Gathered Again, Helm Down
"Hey, do you guys know Zoro and Sanji?"
"Could you be their brothers—?"
Facing the three figures— Zoro (the overweight version), Sanji leading a fox—who carried enormous bundles on their backs, wore hooded coats and fake beards, and exuded a suspicious aura, the group was none other than Robin, who carried a huge bundle on her back and acted as if they were old friends.
Fine, the white dove in the sky looked up and decided to 'delete' this memory.
That's so unprofessional!
Leaving aside the others, what's with Robin being 1.4 meters tall?
It's even more cringe-worthy than the 'fake Nami '...
The three people and the fox, who had been relentlessly pursued by Luffy, dared not utter a word—after all, the moment Luffy opened his mouth, Sanji as if he were very familiar with the real Zoro and Sanji, making the two fake Zoro and Sanji in a cold sweat. If they were exposed...
'What to do?'
'Take him to the meeting point and hand him over to the boss!'
And so, Luffy followed the remaining members of the "fake Straw Hat crew" to the rendezvous point, Sabaody Archipelago Island 46, and then:
Wow, so many people!
What are they all doing gathered here?
Faced with this suspicious-looking little man, the Sanji, fake Zoro, and fake Robin no longer cared about him, but instead anxiously searched around. Because:
"Where is the old man in the Straw Hat?!"
"Yeah, we've been waiting here for ages, why isn't Luffy Big Brother coming out yet—"
"It was a promise, we would join the Straw Hat crew Pirates and form the Straw Hat Grand Fleet..."
"Hehe, it's like a dream! Straw Hat Luffy, who wreaked havoc on Enies Lobby, Impel Down, and Marine Headquarters... has joined this man's crew. Once he becomes the King of the Pirates, we'll be 'crew members of the King of the Pirates King'!"
"What are these guys talking about?"
Luffy, who was disguised by the Empress, was puzzled:
"Why does everyone want to be my subordinate? — I don't need subordinates, I just need my partners!"
So, who exactly is this short guy?
Sanji and fake Zoro were as anxious as ants on a hot pan. Without their boss, who was skilled in magic, deception, and intimidation, it was impossible for them to keep order.
"Hey! Why isn't Luffy Big Brother out yet?"
"Are they looking down on us?!"
There were still a few 'experts' present. For example: Alberto, the 'seriously injured' with a bounty of 92 million Beli; Lip Dottie, the 'waiter' with a bounty of 88 million Beli; and:
"Hehehe, are you scared of us now?"
'Wet Hair' Caribou, with a bounty of 210 million Beli, and 'Bloodsplatter' Kureha, with a bounty of 190 million Beli! — Supernovas who rose to prominence by massacring Marines.
"Don't you think so, Kureha?"
Facing his tall, thin, bearded brother with a long tongue and sleeves that covered his arms, and a burly man holding a shovel beside him, his younger brother Kureha, with a pet chameleon perched on his head, answered from the opposite direction.
"Yes, brother!"
"Idiot, I'm over here—"
"Yes, I'm sorry, I'm so sorry, brother!"
·······
"Pirates, this is the end!"
"Just surrender obediently!"
However, they didn't see Straw Hat Luffy... Well, actually, the real Straw Hat Luffy was standing right in front of them. It's just that:
Call out--
Boom!!
A blinding flash of light passed by, but the small man standing on the platform simply tilted slightly to avoid the terrifying beam of light.
"So slow..."
"Damn it, they're Pacifista!"
"Everyone be careful, it's a humanoid weapon from the Navy—"
Two 'Kuma' strode in, led by Sentomaru. Ordinary pirates were as powerless as ants before the 'Pacifista,' even those who were:
How could that be?
"Captain! Cheer up..."
"Lip Dottie, the 'waiter' with a bounty of 88 million Beli, was defeated in one move!?"
Just as the two Pacifista were gaining momentum, the small figure on the platform had already put down his bundle, taken off his hooded cloak, and then stretched out his right hand, his arm suddenly expanding and contracting—
"Gear Second!"
Brush!!
In a flash, his figure appeared above the head of a Pacifista.
"Gomu Gomu no Jet Pistol!"
Boom—
Before anyone could react, the short man with the Straw Hat had already appeared above the Pacifista! Before anyone could even see him throw a punch, the Pacifista, capable of easily taking down an 8000-bounty captain, was suddenly plunged into the ground!
"What's going on...?!"
"I couldn't see clearly, but he killed the 'Pacifista'! And that face..."
"Isn't he exactly the same as the Bounty Poster? Could he be the real 'Straw Hat' Luffy? And who was the one we encountered before—?"
"Straw Hat Luffy?"
Carrying a massive axe and draped in a navy coat, Sentomaru at Luffy, who had instantly defeated the Pacifista with a single punch. If two years ago Luffy could only barely hold his own thanks to his rubber body and his own restraint, then now:
Even in a head-on battle, Sentomaru wasn't confident he could defeat his opponent!
Such amazing Haki, such amazing growth.
·······
"What's going on? Why are there two 'Straw Hat' Luffy?"
"It's simple, you've all been fooled."
A calm voice rang out, followed by a sky full of white doves. The pirates gathered in the area were initially stunned, then their faces filled with despair!
"It's a 'white dove'!"
"Damn it, isn't this guy from the New World? Why—"
Bang!
A fat figure was thrown in front of the pirates; it was none other than Straw Hat Luffy, who had previously issued the recruitment order to them. However, now it seemed:
"Dimar Black, the 'Three Tongues' with a bounty of 26 million Beli, um, that's your former 'boss'."
········
"Damn it, this mere 26 million Beli guy dares to mess with us..."
Facing this group of pirates, 'Roman', who arrived with white doves, simply glanced calmly at the pirates on the battlefield.
Mob!
"Those who lie are fools, but those who are lied to are also idiots. — Are you going to obediently surrender and go to Impel Down to eat your fill, or should I beat you half to death and throw you into Impel Down?"
"It's over, it's over..."
"Rumor has it that when 'White Dove' makes her move, no pirate has ever been able to escape!"
"Don't panic!!"
Alberto, with a bounty of 92 million and 'severely injured,' pointed to a figure to the side and said, 'We have the real Straw Hat Luffy with us; we can definitely fight them!'
"That's right, Luffy Big Brother! As long as you lead us out of here, we'll follow you!"
"That's right, that's right! Straw Hat Luffy was able to defeat the 'Pacifista' in one move, and even the 'White Dove'..."
"What the heck~~"
However, the boy they regarded as their savior looked at them with disdain.
"I don't know you, why should I help you? Besides—"
"I'm not going to fight the 'White Knight'."
!?
"Luffy!" x2
Meanwhile, Zoro, who was debating whether to go fishing, was pulled along by Sanji and immediately ran over excitedly. But another 'Pacifista' immediately blocked their way.
"'Pirate Hunter' Zoro, 'Black Leg' Sanji, you've been—"
A flash of light!
Flying Kick Like a Dragon!
In the midst of two attacks that tore through the atmosphere, the humanoid combat weapon, capable of capturing hundreds of millions of pirates, instantly had its neck snapped and its chest explode! It was instantly killed without any reaction.
"I chopped it down first!"
"No, I kicked it first!"
These two guys...
"Let's go. Haven't you caused enough trouble already?"
A suit of pure white armor approached, and a helpless voice came from inside the helmet.
"Luffy, hurry up and go, everyone is waiting for you on the ship."
"Haha, Roman, Zoro, Sanji, it's great to see everyone so energetic!"
Luffy immediately picked up the giant 'heart-shaped bento' made by the Empress herself, and then began his familiar escape journey with Zoro, Sanji, and the White Knight.
"Hehe, it seems I don't need to take action."
Perched on a nearby tree trunk, 'Pluton' Rayleigh watched the fleeing group of four with keen interest. He could, of course, tell that the real person was inside the armor next to Luffy, while the famous naval star 'White Dove' Roman, surrounded by white doves, was merely a puppet...
"Rayleigh—!"
?!
Thank you so much for these past two years!
The old man known as 'Pluton' smiled indulgently at Luffy as he Guotou.
"Luffy, your strength has increased again."
"I'm relieved now. Go and be with your companions!"
Faced with this old man who had been with him for two years, taught him various Haki techniques, and was both a teacher and a friend, Luffy could only do one thing:
"Rayleigh, I will definitely—"
"To become the King of the Pirates!!"
·····
"Go, go to the top of the world!"
"Hehehe, let's go~~"
As Luffy and his crew dashed off, the other pirates, having regained their senses, also prepared to flee, but:
Pala pala—
The square was now filled with countless white doves, their cold beaks and sharp claws like metal, their wings gleaming with a chilling light! They seemed not to be doves symbolizing peace, but rather falcons waiting to reap lives!
Of course, for ordinary people, the death of pirates represents 'peace'.
"Heh heh heh heh, just bluffing!"
Ordinary pirates were afraid, but that didn't mean no one here dared to resist. 'Wet Hair' Caribou chuckled and stood brazenly in front of candidate Admiral 'Roman'.
"I'll see just how capable this so-called candidate Admiral really is. Hehehehe~~"
Glug glug
Just as he was speaking, his chest suddenly turned into soft mud, from which a six-barreled Gatling gun emerged!
"Eat me—"
Bang!
?!
Before he could even utter "My lord, times have changed," his vision blurred and his stomach ached! The last image of his fluttering navy coat was the last thing he saw in his consciousness.
Snap,
With a bounty of 210 million Beli, Caribou, Logia Swamp-Swamp Devil Fruit user, silently collapsed to the ground. Roman, as if teleporting, stood before him and slowly lowered his fist.
"Thinking you're invincible just because you're Logia? You're really short-sighted."
One punch and he's dead!
"Big brother!"
The burly man next to him, with a Kureha perched on his head, was just raising his shovel when a hand with outstretched fingers casually pressed down on him!
He was originally much taller than this candidate Admiral, but as his palm struck, space seemed to expand and shrink magically! The further Kureha moved forward, the smaller his figure became, while the palm above his head grew larger and larger as it descended!
In a fleeting moment, the tall and muscular Kureha, like a child facing an adult, could only watch helplessly as 'Roman's' hand landed on his head and then pressed down:
Boom!
The entire battlefield suddenly trembled, but no dust rose. Instead, the ground sank sharply downwards, centered on Kureha, causing all the pirates on the battlefield to lose their footing, resulting in chaos and disarray!
When everyone looked closely, they saw that where Kureha had been was now a neat, shallow, circular pit, with cracks extending in all directions from the edge. In the center of the pit, Kureha was deeply embedded in the earth, with only his normal-sized head and the unconscious serpent dragon visible outside, his face blank, as if he had lost his soul.
"Tsk, one move and a Supernovas. How impressive, Roman, the candidate Admiral!"
Sentomaru, carrying a giant axe, walked over Luffy pointed his thumb in the direction Luffy and his crew had fled.
"What about those real 'Straw Hat crew Pirates'? Aren't you going to take care of them? — That would damage your reputation as 'White Dove' who never fails."
I refuse to believe you can't tell I'm a 'puppet'!
The 'Roman' standing here is the true White Knight, and among the 'White Knight' who Luffy, the real Roman is the one. However:
The White Knight is more than capable of dealing with these weak Supernovas.
"Well, I actually came to Sabaody for a vacation. — But since I've run into them, these pirates who want to flood into the New World certainly won't let me get away with it. As for those few 'civilians,' I'll leave them alone for now until their identities are verified..."
!?
Okay, you're candidate Admiral, so you get to decide!
Sentomaru rolled his Byakugan; he hadn't planned to arrest the Straw Hat Pirates anyway. —If he and Kizaru hadn't let them escape two years ago, the Straw Hat crew would have been defeated more than ten times already. After all, Sentomaru had been guarding Sabaody the whole time!
Meanwhile, Brook, having just finished her last concert, rushed to Peninsula 42.
Nami, Usopp, Robin, Chopper, and Franky are already waiting here, so only:
"Roman has already gone to Luffy and the other two, so don't worry."
Brush--
Just as Nami finished speaking, four figures leaped over!
"Everyone!!!"
"Luffy!"
"Zoro, Sanji."
"Roman ~~"
"Set sail!!"
With a shout from Luffy as he landed on the deck, the Straw Hat crew's journey began once again!
"Rudder down, target—"
"Fish-Man Island!"