Chapter 464: Preparations
Punk Hazard—
The sea breeze, carrying the scent of metal, swept across the ocean surface, causing the massive research tower on the shore to tremble slightly.
The roar of machinery and the crashing of waves intertwined, forming a bizarre harmony.
Roy sat quietly in front of the transparent observation window.
Sunlight streamed through the reinforced glass, tracing the golden word "Justice" on his cape.
His fingertips toyed with a Den Den Mushi. Faint electrical arcs still lingered on its shell, clearly indicating that a call had just recently ended.
"Sorry about that, Roy. That guy you wanted... is already gone."
A brief silence followed.
Roy's expression didn't change; his gaze simply narrowed slightly before he let out a soft chuckle.
"Ah~ Never mind then."
He raised his hand and leaned back lazily in his chair.
"It wasn't anything important anyway~"
Just then, a sudden clamor broke out outside.
"Hey, hey, hey! Let me go, old man—!!"
"Ace! Stop squirming!!"
"Gramps!! Not this again!!!"
"Bwahahahaha—!!!"
Garp's boisterous laughter echoed throughout the entire corridor.
Grabbing Ace by the back of his collar with one hand and pressing down on the top of Luffy's head with the other, he dragged the two of them through the air like he was carrying little chicks.
"You little brats!! Always getting into trouble! Watch me teach you two brothers a lesson today!!!"
"Waaah—!! Let go, old man!!"
"Old man!! I'm already an adult—!!!"
"Cut the crap! Being an adult doesn't mean you can't get a beating!!!"
Further away in the training ground, the sound of clashing metal and sharp reprimands rang out one after another.
Zoro and Kuina stood side-by-side in the center of the field. Both were drenched in sweat, their sword gleams flashing under the scorching sun.
Instructor Zephyr stood with his arms crossed. His expression was stern, yet his eyes were filled with gratification.
"A sword isn't just used for killing."
"It can also protect."
"Remember, the sharpness of a blade is determined by the heart."
Kuina smiled softly, her gaze as resolute as crystal.
Zoro gritted his teeth, his eyes as sharp as blades: "Yes, Instructor!"
The wind swept across the training ground, kicking up dust and heat.
Sunlight beat down on their youthful figures—
In that moment, it was as if the entire cold, sterile experimental base had been ignited by their hot-blooded passion.
Meanwhile, on the other side of the research institute, the hum of air conditioning and holographic screens rose and fell.
The three Emperor Seraphim slumbered quietly inside transparent cryogenic pods.
Their expressions were peaceful, their breathing even, their fingertips occasionally twitching slightly.
Outside the pods, Vegapunk and his six satellites surrounded the instruments, rapidly recording data.
"Reactions are stable."
"Energy fluctuations are within safe parameters."
"What a remarkable evolution..."
The main body, Vegapunk, looked up. Peering through the thick pod walls at the blue sky outside the window, a rare, gentle light reflected in his eyes, which were brimming with age and wisdom.
...
Soft footsteps approached.
"Roy."
A familiar voice called out from behind.
Roy turned his head to see Sengoku walking slowly toward him.
Sengoku stopped just behind Roy. Draped in his Marine cape, his white hair was ruffled by the sea breeze.
"Fleet Admiral." Roy smiled faintly, raising his teacup in greeting.
Sengoku didn't immediately respond. He simply walked up beside him, and the two stood side-by-side, gazing out at the azure sea.
Waves churned, seabirds glided past, and the entire world felt so peaceful that only the sound of the wind and their heartbeats could be heard.
"The position of Fleet Admiral,"
Sengoku spoke softly, his tone calm yet profoundly meaningful. "What are your thoughts on it?"
Roy blinked in surprise, then chuckled: "Fleet Admiral? Don't ask me a question like that."
He shrugged, a confident smirk curling his lips.
"I'm still young, after all~"
Hearing this, Sengoku smiled slightly: "You brat... you really are cut from the same cloth as Garp."
Roy chuckled softly, and the two continued to gaze shoulder-to-shoulder at the sunlit ocean.
The wind fluttered the curtains and lifted their white capes, the symbol of Justice.
Sengoku suddenly asked, "Are your preparations just about complete?"
Roy paused slightly. Looking toward the horizon where the sky met the sea, a profound light flickered in his eyes.
"Yeah—almost."
Sengoku nodded slightly, his expression softening: "Is that so..."
He let out a soft sigh, his voice dipping lower: "While us old bones can still move, let us—"
"Lend you our strength one last time..."
"Fleet Admiral."
Roy suddenly spoke up, cutting off the rest of his sentence. Sengoku blinked and turned his head.
He saw Roy turn to look at him, wearing an undisguised, confident smile on his face.
"Don't underestimate us."
That smile was like morning light piercing through the fog—youthful, spirited, and radiating a razor-sharp edge.
Sengoku was taken aback for a moment before bursting into laughter.
"Haha... It seems this new era really doesn't need us old timers to shoulder the burden anymore."
He looked up at the boundless sea, a deep sense of peace flashing in his eyes.
Sunlight poured down, the wind catching the hems of their white capes, making the word "Justice" dance gently in the light.
...
—Kano Country
Neon lights and paper lanterns flickered interchangeably, the faint aroma of tea and fried food wafting through the streets and alleys.
In a secluded alleyway, the SWORD unit was taking a brief rest outside an old, rundown restaurant.
The air was thick with the dampness of recent rain, the streetlights dim and gentle.
Sanji leaned against a wooden pillar with a cigarette dangling from his lips. He exhaled a plume of white smoke.
As the smoke dispersed in the night wind, a helpless yet disdainful smile touched the corners of his mouth.
"Those bastards—"
He chuckled softly, smoke curling through his blonde hair. "I doubt there's even dust left of them."
Hearing this, Usopp shuddered violently and immediately waved his hands: "Hey, hey, hey! Sanji! Don't say such scary things!"
Kujaku crossed her arms and snorted coldly, her tone carrying obvious displeasure.
"That green rooster-head was truly disgusting. Arrogant, narcissistic, full of himself, and constantly flashing that hand sign... So annoying."
Hibari chimed in softly, her tone calm but laced with a chill.
"Don't worry, they wouldn't have survived."
Her gaze swept gently across the distant streetlights, the glow reflecting a pale golden halo in her eyes.
Sanji narrowed his eyes slightly, the cherry of his cigarette flaring.
"...Hmm?"
Drake, who had been leaning back in his chair with his eyes closed, twitched his brow and said in a low voice: "An unfamiliar presence—"
Footsteps echoed from the end of the street.
Tap... Tap... Tap...
It was a steady, synchronized rhythm without a trace of disorder.
The damp, rain-slicked street reflected the lamplight as three tall figures gradually walked into everyone's line of sight.
They wore identical long white robes, their faces completely obscured by masks that only revealed faintly glowing breathing vents.
For some reason, the pedestrians on the street instinctively gave them a wide berth, and the surroundings instantly grew unusually quiet.
The person leading the trio wore a pure white mask—the left eye socket was as pitch-black as ink, while the right was as snow-white as a mirror, with a deep scar cutting across that white eye.
He wore earmuffs resembling mechanical interfaces, and a faint circle of stubble lined his jaw. His entire being radiated a cold, unyielding oppressive pressure.
They stopped a mere ten paces away from the SWORD unit.
The wind suddenly turned hushed. The air felt like a taut bowstring, ready to snap at the slightest touch.
The man in white at the front spoke. His voice was indifferent, its metallic echo reverberating through the alleyway:
"Marines."
The word slipped from his mouth carrying an interrogative chill.
He paused for a moment, then looked up. The black-and-white eyes behind the mask glinted in the light as he stated flatly:
"I need to ask you a few things."
♧♧♧
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