Chapter 284: NEO Marines!Aboard the warship,White smoke continuously billowed from Smoker's mouth, but his gaze was fixed intently on the newspaper in his hand."Straw... Hat... Luffy!!"His thoughts uncontrollably drifted back to that purgatory-like battlefield.The shattered ice fields, the collapsed execution platform, the roaring heroes, and the fallen legends... He didn't just possess unparalleled power, but also a... terrifying charisma that turned enemies into allies.In the hell of "Absolute Justice" constructed by the Fleet Admiral, the Hero, the Admirals, and even the Gorosei at the pinnacle of world power, he had miraculously survived and rescued his brother.What an absurd, yet real legend!Smoker's fist tightened, the edges of the newspaper groaning under the strain."I will never allow..."He muttered in a low voice, his words mixing with the roar of the engines,"This world must never give birth to a second 'Pirate King'!!""Arara... Smoker, the way you're talking to yourself makes you look like a gambler who can't afford to lose."Not far away, a lazy yet highly commanding voice came from a deck chair.A tall figure was almost sunken into the chair, sleep mask pushed up to his forehead, revealing a pair of weary eyes that seemed to see through the world."Kuzan!"Smoker turned his head abruptly, his silver hair almost standing on end with anger,"Stop with the sarcastic remarks!! It's not your place to judge!""Judge? No, I'm just stating facts."Kuzan shifted into a more comfortable position, looking at the drifting clouds in the sky,"That kid and the vortex around him... they can't be caught with just brute force and determination.""What exactly are you trying to do?!"Smoker was practically growling, feeling incredibly frustrated by this former colleague and now-ambiguous powerhouse,"Leaving the Marines, wandering around, and now appearing on my... no, on this ship!"Kuzan slowly raised a finger,"This isn't your warship. As for me, I'm just an idle person hitching a ride.""The sea is so vast, why be so tense about sharing the same path for a while?""An idle person?"Smoker stepped closer, his eyes sharp as knives through the swirling smoke,"You've abandoned the name 'Aokiji' and the justice you carried. What exactly is your identity now?!"Kuzan fell silent for a moment, the sea breeze ruffling his slightly curly black hair.When he spoke again, a hint of ineffable depth lay beneath his usual laziness:"I am who I am, Smoker!! Nothing more.""Some scenery can only be truly seen clearly after leaving the set path and standing on the edge... or even outside."Their gazes clashed in the air—one an unextinguished, scorching white flame, the other seemingly cooled ice with unknown undercurrents surging within."...Fine then."Smoker finally gave a heavy snort and turned away,"Remember what you said."Meanwhile, at the bow.A figure as massive as a mountain stood there, letting the violent sea breeze pull his cloak taut, snapping loudly in the wind!On that broad white cloak, the word "Justice" written in bold ink rolled violently in the wind pressure, like two pitch-black dragons fighting the sea!His short purple hair danced wildly like flames, and his mechanical arm, "Crusher," hung low at his side, glinting with a cold, hard luster in the sunlight."Teacher Zephyr,"Adjutant Ain stepped forward quickly and gave a respectful salute, her blue hair fluttering in the wind,"Punk Hazard is within visual range. Estimated arrival in half an hour.""Tch..."Zephyr snorted, but his face held a slightly complex expression, almost like a playful scolding,"That old bastard Sengoku... he won't let me have any peace even in retirement! He's always finding trouble for me!"The "NEO Marines" he led had almost completely severed ties with the Marineford headquarters and the World Government.Fleet Admiral Sakazuki's orders? The World Government's deployments? To them, these were like wind passing by their ears.This was a fleet sailing alone in the New World, existing only to carry out their own "Burning Justice."However, the former Fleet Admiral and current strategist behind the scenes, Sengoku, had summoned him to these waters with just a single private letter.There was only one reason:Rumors had quietly leaked about the "Artificial Devil Fruit" experiments that might be taking place deep within that bizarre island, "Punk Hazard"... Punk Hazard, once a green island of life, had now been reduced to a purgatory of intertwined ice and fire.And the place Luffy's group had stepped onto was precisely the "Burning Lands" ruled by eternal flames.The air distorted under the high temperature, and as far as the eye could see, there was only cracked scorched earth and never-extinguishing orange-red flames.The heat waves pressed in like solid walls, burning the throat with every breath."Hot... It's really so hot..."Uta felt like she was about to melt in the high temperature, her red-and-white long hair damply clinging to her flushed neck and cheeks.Beads of sweat rolled down her delicate jawline, evaporating into white steam before they could even drop."It's this hot and you still won't let go?"Luffy turned his head, his eyes reflecting the dancing flames, with a hint of playful teasing in his smile."Ab-so-lute-ly not!"Uta lifted her sweat-drenched face, her beautiful purple eyes glaring at him fiercely, but her arms held on even tighter, her whole body practically hanging off his arm."Sigh..."Luffy sighed softly.The startling elasticity and softness transmitted through the thin fabric, along with the girl's body temperature slightly heating up due to the heat... made him scratch his face uncomfortably.This childhood friend of his was really... so cute it was hard to handle at times.With a thought, an invisible force quietly emanated from within him.It was like an invisible transparent film, rapidly expanding and extending, precisely enveloping all his companions."Alright,"Luffy turned his head, glancing at his companions beside him, and grinned with his signature bright smile,"It's not hot anymore, right?"Almost the instant the coolness descended—"Luffy, you're so reliable!" Robin's elegant voice rang out beside him, carrying a hint of lazy laughter.She naturally drew closer, her entire body gently leaning against his side.Her snow-white slender arm slid around his waist, holding him gently yet firmly in a posture that was both intimate and appropriate.Her body temperature came through the thin clothing—slightly cool, yet carrying a certain calm warmth.Luffy blinked, looking at Uta on his left who was clutching his arm with a "saved" expression, and then feeling Robin's steady embrace around his waist. Finally, his smile just widened a bit as he scratched his head.Zoro, walking at the very front, glanced back at the lagging group behind him."The three of you, walk faster!"He clicked his tongue, his thumb pushing the hilt open to reveal an inch of cold light,"Dawdling in a hellhole like this, watch out—""Zoro! Shut up! Please!!"Chopper and Usopp were already huddled together, their eyes scanning the surroundings in terror."Don't say things like that!"Usopp was almost in tears,"If you mention'scary things' in a place like this, they'll actually appear!"Before he could finish his sentence."ROOOAR————"The sound surged from deep within the burning ruins, low and thick, carrying a vibration like rolling lava.The air suddenly became heavy, as if all the flames on the island were bowing toward the source of the sound in that instant.The ruins exploded.Burning beams and molten metal were tossed aside by a brute force, turning into scattered sparks in the heat wave.The creature that stepped out from the curtain of flames took everyone's breath away!It stood at least ten meters tall, its entire body covered in bright red scales, with two curved horns on its head and massive bat-like wings slowly unfurling.Its long tail dragged on the ground, and with every breath it took, the air distorted into ripple-like patterns, causing the surrounding flames to surge and dance wildly."Is that... a dragon?!"Robin's eyes widened rarely, her finger unconsciously pressing against her lower lip."Impossible! Dragons are legends! Legends!""But it's moving... it's looking at us!""Zoro!"Luffy's voice broke the frozen air.He released his arms from Uta and Robin's waists, his rubber fingers slowly clenching into fists, his knuckles making a faint popping sound."It's a dragon!!!"He grinned, showing his white teeth,"I want to play with it!!!""ROOOAR————!!!"The giant dragon seemed to understand this contemptuous declaration.Its burning pupils suddenly constricted, locking onto the figure of the black-haired boy in the straw hat.A massive front claw rose, its tips like red-hot steel blades, tearing through the air!BOOM!!!The giant claw slammed down.The ground shattered like a fragile cracker, rubble mixing with splashing lava as it erupted upward.The shockwave completely leveled the nearest ruins, and a fan-shaped crack madness extended forward from where the claw landed, heading straight for the Straw Hat crew's position.Zoro leapt back at the last second, his right hand already on the hilt of the wado ichimonji.The dust gradually cleared.Luffy stood in place, the brim of his straw hat lifted by the hot wind.He looked up at the mythical creature, his smile growing wider and wider.