Egghead Island.
The betrayal of "Desire" York—acting in secret under orders from the World Government—had quietly shut down the island's photon defense system, the very barrier that protected it from external threats.
Almost at the exact moment the laser shield vanished—
Along the coastline of the artificial forest belt at the island's edge, countless thick vines and enormous blossoms burst forth, rooting, spreading, and expanding at a frantic pace.
In mere moments, they formed a "green corridor" leading straight into the island's interior.
Dressed in the armor of a Holy Knight, Aramaki stepped onto a staircase of vegetation born from his own powers, a carefree, almost mocking smile on his face as he successfully set foot on Egghead.
Meanwhile, at the island's core—within the research stratum.
Inside a massive circular observation window, Dr. Vegapunk stared intently at several floating holographic screens.
One of them clearly displayed the battle unfolding in the lower levels—
A white-haired Luffy, steam rising joyfully from his body, moving in ways that defied all logic, toying effortlessly with Rob Lucci in his awakened hybrid form… before finally blasting him away with a decisive strike.
Vegapunk paid no attention to the flow of battle.
From beginning to end, his gaze was locked onto that white form—
That overwhelming aura of liberation and joy.
At the same time, he muttered under his breath, his voice trembling slightly:
"A… a form of freedom… assimilating the surroundings…"
"The rhythm of laughter… there's no mistake!"
"This is… just as recorded in the ancient texts—the legendary warrior who brings liberation and laughter to the world…"
"'Sun God Nika'!"
Shortly after, above the artificial cloud layer—on a relatively open platform.
Having defeated Lucci and his unit, temporarily removing the immediate threat, Luffy regrouped with Chopper and Jinbe, who had rushed over after hearing the commotion.
And upon confirming that Luffy was indeed the Warrior of Liberation, Vegapunk hurried over as well, meeting the Straw Hat crew without ceremony.
True to his nature, there was no small talk.
Vegapunk launched straight into the point, speaking at rapid speed—
Covering topics such as artificial Devil Fruits, ancient giants… and more.
And throughout it all, he repeatedly insisted that Luffy was the chosen one—the Warrior of Liberation.
"Whether it's those Celestial Dragons and their World Government—who seek to erase history, conceal the truth, and maintain their decaying privilege…"
Vegapunk paused, his tone growing heavier.
"Or that man—the current Fleet Admiral, Gern Reginald Sigmar—who now raises the banner of rebellion, yet employs increasingly extreme methods!"
"He controls an overwhelming amount of military power. The speed of his expansion after gaining independence, his forceful approach… it all makes me uneasy!"
"I cannot see through how he seeks to use science—and I cannot fully agree with it!"
His voice tightened.
"In this world… there seems to be no force that can truly allow knowledge to serve 'peace' and 'liberation'!"
He pointed toward the island below.
"My life's dream is to use science to eliminate hunger and poverty—to create a world where everyone can laugh freely!"
"But here—under the shadow of the World Government—my research will only ever be twisted into weapons… and chains!"
Suddenly, he turned to Luffy, leaning in so close their faces were nearly touching. His voice carried a desperate plea.
"Straw Hat Luffy! Take me away from here! Let me board your ship!"
"Only by your side—by the side of someone as free as 'Nika'—can my knowledge and dreams truly find their purpose!"
Faced with Vegapunk's impassioned speech—most of which flew right over his head—Luffy simply dug a finger into his ear, his face showing that familiar impatience with complicated matters.
Artificial Devil Fruits? Ancient giants? The tangled conflicts between the World Government and the Marines?
He had little interest in any of it.
Blinking once, he suddenly reached out and poked Vegapunk's head curiously.
"You… seem pretty fun!" Luffy grinned, his smile pure and simple.
"Take you with us? Sure! Sounds interesting anyway!"
No deep ideological alignment. No complicated weighing of benefits.
Just because it seemed "fun"—
Luffy readily agreed to let the world's greatest scientist join his crew.
At that very same time, deep within Egghead's lower research zone.
The CP0 agents who had retreated there were all gathered in hiding.
Until Kaku, quietly tending to Lucci, muttered under his breath:
"Aramaki has arrived…"
Hearing that reinforcements from the Holy Knights had come—and that it was a general-level combatant—Lucci, having recovered slightly thanks to his Zoan resilience, immediately rose to his feet.
"Our orders are…" he began, his voice steady despite the faint shadow in his expression.
"…to coordinate with the Holy Knights. Begin from the perimeter—gradually sweep and take control of each sector of Egghead."
"The primary objective remains Vegapunk and his database. If necessary… eliminate all unstable elements, including the Straw Hat crew."
At that point, his expression darkened briefly.
"But in my current state… I cannot confront Straw Hat Luffy head-on."
The admission lingered for a moment—before he quickly regained his composure.
"Kaku. Stussy. With York's cooperation, find a way to use Vegapunk's authority to activate the Seraphim!"
"As for me—I'll go destroy the Straw Hats' ship!"
"Understood!"
The CP0 unit immediately split up, breaking into smaller groups.
With the assistance of "Desire" York, they gained familiarity with certain internal routes, beginning a cautious infiltration from the island's lower levels and outer edges.
At the same time—
Luffy, who had been arranging for his crew, along with Vegapunk's satellites York and Shaka, to escort the main body of Vegapunk in preparation for evacuation—
Suddenly froze.
The easygoing smile vanished from his face in an instant.
His eyes sharpened.
He turned abruptly, staring in a specific direction.
"That Haki… it's aggressive. An enemy."
"Luffy." Jinbe was the first to sense the shift, calling out to him.
"It's fine," Luffy replied, his gaze still fixed ahead as a grin returned to his lips.
"A pretty big deal just showed up."
"A big deal…?"
"Yeah." Luffy nodded. Then, without hesitation, he shouted to his crew:
"You guys go ahead! Stick to the plan—get to the ship!"
"I'll go say hello!"
Before his words had even fully settled—
Luffy burst into motion.
His body transformed into a streak of light wrapped in dark red Conqueror's Haki lightning, shooting forward at a speed the naked eye could barely track!
The ground beneath his feet shattered inch by inch from the force of his acceleration.
At almost the exact moment Aramaki stepped into the island's interior—
Leisurely savoring the dense "nutrients" (life force) permeating the land, preparing to fully unleash his power—
"BOOM!!!"
A streak of dark-red lightning shot toward him!
No—
It wasn't lightning.
It was a foot—wrapped in crackling black-and-red Haki!!!
Luffy's figure appeared before him as if teleporting—
And in the next instant—
BAM!!!
A single kick!
Clean. Direct. No wasted motion.
It slammed squarely into Aramaki's hastily raised, Armament Haki-coated crossed arms!
"BOOOOOOM!!!!!!"
A violent shockwave exploded outward in a circular blast, tearing apart the massive plants that had just grown nearby.
The ground caved in beneath them, forming a massive crater as cracks spread outward for dozens of meters!
The carefree smile on Aramaki's face froze instantly—
Replaced by gravity.
His feet sank deep into the ground. His arms trembled faintly from the impact.
Pure, overwhelming force—
It had completely halted his advance… even forcing him to slide back half a step.
Steam curled through the air as Luffy landed lightly to the side, rolling his neck with a casual motion.
"Yo! Green-haired old man—"
He grinned.
"This road's closed."