The Golden Merry shot forward like an arrow loosed from a bow, carving a long white trail across the vast sea.
As they drew closer, the island bathed in eternal daylight—Enies Lobby—finally revealed its menacing form on the horizon.
It was a structure that defied all logic.
At the very front stood the first gate of the main island, a towering wall of steel and stone rising dozens of meters high.
Elite guards patrolled its ramparts, while the cold gleam of cannons flashed beneath the sun.
Beyond the gate stretched a narrow causeway suspended in midair, leading to the second checkpoint known as the "Front Gate of the Main Island."
But the most shocking sight of all—
The entire main island floated above a massive circular abyss, like the mouth of hell itself.
Endless seawater roared downward into the bottomless void, the rising mist blotting out the sky.
"So this is the 'Island of Law' that hasn't been breached in eight hundred years?"
Ronan stood with spear in hand, his gaze piercing through the mist as he assessed the terrain.
"With such natural and structural advantages… without breaking through head-on, this place is a death trap for ordinary men."
"That's because they've never met me."
Zoro slowly drew the Sandai Kitetsu.
"From today onward… this so-called symbol of absolute justice will vanish from the map."
"H-hey, calm down, you guys!"
Usopp's teeth chattered as he pointed at the densely packed defenders.
"This isn't a joke! Charging in means declaring war on the World Government!"
"Merry—charge straight through!!"
Luffy's roar drowned out even the thunder of the waterfall, a declaration of pure, fearless will.
Just as the Merry was about to crash into the massive defensive walls—
The ship suddenly roared like a waking beast.
"Super Merry—Form Change: Evolutionary Stairway!!"
Franky, standing in the engine room, barked commands.
Fused with the powers of the Munch-Munch Fruit, the Merry revealed a horrifying ability to restructure itself.
The smooth deck split apart—
Wood and metal components surged outward, assembling midair like building blocks.
Clack! Clank! Clack!
Amid the rhythm of heavy metallic collisions—
A massive mechanical staircase, ten meters wide, extended from the ship straight to the top of Enies Lobby's wall.
"What kind of monster ship is that?!"
Even the guards on the wall stood frozen in disbelief.
"Nice one, Merry!"
Luffy laughed, sprinting up the miraculous stairway in an instant, charging straight into the densest cluster of enemies.
Meanwhile—
Inside the courthouse at the highest point of Enies Lobby, the atmosphere was suffocating.
Spandam, the arrogant chief of CP9, stared through a telescope with trembling hands.
The moment he saw the bizarre ship that could generate a staircase—and the straw-hatted boy blasting dozens of elite soldiers away with a single punch—
His wine glass shattered in his grip.
"Monsters… a bunch of monsters!"
His face turned deathly pale, cold sweat dripping through the cracks of his mask.
He had believed the terrain and CP9's reputation would deter them.
But he never imagined—
Even Rob Lucci, the so-called "killing weapon," had been completely crushed by these people.
"What the hell were those idiots above thinking… making me deal with lunatics like this?!"
Regret flooded his mind.
He was a schemer, not a warrior.
Facing monsters who could contend with Admirals—
Was never his game.
As distant explosions and screams echoed, his heart pounded wildly.
"Where are the reinforcements?! Has Admiral Kizaru not arrived yet?!"
His trembling hand slowly reached toward the golden Den Den Mushi on his desk—
The authority for total annihilation.
"This is my last card…"
His eyes turned vicious.
"If you really break in… I'll activate the Buster Call and erase this island—and you—with it!"
"And then I'll escape through the hidden route!"
On the narrow causeway of the main island—
Battle raged.
Ronan's spear swept across the battlefield, every strike carrying thunderous force.
Before him, the so-called elite soldiers were nothing more than leaves scattered by a storm.
Zoro and Sanji carved through enemies from both sides—
Blades and blue flames tearing two bloody paths across the abyss-bridging stone road.
At the main gate of Enies Lobby—
Smoke filled the air.
Two colossal figures stood like mountains—
The giant guards, Oimo and Kashi, wielding weapons capable of splitting seas.
Beneath their overwhelming shadows, Luffy's two-meter frame looked insignificant.
But the moment he stomped the ground and shot skyward like a crimson bolt—
That illusion shattered.
"Gomu Gomu—Thunder Rocket Cannon!!"
His arms stretched to their limit, lightning-infused inner power coating his fists.
BOOM!!!
The impact seemed to tear the air apart.
The giants' massive axes—
Shattered like fragile biscuits upon contact.
The force of the blow didn't stop—
It slammed into their chests.
The two giants were sent flying like broken kites, unable even to scream.
Their massive bodies crashed straight into the gate—
Reducing Enies Lobby's so-called indestructible entrance to rubble.
Sculptures and stone collapsed into dust, a mushroom cloud of debris rising into the sky.
The remaining soldiers broke.
Watching their godlike guardians fall in a single strike—
Their formation crumbled instantly into despair and retreat.
Through the smoke-filled ruins—
A vast space opened before them.
Standing ahead—
The grand and solemn courthouse.
Beyond it, separated by a massive abyss—
Lay the Tower of Justice.
No bridge connected them.
Only by activating the drawbridge switch atop the courthouse could one cross.
Below, the void roared endlessly.
"Magnificent."
Ronan stood with spear across his body, eyes sharp.
Zoro gripped his blade, frowning.
"Something's coming… fast."
Just as they prepared to cross—
The gray sky was suddenly torn apart by a blinding golden light.
Countless particles of light gathered in the air—
Reassembling at dizzying speed above the courthouse.
In an instant—
A tall man in a yellow-striped suit appeared, hands in his pockets, standing on air with a lazy yet terrifying presence.
One of the Navy's highest combat powers—
Admiral Kizaru, Borsalino.
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