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"Alright, let's get moving!" Luffy laughed heartily.
"In that case, let's not waste another moment!" Dragon laughed as well. Always decisive, he turned to face the five Army Commanders.
"Everyone, prepare for battle! The palace before us is our final obstacle, the last shield protecting the royalty of Lulusia!"
"As long as we break through, today's operation will be a complete success." His voice carried a faint smile, but the authority behind it was unmistakable.
"Yes, sir!" the five commanders roared in unison. In the next heartbeat, thunderous shouts rang out like crashing waves.
"East Army, with me!"
"West Army, charge! We'll be the first to break through the palace gates!"
"South Army, victory will be ours today!"
"North Army, we won't disappoint Mr. Dragon!"
The cries echoed like rolling thunder. The sound of countless footsteps followed as the Revolutionary Army split into four divisions and surged toward the palace.
The remaining unit, led by Ivankov, advanced directly behind Dragon.
"Let's move too, Ivankov!" Dragon commanded.
"Alright!" Ivankov shouted in reply.
They pushed forward, rapidly closing the distance to the palace.
Suddenly, a massive bolt of lightning tore down from the clouds, striking the vanguard of the East Army.
Betty's expression hardened as she flung out her hand. "Halt!"
The East Army froze, staring ahead in horror.
An enormous bolt had slammed into the open ground, leaving a deep, smoking crater where it struck.
"That was close! Any nearer and we'd be fried! Look at that power—it could've vaporised us in an instant!"
"Good thing we stopped in time! Throw away anything metal! With skies like this, heavy rain should be coming soon!"
Voices rose in panic and relief. The East Army Commander, Belo Betty, fixed her eyes on the heavens.
When no further lightning fell, she waved her hand. "Advance!"
The long column of troops moved once more.
But Dragon's face, following close behind, was grim. He did not believe for a second that the lightning was a mere coincidence.
"Could it be? Have you come… Arashi!" It was instinct—an unshakable premonition.
As the army neared the palace, the storm above grew more violent. Thunder cracked without pause, as though a raging beast was trapped within the clouds.
Another bolt illuminated the heavens like daylight. Its lingering trail stretched for thousands of meters before the sky returned to darkness.
"All thunder, but no rain?" someone muttered, glancing upward.
Confusion spread quickly. With this much lightning, a downpour should have already begun.
But strangely, the air held no trace of moisture—no sign of rain at all.
"Arashi!" Dragon finally spoke the name aloud.
"It seems you've reached the same conclusion as I have," Ace said gravely.
"Arashi?" Luffy froze, his face paling.
"Where?! Where is that man?!" The terrifying memory of Arashi's overwhelming power was still carved deep into his heart.
"This is bad," Zoro muttered, his hands already drawing the blades at his waist, his expression sharp and tense.
"Hey, hey, don't tell me that monster is here! Where is he?!" Usopp shrieked in terror.
Even after two years of growth, their fear remained. The memory of that invincible man still sent chills down their spines.
"Could he be… in this kingdom?" Robin asked quietly, her expression unreadable. Around her, Nami, Chopper, Franky, and Brook trembled visibly.
Just his name was enough to shake them.
At that moment, the Revolutionary Army closed to within a hundred meters of the Lulusia Royal Palace.
Inside the palace, a low voice spoke. "It's time to act. Today, this palace shall be our battlefield."
The words carried a faint smile, yet the authority within them was overwhelming.
At once, a heavy pressure spread, engulfing the entire palace.
Footsteps pounded against the stone, accompanied by sharp reports.
"Squad 11 in position!"
"Squad 23 has arrived!"
"Gate defences reinforced! The enemy is a hundred meters out and closing fast!"
The overlapping voices filled the halls, thickening the atmosphere with tension. Ministers in the chamber wiped sweat from their brows.
Moments later, another voice rang out: "The SWORD unit is ascending the walls!"
On the throne, Arashi turned his gaze toward the palace gates.
"Oh?" Kizaru tilted his head, his expression unreadable—something between curiosity and anticipation.
The SWORD unit was already legendary within the Marines. In only two years, rumours claimed its collective strength rivalled that of an Admiral. Even if exaggerated, the squad's power was undeniable.
Outside the city walls, the Revolutionaries halted abruptly, eyes widening in shock.
Figures now lined the ramparts, and the black mouths of cannons were aimed directly at them.
"Open fire!"
A cold command cut through the air. The earth shook as a deafening volley thundered out.
Countless black cannonballs screamed through the air toward the advancing army.
"Get down!" Betty roared.
"Marines! It's the Marines!" someone shouted, spotting the uniforms atop the walls.
Explosions erupted across the ground. Some Revolutionaries, too slow to react, were hurled into the sky, their screams lost in the chaos.
"The Marines are already here at the palace!" Karasu said darkly.
The five Army Commanders lifted their eyes to the wall.
There, standing in a line, were Marines with cold, indifferent gazes. At the centre stood a figure who froze them in their tracks.
"Kuma!" Ivankov cried out in shock.
"Ivankov," Kuma said calmly. His eyes flickered with emotion for an instant before returning to icy stillness.
"It is good to see my old friends again. But in this situation… I feel no joy." His voice softened into a sigh.
"I'm sorry. The Lulusia Kingdom is a Marine territory. I cannot hand it over. Please… retreat at once."
Ivankov and the others stood stunned, then their faces darkened.
They had never imagined that their final obstacle would be their old friend, the gentle Kuma.
"What kind of joke is this, Kuma?!" Ivankov shouted.
"I apologise. My current duty is as a Marine Vice Admiral. My mission is to stop you here," Kuma replied steadily.
Beside him stood Rob Lucci, silent, his expression cold as ever. Together, they anchored the first line of defence.
As for a second or third? Fleet Admiral Arashi had declared there was no need.
The palace itself was the line of defence.
"Lucci!"
Another voice rang out, tinged with surprise and laughter.
Rob Lucci's eyes narrowed at the sight of the young man in the straw hat charging forward.
"Straw Hat Luffy. I've heard your name many times recently." His voice was calm, yet it carried across the entire battlefield.
"Luffy, be careful! He's the leader of SWORD now. His strength is on par with an Admiral!" Zoro warned sharply, following close behind.
He remembered all too well the formidable figures of Marineford. Among them, none was more dangerous than Rob Lucci.
Their battle against Lucci and CP9 at Enies Lobby had been one of their hardest struggles.
Later, after Kuma had scattered them, Lucci had endured Ashura's special training. Those who emerged from it had become monsters feared across the world.
Two of them, Gekko Moriah and Doflamingo, had even risen to Vice Admiral rank. And Luffy's crew had already defeated Doflamingo once before.
"Hahahaha! It's been two years, Lucci! Have you gotten stronger, too?" Luffy shouted, laughing as he charged.
His pace quickened, and his body began to glow red-hot, steam billowing off him in waves.
"Leave him to me! We've got a palace to break through, don't we?!" Luffy shouted, leaping high into the air as he charged toward the wall above. "Hahahahaha! This is going to be a thrilling fight!"
Since entering the New World, Luffy had been unstoppable—fighting several high-ranking Marines and escaping unharmed every time.
"Straw Hat Luffy is leading the charge! We can't fall behind!" Belo Betty rallied her troops. The morale of the Revolutionaries soared, and they raised their weapons high with renewed determination.
"Break through that gate! Only then will we see who's inside the palace pulling the strings," Dragon commanded, his tone sharp and resolute.
The next second, the great battle erupted. Marines and Royal Guards surged out from the city gates, clashing violently with the Revolutionary Army.
"They're all hardened veterans, and nearly every one of them can use Haki!" Karasu observed grimly as the fighting began.
The Marines, especially, fought with such strength that each seemed capable of taking on a hundred men.
"Just as we expected—this palace is a fortress like no other! But besides Kuma and the SWORD squad, which Admiral did the Marines send?" the Army Commanders muttered, their expressions dark.
Meanwhile, the Straw Hat Pirates had already vaulted onto the wall with astonishing speed, leading the vanguard.
"Hahahaha! We meet again, CP9! This is exciting!" Luffy roared.
At the name of his former organisation, Rob Lucci's face darkened. He leaned forward, instantly taking up a combat stance.
"We are no longer affiliated with that organisation," he stated coldly.
Luffy's feet thundered against the stone, closing the distance between them in a heartbeat. "Doesn't matter! Anyone who stands in my way is my enemy!"
In the next instant, his figure flickered and vanished. Lucci's eyes narrowed, ready to strike.
But suddenly, another figure appeared at his side, launching a powerful kick.
With a resounding crash, Luffy was hurled into the wall, the impact leaving a massive crack across the stone. Lucci froze, turning his gaze toward the newcomer.
Koby stood with his arms crossed, his eyes locked firmly on Luffy. "Leave him to me," he said firmly.
Lucci studied him closely. The determination in Koby's eyes made him pause, then soften. He nodded once.
The Marine standing before him was no longer the timid, uncertain boy he once knew—he was a warrior, ready to fight on the front lines.
Though Lucci had once lost to Luffy and longed to redeem himself, he could not ignore the bond between these two.
"Then show everyone the results of your hard work," Lucci said quietly.
Koby grinned, then turned toward Luffy, who was pulling his head out of the wall.
Shaking the dust from his hair, Luffy looked at the figure before him in shock. "Koby?!"
Koby leaned forward slightly, smiling. "Luffy, it's been a long time!"
Luffy broke into a wide grin. "This is a real surprise! You're like a completely different person!"
"That's exactly what Master Garp said when I saw him recently," Koby replied with a laugh.
Even as cannon fire and the clash of armies raged below, the two spoke as if they were old friends reunited.
"Grandpa Garp?" Luffy blinked, but quickly refocused. His eyes swept past Koby to Lucci, Kaku, and the others. "So… you're going to stop me here, Koby?"
Koby's smile vanished, replaced by unwavering seriousness. "I want to see just how big the gap between us is after two years!"
Luffy grinned. "Alright!"
He accepted without hesitation. As a friend, he was eager to see how much Koby had grown.
Almost instantly, Luffy's body heated up, steam pouring from him as his skin flushed red. He had mastered Gear Second to the point of using it freely without strain.
His body flickered, vanishing from Koby's sight.
"So fast!" Koby's eyes glowed briefly red as he stepped back just in time.
A sandaled foot sliced past, creating a gust of wind. Koby clenched his fist, then lunged forward with a powerful punch.
Luffy twisted mid-air, narrowly dodging before landing on his feet and skidding back.
"So fast!" he exclaimed, staring in surprise at this familiar yet unrecognisable friend.
"Hahahaha! Koby, you're working hard toward your dream, too!"
"I… I will become a great Marine—just like Master Garp and Fleet Admiral Arashi!" Koby shouted, his voice ringing across the battlefield.
It was his true dream, now declared openly before his old friend, every Marine, and every Revolutionary present.
In the palace, Kizaru raised an eyebrow at Arashi. A faint smile spread across the Fleet Admiral's face.
"The potential of humanity is limitless," Kizaru said with a squint and a nod.
He was proof of that—rising from a nameless soldier to the world's most undefeatable commander.
On the wall, the two friends locked eyes.
"Koby! I'll respect you!" Luffy declared, his expression solemn.
"And I'll respect you, too!" Koby shouted back, his tone equally grave. The lighthearted smiles were gone.
From this point on, both would fight seriously.
Meanwhile, in front of the gate tower, a flock of black crows swarmed from the sky, diving toward Kuma.
"Karasu… this won't be so easy to break through," Kuma said, his voice deep.
The crows fused midair, accelerating before him.
"Soot Blades!" Karasu roared, and several massive swords of soot streaked toward Kuma.
Kuma calmly raised his hands. With a faint pop, the blades struck invisible air at his palms.
The space warped and rippled, then rebounded. The soot swords whistled past Karasu, vanishing into the distance.
"So you're determined to stop us, Kuma!" Karasu shouted coldly.
"It is my duty," Kuma replied without hesitation.
"Then we've no choice!" Karasu's body dissolved into crows once more. "Ravenous Swarm!"
The black flock exploded forward, bombarding Kuma's position.
Kuma's eyes narrowed. With a flicker, he vanished just as a massive explosion tore through the rampart.
"Don't fight alone, Karasu! We don't yet know the full strength of the enemy on this wall!" Morley warned as he charged up the rampart.
"The SWORD squad is rumoured to be the Marines' most elite unit—their combined power said to rival an Admiral's!"
"Don't let your guard down!" Belo Betty barked.
"And don't get bogged down with Kuma! Breaking the gate is our priority!" Lindbergh shouted.
Only then did people realise—the four Army Commanders had already reached the wall.
"When did they—?! The commanders are already here?!" someone exclaimed.
A ramp of stone slabs stretched up the wall. At its base stood Inazuma, the Grand Line Deputy Commander of the Revolutionary Army.
"Well done, Inazuma!" Ivankov cheered.
Revolutionaries surged up the path, while Inazuma dashed across the battlefield, forming more stone bridges.
The gate was heavily defended, but the walls were far thinner.
Dragon watched it all from below, a faint smile on his face.
He saw the Straw Hats already locked in combat with SWORD atop the wall, and Luffy trading blows with Koby.
The two flickered across the battlefield, fists and legs colliding with explosive force. In just three seconds, Luffy was sent hurtling into a building, rubble flying as the tower shook.
The Straw Hats froze in shock.
"Luffy?!" Nami gasped, unable to believe her eyes. The unassuming pink-haired Marine was this strong?!
"Koby…" Zoro muttered, his gaze locked on the figure standing proudly at the centre of the clash, his expression complicated.
(T/N: Please give me some power stone, I hope it can at least reach top 100)
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