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"Thousand Sunny?!"
Franky heard the voice, quickly got up, and looked toward the speaker.
"Sanji!"
A cry of pleasant surprise immediately rang out. The expression on Sanji's face instantly changed, filled with delight.
He pinched out the cigarette he had just lit and then shouted excitedly, "Franky! Where are Nami-swan and Robin-chwan?"
Franky chuckled. "They should be heading our way right now!"
"Hey! You two!" Just then, a cold shout suddenly came from the side. The two quickly turned their heads, and their expressions immediately changed slightly.
They saw on a pirate ship, which had its Jolly Roger furled, that a dozen black cannon muzzles were all aimed at their ship.
"You got water on us!" the man in the lead, wearing a captain's hat, said coldly. "If you don't compensate us, we'll sink your ship right now!"
"You're pirates too, right?"
"How interesting. In this era, there are still guys with this much nerve, daring to sail into this sea!"
Then, the captain added with great interest, "Since we're all pirates, just hand over one hundred and two million Berries as compensation, and I'll let you go."
Franky's expression was calm upon hearing this. Sanji, however, had a grim look on his face.
He put a new cigarette in his mouth, lit it with a hiss, and took a drag. "Puff!" A white smoke ring was exhaled, and along with it came a cold sentence. "We don't have any money!"
The captain was stunned, his eyes becoming sharp. "You don't? Then there's nothing to talk about!"
He turned abruptly and waved his hand. "Men!"
"Sir!" the pirates standing by the cannons shouted in unison.
"Blast their ship to pieces!"
The pirates' faces were filled with excitement. They immediately lifted cannonballs and began to load them into the cannons.
When the cannonballs were loaded, they raised the torches in their hands. Just as the fuses were about to be lit, suddenly, a purplish-black light flashed through the air.
Franky and Sanji instantly turned their heads to the side, their expressions becoming incredibly solemn.
If they hadn't seen wrong, that was clearly a slash, and it had grazed right past their faces. Moreover, it was excessively powerful!
Almost instantly, on the nearby pirate ship, the black cannon barrels were sliced in half.
The entire ship shook violently and, with a loud boom, broke in two from the middle. Screams quickly erupted.
The pirates, who had been excited just a second ago, were now utterly terrified.
In just over ten seconds, the massive pirate ship had sunk to the bottom of the sea, and a large number of pirates were swimming frantically toward the shore in terror.
"So noisy!" a detached, cold voice said. Then, all the pirates who had just reached the shore froze where they stood, not daring to move an inch.
They saw a person with short green hair, holding one sword in his hand and carrying two more at his waist, standing right in front of them, staring at them coldly.
"Get back in the sea!"
"If you want to live!"
The cold voice rang out, and it seemed to even cause the seawater to tremble. This scene terrified the pirates even more.
The man who had sliced their ship in half just a second ago was this very person. Seeing them not moving, the man slowly raised the long sword in his hand.
Instantly, all the pirates screamed in terror and scrambled back into the water.
At this moment, Sanji and Franky, who were standing on the ship, finally broke into smiles, looking at the man and shouting, "Zoro!"
The latter looked up, his cold expression softening as he smiled back. "Long time no see, Sanji, Franky!"
The three of them looked at each other for a long moment, then soon all burst into laughter together.
Without a doubt, this was a long-awaited reunion that filled them all with immense joy. At the same time, they could all feel a huge change in each other.
Compared to two years ago, everyone had become stronger and also more mature. Especially the aura coming from Zoro; it was like that of a ferocious beast.
The cold glint in his eyes actually gave them a feeling of awe. The three gathered together and began to chat.
"What? You've been at Marineford for the past two years? You took that guy as your master? No wonder you've become so strong!"
"Even though I was far away on that island, I still heard about the monstrously terrifying strength of that Arashi!" Sanji and Franky expressed their amazement.
Zoro just smiled faintly. His past two years had been slow and fulfilling, and at the same time, his strength had improved unimaginably.
He believed that this was his best moment, transitioning from immaturity to maturity, and even to his peak. It was just that, at this thought, a solemn and serious look appeared on his face.
Choosing to leave Marineford and reunite with Luffy and the others meant that the next time he met that man in the future, the two of them would be enemies.
"Fine by me!"
"I also want to know just how big the gap is between me now and you!" A hint of excitement appeared in Zoro's eyes.
The weak swing their swords at the weaker, while the strong swing their swords at the stronger!
The former World's Strongest Swordsman had fallen, and there were no more opponents before him.
But it was clear that in the future, he would have to face this enemy who was even more terrifying than Hawkeye Mihawk.
As they were chatting, a group of people also walked over from the shore. "Luffy!"
Franky stood up in pleasant surprise and waved at the newcomers."Chopper, Robin, Nami, Usopp!" It was Luffy's group from the bar.
When everyone saw each other, it became exceptionally lively, and they all started chattering at once.
"Now, we're just missing Brook!" Luffy said with a loud laugh.
"I know about him. Brook is the famous 'Soul King' now!" Franky laughed loudly.
"Right now, he's holding a concert in the center of Sabaody!"
Then, the group decided to attend the concert. Along the way, they all shared what they had been doing for the past two years and keenly noticed that, compared to two years ago, there were significantly fewer pirates on the streets.
Even the ones that were there were acting with a low profile. "The conflict between the Marines and the World Government is practically an open secret!" Robin said with a faint smile.
"Therefore, on this island right now, there are essentially three factions! Namely, the Marines, the pirates, and the World Allied Forces!"
"Huh? The Marines and the World Government are fighting?" Luffy asked, confused.
"During the Battle of Onigashima, the Marines led by Arashi cut off the head of one of the World Government's Five Elders, Saturn."
"It's also because of this that the Marines broke away and established their own special empire!" Robin said in a serious tone.
In her opinion, this was a historic event that would be recorded and passed down for future generations, even after one hundred, three hundred, or five hundred years.
"The Marines' control over this island now is almost unprecedented!" Zoro also spoke up.
"Coupled with the intentional or unintentional competition from the World Government's allied forces, this has also made the difficulty of survival for pirates rise to an unimaginable level. So, you can see that the number of pirates on this island has visibly decreased."
As he spoke, his eyes became solemn. Right now was definitely not a good era for pirates.
Whether it was the Marines or the World Government, although their conflicts were irreconcilable, their attitude toward pirates was the same.
As the group was walking, they suddenly stopped. A confused Luffy was pulled into a nearby alley by Zoro and the others.
Everyone fell silent, secretly watching the group of Marines approaching on the street.
"It's this year's Supernovas, Caribou and Coribou!" Franky lamented.
"The guys with bounties of 210 million and 190 million. To think they were captured by the Marines right after they got here!"
"The number and strength of the Marines now are not what they were two years ago!" Zoro's words held a hidden meaning.
He had spent the last two years at Marine Headquarters, so he was naturally the clearest about the growth and changes of his old rivals.
Whether it was the number of warships, the scale of personnel, or the growth in strength, the Marines had shown exponential growth.
In particular, under Arashi's approval, two great prisons like Impel Down had already been built.
One was located near Marineford. The other was a floating island above Dressrosa.
After the Battle of Onigashima, the defeated Red-Haired Shanks, Big Mom, Marshall D. Teach, former Admiral Sakazuki, and the Commander of the God's Knights, Figarland Garling Saint, were all imprisoned on this floating island.
After the Marine patrol left, the group once again headed toward the center of the island. Only this time, they felt a pressure in their hearts.
After a while, they arrived at the concert in the center of the island without any further trouble.
When he saw Brook on stage singing, Luffy excitedly shouted and waved.
"Luffy!" Brook spotted the straw-hatted young man opposite him almost instantly and cried out in pleasant surprise.
At the same time, the perimeter of the concert had already been completely surrounded by Marines.
"We've found the trail of one of the Supernovas from two years ago, Straw Hat Luffy! Surround this place completely! Don't let a single one of them get away!" the Rear Admiral in the lead shouted in a deep voice.
"Sir!" the Marines replied in unison, their expressions serious.
The people at the concert, however, had no idea that they were surrounded by Marines outside.
Seeing his comrades, Brook sang with even more passion and energy. Accompanied by the rousing song, the entire venue erupted.
Cheers, screams, and whistles were endless. The Straw Hat crew was all laughing, caught up in the atmosphere.
They could clearly feel that Brook was singing of dreams and friendship, calling for freedom, and also celebrating the reunion of his comrades.
This was a remarkable reunion! Just as the atmosphere of the entire venue reached its peak, the doors of the concert hall were suddenly thrown open, and a large number of Marines wearing white, with Justice coats on their backs, rushed in.
"It's the Marines!" someone screamed.
The next second, a panicked escape began. The Straw Hat crew was stunned, but they quickly reacted, realizing that there were clearly other pirates here besides them.
Brook's expression also changed slightly. He ripped off the disguise he was wearing, and with a loud laugh, he leaped down from the high stage.
"Yohohoho! Luffy, I'm so happy to see you all!" A loud laugh rang out as his body was caught by the crew.
Then, with almost no pause, everyone turned and charged toward the door. "Let's escape from here! and begin our brand new voyage! Hahahahaha!" Luffy shouted with a loud laugh.
All the members of the Straw Hat crew roared in agreement. In just a moment, they had rushed to the very front.
A dense crowd of Marines poured in from every entrance of the concert hall, causing panic among the people.
"Hahahahaha! Time to set sail!" Luffy's loud laughter echoed in the air.
"Yes, Captain!" Zoro, Sanji, Usopp, Chopper, Nami, Robin, Brook, and the others shouted in unison.
"It really is the Supernovas from two years ago, the Straw Hat crew! Two of them even appeared at the Summit War!"
The young officer in the lead saw the group, and his face immediately changed slightly.
"Capture them, don't let a single one get away! These are major criminals from two years ago!"
The Marines all responded in unison and charged forward. Old-model Pacifistas also strode toward the Straw Hat crew. "Hahahaha! Let's break through!"
Straw Hat Luffy took the lead, not backing down in the slightest, laughing as he ran forward. In the blink of an eye, the two sides collided.
Luffy's eyes suddenly glared. A wave of Conqueror's Haki instantly swept out, and the Marines grunted before falling limply to the ground.
This scene made the leading officer's face change slightly as he realized how dangerous his opponents were.
"Get out of the way. You alone are not enough to stop us!" Zoro said in a deep voice, drawing the long sword from his waist.
"Roronoa Zoro!" The young officer recognized him, and his eyes became incredibly solemn.
He naturally recognized this pirate who held the most special status at Marineford.
He vaguely remembered that this guy was in the Ashura-level special training class along with people like the current Vice Admiral Lucci.
The young officers in the Marines had naturally heard of the former Ashura special training class.
That was the special training, personally instructed by Fleet Admiral Arashi, that had cultivated the current top echelon of Marine commanders.
After hesitating for only a second, the young officer quickly moved aside and waved his hand.
"Everyone, make way! We are indeed no match for him! A guy like this can only be handled by the elite of flag rank and above!" the young officer shouted in a deep voice.
Hearing this, the Marines' faces showed fear, and they all retreated in unison.
"Thanks!" Zoro said as he stepped past them.
"Don't get happy too soon, Roronoa Zoro! There is an Admiral-level presence on this island right now!"
"Even if you escape from here, the Marines stationed all over will gather at top speed and capture you! This era belongs to the Marines!"
The young officer's words came from behind them, causing all of their expressions to change slightly. "Even if the whole world belongs to the Marines!"
"We will still find a space for pirates. Pirates are the freest on this sea!"
Luffy's voice, full of laughter and confidence, came back, carrying a special, hard-to-describe conviction.
The young officer's face was grim. He clenched his fists, but in the end, he said nothing more.
Because the group had already run out completely. Once they were out of the concert, Luffy and the others immediately felt a sense of relief.
The wide road ahead also made them feel as if they were breathing the air of freedom.
"To the ship!" Luffy shouted loudly. Everyone ran, following behind him. Along the way, they did not encounter any more Marines.
It seemed that the young Marine officer had not called for reinforcements, nor had the Admiral he mentioned arrived.
It wasn't until they had all boarded the Thousand Sunny and Franky started the ship that they noticed something as they leaned on the stern, looking back at the Sabaody Archipelago.
On the roof to their left, Rayleigh was sitting cross-legged, waving at them. Luffy waved goodbye to Rayleigh with a big smile, and in the woods to their right, a person stood quietly. Zoro's gaze was locked firmly on that person.
"Who is that?!" Chopper asked blankly.
"Headquarters, Admiral, the current Marine's number one swordsman, Kuina!" Brook recited the name solemnly, his teeth chattering as he spoke.
"Was she the Admiral that officer was talking about?" Nami asked curiously.
Everyone's expression was a bit solemn. They all knew very well the weight an Admiral carried.
The despair they once felt when facing Arashi was still fresh in their memories. "The Marines' control over the Sabaody Archipelago is very strict."
"Every so often, an Admiral will come to patrol for a period of time. Last month, it was Admiral Buggy. Now, it's Kuina!" Zoro said in a deep voice.
"She doesn't seem to have any ill will toward us!" Luffy said with a smile.
"She came to see us off!" Zoro said.
Everyone was puzzled, but no one asked any questions, as they could all sense the complex emotions in Zoro's heart at that moment.
Gradually, the Thousand Sunny moved further and further away from the Sabaody Archipelago, and all the danger disappeared.
Zoro retracted his gaze, a sharp glint flashing in his eyes before they returned to calm. He slowly looked up, his eyes gazing at the azure sky.
What would happen in the future? And would the voyage of the Straw Hat crew go as they wished?
On the shore of the Sabaody Archipelago, Kuina stepped out of the woods. Her steps were steady until she stood below Rayleigh.
"The young Marines nowadays are truly terrifying! Every time I see a different young face, I always have to make such a sigh," Rayleigh lamented.
"You don't have to be alarmed. I just came to say goodbye." Kuina said quietly.
Rayleigh was stunned, an inexplicable emotion rising in his heart. "Alarmed? I may be old, but I won't be alarmed by a young junior like you."
Kuina, however, did not respond to him again and simply turned to leave. This could almost be described as disdain or disregard, and it made Rayleigh feel a little angry.
His right hand rested on the hilt of his sword at his waist, but in the end, he still moved it away.
"I'm getting old!" With a sigh, Rayleigh turned and left. He did not want to fight her here, and similarly, the female Admiral had the same thought.
Both of them had only come to bid farewell to their friends. Whatever happened in the future was a matter for these young people.
Time slowly passed, and in the blink of an eye, another two or three months went by. Not much of significance happened in the New World.
In fact, under the control of the Marines, the various powers could only remain calm.
Compared to the Four Blues and the first half of the Grand Line, where the forces of various kingdoms and the World Government were mixed, the New World was completely different.
Here, there was only one newly risen, massive Marine Empire! Furthermore, in just two short years, the influence of the Marines had radiated over a very wide area.
Its five major regions had begun to establish trade relationships with other countries. As for pirates? Their power had been suppressed to the extreme.
Only the Whitebeard Pirates were still struggling to hold on. But in these two months, one pirate crew had begun to make a name for itself.
...
At Dressrosa, the new Marine Headquarters, Arashi looked at the latest bounty poster in his hand and laughed loudly.
"Straw Hat Luffy? How interesting, hahahahaha!" Seeing this, he seemed very happy.
"How can you still laugh? That student of yours, Zoro, is also in there!" Kizaru said faintly.
Recently, the Marines had not been doing very well in their battles against pirates. Several fortresses had already suffered losses because of them.
Among them, the Straw Hat crew had been identified as the biggest culprits. "With the forces the Marines have currently deployed in the New World, are they still unable to handle Straw Hat Luffy?" Arashi said with a smile.
"You seem to be underestimating their strength, Fleet Admiral Arashi!" Kizaru said in a deep voice.
"Oh?" Arashi looked up at him. This Admiral of Dressrosa rarely wore such a serious expression. It seemed the strength of the Straw Hat crew was indeed not to be taken lightly.
"Let's not even talk about the captain, Straw Hat Luffy. Where he has been and what he has experienced in the past two years, the Marines know very little about it."
"But that student of yours, after training at Marineford for two years, his current strength is likely no less than that of an Admiral!"
"At the same time, he knows Marine intelligence like the back of his hand. Now that they are gathered together, they are definitely the world's greatest destabilizing factor," Kizaru said in a deep voice.
Hearing this, Arashi became thoughtful. "I suddenly have a premonition!" After a long moment, he looked up and said with a smile.
"Hmm?" Kizaru looked puzzled.
(T/N: Please give me some power stone, I hope it can at least reach top 100)
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