Sabaody Archipelago had fallen into complete chaos.
With a Celestial Dragon beaten in public, the entire island was thrown into panic, especially among the pirates. Everywhere one looked, pirates were rushing toward the coast in desperation, their faces filled with fear.
How could they not panic?
Celestial Dragons were World Nobles. Even a minor offense against them could result in an Admiral being dispatched. This time, one had been beaten so severely that he might even be dead.
For pirates, an Admiral was an insurmountable wall.
As time passed, a heavy haze settled over the island, making the atmosphere feel suffocating.
"We should escape immediately, Captain."
"Damn it, is the coating still not finished?"
"An Admiral will arrive soon."
"I hope it's not Enel or Kizaru. If it's either of them, we won't even have a chance to run."
"Those idiots from the Straw Hat Pirates are finished."
"Several Supernovas have already died, and now the Straw Hats provoked a Celestial Dragon. The Worst Generation is probably done for."
"We can't wait any longer. An Admiral is coming."
Anxious voices echoed from every corner of the island. Some pirates urged their captains to flee immediately, while others abandoned their crews entirely and ran for their lives.
While the island descended into chaos, the very ones responsible for it all, the Straw Hat Pirates, had arrived at Shakky's Rip off Bar in Area 13.
Rayleigh was with them.
Because of the straw hat on Luffy's head, Rayleigh had long wanted to meet the man Shanks had chosen.
And also because of that man's request.
"So Shanks was once the Pirate King's apprentice."
Luffy held onto his straw hat, a nostalgic smile spreading across his face.
"I promised him that one day, I would find companions just as amazing as his, return this hat to him, and become the Pirate King."
"Then you'll need to work hard," Rayleigh said with a laugh, taking a drink. "Shanks is already one of the Four Emperors."
He paused briefly before continuing.
"But if you want to become Pirate King, there is still one person you must surpass."
"Sooner or later, I'll surpass Shanks," Luffy replied confidently.
Rayleigh shook his head with a smile.
"Two years ago, someone asked me to pass a message to you, if I ever met you here at Sabaody."
"Huh?" Luffy blinked in confusion.
Rayleigh cleared his throat, deliberately imitating another voice.
"My foolish little brother. I didn't expect you to come this far. You haven't embarrassed me. But if you want to become Pirate King, you'll still have to defeat me. With your current strength, there's no chance, hahahaha."
After finishing, Rayleigh felt a trace of awkwardness, but he had conveyed the message word for word.
"Ace."
Luffy's eyes widened instantly. The moment he heard the words "my foolish little brother," he knew who it was.
Only one person had ever called him that.
"It was Ace. It had to be Ace who asked you to pass that message."
Rayleigh nodded.
"Yes. I didn't expect him to be the Captain's son, or that Garp brought him to Windmill Village."
This differed from what should have happened. In truth, when Ace first arrived at Sabaody, he had sought Rayleigh out and revealed his identity.
Unlike his original self, this Ace did not abandon such a powerful connection. Many members of the Roger Pirates were still alive, and they remained monsters among monsters.
"Ace, Fire Fist Ace, right? The Whitebeard Pirates' Second Division Commander."
Nami remembered Luffy mentioning him before.
"Not just that," Emma said suddenly. Her gaze flicked toward Rayleigh, clearly aware that he knew the truth. "He is also the son of the Pirate King, Gol D. Roger."
"What?"
Nami and the others exclaimed in shock. This was the first time they had ever heard such news.
"It's been a long time since I last saw Ace," Luffy said softly, nostalgia flickering in his eyes. Then his expression hardened with determination. "Even if it's Ace, I'll defeat him. I won't hold back just because he's my brother."
Rayleigh laughed heartily.
Later, at Mangrove Area 12 on the outskirts of Sabaody.
"Yohoho, I never imagined Captain Luffy's brother would be so incredible, and even the Pirate King's son. How astonishing."
Brook sighed in amazement as they walked.
After visiting Shakky's bar, he finally understood just how extraordinary his captain's background was.
"This is not the time for that, Luffy," Nami said anxiously. "You punched a Celestial Dragon. An Admiral could arrive at any moment. We need to leave immediately."
She was already frustrated. These people had stayed in the bar far too long.
At least Kemi was safe now, staying behind with Pappagu and Hachi.
"Our trouble is here."
Emma stopped walking, her beautiful eyes lifting toward the sky.
A deafening crack echoed.
A violent flash of lightning split the air and froze in place.
"We finally meet."
A calm yet magnetic male voice echoed across the mangrove grove.
Silver white hair flowed down to the waist, swaying gently in the air. Clear blue eyes reflected the figures of Luffy and the others. A perfectly tailored silver suit clung to his frame, while a Marine Admiral's coat bearing the word Justice draped over his shoulders.
The oppressive presence was like a mountain pressing down on everyone present.
This was Enel.
He hovered a foot above the ground, a faint smirk on his lips as his gaze locked onto Emma and Ethan.
Luffy and the others were completely ignored.
"Admiral Silver Dragon…"
Robin's face turned pale.
This man was known as the strongest Admiral of the Marines. No pirate targeted by him had ever escaped. Among the Admirals, he was the most terrifying.
"Darkness."
Ethan stepped forward.
His body expanded rapidly, his skin turning green as his muscles swelled violently. His clothes shredded apart, leaving only elastic shorts intact.
"Ethan."
As Ethan transformed into a towering green monster, veins bulging and muscles rippling, Nami and the others felt a sense of reassurance wash over them.
The strongest member of the Straw Hat Pirates was not Luffy.
It was Ethan.
Luffy sparred with him regularly, and even at full strength, he had never defeated him.
"So powerful," Enel muttered, rubbing his forehead. "How troublesome."
He spread his hands calmly.
"To meet someone from the same background in this world is rare. Why don't we find a quiet place and have a cup of tea?"
There was little direct hostility between them, and Enel had no desire to fight immediately.
But Emma and Ethan thought otherwise.
The mission to hunt Darkness was still active. Killing Enel would reward one hundred thousand exchange points, an unimaginable fortune.
Based on Emma's observations, Enel matched the target's characteristics most closely. Along with Fire Fist Ace, only these two had deviated from their original paths.
She was certain that they had already been discovered as well.
Everything was already in the open.
"Luffy," Emma said coldly. "Use everything you have to defeat him."
Her body began to crystallize from head to toe, becoming translucent and refracting light into brilliant colors beneath the sun.
"Got it."
Luffy's expression turned serious.
He coated his right arm in Armament Haki, bit into it, and activated Gear Fourth as steam burst violently from his body.
Zoro, Brook, and the others drew their weapons. This was no longer a one on one confrontation.
"Move."
Emma's eyes widened slightly.
A powerful wave of mental force surged toward Enel's mind, attempting to disrupt his thoughts and force him into confusion or sleep.
Crystallization was not her only power.
She also possessed terrifying telepathic abilities.
This was the White Queen power she had exchanged for in the Marvel universe.