The marines collapsed in panic—some slipping on the tilted deck, others simply dropping their weapons as they witnessed the chaos unfolding around them.
Tsuru looked over the ruined deck, her expression growing darker and heavier by the second. Her experienced eyes analyzed the situation quickly, but even for someone like her, things had already gone far beyond what was acceptable.
Above, over Onigashima—
Luffy hovered in the air.
His Observation Haki, pushed to an almost absolute level, spread across the entire island, covering every inch of the battlefield.
Onigashima no longer resembled an ordinary war zone.
It had transformed into a primitive forest.
Gigantic trees, hundreds of meters tall, rose everywhere, their trunks as thick as mountains. Colossal vines slithered across the ground and through the air, like living creatures obeying a single will.
Luffy's will.
Of the tens of thousands of marines who had landed in the first wave, over 90% had already been captured, strangled, or completely immobilized by those monstrous vines.
And that was the most terrifying part—
He had absolute control over them.
Every branch, every root, every tendril moved with perfect precision.
Something not even Ryokugyu, the original user of that ability, had ever been able to achieve.
BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!
From the direction of the port, continuous explosions echoed.
Hundreds of Pacifistas advanced into the jungle, firing laser beams indiscriminately. Wherever they passed, vegetation was incinerated, forcing a path through brute force.
Luffy slowly raised a finger into the air.
With a light breath—
His fingers fragmented into thin wooden branches that shot forward like projectiles toward a Pacifista kilometers away.
During their flight, the small branches grew explosively.
In an instant, they transformed into a gigantic wooden dragon.
The creature descended from the sky like a meteor and, with a single bite, completely destroyed a Pacifista.
Without stopping, the dragon twisted through the air and charged toward its next target.
But at that moment, a golden flash cut across the sky.
A beam of light severed Luffy's control over the dragon.
The branches collapsed and reverted back into fingers.
Luffy turned his head, looking toward the castle platform.
"Don't act like I don't exist… Straw Hat."
Kizaru stood there, maintaining his relaxed posture, pointing his finger.
The moment he finished speaking, another laser was fired.
"When did you start taking fights so seriously?" Luffy mocked. "Back at Marineford, you looked more interested in… killing time."
With a simple flick of his hand, as if swatting away an insect—
Luffy deflected the beam of light with the back of his hand.
BOOM!
The explosion occurred outside the castle, completely destroying a distant hill.
The corner of Kizaru's mouth twitched.
That wasn't Armament Haki.
He was absolutely certain.
Just moments ago, he had clearly observed that Luffy hadn't used Haki at all.
He simply… sent the attack back with the raw strength of his body.
"Rubber Fruit…" Kizaru murmured, narrowing his eyes. "I investigated it in Dr. Vegapunk's records…"
He paused.
"If I'm not mistaken… the true name of that fruit… involves the Sun God. A Zoan with rubber-like properties. The World Government erased its original name… but fragments still remain in old records."
Vegapunk had investigated the Void Century.
And that fruit was part of that history.
"The Sun God?" Luffy smiled, his expression calm—almost proud. "That's already in the past."
His eyes gleamed.
"The previous Sun God failed in his mission. He lost to Imu."
He slightly raised his chin.
"I've opened a new path."
"From now on… you can call me the Sun Dragon God."
The moment he finished speaking, he clenched his right hand.
BOOM!
White flames enveloped his body like a divine mantle.
The air around him began to distort from the heat.
"That's… way too hot…!" Bunting muttered in horror.
His paper wings ignited instantly.
The flames spread violently.
Without hesitation, he tore off one of his wings and retreated rapidly, creating hundreds of meters of distance.
His eyes trembled.
"That… is a sun…"
"You said your ability had no weakness against fire, didn't you?" Luffy said, slowly walking through the air toward him. "That's a misunderstanding."
He tilted his head slightly.
"Not all 'fire' is the same."
Mid-sentence, he vanished without warning.
Bunting abruptly looked up—
And his face froze in pure terror.
In the palm of Luffy's hand, a small white sun had formed.
Before it even touched him, the heat was already beginning to carbonize his body.
"AAAAAH!!"
Bunting screamed and retreated desperately.
Kizaru appeared between them in a flash of light.
"Kick at the speed of light!"
BOOM!!
The impact created a colossal explosion.
A sphere of fire expanded rapidly, reaching hundreds of meters in diameter.
It looked like a sun rising over the battlefield.
After a few moments—
The light and heat receded, and the smoke began to clear.
At the center of the charred ruins, Luffy stood completely unharmed.
Not far away, Kizaru remained standing.
Part of his pants had been completely destroyed, revealing a leg darkened from the impact.
"To save a Celestial Dragon… you're willing to risk your own life?" Luffy said, slightly raising an eyebrow. "How much are they paying you for that? Or are you trying to become a Marine hero?"
Kizaru looked at his leg, still releasing steam.
"How dangerous… I almost lost my leg…" he muttered. "That's terrifying, Straw Hat…"
He narrowed his eyes.
"Light being burned… that makes no sense at all…"
Luffy simply smiled.
Then, he slightly raised his gaze.
In the sky, three massive paw-shaped imprints appeared, compressing the air.
BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!
They struck the ground—
And three figures appeared before Luffy.
"You finally made it…" Luffy said, looking directly at the man in the center.
A bald man with a sword.
"We've met before… although you didn't truly see me back then."
The man slowly drew his blade.
"Straw Hat…" Nusjuro said coldly. "Ever since your name first appeared, you've brought nothing but chaos to the world."
His voice echoed heavily.
"You defeated Crocodile in Alabasta and destabilized the Shichibukai system. You took the Devil's child into your crew."
"You invaded Marineford and saved Portgas D. Ace."
"You attacked Enies Lobby and defied the World Government."
"You killed Celestial Dragons in Sabaody."
"You invaded Mariejois."
"And now… you dare to challenge the Four Emperors in the New World."
His aura began to rise.
"Today… it ends. You will die here."
Luffy smiled as his eyes scanned the battlefield.
Nusjuro.
Kizaru.
Bartholomew Kuma.
Sengoku.
And then—
Two new enemies landed behind him.
Two members of the Holy Knights.
"One, two, three…" Luffy muttered. "Four… five… six…"
He tilted his head.
"Six against one?"
His smile widened.
Kizaru spoke, his voice drawn out:
"You have nowhere to run now… Monkey D. Luffy…"
(End of Chapter)