"You two little ones didn't even cry."
On the battlefield, a hooded man ran for his life with two babies in his arms.
He was Monkey D. Dragon. Not long ago, he had made the most important decision of his life.
He had completely turned his back on the Marines.
Looking down at the two tiny lives in his arms, he saw again the Lunarian who had punched straight through a Celestial Dragon.
A female slave's desperate, pleading eyes flashed through his mind as she entrusted the children to him.
"I can't save everyone..."
Dragon gritted his teeth and weaved through the hail of gunfire.
"But at the very least, I'll protect these two children and let them live."
Whoosh!
A laser suddenly came from behind and pierced straight through his right shoulder.
"Waaah—!"
The agonizing pain made Dragon cry out as he fell forward.
A tall female Celestial Dragon clad in armor approached at an unhurried pace.
"Hmph, a few little rats." Maffey sneered as she bent down and snatched one of the babies from Dragon's arms.
The baby looked like a tiny chick in her enormous palm.
She glanced at the baby's face. "Oh? Isn't this Garling's brat?"
Then she turned her gaze toward the fallen Dragon. "You actually took his child amid the chaos? Are you out of your mind?"
As she spoke, Maffey drew her sword and aimed its tip at Dragon's chest, about to drive it down viciously!
At that critical moment—
A magnificent slash swept out from the forest to the side!
Wherever the sword energy passed, giant trees were severed cleanly at the waist.
Maffey was also split in two by that terrifying slash.
That single blow cut out a Straw Hat Luffy.
Through the dust, a giant carrying a naginata strode over, muttering impatiently,
"These damn trees are really in the way."
The newcomer was the young Edward Newgate, the future Emperor of the Sea, Whitebeard.
"Hey, Edward! What the hell are you swinging that thing around for? You almost hit me just now!"
An equally towering giantess, though with a voluptuous figure and stunning looks—Charlotte Linlin—grabbed Whitebeard by the collar and cursed at him fiercely.
"Quit talking nonsense. I was just clearing a path!" Whitebeard shot back unhappily.
"If you want to fight, just say so!"
"Then let's fight!"
As Dragon watched the two giants start arguing right in front of him, cold sweat ran down his forehead. "Just how many monsters came here today...?"
"But this is my chance..."
Enduring the excruciating pain, Dragon grabbed the child who had not been taken from the ground and staggered deep into the forest.
"Damn it, Edward! You were trying to take the chance to kill me, weren't you?!"
"Linlin, don't think you can get the fruit before me."
While Whitebeard and Big Mom argued, a howling sound came from behind them.
Golden Lion Shiki rode a flying chunk of ground while Kaido swung his spiked club, and the two caught up as well.
The Rocks Pirates' four overlords of the sea had gathered here.
The four said no more and charged toward the center of the island.
Whether Marines or pirates, anyone in their path was as fragile as clay chickens and porcelain dogs, unable to withstand a single blow.
Meanwhile, on the other side of the island.
"Shakky, we're here to save you!"
"Get lost! Shakky is mine! I'll be the first to save the beauty!"
"Bullshit! I'm the one saving Shakky! All of you, get the hell out of my way!"
All the pirates drawn here by the title of "saving the peerless beauty Shakky" were slaughtering one another in front of the fortress where Shakky was imprisoned, turning the place into utter chaos.
It was an absurd free-for-all that was both laughable and ridiculous.
Within the shadows of that chaos, a black figure silently crossed the battlefield at incredible speed.
Lin Nuo carried Ivankov and Kuma under his arms as he skimmed low through the air.
His original plan had been to use the Lunarians' speed to find the treasure chests first and avoid Big Mom and Kaido, who would arrive later.
But just as they found the treasure vault, they ran headfirst into a squad from God's Knights.
In their haste, they took three treasure chests and fought their way out through another secret passage in the vault.
"There are Marines everywhere. We've been surrounded. What do we do, Lin Nuo?"
Big Bear looked at the Marines closing in around them and asked nervously.
Lin Nuo swept his gaze over the two chests Kuma held in his arms and said loudly, "Don't panic. Open one of them and take a look."
Kuma hurriedly opened the first chest.
Inside lay a strange fruit covered in paw-shaped spiral patterns.
"The Paw-Paw Fruit!" Delight flashed through Lin Nuo's eyes. "Quick, Kuma! Eat it!"
"Once you eat it, you'll be able to save everyone!"
Kuma immediately grabbed the fruit and swallowed it in huge bites without hesitation.
An indescribable taste flooded his mouth, but in the next moment, his pupils suddenly widened.
The concepts, principles, and basic methods of using the power to repel everything flooded into his mind.
Feeling the miraculous power within him, he said, "I... I'll use my ability to send you all away first..."
"Wait." Lin Nuo interrupted him and pointed at the other chest. "Open that one too."
Kuma nodded and immediately reached for the second chest.
"You lowly creatures! You dare lay your hands on the gods' treasure?!"
An angry roar rang out.
Several lasers followed, striking Lin Nuo squarely in the back!
"Ugh..." The enormous impact sent Lin Nuo flying.
Fortunately, he reignited his flames and withstood the damage. Otherwise, that hit would have been disastrous.
Ivankov clutched the third chest in his arms and rolled to the ground with him.
Lin Nuo and Kuma twisted their bodies in midair and landed awkwardly.
The chest Kuma had opened had completely sprung open during the tumble.
A strange azure fruit, crowned with blue-and-yellow flames, rolled out from within.
The Phoenix Fruit!
"Kuma, throw that fruit to me!" Lin Nuo recognized it at once and shouted urgently.
"Okay!" Kuma reacted swiftly, scooped up the Phoenix Fruit from the ground, and threw it toward Lin Nuo with all his strength.
"Don't think you'll get away with this!"
Several members of God's Knights roared and lunged forward.
They reached out, trying to intercept the precious fruit as it arced through the air.
But they were still too late.
The moment the fruit rolled out, the flames on Lin Nuo's back had already gone out.
When Lunarians extinguished their flames, they sacrificed a measure of defense in exchange for unparalleled speed!
His body left only a faint afterimage where he stood.
Just as the knights reacted and tried to seize the fruit—
Lin Nuo had already opened his mouth and swallowed the incoming fruit in one bite.
"Chomp!"
He landed lightly, puffed out his cheeks, deliberately chewed a few times at the God's Knights members who had missed their chance, then swallowed with a gulp.
Then Lin Nuo licked his lips and smiled. "You have good taste."
"This fruit..."
"Was really tasty~"
The members of God's Knights immediately trembled with rage.
This natural enemy of the gods, who should have long been exterminated, had not only reappeared in the world, but had even eaten the Celestial Dragons' Mythical Zoan Fruit like a snack right before their eyes!
"Damn Lunarian remnant!!"
"How dare you—!!"
More furious shouts came from all around them.
The moment Garling heard that Lunarians had appeared on the battlefield, he led a large force of elite soldiers over at once.
He happened to witness the final moment of Lin Nuo swallowing the fruit.
In an instant, all the members of God's Knights and the accompanying Marines closed in from every direction.
They trapped Lin Nuo, Kuma, and Ivankov firmly in the center.
Blades were drawn, guns and cannons were readied, and the dense killing intent became almost tangible.
Garling stepped out from the crowd, his handsome, cold face now covered in frost.
"I thought the filth had been cleaned away long ago, yet you dare defile the land of the gods once more..."
He slowly raised the famed sword in his hand, pointing its tip directly at Lin Nuo.
"Lunarians!"
"Today, you will be completely exterminated!!"
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