The smoke over the plaza had not cleared.
Under the blazing sun, it only grew thicker, heavier.
Vivi knelt beside the pool of blood.
The moment she lifted her head—
The sorrow in her once-gentle eyes froze into something sharp as ice.
She stared straight at Koza.
The boy who once played with her in the oasis.
The one who swore to protect their kingdom.
Now—
He sat atop a warhorse drenched in blood.
His sword hung loosely at his side, its tip dripping with the blood of royal guards.
"Koza…"
Vivi's voice was hoarse.
"Is this your choice?"
"Watching my father die in front of you… watching Alubarna drown in corpses…"
"Is this your 'justice'?!"
Koza's body trembled violently.
Pain and hesitation surged across his scarred face.
But only for a moment.
That flicker was swallowed by a madness bordering on obsession.
"Vivi… there's no going back."
He tightened his grip on the reins until his knuckles turned white.
"This isn't a choice—it's survival."
"If this kingdom can't give the people water or food…"
"Then let it burn."
"Koza! Stop wasting time talking to them!"
Several rebel leaders beside him—agents planted by Crocodile—snarled viciously.
They knew—
If they stopped now, the crime of regicide would damn them forever.
"If we want to destroy the old order, not a single royal can live!"
"Otherwise, it'll be our two million brothers who die!"
One commander raised his bloodstained spear and roared:
"Brothers! Today we take everything! Kill the royals—and these pirate dogs—KILL THEM ALL!!!"
RUMBLE—!!!
The charge of two million men shook the earth.
A tide of sand and bodies surged forward like a swarm of locusts.
Their twisted faces gleamed under the sun.
Spears and blades flashed with killing intent.
"Hey… this isn't a joke anymore…"
Zoro slowly pulled down his green bandana and tied it tight.
His three swords hummed faintly.
Facing the overwhelming killing intent—
A grin crept onto his face.
"Killing them all… doesn't sound very practical, huh?"
"This is war."
Sanji exhaled his last breath of smoke.
His tie whipped violently in the wind.
"These guys have completely lost it."
"Luffy… we should run!"
Usopp's legs trembled so hard they nearly cracked the stone beneath him.
Yet under his hardened body—
He stood firm.
Still, his voice shook.
Ronan tightened his grip on the ebony staff.
His eyes shifted to Luffy—
Who stood silent, like a volcano on the verge of eruption.
"Luffy. Decide."
Ronan's voice cut cleanly through the chaos.
"If we don't kill enough to break their will, they won't stop."
"Mercy right now is suicide."
Luffy slowly raised his head.
From beneath the shadow of his hat—
His eyes blazed.
"Ronan. Zoro. Sanji."
His voice was low.
Like thunder before the storm.
"Do what you need to do."
"End this war with the least cost possible."
"And I'll handle the rest."
In the next instant—
Luffy shot upward.
A red blur tearing through the sky—
Landing atop the palace spire.
Looking down at the blood-soaked city—
He roared:
"CROCODILE—!!! GET OUT HERE!!!"
"I'M GOING TO KILL YOU!!!"
His voice crushed even the roar of two million soldiers.
Ronan moved.
One step forward—
His staff transformed from a blunt weapon into the spine of a spear.
He thrust forward.
At the tip—
His full strength and internal force exploded outward.
BOOM—!!
The front ranks of rebels—
Dozens of them—
Were crushed instantly without even touching the staff.
Their organs shattered from the shockwave alone.
A transparent force tore through the army—
Carving a hundred-meter-long path of death.
Limbs flew.
Blood mist lingered in the air.
Zoro plunged into the battlefield—
And became a storm of death.
"Three-Sword Style—108 Pound Phoenix!"
This wasn't just a slash—
It was a storm infused with raw force.
The arcs of his blades lifted hundreds of soldiers into the air.
Armor shattered.
Weapons broke like paper.
Within a hundred meters—
Nothing living remained.
Only fragments of weapons rained down.
Sanji landed among the rebels.
Each step—
Cracked the earth.
"Diable Jambe—Flambage Shot!"
His leg burned red-hot.
Every kick detonated with explosive force.
Those struck—
Were incinerated and blasted apart.
He moved like a walking inferno—
Leaving only fire and charred remains behind.
Ronan advanced steadily through the chaos.
His eyes locked onto Koza—
The core of the rebellion.
He understood—
These soldiers were just pawns.
Kill the "soul," and the army would collapse.
He pushed forward like a spear through flesh.
Then—
He descended.
Like a meteor.
Landing directly at the rebel command center.
"Protect Koza!!"
Dozens of elite fighters rushed forward.
Ronan snorted coldly.
His staff traced a simple arc.
The moment it met their weapons—
A violent force rebounded outward.
Their hands shattered instantly.
Koza's pupils shrank.
He raised his sword desperately.
Trying to block—
But before Ronan—
Human resistance was laughable.
CRACK—!!
The staff smashed into Koza's head.
There was no struggle.
No suspense.
Under overwhelming force—
His skull exploded instantly.
Ronan didn't stop.
He moved like lightning—
Killing the remaining rebel leaders as they tried to flee.
Before they could even scream—
They fell.
Cold corpses on the ground.
Then—
Ronan stepped forward.
Placing his foot beside Koza's headless body.
With a flick of his staff—
He lifted the corpse.
Holding it high.
His voice—
Empowered by internal force—
Thundered across the battlefield like divine judgment:
"THE REBEL LEADER KOZA IS DEAD!!"
"SURRENDER—AND YOU LIVE!!!"
In that instant—
The battlefield froze.
The wind still blew.
The sand still moved.
But before that headless corpse—
Before Ronan's overwhelming presence—
The will of two million men—
Collapsed.
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