Work on coating Pluton proceeded at a frantic pace under Rayleigh's guidance. Inside the hidden dock at GR 13, resin bubbles underwent special processing and were applied layer by layer to Pluton's enormous hull, refracting rainbow light in the sun.
"The coating will take another two days," Rayleigh said, wiping the sweat from his forehead. "You'd better keep a low profile until then. Sabaody is crawling with Marine informants right now."
Yet the gears of fate turned faster than expected.
Early the next morning, piercing alarms rang throughout the Sabaody Archipelago! Large numbers of Marine warships broke through the bubble barrier and surrounded the islands from every direction! Merchant vessels and pirate ships in the harbor were seized one after another, and every exit was completely sealed!
"What's going on?" Allen rushed out of the bar, only to find the sky obscured by Marine warships! Three figures stood side by side aboard the lead warship-Akainu, Kizaru, and Fujitora! All Three Admirals had assembled!
"A Buster Call..." Rayleigh's expression grew grave. "The World Government is serious this time."
Akainu's voice carried across the entire island through an Amplifying Den Den Mushi. "Portgas brothers! Straw Hat! Surrender immediately! Otherwise, all of Sabaody will be razed to the ground!"
A cruel choice-turn themselves in, or let the entire island be buried with them.
"We can't drag innocent people into this!" Sabo said immediately. "We have to leave!"
Allen gritted his teeth. "Pluton isn't ready to dive yet! Setting sail now would mean walking straight into their trap!"
Kizaru's languid voice rang out. "No answer? Then let's begin~" Golden light gathered in his hands!
Just then, Luffy suddenly charged toward the harbor. "I'm gonna send them flying!"
"Luffy! Come back!" Allen cried, but it was already too late!
Battle erupted in an instant! Luffy went straight into Gear Fourth: Boundman, hurling a massive rubber fist at the Marine fleet!
"Hell Hound!" Akainu met him with a gigantic lava fist! Scorching magma collided with rubber, filling the air with steam!
"Let's go too!" Flames erupted from Ace as he lunged straight at Kizaru! Sabo swung his steel pipe and attacked Fujitora! Allen unleashed the full Power of Zhulong, revealing his dragon form as he went straight for Akainu!
Four Admiral-level combatants clashed fiercely above Sabaody! Flames, golden light, gravity, and the powers of light and darkness intertwined! The entire sky seemed to tremble!
But the gap in strength was cruel. Even after their grueling training on Raijin Island, the four were still steadily driven back by the battle-hardened Marine Admirals!
"Great Eruption!" Akainu's gigantic lava fist shattered Luffy's defenses and slammed him down hard! "Ame no Murakumo!" Kizaru's light sword pierced Ace's flames, leaving a wound across his chest deep enough to expose bone! "Gravity Blade: Raging Tiger!" Fujitora's gravity blast crushed Sabo into the ground! "Dark Dragon Shock Blast!" Akainu's ultimate move broke through Allen's Torch Dragon Domain and sent him flying!
In less than half an hour, all four lay on the ground, severely wounded! Blood stained the shattered earth red.
"It's over." Akainu raised his hand impassively as lava began to gather. "Pay for your sins."
At that moment of despair, an enormous figure suddenly appeared in the middle of the battlefield!
"Tyrant" Bartholomew Kuma! One of the Shichibukai!
But Kuma's eyes were vacant. He had clearly already been fully converted into a Pacifista.
"Kuma?" Kizaru raised an eyebrow. "Here to clean up?"
Kuma did not answer. He merely raised both hands slowly.
"Wait!" Rayleigh suddenly realized something. "His targets are..."
But it was already too late! Kuma activated his paw powers!
"If you were to take a trip, where would you like to go?"
Pop! Pop! Pop! Pop!
With four soft sounds, Allen and the other three vanished instantly! The Paw-Paw Fruit's power sent them flying in different directions!
"What?!" Akainu roared in fury. "Kuma! What have you done?!"
The cyborg Kuma answered mechanically, "According to final instructions... transport designated targets to predetermined locations... mission complete..."
Then he slowly turned to face the furious Marine Admirals. "Commencing obstacle removal."
A massive explosion swallowed his figure...
Allen woke in excruciating pain and found himself lying in a strange forest. Towering trees blotted out the sky, and creatures he had never seen before darted through the woods.
"This is..." He struggled to sit up and found that his wounds had received basic treatment.
The Ark Core vibrated against his chest. "Location confirmed: Boin Archipelago... special ecological zone... recommendation: recover and train here..."
The Boin Archipelago? Allen remembered. This was Heracles's territory, a place famous for its unusual plants and abundant food.
"Kuma sent us flying to places suited for training..." Allen suddenly understood. "He was helping us!"
He tried to sense his brothers' locations, but they were too far away, beyond the reach of his Observation Haki.
"Core communication functions damaged... unable to contact other inheritors..." the Ark Core displayed.
Allen fell silent for a moment, then his gaze grew resolute. "In that case, I'll use this time to get stronger!"
He stood up and circulated the Power of Zhulong, his golden slit pupils sweeping his surroundings. "First, I need to adapt to this environment. Then... develop new powers."
Meanwhile, in different corners of the world, the other three also woke one after another.
Ace found himself on a burning island-Burning Island, a place where flames burned all year round. A flame-like figure stood before him. "Gol D. Roger's son? Interesting. Want to get stronger? Come learn the truth of flames from me."
Sabo landed on an island riddled with mechanical contraptions-Karakuri Island. An old man in protective clothing looked at him. "You're badly hurt, young man. Just as well. How about helping me test some new inventions? In return, I'll teach you a few interesting things."
Luffy landed in the waters near Amazon Lily, the island of women, and was rescued by Marguerite. When he woke, he found himself surrounded by a group of furious women. "A man! It's a man!" But after Hancock saw his straw hat, her expression grew complicated. "Luffy... Since you're Allen and Ace's younger brother... I'll make a special exception and allow you to stay."
Time flew, and two years passed in the blink of an eye.
On the Boin Archipelago, Allen awoke from deep training. His aura was now contained, his gaze profound, as though he had been reborn.
Over those two years, he had not only fully mastered the various applications of the Power of Zhulong, but also brought his Haki to a whole new level. His Observation Haki could foresee the future several minutes ahead, his Armament Haki could destroy from within, and he could unleash and withdraw his Conqueror's Haki at will.
More importantly, his synchronization rate with the Ark Core had increased dramatically, allowing him deeper access to ancient knowledge. He had even gained a preliminary grasp of remotely controlling Pluton.
"It's time." Allen gazed into the distance. "Brothers, have you all gotten stronger?"
He took out a special Den Den Mushi-the communication device Rayleigh had given him before they parted two years ago.
He pressed the button, and the call connected. Rayleigh's voice came through. "Is it time, kid?"
"Yes, Mr. Rayleigh." Allen's voice was firm. "Please gather everyone. We'll meet at Sabaody."
"Understood. I look forward to seeing how much you've grown."
After hanging up, Allen let out a long cry and unleashed the full Power of Zhulong! Blue-and-gold dragon wings unfurled behind him, and electrical arcs leaped between his scales!
"Pluton! Answer my call!"
Far away beneath the sea, the Pluton Battleship suddenly activated! Its coating ruptured, and the enormous vessel broke through the surface, heading toward the Boin Archipelago!
When Pluton docked on the shores of the Boin Archipelago, Allen sensed several familiar auras aboard.
He leaped onto the deck, and three figures came into view-
Ace's aura was as scorching as lava yet contained, with flames flowing naturally around him without harming anything. Sabo's steel pipe gleamed with a metallic luster, and within Allen's Observation Haki, he resembled a precision humanoid weapon. Luffy... had changed the most! Though he still wore an innocent smile, deep within his eyes was the majesty of a king!
"Allen!" the three shouted together, their smiles radiant.
Without another word, the four embraced tightly. Two years apart had not distanced them; instead, their bond had only deepened.
"You've all gotten stronger." Allen sensed his brothers' powerful auras with relief.
"So have you!" Ace punched his shoulder. "I can feel it now. You're as strong as a monster!"
Luffy stretched his rubber arms and wrapped them around everyone. "Heehee! Now we can definitely beat those Admirals!"
Sabo adjusted his goggles. "What's the plan?"
Allen looked into the distance. "First, we pick up our ship. Then..."
His gaze sharpened. "It's time to let the world know that the era of Portgas and Monkey has arrived."
The Pluton Battleship cut through the waves, sailing toward the Sabaody Archipelago.
The curtain was about to rise on a new era.
And this time, they would not be defeated again.