"Boom!!"
The colossal turtle-crocodile crashed down like a mountain, shattering the thick ice. Seawater surged over the battlefield like a tsunami.
"Rooar!!"
The Three-Tails, Isobu, bellowed toward the heavens.
Such a sight seized the attention of every marine and pirate alike.
"No way!?"
Kizaru slapped his forehead with a grimace.
"What kind of day is this? Is Marine Headquarters destined for destruction?"
Whitebeard, Shiki, Rayleigh, Akainu, Aokiji, Garp… everyone paused, eyes fixed on the beast and the figure upon its back.
"You've got to be kidding me…" Aokiji muttered, staring at the Three-Tails.
"Monsters from Impel Down's Level Six… Barrett… this is like a reunion of old-era pirates."
Golden Lion roared with laughter.
"Rayleigh, Barrett—just missing Jabba now! Is the Roger Pirates about to reunite!?"
Rayleigh sighed.
"Barrett, long time no see."
Barrett gave him a hard glance.
"Rayleigh, spare me the chatter. The captain is dead, and you, the vice-captain, have no right to order me. Where's the captain's son?"
Rayleigh pointed toward Ace.
"That's him. But don't even think about laying a hand on him."
Barrett looked Ace over, frowning.
"Limping and weak… this is supposed to be the captain's son?"
Ace's lips twitched, but he stayed silent. He'd heard from Rayleigh before—every monster of Roger's crew was terrifying, but Barrett was the most dangerous of them all.
Whitebeard bellowed with laughter.
"Uzumaki Naruto, you finally came!"
Naruto smirked.
"I'll help you, but on one condition. When you get out, you'll help me carve out territory."
"Of course!" Whitebeard boomed. He had no reason to refuse.
Golden Lion drifted over to Rayleigh, pointing incredulously at Naruto.
"That brat… the Demon Child? The monster who invaded the Holy Land!?"
Even he, once a Great Admiral of the Seas, had never dared lay a hand on the Celestial Dragons.
Rayleigh's face darkened as he glanced at Naruto.
"That's right. That brat."
If not for Uzumaki Naruto, he'd be enjoying retirement, not stuck babysitting.
"Uzumaki Naruto…" Sengoku's face was stone as he looked at him.
The Navy had just begun to regain control, but Naruto's arrival plunged them into dire peril. In terms of top-level combat power, they were now outmatched.
Thinking of the Den Den Mushi call he'd made moments ago, Sengoku took a deep breath.
"Aokiji, Akainu, both of you—stop them!"
Aokiji's mouth twitched. Akainu's eyelids twitched too.
And in that strained silence—
"Wait, who are you!? Let me go! I've gotta find Ace! Don't grab me!"
The voice was Luffy's.
Everyone turned.
A black-robed figure carried Luffy slung over his shoulder, striding away from the battlefield. On his face were red markings.
Sengoku's face sank into shadow as he spat the name:
"The leader of the Revolutionary Army—Monkey D. Dragon!"
At once, gales howled. Even though the skies had been blasted clear by battle, clouds reformed in an instant. Rain poured down, drenching marines and pirates alike.
Exposed, Dragon halted and glanced at Garp.
"Old man… long time no see."
Garp coughed twice.
"Dragon, what are you doing here? Don't tell me you're here to kick the Navy while it's down. Get out of here—now!"
He winked hard as he spoke.
Sengoku: "…"
Dragon froze, realizing. If he was right, the old man's signal was to take Luffy and run.
The atmosphere turned thick with tension.
Clearly opposing sides, yet no one dared move first.
Amid that stillness, Naruto yawned.
"Navy, if you don't want to fight, then hand the man over. I don't want to waste my time here."
For him, the real goal lay in the New World—claiming territory and launching his invasion of the shinobi world.
As for fighting Navy Headquarters? Perhaps later. But now, it held no appeal.
The pirates all looked to Sengoku. So did the marines.
Neither side wanted to keep fighting.
They were evenly matched—or worse, the pirates had the edge. But to continue would shatter Marineford. In the end, only top warriors might escape; the rest would die with the island.
Sengoku's face flushed purple with strain.
He could let them go. But if he did, the Navy's prestige would collapse. The seas, already chaotic, would descend into madness as pirates swarmed forth.
That future was unthinkable.
Steeling himself, Sengoku growled:
"Marines! We represent justice itself! We cannot allow these criminals to do as they please. Today, we will bring them down!"
"Do not fear—I have already called the World Government. Their reinforcements are on the way…"
"The World Government!?"
Naruto laughed, leaping from Isobu's head. Golden chakra flames erupted across his body.
"If you say the Navy stands for justice, I could believe that. But the World Government? What trash is that supposed to be?"
"The Celestial Dragons—what makes them any different from pirates? If anything, they're worse."
"If they dare to show up, I'll gladly cut them down too. The world might be better without them."
As he spoke, golden chakra surged skyward, forming the colossal form of Kurama the Nine-Tails.
From above, the fox's blazing eyes bore down on Navy Headquarters.
(End of Chapter)
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