"Brat, what kind of eyes are those!?" Saint Charlos, seeing the boy's sharp and piercing gaze, grew irritable. He pointed a trembling finger at the youth.
"Xiao Lang, kill him too."
The black-clad man named Xiao Lang didn't hesitate for a second. He raised his pistol and fired directly at the boy.
BANG!
"Ah...!" Screams erupted from the surrounding crowd as women quickly covered their eyes. They couldn't bear to watch a child executed in cold blood.
Dragon Soul's eyes narrowed. In his vision, the boy moved—his actions were as smooth as flowing water, dodging the bullet with effortless grace. In a flash, the boy was in front of the guard, clutching the dagger he had taken from the fallen bearded pirate.
SHING!
Xiao Lang felt a blur before his eyes, followed by a sharp, stinging pain. The dagger had plunged straight through his arm.
Splat. Blood sprayed out uncontrollably.
"AGHHH!" The agonizing pain forced a cry from Xiao Lang's throat.
The boy's movements were precise, embodying the essence of speed, ruthlessness, and accuracy. Dragon Soul could see that the boy's raw physical strength was inferior to Xiao Lang's, but as the dagger flickered, wound after wound appeared on the guard's body. Blood danced in the air, and for a moment, Dragon Soul saw a strange sort of beauty in the boy's lethal rhythm...
"This kid is something else," Kenshin remarked, his expression turning solemn.
Dragon Soul nodded. The boy's technique was flawless, marking him as a high-level fighter. However, if it were just technique, the battle wouldn't be this one-sided. Xiao Lang wasn't weak—he likely had a combat level around 4,000. The boy was only between 2,000 and 3,000, yet every one of his strikes interrupted the opponent's counter-attack, as if he knew exactly what the man was going to do.
Knowing the move before it happens? A spark lit up in Dragon Soul's mind. Could it be... Observation Haki!?
Learning Haki at such a young age? Dragon Soul became genuinely curious about the boy.
Seeing an opening, the boy lunged toward the stunned Celestial Dragon. The move terrified Saint Charlos, who had assumed he was untouchable.
"Xiao Lang! What are you doing!? Save me...!" Charlos shrieked in panic.
"You brat... you think you've won?" Xiao Lang growled. His body began to swell, growing fur, claws, and fangs.
A Devil Fruit user! Dragon Soul was slightly surprised.
As Xiao Lang transformed into a wolf-man, his speed and power surged. He blurred across the pavement, blocking the boy's path.
BOOM! Claws collided with the dagger, and the boy was sent flying backward by the sheer force.
He landed right at the feet of Dragon Soul and Kenshin.
"Oh no, the kid fell over there! Run!" The crowd around Dragon Soul scattered in a panic.
Soon, the only ones left near the boy were Dragon Soul and Kenshin. Everyone else watched from a distance as the boy coughed up a large amount of blood. Xiao Lang, now a looming wolf-man, licked his lips with a long tongue and stared coldly at the youth.
Beside him, Saint Charlos wiped his nose, his eyes filled with hatred as he looked at the suffering boy. He barked at Xiao Lang: "Don't kill him so easily. I want him as a slave!"
"Understood!"
Xiao Lang approached the downed boy with a playful, predatory grin.
Step... step... step...
Each footfall echoed like a hammer against the hearts of the onlookers, a primal fear spreading through the street.
Meanwhile, news of "Straw Hat" Monkey D. Luffy's reappearance at Marineford had set the world on fire. News agencies were working overtime to print the story.
Now that his identity as the son of the Revolutionary Dragon had been exposed, Luffy was the ultimate celebrity for the press. The world was in shock—but no one was more shocked (and relieved) than his crew, the Straw Hat Pirates.
Just as they were desperately trying to reach Sabaody, news broke that Luffy had returned to the ruins of the Navy Headquarters. Accompanied by the legendary Dark King Rayleigh, he had stormed the plaza and rung the Ox Bell sixteen times!
The sixteen tolls of the Ox Bell echoed across Marineford. Traditionally, the bell was rung eight times to thank the old year and eight times to pray for the new. These sixteen tolls, known as "16 Bells," signaled the end of one era and the beginning of another.
"This is an absolute disgrace to the Navy!" a commander roared, slamming his baton against a chalkboard in a meeting of high-ranking officers.
"The rookie who stood out in the war... the brother of Fire Fist Ace and Revolutionary Sabo... the son of Monkey D. Dragon..."
"We've even confirmed he is the grandson of our own Vice Admiral Garp! Straw Hat Luffy!"
"He didn't die as previously reported. He returned to Marineford to ring the 16 Bells! If he wanted to mourn the dead, he only needed to ring it twice. Ranging it sixteen times..."
The commander slammed his fist against the board. "It is a declaration of war against the Navy!"
The officers sat in grim silence, their faces dark with frustration and calculation.
"Luffy... waaaaah!" Usopp wailed as he clutched the newspaper, his words muffled by sobs. "I get it... I get it now..."
"I'm so glad you're okay... Luffy..."
Similar scenes of relief and realization played out across the world as the crew saw the report. But one man remained focused.
On Kuraigana Island, the home of Dracule Mihawk, Zoro sat amidst the ruins. He stared intensely at the photo of Luffy provided by Perona. He read the article again and again, his eyes sharp. He knew there was a hidden message in this report that he hadn't caught yet...
What is the hidden message Luffy sent to his crew? And will Dragon Soul step in to save the boy from the wolf-man and the Celestial Dragon?
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