, were surrounded by those same white tendrils.
Not far away, Emet, who had been reduced to half a body, struggled to lift himself up. Seeing the scene before him, he exclaimed in excitement,
"There's no doubt about it! This is the true power of the Drums of Liberation! United as one, to free everything!"
Before his words could fully settle, a thin, elongated purple slash flashed past.
Schlick!
Emet was sliced cleanly in half. An indistinguishable mixture of cola and oil splattered across the ground.
Half of his face had already lost its skin, exposing his glowing red mechanical eye, flickering with unstable light as electric sparks crackled.
Before his consciousness faded completely, he muttered,
"Joy Boy... This time... you must fulfill our promise..."
Boom!!
Emet's bifurcated body exploded, scattering mechanical parts across the battlefield.
High above, Joy Boy sensed something. A trace of sorrow flickered in his eyes as he looked down at the crater left by Emet's explosion. In a low voice, he vowed,
"This time... I won't fail again."
By now, Nami and the others had risen to Joy Boy's side. Waving her arms uncomfortably, Nami turned to him and asked,
"Luffy, what the hell is going on? This feels so weird..."
Joy Boy turned to look at her, his glowing white eyes meeting hers. Nami froze, then widened her eyes in shock, shouting,
"You're not Luffy! Damn it! Why did you come out again!?"
Chopper and Brook glared at Joy Boy with hostility.
Joy Boy had no fondness for this woman who always shouted at him. With Luffy's consciousness completely suppressed by the excessive Rumble Balls, he no longer felt the need to be polite.
He spoke indifferently,
"Your bonds with Luffy run deep, allowing you to channel more of Nika's power."
Nami frowned and snapped,
"What nonsense are you spouting? What Nika's power?"
Joy Boy grinned and said,
"You'll understand soon enough. You might even come to like it. This is the power that brings freedom to the world!"
High above, Carl watched everything unfold with cold eyes. Raising Muramasa high, he spoke in a detached tone,
"Darkness Descends."
Buzz!
Dark ripples expanded outward from Muramasa's blade, instantly shrouding the entire sky in pitch-black darkness. Within this endless abyss, countless whirlpools emerged, radiating an aura of utter destruction.
Joy Boy abruptly raised his head, his glowing white eyes shining even brighter against the darkness.
Taking a deep breath, he spread his arms wide. Behind him, Nami and the others found their bodies mirroring his actions, completely beyond their control.
Nami screamed in panic,
"Damn it! What the hell are you trying to do!?"
On the ground, the revolutionaries who had been resurrected by the Drums of Liberation suddenly convulsed violently. Then, as if driven by instinct, they formed a circular formation and began performing a bizarre dance...
-----------
+200 chapters on p@treon/tambeerg