Hearing Luffy's shout,
Lucci finally came back to his senses and realized that his reaction had been somewhat excessive. After all, having someone suddenly appear behind him would naturally trigger a reflexive response—especially for a former CP9 agent.
Just as Lucci was about to stop retreating—
Bang!
Suddenly, a mass of colorful, spring-like ink surged up around him from all directions.
In an instant,
the ink completely wrapped around Lucci, leaving only his head exposed.
At the same time, under the influence of that ink, Lucci was forcibly pushed out of his hybrid form and reverted to his human appearance.
A powerful sense of restraint bound his entire body, making it impossible for him to exert any strength at all.
"Painting Magic: Binding Spring!"
A cool, slightly youthful voice sounded from above.
Marianne slowly descended from the sky.
"What is the meaning of this?"
Lucci's expression darkened as he struggled, only to find that he could not break free from the colored ink. Even his Devil Fruit ability seemed to be suppressed, unable to activate.
Seeing this, Luffy immediately looked up at Marianne in dissatisfaction.
"Hurry up and let Lucci go! Our fight isn't over yet!"
"You guys from the Magic Eye Pirates—are you going back on your word about the tournament?"
Luffy had not forgotten that it was this girl—who looked barely older than a child—who had taken Usopp away.
Step.
Marianne landed lightly on the ground and glanced at Luffy expressionlessly.
"The fact that she knows you… is rather surprising."
She?
Luffy blinked in confusion. Just as he was about to ask more—
"This match has already ended."
A silver spatial passage appeared, and Robin's calm voice came from within.
Immediately afterward,
Robin and Buggy stepped out of the portal.
"Kid, you're pretty lucky."
Buggy lifted his chin, his lipstick-smeared grin wide as he sized Luffy up.
"Join our Magic Eye Pirates. I quite like the look of you."
"Stick with me, and you'll have all the money you could ever want. Hahaha!"
Faced with Buggy's self-satisfied laughter—
"No!"
Luffy rejected him without hesitation.
His gaze swept across the Magic Eye Pirates present, pausing briefly on Robin before moving away.
"I don't really get what's going on, but I won, right?"
"That's correct," Robin replied softly.
"Damn brat!"
Buggy's expression stiffened slightly at the blunt refusal.
"I'm going to become the Pirate King!"
"There's no way I'd join someone else's crew!"
Luffy glared at Buggy and shouted.
"That's hilarious. You?" Buggy scoffed.
At this moment,
as Marianne and the others appeared one after another,
the attention of the entire audience shifted back to the center of the arena.
"That's…!"
"The Magic Eye Pirates!"
"'Clown' Buggy! 'Beast Tamer' Mohji! 'Acrobat' Cabaji! 'Painter' Marianne! 'Devil Child' Robin!"
"They're all pirates with bounties over 100 million!"
"…!"
A mixture of fear and excitement spread through the stands.
Area 67.
Inside the Marine base at Sabaody Archipelago.
Seeing the sudden appearance of the Magic Eye Pirates members on the Den Den Mushi broadcast, Smoker couldn't help but straighten his posture.
"So, they've all come, just as expected."
"The captain Yuuki and vice-captain Conrad… haven't appeared?"
Smoker's expression was serious as he glanced at the newspaper on his desk.
The announcement of Ace's public execution—even for someone like Smoker—had been shocking upon first reading it.
This was an event capable of affecting the entire world balance.
No wonder, after transferring him to Sabaody, Headquarters had only ordered him to maintain stability here instead of actively hunting pirates.
"They picked a good timing…"
Smoker looked at the live broadcast of Area 44, a faint smile appearing on his unshaven face.
In previous years, there would typically be only one pirate worthy of being called a "Supernova." Five years ago, it was "Fire Fist" Ace. Three years ago, "Cavendish the White Horse."
But this year—
the number of "Supernovas" had surged to eleven.
And beyond that, there was the Magic Eye Pirates, a crew that had already surpassed the level of mere "rookies."
Not to mention their rapid entry into the New World—
just the incident at Sabaody and their escape from three Admirals alone was enough to make anyone wary.
This series of events had pushed pirate momentum to an almost reckless peak.
And now, openly recruiting crew members at Sabaody—
this was nothing less than a blatant disregard for the Marines.
Smoker knew very well that if the Marines did nothing in response, their reputation would take a heavy blow.
That was why, some time ago,
he had repeatedly contacted Headquarters requesting reinforcements—even to the point of nearly quitting and returning to East Blue.
And now—
at this exact moment,
the announcement of Ace's execution had been released.
Not only did it suppress the momentum the Magic Eye Pirates had built—
it also dealt a blow to all pirates across the seas.
Smoker leaned back in his chair, legs propped on the desk, thinking silently—
then suddenly froze.
"Men!"
He shouted toward the door.
Click!
The door opened immediately, and a Marine soldier stepped in.
"Sir!"
"Go confirm with the surveillance team in Area 44—have the captain and vice-captain of the Magic Eye Pirates left the arena?"
Smoker's expression was extremely serious.
He suspected that Yuuki might have already left and returned to the New World.
If Whitebeard clashed with the Marines because of Ace—
and the Magic Eye Pirates joined in…
Whitebeard had invited Yuuki not long ago. That wasn't exactly a secret.
"Yes, sir!"
The soldier responded quickly and turned to leave—
Buru buru—
The Den Den Mushi rang.
Smoker frowned, picked it up, and as he listened, his impatience disappeared.
"Keep an eye on the Magic Eye Pirates? Understood."
"I see."
"Alright."
He hung up.
"Figures… something like this isn't for me to worry about."
"For something this big, there's been no visible movement—and the Magic Eye Pirates haven't suffered any losses either."
Smoker muttered, then waved to the soldier.
"Never mind."
Though confused, the soldier nodded and withdrew.
Smoker scratched his silver hair and sat back down.
The Magic Eye Pirates had captured two Sweet Commanders of the Big Mom Pirates. A war between them was inevitable.
Under those circumstances, they simply couldn't spare the strength to support Whitebeard.
If Headquarters had already calculated this—
then the other two Yonko must have made preparations as well.
Smoker looked back at the broadcast—
and suddenly froze.
Yuuki and vice-captain Conrad, who had not appeared before—
were now standing above the arena.
Area 44.
Arena stage.
With the appearance of the Magic Eye Pirates,
the venue had fallen completely silent, all eyes fixed on the center.
"I came here to compete. Why am I being restrained?"
Lucci remained calm as he spoke, continuing to struggle against the painting magic.
But with even his Devil Fruit suppressed, brute strength alone was useless.
"Is that so?"
"I don't believe a former CP9 agent came just to compete for a title."
Robin turned toward Lucci and spoke evenly.
Back at Water 7, she had been a prisoner with no control over her fate.
Now, the situation had reversed.
Lucci was the one in chains.
But back then, Luffy and the others had come to save her.
Now—
who would save Lucci?
Facing Robin's words,
Lucci showed no panic.
Since Robin had joined the Magic Eye Pirates, it was only natural that they would uncover his CP9 identity.
"I was expelled after failing to capture you at Water 7. I'm currently wanted by the World Government—just like you."
Lucci spoke expressionlessly.
"Heh."
Robin suddenly let out a soft laugh.
Lucci's brow twitched. A bad feeling rose in his chest.
"You still don't understand something, Mr. Lucci."
Robin smiled faintly and shook her head.
"For us, we don't need proof. Suspicion alone is enough."
Lucci's pupils shrank.
Buzz—
The air trembled slightly as ripples spread across the sky.
Yuuki and Conrad appeared above them.
Behind Conrad, several unconscious figures floated.
Lucci's face changed completely upon seeing them.
"Captain!"
"Vice-Captain!"
Marianne and the others immediately called out respectfully.
"An intelligence organization, huh? Quite cautious—scattered all across Sabaody. Took some time to track them down."
Yuuki shrugged and smiled.
Bang! Bang! Bang!
Jabra, Kalifa, Kumadori, and the other CP9 members were thrown down by Conrad, hitting the ground heavily.
Only then did Yuuki and Conrad descend.
Seeing all this unfold, the audience was completely confused, whispers spreading throughout the stands.
First, the Navy announced Ace's execution.
Then, the Magic Eye Pirates appeared in full force.
One event after another made it clear—
a storm was brewing.
"Conrad."
Yuuki turned his head slightly.
Conrad nodded and took out a Projection Den Den Mushi.
"Communication Magic."
Yuuki tapped it lightly.
In an instant—
a signal, undetectable to ordinary people, spread rapidly under the amplification of communication magic.
Every Den Den Mushi capable of visual transmission—
was forcibly switched to the arena.
The entire world erupted once more.
Voices of shock, panic, and confusion echoed across seas and nations.
Especially when people recognized the figures on screen—
many were visibly shaken.
After all—
this had happened once before.
Marine Headquarters.
Inside a massive conference room,
Vice Admirals and the three Admirals were gathered, discussing the upcoming war against Whitebeard.
"Damn it!"
"These pirates have gotten way too bold—they dare pull something like this again!"
A Vice Admiral slammed the table in anger at the broadcast.
The already tense atmosphere grew even more agitated.
The previous Sabaody incident had taken great effort to suppress.
If the Magic Eye Pirates stirred trouble again now—
it would be a serious problem.
"Calm down, Vice Admiral Momonga."
"No matter what they intend, the Magic Eye Pirates don't have the capacity to interfere in the upcoming war."
Sengoku tapped the table lightly, speaking calmly.
The tension in the room gradually eased.
Even the Vice Admirals felt pressure facing the "Strongest Man in the World."
"What about the signal-blocking devices from the research division? Can't they stop this broadcast?"
Vice Admiral Tsuru leaned back calmly, hands resting on her knees, watching the screen.
Sengoku's glasses reflected light, obscuring his eyes.
"We can discuss deployment later."
"Let's first see what the Magic Eye Pirates are planning."
He stopped the discussion.
Even with all preparations, facing Whitebeard required utmost caution.
And at this moment—
this interruption served to steady everyone's nerves.
Nearby—
Akainu, Kizaru, and Aokiji all watched the screen, their expressions different.
Kizaru frowned, looking displeased.
Aokiji, though still calm, was no longer relaxed as before.
And Akainu—
the heat radiating from him made it clear how intense his emotions were.
If not for more pressing matters,
he would have already set out for Sabaody.
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