"Alright then."
Ash scratched his chin helplessly. He had originally wanted to witness the spectacular clash between the Machete Squad and Amazon Lily.
After a moment of thought, Ash raised his hand and created a Paramecia-type Chop-Chop Fruit and a Paramecia-type Ope-Ope no Mi out of thin air. He handed them to Daz Bones and Law respectively.
"Eat them. After this, Sea Prism Stone restraints won't be much of a problem for you."
The two men stared in shock at the Devil Fruits that had materialized in Ash's hands. After exchanging glances, they gritted their teeth and accepted them.
Given Ash's overwhelming strength, there was no reason for him to go through such trouble if he truly intended to harm them.
As they consumed the fruits and began feeling the changes within their bodies, Ash lost interest in observing them further.
There was nothing surprising to see.
After all, he had recreated them according to the originals.
Opening the system panel in his mind, Ash immediately navigated to the quest section.
Unique Quest: Devil Fruit Collection Quantity [106/500]
With the destruction of the Big Mom Pirates, the number of collected Devil Fruits had finally surpassed one hundred. Even so, the goal of five hundred still seemed far away.
Glancing at Pekin and Joseph, who were staring with wide eyes nearby, Ash curled his lips.
"Look at those expressions. If they want Devil Fruits, arrange some for them too."
After a brief pause, he turned to Sali.
"Most of Wyper's subordinates are busy searching for Poneglyphs throughout the New World, and Wyper himself doesn't have anything urgent to do. Let him make a trip to Amazon Lily. He's familiar with the route anyway."
Sali nodded and immediately contacted Wyper through a Den Den Mushi.
A few brief instructions later, the arrangement was settled.
Sali then asked, "Since the Marines and the Seven Warlords have already been dealt with, does that mean we can head straight to Beehive Island and handle the God's Knights?"
Ash was about to agree when a thought suddenly crossed his mind.
A mischievous smile appeared on his face.
"Sali, don't you think it's a little unfair that the Revolutionary Army gets to sit back while we're busy, the Marines are busy, and even the World Government is busy?"
Sali immediately sensed trouble.
"You want to drag the Revolutionary Army into this war too?"
"No, no, no."
Ash waved his hand dismissively.
"The God's Knights and even the Five Elders are excellent sparring partners. We can handle them ourselves."
His voice trailed off as he suddenly looked around.
A large crowd of Dawn Faction members remained gathered nearby, clearly waiting to hear more gossip.
Ash's expression darkened.
"Who taught all of you this terrible habit of watching the excitement?"
He pointed toward the crowd.
"Those with assignments, get moving! Jella, take your squad and those eight rookies with you. Move! Move! Move!"
After personally shoving and kicking the spectators away, Ash finally regained some peace and quiet.
He then pulled out Bartholomew Kuma's private Den Den Mushi from his spatial ring.
Blurup, blurup.
Click.
The call connected quickly, and the Den Den Mushi adopted a serious expression.
"Long time no see, Ash."
Kuma's calm voice sounded from the other side.
"Is something wrong? Or has something happened to Bonney?"
"Bonney is fine."
Ash leaned back comfortably.
"Actually, I'm looking for Dragon. Are you still traveling around the world?"
"Traveling..."
A faint chuckle escaped Kuma.
The description amused him greatly, considering his current task involved escorting World Government personnel across the globe.
"I'm not with Dragon at the moment, but I know where he is and how to contact him. Do you need his Den Den Mushi number?"
Ash shook his head.
"No need. Just head over there yourself. I have something important to discuss with Dragon. If we reach an agreement, you won't have to keep running around anymore."
"Understood. Please wait a moment."
The line disconnected.
A short while later, the Den Den Mushi rang again.
Ash answered immediately.
This time, the snail's face transformed into Dragon's distinctive features.
"Ash, long time no see."
Dragon's voice carried a hint of curiosity.
"Kuma said you wanted to discuss something with me. According to the World Economic Journal, your Dawn ship is currently fighting Wang Zhi and the Big Mom Pirates in the New World. Isn't that right?"
"Wang Zhi and Big Mom aren't important."
Ash waved dismissively.
"Forget that. It's better if we talk face-to-face. Where are you?"
The line fell silent for a moment.
Finally, Dragon replied.
"We're currently in the Kamabakka Kingdom on the Grand Line."
"Kamabakka Kingdom?"
Ash nodded.
"I remember that place. I'll be there shortly."
The call ended.
Turning toward the remaining members present, Ash quickly issued a series of orders.
"Sali and I are heading to meet the Revolutionary Army."
"As for the rest of you..."
"Jason, gather all remaining forces and head to Beehive Island. Meet up with Pini and the others there."
"Vergo, bring a team and pick up Crocus and Perona. Don't leave anyone at Twin Cape."
"Fales, notify Sky Island and everyone else. Until this war is over, nobody is allowed to come to Twin Cape. I'll be removing all the space gates there as well."
He swept his gaze across everyone.
"Understood?"
"Understood!"
"Good. Get moving. We'll be leaving first."
With that, Ash locked onto the location of the Kamabakka Kingdom through his sea of consciousness.
He pushed Shusui forward.
A one-time space gate instantly tore open before him.
The next moment, he and Sali stepped through.
---
Grand Line, Kamabakka Kingdom.
The Revolutionary Army's highest-ranking members had gathered in full force.
Dragon.
Emporio Ivankov.
Bartholomew Kuma.
The Chief of Staff.
The four Army Commanders.
Their vice commanders.
Virtually every major leader was present.
"Dragon, isn't this a little excessive?"
Ivankov appeared unconvinced by Dragon's caution.
Turning toward Kuma, he asked,
"Kuma BOY, you've interacted with Ash more than anyone else. What do you think of his strength? How does he compare to Dragon?"
Kuma remained silent.
He seemed lost in thought.
Dragon frowned slightly.
"It's not about caution."
His gaze remained fixed ahead.
"This is the first time Ash has contacted me on his own initiative. More importantly, his tone was different from usual."
Dragon paused.
"I have a feeling something major is about to happen."
"You're right."
A voice suddenly echoed nearby.
"It is a major event."
Space distorted.
A gate opened in midair.
Ash stepped out with a smile, Sali following close behind.
Dragon's pupils contracted.
Cold sweat appeared on his forehead.
Years ago, he had witnessed this ability from afar when returning to Foosha Village to pick up Luffy.
The world's speculation had been correct.
Ash truly possessed the ability to travel vast distances instantly.
Ash and Sali walked over casually and took seats as though they were visiting old acquaintances.
"No need for unnecessary small talk."
Ash got straight to the point.
"The Dawn ship is currently in the New World..."
He briefly summarized the information he had previously shared with Sali, explaining the current battlefield situation and the deployment of forces across the seas.
When he finished, his expression became serious.
"Right now, every one of the Marines' top combatants has been mobilized."
"The God's Knights are occupied at Beehive Island."
"Marineford's strength has been heavily depleted."
"And the Holy Land, Mary Geoise, isn't much better."
Ash leaned forward and looked directly at Dragon.
"With a perfect opportunity like this..."
"Aren't you people in the Revolutionary Army planning to do something?"