"Lin Nuo, leave that guy Rocks... to you."
"B-Bye..."
Boom!
With a peculiar paw-like launching sound, Alice and Teach turned into streaks of light and vanished beyond the horizon.
Watching the direction in which the two disappeared, Lin Nuo finally felt a weight lift from his heart and could not help but sigh.
If Alice and Rocks could stay by Teach's side as he grew up, then in the future... would that Blackbeard who stirred up monstrous waves still appear?
He withdrew his gaze and looked at the slightly chubby yet incomparably dependable figure before him, offering his sincere thanks.
"Sorry, Kuma. I have to trouble you again."
Kuma turned around, gently lowering his palms with their pink paw pads. He shook his head, his gaze mild, making it clear that this was nothing at all.
Boom!!!
At that moment, a dull, thunderous crash came from the center of the island.
Even from so far away, Lin Nuo and Kuma could clearly see that enormous, twisted, pillar-like creature.
As well as the terrifying Haki it radiated, blanketing the entire island!
The pressure was like being deep beneath the sea. Even the two on the outskirts of the island found it hard to breathe, their hearts weighed down.
"Lin Nuo."
Kuma raised his head, his eyes devoid of fear.
"I want to join your plan! I want to save them with you!"
Lin Nuo looked at him, deeply gratified.
This was Big Bear. No matter when it was, that pure kindness and courage of his had never changed.
Even knowing that this rescue plan was nearly insane, he agreed without the slightest hesitation.
"Kuma," Lin Nuo said, suppressing the turmoil in his heart as he asked seriously.
"Your ability can send people flying, but can you precisely control where they land?"
Kuma thought for a moment before answering honestly, "I can control the direction, but the landing point... isn't precise enough yet."
"If I had time to practice..."
"So for now, you can only guarantee a rough area, right?" Lin Nuo confirmed.
"Yes."
"That's enough!" Lin Nuo clapped his hands forcefully, a sharp glint flashing through his eyes.
"My wings will make up for the remaining distance!"
"Alright!"
Kuma nodded, then gave a light leap and landed steadily on Lin Nuo's broad shoulder.
"Ready?" Lin Nuo took a deep breath.
"Ready!" Kuma raised his paw-padded hands, which possessed miraculous power.
Lin Nuo's plan was simple, yet extremely bold.
He would rely on Kuma's Paw Shock for ultra-high-speed movement and approach the central battlefield.
Then, using Kuma's ability, he would send Rocks and the others, who were fighting Imu, flying away from the battlefield!
But there was a problem. If Kuma relied on his own speed, by the time he ran to the center of the battlefield, it would already be far too late.
So, Kuma needed to launch him like a "cannonball," after which Lin Nuo would use the Lunarians' ultimate speed when their flames were extinguished to correct the errors in direction and landing point.
However, Imu's early arrival had thrown everything into disarray.
Lin Nuo could clearly feel that the closer he got to that terrifying existence, the more viscous the surrounding air became.
Devil Fruit abilities were being suppressed and repelled by that boundless Haki.
Not only his Flame of Regeneration—perhaps even the effects of Kuma's Paw-Paw Fruit would be greatly weakened.
He had to create an opening, a gap in which Imu's Haki interference would temporarily fail!
"Now, Kuma!"
Bang!
A strange sensation of weightlessness swept over him as Lin Nuo became a cannonball fired from its barrel.
So this was what it felt like to be launched.
Compared to flying, it was more like making strange leaps through space. The Paw-Paw Fruit's power had even "repelled" the air resistance around him.
Of course, relying only on the gold-tier support combination of himself and Kuma was nowhere near enough to save people right under Imu's nose.
He needed reinforcements.
At the extreme speed provided by the Paw-Paw Fruit, the coastline ahead rapidly grew larger.
And what delighted Lin Nuo even more was the familiar ship docked by the shore—the Oro Jackson!
As the distance closed at breakneck speed, he could make out a group of people rapidly boarding beneath the ship.
It was Rayleigh and the others! The Roger Pirates!
"Hey, Gaban, what the hell is that thing in the sky?"
Rayleigh and the others, who were organizing the Crew's retreat, also noticed the black shadow rapidly approaching from the sky.
"Is it a pursuer? Let me deal with him!"
A burly man in sunglasses holding two axes—Spencem—immediately assumed a combat stance.
"Wait." Rayleigh reached out and pressed a hand to Gaban's shoulder, his gaze scrutinizing.
"I feel like... I've seen him before."
As the black shadow became clearer and its distinctive brown skin, short white hair, and black wings came into view, Rayleigh recognized him at once.
"It's that Lunarian!"
"Is it Lin Nuo?"
Hearing Rayleigh's words, Shakky, who had just boarded the ship, immediately ran to the rail. A delighted smile appeared on her face as she waved forcefully at the sky.
Then she noticed that Rayleigh's expression seemed... less than pleased?
"What's wrong?" Shakky blinked mischievously and covered her mouth as she chuckled. "Are you jealous?"
"No, you're imagining things," Rayleigh denied at once.
After learning that the newcomer was Shakky's lifesaver, Gaban immediately put on an enthusiastic expression as well.
"Oh! So it's Lin Nuo! Come on, let's welcome him!"
Rayleigh and Gaban stepped forward side by side.
"Huh? Is he shouting something at us?"
Gaban cupped a hand to his ear, faintly hearing Lin Nuo, who was speeding toward them, apparently yelling something.
"I can't hear him clearly." Rayleigh frowned.
Lin Nuo's figure rapidly enlarged in their vision.
They could even make out the anxious expression on his face, yet there was no sign of his speed slowing down.
Only then did the two finally hear his wind-torn shout clearly.
"Move—out—of—the—way—!!"
"I can't stop—!!!"
"What?!"
"Hey! Wait!!"
Bam—!!! Boom!
Dust billowed up alongside a thunderous crash as something heavy struck the ground.
The Roger Pirates' Crew were startled and hurried over. "Are you guys alright?!"
The dust slowly dispersed, revealing the scene within.
Rayleigh was gripping the collar of Lin Nuo, who had just crawled out of the crater, shaking him violently with veins bulging at his temples.
"You little bastard! Are you trying to kill me?!"
"S-Sorry, sorry..."
Lin Nuo was so dizzy from the shaking that the world spun around him, yet he still summed things up seriously.
"First time using this move. There were some minor coordination errors, so the angle probably needs to be corrected in advance..."
"You still dare say that?!" Rayleigh shook him even harder.
"Alright, alright!"
Shakky hurried over and separated the two with a mixture of laughter and exasperation, then asked Lin Nuo with concern.
"Lin Nuo, did you want to board the ship and leave with us?"
Lin Nuo shook his head, his expression turning serious again. "Where's Roger?"
Rayleigh straightened his rumpled collar and irritably pointed toward the center of the island.
"That guy went to cause that big bug some 'trouble' so he could cover our retreat."
Lin Nuo's heart tightened.
Just as expected, Roger had still gone up against Imu... But I warned Rocks beforehand. He shouldn't be caught so easily like he was in the original fate.
There might still be a chance to turn this around!
"Time is tight, and the task is urgent!" Lin Nuo immediately said. "Rayleigh, Gaban, I'll take you to Roger!"
"Hmph!" Rayleigh snorted. "Even if you hadn't come, we were planning to charge back in!"
He turned and shouted to his companions aboard the ship.
"You all wait on the ship! If we don't return by the time limit, don't worry about us. Sail away first!"
"Are you kidding?!"
"If you don't come back, we're not sailing anywhere!"
"You have to come back! Mr. Rayleigh! Mr. Gaban!"
The shouts of the Crew and Shakky rang out, carrying unquestionable determination.
"You lot..." Rayleigh and Gaban exchanged smiles as warmth flowed through their hearts.
"Alright, stop wasting time!" Lin Nuo extended both hands. "Hold on tight!"
Rayleigh and Gaban each clung to one of Lin Nuo's arms like koalas.
"We're leaving. Are you ready?" Lin Nuo asked.
Seeing that Lin Nuo had no intention of spreading his wings, Rayleigh could not help asking.
"Hey, aren't you going to fly us over there?"
"Fly?" Lin Nuo tilted his head. "Who said we were flying over?"
"Then... then how are we getting there?"
Looking at the smile on Lin Nuo's face, Rayleigh and Gaban simultaneously felt an extremely ominous premonition rise in their hearts.
"Of course—" Lin Nuo grinned, baring his white teeth. "The same way I got here!"
"Kuma! Let's go!"
Paw Shock!
Boom!
"Lin Nuo—!!!" Rayleigh and Gaban screamed at the same time!
"Woohoo—!"
"Aaaaaah—!"
"Lin Nuo—!! I'll remember this!!"
Three distinctly different cries carved three long arcs through the sky.
They shot toward the central battlefield of God Valley, already shrouded in terror and destruction!
Before you continue