Hearing this, Luffy's heart sank.
If even Vegapunk's satellites had no idea what was happening, then the situation was far worse than he had imagined.
"Then my crew…?"
Atlas bit her lip, then pointed at a violently flashing red zone on the radar screen. "The last fragmented signals we received from your crew… along with a massive surge of combat energy… all point to the 'Seraphim Storage and Adjustment Zone.'"
"That place is… in the middle of an intense battle. Maybe… maybe some of your companions are there. Or at least… there might be clues about where they went."
Her tone carried uncertainty—but it was the only lead they had.
Luffy didn't hesitate for even a second. "Take me there!"
Edison, however, looked uneasy. "But that area is extremely dangerous! The energy readings are off the charts. There might be more than one faction fighting over control of the Seraphim…"
"Forget that!" Luffy's eyes hardened, unwavering. "My friends might be there!"
Atlas nodded decisively. "Alright. We'll take you there! I know a relatively hidden maintenance route that can get us close to the outer perimeter of that area…"
"Yeah!!" Luffy clenched his fists, ready to move immediately—
"Ugh…"
His body suddenly swayed.
In an instant, the color drained from his face. Beads of cold sweat poured down his forehead.
The strength that had filled his body just moments ago vanished as if it had been sucked dry. His legs trembled, turning weak beneath him, and he had to grab onto the wall beside him just to stay upright.
A crushing wave of emptiness and dizziness swept over him.
"Luffy! Straw Hat?!" Edison and Atlas both startled, rushing forward to steady him.
Luffy panted heavily, waving a weak hand. His voice came out faint, tinged with a pitiful, almost tearful whine:
"Gear Five… takes too much out of me… I'm… so hungry…"
Clutching his loudly growling stomach, he looked up at the two satellites with pleading eyes.
Gone was the fearsome "Fifth Emperor" who had just battled an Admiral with killing intent.
What remained… was nothing more than a starving young man.
Edison and Atlas exchanged another glance—this time, both caught between laughter and exasperation.
They quickly scanned Luffy's condition. The data was clear: his stamina and energy reserves had dropped to a dangerously low level.
In this state, forget fighting in a high-risk zone like the Seraphim facility—he might not even make it there on his own.
"Seriously… he looks so strong, but he's just a bottomless pit when it comes to food?" Atlas muttered under her breath, the tension in her voice easing into helpless amusement.
Edison's bulb-like head flickered rapidly, calculations racing. "This won't work… If he goes like this, he'll just be throwing his life away. He needs to replenish energy and rest first."
He turned to Atlas. "If I remember correctly, there's an 'Emergency Survival and Food Synthesis Zone' to the east on this level. The backup power and synthesizers there should still be operational. We might be able to produce high-calorie food quickly."
"Then that's our only option," Atlas agreed. "We restore his strength first."
And just like that, the plan changed.
One on each side, the two Vegapunk satellites practically carried Luffy—whose legs were still weak and who kept complaining about hunger—toward the food synthesis area.
Luffy could only half-heartedly go along with it, mumbling under his breath the whole time:
"Meat… I want meat…"
...
Meanwhile, inside a relatively remote alloy-lined corridor on Egghead Island—
Aramaki, who had just barely escaped from Luffy in a miserable state, was gliding across the island clouds atop a massive banana leaf generated by his Devil Fruit ability.
At the same time, he held a Den Den Mushi in his palm—its face currently mimicking that of Saint Jaygarcia Saturn.
His tone was filled with irritation as he vented:
"I'm telling you, Saturn-sama! You never said that brat Straw Hat Luffy is already at a full-fledged Emperor level!"
"He's not some rookie who just got promoted! What the hell is CP0 doing with their intel?!"
"That white form—what the hell kind of ability is that?! His recovery is insane, his attacks are unpredictable, and his Haki is ridiculously powerful!"
"I went all out—almost got myself killed—and I barely managed to hold him off for a while!" His voice carried lingering fear… and unmistakable resentment.
"This is nothing like the 'eliminate unstable elements' mission you described! This is basically asking me to go head-on against a core combatant of a peak Emperor crew all by myself!"
He stopped, leaning against a cold metal wall as he caught his breath. Behind his sunglasses, his eyes flickered with unease.
"So I'm requesting—no, demanding—immediate reinforcements from the God's Knights! Right now!"
"Otherwise, with just me and those CP0 trash, forget completing the mission—we might not even make it out alive!"
"That Straw Hat brat is probably already looking for me, I—"
Mid-rant, his expression suddenly sharpened.
A cold, razor-sharp killing intent spread from the corner of the corridor ahead—without the slightest warning.
"!"
Every hair on Aramaki's body stood on end. Guided purely by instinct and Observation Haki, he halted instantly, his muscles tightening all at once.
"SHING—!!!"
Just as expected—
At the exact moment he stopped, a massive flying slash tore through the air soundlessly, grazing the space just inches in front of his nose.
Where the slash passed, the solid alloy walls on both sides were sliced apart like tofu—clean, smooth cuts that reflected light like mirrors.
The scar of the blade stretched all the way to the end of his vision, leaving behind a straight, abyssal fissure radiating chilling intent.
The violent pressure from the slash whipped Aramaki's dark green curls backward, the wind stinging against his skin.
His pupils shrank.
His heart dropped.
Slowly, he straightened up. The trace of panic on his face was replaced by a deep, oppressive gloom… and mounting irritation.
Then—
He turned his head, gaze locking onto the direction the attack had come from.
From the shadows at the corridor's bend…
"Well, well… didn't expect to run into a former Marine Admiral here."
"What an… unexpected encounter."
Accompanied by a low, hoarse voice, a tall, imposing figure began to materialize out of thin air.
It was Shiryu of the Rain—emerging from invisibility.
A cigar still hung from his lips, as though it would never burn out.
His right hand rested casually on the hilt of his famed blade, Raiu.
Through the curling smoke, his sinister eyes fixed onto Aramaki—half-smiling, yet utterly cold.
"…Shiryu of the Rain." Aramaki's brows furrowed as he recognized the former Chief Warden of Impel Down—now a core member of the Blackbeard Pirates.
The man radiated a pure, unrestrained killing intent—a swordsman's aura honed to its peak.
A top-tier great swordsman.
But…
It seemed he was alone?
Behind his sunglasses, Aramaki's gaze flickered.
..
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