Marco had just arrived when he noticed Luffy slowly opening his eyes.
The blue flames around his wings gradually dimmed as he landed nearby.
"Oi, you alright?"
As the doctor of the Whitebeard Pirates, Marco had rushed over immediately after seeing Luffy get injured.
Now that Luffy seemed completely fine, the tension in his chest finally eased.
Luffy turned his head toward him.
"Oh, it's Pineapple Head."
Marco's face twitched slightly.
Honestly, only Luffy would casually call him that in front of everyone.
Up on the execution platform, Sabo finally relaxed after seeing Luffy wake up safely.
"Luffy... thank god..."
If something had truly happened to Luffy in Crusimia, the guilt would've followed him for the rest of his life.
Kuzan also quietly let out a breath.
He understood how important Luffy was to Rolan's plans.
If Luffy died here, everything would collapse.
...
At the same time, the scene of Luffy waking up was being broadcast live across the entire world.
East Blue, Windmill Village.
"He's awake!"
"Luffy's alright!"
"Hahaha! That idiot scared us half to death!"
"As expected of someone with Conqueror's Haki, Luffy always survives somehow."
Inside the mountain bandits' hideout, everyone erupted into relieved cheers.
Then a groggy voice suddenly sounded from the corner.
"Huh...? What happened to Luffy?"
Everyone turned around.
Dadan had finally regained consciousness.
While half-awake, she had heard everyone talking about Luffy waking up and being safe.
The panic in their voices made her realize something terrible must have happened on the battlefield.
But after looking toward the screen and seeing Luffy standing there alive and yelling as usual, her body relaxed slightly.
Nobody answered her.
At the same time, nobody tried knocking her unconscious again either.
Of course, they still didn't untie the ropes binding her.
Dadan stared at the screen without blinking.
Her clenched fists trembled slightly.
"Luffy... Ace... Sabo... you three idiots better come back alive."
...
"Luffy, did you see who attacked you?" Ace asked coldly.
Luffy slapped his forehead immediately.
"Oh right! I forgot about that!"
Then he turned toward the crowd angrily.
"Hey! Why'd you suddenly attack me?! You almost scared me to death!"
A man wearing a black suit slowly walked out from the crowd.
He had leopard-like eyes, a wide mouth, and a face covered in bumps.
The corners of his mouth stretched upward strangely.
"Croak~ I originally thought you'd die quietly. Didn't expect your life force to be this annoying."
The moment Ace saw him, his expression darkened instantly.
Boom!
Crimson-black lightning exploded outward from Ace's body.
A terrifying wave of Conqueror's Haki swept across the battlefield.
Several Marines and Special Agents nearby foamed at the mouth and collapsed instantly.
"Conqueror's Haki!"
"Of course he has it! He's one of the Yonko!"
The violent Haki crashed toward the black-clothed agent like a tidal wave.
His clothes fluttered wildly under the pressure.
Yet the man remained standing completely still.
He smirked arrogantly.
"So this is the son of Gol D. Roger? Doesn't look impressive."
Ace's gaze turned murderous.
"You attacked my brother."
"You prepared to die for that?"
Another burst of crimson lightning exploded around him.
The pressure became even heavier.
Ace stepped forward slowly.
Just as he was about to attack, a hand suddenly blocked him.
Luffy stood in front of Ace while cracking his knuckles.
"Oi, Ace. This guy's mine."
"He sneak attacked me."
Ace glanced at Luffy for a moment before nodding.
"Fine. But don't screw around."
The pressure from his Conqueror's Haki slowly faded afterward.
Then another voice suddenly echoed nearby.
"Portgas D. Ace, one of the targets personally marked for elimination by the Master."
"Allow me to fight you."
Ace turned toward the source of the voice.
A tall and skinny man over seven meters tall slowly approached.
He wore green clothing, and two bamboo leaves decorated his hair.
Ace narrowed his eyes slightly.
The pressure coming from this guy wasn't ordinary.
At minimum, Admiral-level.
Ace muttered quietly, "Since when did the World Government start mass-producing monsters?"
The skinny man adjusted the bamboo leaves in his hair dramatically before cupping his hands politely.
"Since my opponent is a Yonko, I should introduce myself properly."
"I am Bartolomeo."
"A Logia Bamboo-Bamboo Fruit user."
As he spoke, his right arm transformed into thick green bamboo wrapped in Armament Haki.
"Please advise me."
The instant his words fell, his figure vanished.
In the next second, he appeared directly in front of Ace.
His bamboo arm shot forward violently like a spear.
Pfft!
The sharpened bamboo pierced directly through Ace's forehead.
Bartolomeo froze briefly.
Then he realized the pierced area had already transformed into flames.
Before he could react, Ace's Haki-coated fist smashed into his face.
Bang!
Bartolomeo's head exploded apart into shattered bamboo fragments.
Meanwhile, Luffy stared blankly at his own fist.
It had turned dark black with Armament Haki.
At the same time, waves of dizziness assaulted his brain.
His body swayed unsteadily.
He nearly collapsed before forcing himself upright.
Luffy scratched his head in confusion.
"Huh...? Why'm I suddenly dizzy?"
"Didn't eat enough?"
"I swear I ate two giant sea sharks this morning."
Suddenly, realization hit him.
He slammed his fist into his palm.
"Oh right, I skipped lunch!"
At that moment, the black-suited agent that Luffy punched earlier slowly stood back up.
He walked forward until he stopped roughly ten meters away.
Seeing Luffy staggering slightly, a smug grin spread across his face.
"You've already been poisoned."
"Remember my name."
"I am Datte Fog."
"Zoan-type Frog-Frog Fruit, Model: Poison Frog."
Luffy blinked before nodding in realization.
"I knew it. Even without lunch, I shouldn't be this dizzy."
"So it was poison."
Datte Fog's cheeks suddenly expanded.
The next second, a stream of pitch-black venom shot toward Luffy like a cannon blast.
Luffy vanished instantly using Soru.
Boom!
He appeared directly before Datte Fog and swung a fist coated in Conqueror's Haki.
However, Datte Fog's legs transformed into massive red-black frog legs.
With a powerful leap, he launched himself high into the sky.
Luffy's punch missed completely.
Luffy looked upward angrily.
Datte Fog floated overhead with his swollen stomach hanging downward, clearly having no intention of fighting head-on.
Luffy clenched his fists tightly.
"Get down here and fight properly, you bastard!"
Datte Fog looked down at him mockingly.
"This is war, idiot."
"Only victory matters."
"And my poison is a thousand times stronger than Magellan's."
"Just wait quietly until your body melts into pus."
"Hahaha!"
Luffy glared upward furiously while waving his fists.
"You coward! That's not even a proper fight!"
Datte Fog laughed even harder after seeing Luffy getting angry.
"Move around more."
"The faster your blood circulates, the faster the poison spreads."
"You're already dead."
However, Luffy's hearing was beginning to fade.
His vision gradually darkened as well.
His body swayed violently.
Then finally, he started falling backward.
At that exact moment, a fragrant breeze drifted past him.
A soft body caught him before he hit the ground.
===
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