Luffy's crew prepared to face Allen, but he was holding back his laughter because it was absurd that they hadn't recognized him. It was understandable that the talking skeleton named Brook and the reindeer named Chopper didn't recognize him, since they had never seen him in person; however, the cyborg Franky and everyone else had interacted with him before.
"Second Gear...."
Allen silently observed the changes in Luffy's body. 'He's accelerating the flow of his blood to speed up all the biological processes in his body?'
[Does that make sense?]
'No, but this is a very strange world, so let's not nitpick.' Allen smiled with a touch of aggression and amusement. 'Besides, I'm surprised to see him here and at this level already.'
"Alright..." said Luffy as he stood up, then extended one palm toward Allen while pulling his other fist back. "From this moment on, all of my techniques will evolve..."
"I see..." said Allen mockingly.
"Gomu Gomu no Jet Pistol!"
Luffy's fist disappeared for an instant, and something impacted in front of Allen, like an air cannon.
"What?!" Luffy exclaimed when he saw that Allen had raised his arm, blocking his attack with ease.
"Don't stop to think." Allen appeared before Luffy and punched him, sending him flying.
"Luffy!" Zoro exclaimed, already holding two swords in his hands and another between his teeth. Out of nowhere, two more Zoros appeared at his sides, seemingly emerging from both sides of his body.
"Oh, an illusion created by your fighting spirit, or a sign of something more?" Allen smiled.
Zoro gritted his teeth. "Asura... Oni Giri!"
Zoro moved at incredible speed and slashed through Allen, causing Luffy's entire crew to cheer for a moment.
"As expected of Zoro!" Usopp shouted.
"Did he do it?!" Sanji asked.
"No!" Zoro growled as he turned around. "There was no resistance in his body!"
Zoro assumed Allen was a Logia-type Devil Fruit user like Ace or Smoker, but to his surprise, Allen disappeared right before his eyes.
Allen appeared in front of Zoro, but he was moving so fast that Zoro couldn't even perceive him.
Skill: Light Speed
Origin: Light Logia.
"Sorry, you're just too slow..." Allen said before kicking Zoro in the stomach and sending him crashing into Grove 29.
Everyone heard an explosion and turned around in confusion. As for Zoro, he had disappeared, leaving only Allen standing there.
"Bastard!" Sanji shouted before beginning to spin in place, creating friction and setting his leg ablaze. "Diable Jambe!"
"..." Allen remained in place without taking any action.
"Don't underestimate me!"
Sanji jumped and stepped on the air using the Rokushiki Kenpo technique. This not only caught Allen by surprise but the girls as well, since they had understood that these techniques were exclusive to the Marines and World Government.
Once Sanji was high enough, he dropped down with his heel pointed forward.
Allen extended his hand and stopped the attack without flinching. He then froze Sanji's leg and threw him toward Usopp.
"You lack power."
"Ahh!"
"Sanji! How dare you hurt my crewmates?!" Luffy exclaimed, appearing behind Allen with both arms pulled back. "Gomu Gomu no Jet Bazooka!!"
Luffy struck Allen with the force of both hands, creating a shockwave that sent the air rushing outward. However, his determined expression soon filled with disbelief, because what he had hit wasn't Allen but a translucent green wall.
Skill: Wall/Barrier
Origin: Barrier Paramecia.
"What?"
Allen turned around as the wall disappeared and punched Luffy. This time, however, his fist was coated in Haki, successfully breaking Luffy's nose in the process.
"Ahh!"
"Luffy!" Franky attacked, peeling away the skin on his hand and revealing that his fist was made of metal. "Strong Right!"
Allen took the punch directly to the face without defending himself. Franky smiled for a moment, but Allen didn't even move an inch, leaving him stunned.
"Come on, are you really going to tell me that the legendary Tom had a disciple with so little ingenuity?!" Allen placed his hand against Franky's stomach before releasing a shockwave shaped like a bear's paw that passed straight through Franky.
Skill: Pad Ho
Origin: Paw Paramecia.
"I won't let you hurt these good people!" Brook shouted as he drew his sword and pointed it at Allen.
"Oh, swordsmanship?" Allen smiled. "An uncommon swordsman."
"Aubade Coup de Droit!"
Brook became a blur as he launched a direct thrust at incredible speed. However, to his surprise, his attack was stopped by two of Allen's fingers.
"But far too predictable..." Allen struck Brook in the chest, and to everyone's disbelief, Brook's soul left his body, taking the form of a spectral cloud with his face.
Skill: Soul Manipulation.
"That was fun..." Allen said.
"BROOK!" Luffy shouted desperately, his face reflecting fear, disbelief, and helplessness.
'They don't actually think I killed him, do they?' Allen thought uncomfortably. Perhaps he had taken things too far.
[Idiot, if you pull someone's soul out, obviously they would think that.]
"Bastard!" Chopper shouted while crying, then ran toward Allen as he bit down on a pill.
"Stop, Chopper!" Carina shouted.
Chopper began to grow and grow until he transformed into a giant humanoid reindeer monster.
"GRAAAAHHH!"
"Looks like I went too far," Allen said before teleporting onto Chopper's head and placing his hand on his head. "Distorted Future..."
Chopper and Allen were enveloped in white smoke, and when it dissipated, Chopper was lying on the ground asleep.
Carina ran over to him and picked him up, checking to make sure he was alright.
"Bastard, what did you do to him?!" Carina shouted angrily.
"You're very brave." Allen showed a faint smile. "Don't worry, he's just asleep."
"Wait, you're!" Carina's eyes widened in surprise.
"Ah!"
But by that point, Luffy had already reached Allen with his fist ready to strike him, but Allen stopped him with barely any effort.
"Is that all?"
The power gap was too great—so great that it couldn't be bridged by sheer willpower.
....
Carina was about to tell Luffy to stop, but he shouted first.
"Everyone, listen! We can't win!... Right now, we don't have the power to win!... SO RUN! JUST THINK ABOUT GETTING OUT OF HERE!!"
"Luffy..." Zoro said.
"Damn..." Sanji said.
His words devastated everyone, as they made them realize their own weakness, but they knew it was the truth.
Sanji stood up and ran toward Carina and Chopper, intending to grab them and run.
Zoro had also returned and exchanged glances with Franky; without hesitation, Franky grabbed Usopp and Brook to run.
As for Luffy, he seemed willing to risk his life to buy them time to escape.
"..." Allen remained silent.
Those words were something he had never imagined coming from Luffy. One look was enough to understand the kind of person he was.
He was someone willing to die for his dream and his crewmates. Someone with immense willpower, a stubborn personality, a clear goal, and the qualities of a king who would never show fear before his enemies—or at least, that's what Allen had believed.
And now that man had put all of that aside to protect his crewmates.
"I see... I really did underestimate you a little, Pirate King." Allen chuckled, a hint of admiration in his voice as his hair returned to its natural color.
Luffy's eyes nearly popped out of their sockets when he realized who he was.
"You!!" Luffy's shout brought everyone to a halt.
"It's been a while, Pirate King," Allen said mockingly.
Luffy felt offended and pressed his lips together in frustration, but he knew he couldn't argue because he was infinitely weaker than Allen.
"Hey, bastard! What did you do to Kaya?! I'm going to rescue her from your clutches!" Usopp shouted, although he did so from behind Zoro.
"You..." Zoro sighed.
"What did I do to her?" Allen blinked. "I healed her and took her on an adventure through the Grand Line. I'm also supporting her while she becomes a top-level doctor."
"Huh?" Usopp said in confusion. "You didn't kidnap her?"
"Huh? Who told you that?" Allen laughed, though he anticipated that it must have been Merry. With the constant rumors that he was a degenerate, perverted, and evil man, it was natural for Usopp to think that.
"See? I told you." Luffy smiled. "This guy is annoying, but he's not a bad person!"
"..."
"Does that mean he won't kill us?" Brook asked.
"Nonsense." Allen smiled mockingly as he looked at Zoro and Sanji. "How could I kill someone before they pay me, and my brother-in-law?"
Zoro looked as if he had swallowed a bug, while Sanji became furious.
"Bastard! I won't let you get near my sister!! Besides, didn't you say you were scared of her and didn't want her?!"
Allen shrugged. "That was in the past. I was just the most handsome boy in the world, and your sister was a superwoman with poison powers. I simply expected to die a miserable death, but things have changed. I can handle her now."
"I'll kill you!" Sanji shouted, engulfed in flames, but then he suddenly froze as his eyes filled with astonishment, as if he were looking at angels on Earth.
Four beautiful girls, Nami, Robin, Doll, and Camie, approached. Sanji stood up, straightened his suit, and put on his best expression. He pulled out a flower and knelt before them.
"Excuse me, miss. Would you mind telling me your name?"
The four girls looked at Sanji before ignoring him and walking over to Allen.
Sanji froze as his heart was consumed by despair, because Allen—that unfaithful bastard—was more popular with the beautiful women, while he, a true gentleman, was treated as if he were invisible.
"Are you done playing?" Nami sighed before placing her finger against Allen's chest.
"Sorry." Allen laughed.
"I felt sorry for them in the end," Robin said before approaching and brushing a speck of dust off Allen's shoulder.
"So you're friends?" Camie asked curiously as she looked at the group.
"Friends? They don't have what it takes for that. They're more like my subordinates," Allen said.
"That's a lie! We're rivals!" Luffy shouted.
Allen raised an eyebrow. "You'd need to be two hundred times stronger to be my rival!"
"Then I'll do it!" Luffy shouted.
Allen looked at Luffy's determination and couldn't help but be surprised. Those weren't empty words, and perhaps Luffy would reach his current level someday, which was incredible.
Nami turned toward Carina and began arguing with her, while Camie approached Chopper curiously.
Brook approached Doll to ask if she could show him her panties, which nearly cost him his life.
"Hey, aren't you interested in becoming my subordinate?" Allen asked.
Luffy was about to get angry and object, but he saw the serious look in Allen's eyes. He stopped and looked at him with similar seriousness.
"My goal is to become the freest person in the world. I'll never become anyone's subordinate."
"I know, but I also believe that eventually, my enemy and yours will be the same, so having your help wouldn't hurt," Allen said.
The girls and Luffy's crew were surprised. This arrogant and egotistical guy had asked someone for help?!
What kind of joke was this?!
"What enemy?"
"I don't know." Allen narrowed his eyes as he looked slightly downward. "But I'm starting to believe that the Empty Throne isn't empty..."
Many of them didn't understand, but Nami and Robin, who had heard about the Empty Throne, did. Their eyes widened in disbelief at what they were hearing.
"The Empty Throne?" Luffy said in confusion.
Allen raised his head and shook it. "Hey, Luffy, we're both kings or will be someday, but we're seeking different goals. You want absolute freedom, and I want to rule this world the right way. So how about this? Would you like to be my brother?"
Luffy's eyes widened before he exclaimed in disbelief.
"EHHHHHH?!"
"You want to be my brother?!" Luffy shouted.
"Idiot." Allen smacked him on the head. "I don't mean a real brother. I mean a brotherhood between our crews. Unlike the classic fleet formed by a main crew, like the Yonko and their subordinate captains, or an alliance that's simply an agreement based on mutual benefit, a brotherhood is based on a shared pirate code, a set of rules that both crews will respect."
Luffy's eyes filled with stars.
"That sounds fun! Let's do it!"
"Wait, Luffy!" Zoro interrupted.
"Who are you to interrupt a conversation between captains?" Robin smiled.
Zoro lost his momentum because he knew she was right. If both captains were speaking, they couldn't casually intervene out of respect.
"Don't worry, Robin." Allen smiled and looked at Zoro. "Go ahead, greatest swordsman."
"It's not that I'm opposed to it. If you wanted to kill us, you could do it at any time. But a brotherhood is a bond more important than a simple alliance. Why us? Compared to you, we're not strong enough."
Zoro's words left everyone silent; even Luffy couldn't say anything.
Allen remained silent for a moment before speaking. "Because of your potential. I'm indeed strong, but the stronger I become, the stronger a strange feeling grows inside me, as if even with my strength, there are things I won't be able to accomplish alone..."
"Perhaps it's because of fate," Allen said, feeling annoyed. "Something in this world wasn't made for me, and I have a feeling that if I want the world, I'll need the help of at least one 'D.' In other words, you, Monkey D. Luffy. What do you say?"
Luffy didn't immediately accept. Instead, to everyone's surprise, he thought about it. He really put effort into thinking, because he had just realized that this wasn't a decision he could take lightly.
"I..." Luffy shook his head and put on a determined expression. "I accept. Let's establish a Pirate Brotherhood, World King! Kishishishi!"
Allen shook Luffy's hand. "Then we have a brotherhood, Pirate King. You free the world, and I'll rule it afterward, heh."
In the year 1522 of the Circular Calendar, the brotherhood between the Straw Hat Pirates and the White-Haired Demon Pirates was established, and on that very same day, it faced its first crisis.
....
In Mariejois, Sengoku paced back and forth. At the worst possible moment, the Five Elders had disappeared, and he needed their help immediately.
The Celestial Dragons were selfish and did whatever they wanted. To them, even Sengoku only deserved the minimum amount of respect necessary. Beyond that, they didn't care about his opinion.
At this moment, the Rosward Family was in Sabaody for an illegal auction. It wouldn't have mattered at any other time, but right now, it was extremely dangerous.
Allen's disguise was very good and had managed to fool most people, but not everyone was stupid. There was only one handsome man with a crew full of beautiful women on the Grand Line.
Allen Walker had arrived at Sabaody!
The moment Sengoku learned this, he decided to ask the Rosward Family to return to the Holy Land, but they ignored him.
They believed that no matter who it was, no one would dare lay a finger on a Celestial Dragon, and normally, that was true. Even pirates with bounties worth hundreds of millions, or the crews of the Yonko, dared not touch the Celestial Dragons.
But Allen wasn't a pirate like the others. He was someone who had demonstrated time and time again that he desired to take the world for himself. Someone like that wouldn't show mercy to the Celestial Dragons.
"If only the Five Elders would order them!" Sengoku cursed.
Even the Celestial Dragons had a hierarchy. Some families were more important than others, and at the top of them all were the Five Elders. They had the authority to command and even judge other Celestial Dragons.
"What is that commotion about, Sengoku?" a deep voice growled.
Sengoku turned and looked at the man entering the room. He was tall and had white hair, a sign of his age. His hair and beard were styled in a way that formed a crescent moon, and he wore a black coat over a red shirt with a large collar, along with dark glasses.
The man was accompanied by a girl also dressed in black, with blue hair and heterochromia. She wore a beret, and her mouth was covered with bandages.
A red-haired man dressed as a knight also accompanied them. He had a face identical to that of the Yonko Shanks.
"Garling, this is bad. The Rosward Family is in Sabaody just as Allen Walker has arrived!" Sengoku said.
Garling frowned. "Allen Walker? You mean that brat that neither you nor Garp could stop?"
"Garling... this isn't the time for that," Sengoku said, enduring the humiliation. "You know very well that Allen Walker has become a monster."
"A monster?" the red-haired man said. "Isn't it simply that you're too weak to deal with him?"
"Stop, Shamrock." Garling raised his hand. "Forgive him, Sengoku, but he has a point. You should have used enough power to crush him, and now he's become a problem. But you can deal with him."
"That young man already has the strength to fight an Admiral, not to mention that if an Admiral and Allen Walker were to fight in Sabaody, the entire place..." Sengoku stopped himself before finishing. He knew that Garling—or rather, all the Celestial Dragons—didn't care about the people on the island, even if all of them were wiped out.
"If you're finished, then deal with it yourself," Garling said before turning around. "And Sengoku, remember to bring the Roswards back. Even if you have to sacrifice Sabaody, we'll simply bring more people from elsewhere to rebuild it."
Sengoku remained in the same place, feeling like a clown. As if that weren't enough, he remembered the words Allen had said to him.
'Damn it!'
Sengoku knew it. He was cornered. In the current world, the lives of three Celestial Dragons were worth more than everyone in Sabaody. He had no choice but to obey. That was all he was—a slave to the World Government wearing a nice uniform.
This day, Sabaody would cease to exist...
====
A/N: Well, things are getting intense as we approach the end of the arc.
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