Crisis

The night was as dark as ink, enveloping the eerily quiet courtyard of the Marine Headquarters.

The firelight illuminated the stone path and also the figure slowly walking out.

He wore a crisp white uniform, his steps steady yet silent—not the footsteps of a human, but the rhythm of a predator.

As that person stepped into the light—

Bellemere's pupils suddenly contracted, his muscles tensed, and he almost instinctively leaned forward in defense.

"... Lucci?!!" His tone was filled with shock and anger.

Of course she knew him.

The most powerful weapon of "CP0," the secret intelligence agency directly under the World Government, a man who has appeared in the shadows countless times, inspiring fear in countless people.

And more importantly--

This person had crossed paths with Roy before; they were once hunter and prey, now enemies, and they meet again.

That bizarre twist of fate made Bellemere instantly understand—

This time, he clearly didn't come to "visit," but rather to "collect."

Lucci's steps remained unhurried. He surveyed the small courtyard, his gaze finally settling on the elderly couple being protected behind him— Rock and Airin.

He looked at them and uttered a single, understated sentence. "These are... Roy's parents?"

"It doesn't look like anything special."

"What do you want to do?!"

Bellemere's voice suddenly rose, and she abruptly stepped forward, firmly shielding the two elderly people behind her.

Armament Haki rapidly condensed in his fist, and his aura reached its peak in an instant!

"Do you know what's going on right now?! Roy and his men are fighting 'God' on the front lines!"

You dare show your face here at a time like this?!

Because she could feel that the other person's aura was as cold as death.

Lucci did not answer immediately.

He simply gazed silently at Bellemere, a fleeting, almost imperceptible hesitation flashing in his round eyes.

Then, he said softly, "There's nothing I can do."

"The choices... are different."

Lucci slowly raised his Right Hand, his knuckles cracking, and in the next instant—his hand Full Beast Transformation.

Muscles swell, knuckles protrude, and five fingers extend into sharp leopard claws!

His tone was flat, tinged with a hint of helplessness: "Ever since the Five Elders summoned me—"

"I had no choice."

"Then you'll have to get past me first!!"

Bellemere roared and stomped on the ground, the stone slabs shattering like a spider web, debris flying into the air, and Armament Haki burning like black flames on her arms!

"Whoosh--!"

The two attacked almost simultaneously!

Lucci's figure Flash, and the air was explosively torn apart.

"Shave" to activate!

He vanished from his spot, leaving only a faint trail of air bursts. The cold light of the leopard's claws appeared in front of Bellemere in an instant. The attack was so fast that even a shadow couldn't react!

"Six Powers Pistol--!"

"Bang--!"

Fist and claw collided in mid-air, creating a deafening Impact that sounded like a cannonball hitting the ground!

The entire courtyard was turned into a storm by the blast wave, flowers and trees were uprooted, bricks and stones flew everywhere, and the air was compressed into a visible vacuum ripple!

Airin cried out in surprise, pulled backward by Nojiko. Rock protected Airin as they retreated, his eyes still fixed on the center of the battle.

The two figures there were like two intersecting Inazuma, each collision bringing sparks and blood!

"Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang--!"

Dozens of collisions were completed in the blink of an eye, at a speed that made it hard to breathe!

Bellemere's arm went numb, from the force of Lucci —heavy, precise, and devoid of emotion.

"Whoosh--whoosh--"

She blocked Lucci's leopard claws with a single blow, and the two were only an inch apart, their breaths and killing intent almost mingling together.

She was breathing heavily, cold sweat beading on her forehead, but she still gritted her teeth and stared intently at those round eyes.

Lucci's voice was low and hoarse, conveying suppressed emotion and a cold determination. "I'm sorry..."

"I don't like this format--"

But an order is an order.

As soon as she finished speaking, the leopard's claws pressed down suddenly, and the floor tiles beneath Bellemere's feet shattered. Blood slid down her fist, dripping onto the broken stone slabs and splashing up a strange red spray.

She merely smiled and coldly uttered:

"You want to capture Roy's parents? We'll see if you have the ability!!"

"Boom--!"

She unleashed her last bit of strength, using both arms simultaneously to forcefully knock Lucci back several meters!

Their figures crossed paths once more!

--A storm roared over Mary Geoise.

Crimson and black lightning crisscrossed, and the aftershocks of the shattered space turned into countless silver fragments that floated in mid-air.

The battle between Roy and Imu has long surpassed the limits of humanity.

Every clash is a collision of heaven and earth.

"Boom!!"

Roy threw a punch, causing space to collapse, and the force of his fist unleashed immense power.

Imu's Trident tumbled in the black flames, and shadow energy swirled, engulfing all the attacks.

The two collided at high speed, their fists and halberds weaving into a labyrinth of light, the aftershocks of the explosion even creating a thousand-meter-high wave on the sea below!

Imu's spellbook floated in the air, its pages turning automatically, and black text transformed into countless weapons that flew out of the book.

Black spears, swords, blades, crossbow bolts... each one coated with ultimate Armament Haki, rained down like a storm!

Roy's figure flickered continuously, and he folded the space around him as if it were a mirror.

With each flash, his fist tore through the shadow's trajectory in different dimensions.

Crimson and black lightning intertwined with spatial tremors, creating a chaotic energy storm.

In that very instant--

He noticed something was amiss.

A very unnatural flicker suddenly flashed in Imu's round eyes.

That wasn't anger, it wasn't murderous intent... it was...

Pleasant.

"...?"

Roy's heart tightened, and he instantly became wary.

Sure enough—the next second, a strange smile appeared on Imu's lips.

He spoke softly, his voice like a murmur echoing in a nightmare:

Your parents... are quite young.

"--What?!!"

Roy's pupils contracted sharply.

In that moment of distraction, danger was already creeping close.

"Whoosh--!"

Imu's enormous black wings suddenly unfurled, his long tail whipped around, and the arrowhead at its tip transformed into a dark streak of light, piercing through the gap between light and shadow at an eerie angle—

"Shadow Bolt - Piercing Arrow!!"

Roy almost instinctively swung his weapon in a counterattack!

Spatial Slash--!

A silver crack tore through the air, yet the shadow arrow somehow "pierced" right through it!

"--No entity?!"

Roy's heart sank.

"That shadow that first targeted Garp... was actually a decoy?!"

I haven't finished thinking about it yet--

"Puff--!"

Blood erupted in a burst of light.

A black arrow pierced through Roy's abdomen, and the energy of shadow surged wildly within him, constantly devouring his red and black Haki, causing the energy to flicker uncontrollably.

Imu slowly extended his Right Hand, Trident horizontally in front of his chest, a cruel light flashing in his Rinnegan Eyes.

"You people..."

His voice was deep, almost gentle, yet colder than ice, more piercing than death.

"They're all the same."

"Despite possessing the power to change the world, he is forever bound by his 'family'."

"This is... humanity's weakness."

Roy gritted his teeth, black blood flowing from his wound, his body swaying, but his eyes remained unwavering.

--at the same time.

Marine Headquarters, Marineford.

Under the cover of night, blood and fire mingled.

Lucci's figure had now Full Beast Transformation, his entire body covered in golden leopard-print fur, his eyes swirling with patterns, emitting a chilling light.

He grabbed Bellemere by the neck with one hand and lifted her high up, the moonlight illuminating her struggling face.

Bellemere was locked in a tight grip, her toes barely touching the ground, a suffocating force pressing against her neck.

"Ugh... cough...!"

She stared intently into those emotionless, round eyes, and uttered a few words with difficulty:

"Lucci... you bastard--"

Lucci lowered his eyes, his expression complex, and for a moment, he seemed to hesitate.

But soon, his pupils returned to their cold indifference, and his voice became low.

"There's nothing I can do..."

This is reality.