The Navy Attacks

Outside the waters of the Sabaody Archipelago, a Navy fleet was rapidly approaching. Even before it arrived, the Navy Headquarters Science Unit had already landed on the island and, together with the stationed Marines, began a purge of the pirates across the archipelago.

Several hulking Giants nearly seven meters tall, each wearing a hat, advanced toward their respective targets.

Sal had long expected this, so he paid it no mind and headed toward Grove 41 according to the plan. A ship he had prepared was waiting there—one barely capable of submerging—but even that could not guarantee a safe escape from the island.

Suddenly, a series of system notifications made him stop in his tracks.

[SS-rank character Five Elders has developed negative emotions toward the host: low-level hostility. Experience increased by 10000]

[SS-rank character Akainu has developed negative emotions toward the host: low-level hostility. Experience increased by 10000]

[S-rank characters have developed negative emotions toward the host: low-level hostility. Experience increased by 1000 x4]

[A-rank character Vivi Nefertari has developed ordinary emotions toward the host: moderate surprise. Experience increased by 200]

[A- and B-rank characters have developed negative emotions toward the host: low-level hostility. Experience increased by 31498]

[Level increased: Level 45 (310/20000)]

Sal inwardly guessed that news of him killing a Celestial Dragon had truly spread through the upper ranks of the World Government and Navy. He had been mentally prepared for that. What intrigued him more was that only four of the Five Elders had developed hostility, while one remained indifferent.

Among the three Admirals, only Akainu had developed hostility. As expected of the man who carried out Absolute Justice. Even if he himself despised the Celestial Dragons, he would never forgive anyone who dared challenge the authority of the World Government and Navy.

Another person who caught Sal's attention was Vivi Nefertari, heir to the Alabasta Kingdom. He had not expected a nation with weak military strength to rank so highly in intelligence gathering. It seemed this ancient kingdom had its own deep foundations.

[Host: Augustus D. Sal]

[Age: 26]

[Level: 45 (310/20000)]

[Strength: Advanced (Commodore)]

[Constitution: Advanced (Commodore)]

[Agility: Advanced (Commodore)]

[Devil Fruit: None]

[Technique: Top-tier]

[Armament Haki: Intermediate]

[Observation Haki: Advanced]

[Conqueror's Haki: Peak]

[Weapon: Ace]

[Points: 27429]

After gaining four levels in a row, his strength had risen sharply once more. The upgrades to his Armament Haki and Observation Haki were undoubtedly qualitative changes. At the very least, advanced Observation Haki allowed him to barely track Kizaru's figure, so he would not be completely unable to fight back.

With intermediate Armament Haki, he could maintain Armament Haki Infusion in battle. He could even use Armament techniques like Ryuo without considering the expenditure of Armament Haki.

He had twenty-seven thousand points. Who knew how long he would have to wait before saving up one hundred thousand to draw a purple item? It was better to draw when needed, like now.

Sal was not one hundred percent confident that he could escape the Sabaody Archipelago. After all, he did not have a grandfather named Garp or a father named Monkey D. Dragon—connections that could make Kizaru show mercy.

As his points dropped to zero, the system's draw officially began.

[Golden Desert Eagle (Unlimited Ammo), Basic Healing Potion, Silver Dragon Egg, Magic Enhancement Necklace, King's 1000G Seed USB Drive, Tyrant Kuma's Travel Bubble (One-Time), Water Goddess's Underwear, Medea's Life-Size Arthur King Figurine, Substitute Puppet]

The nine items he drew were clearly from an entirely different dimension than the green draws. Even the less impressive ones included a handgun with unlimited ammunition, a healing potion, a dragon egg, and an Arthur King figurine.

Among them, the key item was the Magic Enhancement Necklace. It could use stored magic to strengthen the body and improve all physical attributes, though its effect diminished the stronger its user became.

The Substitute Puppet could negate death once. It was much like the ability of one of the Supernovas, Basil Hawkins, who could create straw figures to take damage in his place.

Tyrant Kuma's Travel Bubble was the most important item. With it, Sal could leave the Sabaody Archipelago at any time, making the situation much easier.

As for the only two useless items—the 1000G seed USB drive and the goddess's underwear—he could only put them away helplessly. Aqua, the Water Goddess, had such a notorious reputation that Sal did not even dare touch her underwear, afraid stupidity might be contagious.

Come to think of it, this was already the third time underwear had appeared. Why did this system like producing underwear so much?

Just as Sal put away the items and continued onward, a flash of golden light streaked through his vision. In the distance, a towering mangrove tree exploded violently. The entire tree slowly toppled over, kicking up an enormous cloud of dust, and Sal's expression turned grave.

Admiral Kizaru had finally landed on the island. Only his laser light possessed such power; those Pacifistas were still far inferior.

Sal could not help quickening his pace. Passing through a battlefield, he saw the Kid Pirates and Heart Pirates joining forces against a small Giant. The enemy was clearly a humanoid weapon—a Pacifista.

Kid, Luo, and Killer, the three Supernovas, all had penetrating wounds on their bodies and looked seriously injured. Yet their fighting spirit remained high, and their combat strength had not diminished much.

Though many ordinary crew members had been lost and everyone was wounded, under the leadership of the three Supernovas, they still held the upper hand. Victory should not be far off.

Sal did not linger. Suddenly narrowing his eyes, he looked to his right. A laser pierced through a building and caused a huge explosion, sending a ragged female figure flying toward him. She landed not far away.

"..."

Seeing who it was, Sal sighed.

"We meet again, Miss Bonney. It seems you're in quite a miserable state."

Jewelry Bonney's hair was disheveled, blood stained the corner of her mouth, and numerous burns covered her body. Her clothes were already torn to shreds, revealing quite a bit of skin.

Even in such a miserable state, the gluttonous Bonney immediately began cursing when she saw Sal.

"Augustus D. Sal, you damned bastard! If you hadn't killed a Celestial Dragon and brought an Admiral here, would I be this miserable? My crew members were all killed by that guy! I'm not done with you!"

"..."

She made a fair point, so Sal could only conclude that she was weak. Bonney's main method of attack was her Devil Fruit ability, which could age or de-age living beings. Her opponent, however, was a Pacifista—a robot—making her Devil Fruit ability useless.

But Tyrant Kuma should have already landed on the island. There was no way he would let his daughter be bullied this badly by a Pacifista.

Had something delayed him? If so, could something have also gone wrong on the Straw Hat Pirates' side?

Before the two could exchange another word, a Giant identical to Tyrant Kuma appeared, with a laser emitter in its palm.

Its eyes swept toward Sal as it spoke in a low voice.

"Highest-priority criminal detected for the first time: Augustus D. Sal. Initial image upload in progress. Upload complete. Capture mission officially initiated. Target: Augustus D. Sal."

Seeing the enemy shift its attention to the man she hated, Bonney immediately burst into laughter, even coughing up several mouthfuls of blood midway through.

"Haha, serves you right. You deserve this bad luck."

Sal merely shook his head. Having read the original story, he had a rough understanding of a Pacifista's strength. By his system's level standards, it was probably around level sixty as a challenge rating.

It was a powerful enemy that required several Supernovas working together to defeat. Yet this unlucky girl Bonney had encountered one with only her own pirate crew. If her crew was not wiped out, whose would be?

The Straw Hat Pirates and Luo's group had needed the combined overall strength of more than four Supernovas just to barely defeat a Pacifista.

Sal drew the ordinary longsword beneath Ace at his waist, pointed it at the Pacifista, and said slowly.

"Miss Bonney, don't laugh too happily. It would be rather boring if, in the end, you discovered that you were the only unlucky one."