Jinbe struck out with both palms, swiftly trimming the sails, and the Thousand Sunny began to forge ahead.
"Yo-ho!" Luffy spread his arms, shouting in pure excitement.
Before departing, they had already penetrated the depths of Onigashima to secure Kaido's Road Poneglyph. Because this crusade had been a collaborative effort, they shared the contents of the ancient stone. Consequently, the Heart Pirates and the Kid Pirates each obtained a copy as well.
Naturally, Ace and the Whitebeard Pirates claimed a copy of their own.
Of the four Road Poneglyphs scattered across the world, Luffy and his crew had now secured three, leaving only the final one to be found.
Among the current Yonko factions, the Red Hair Pirates were the only crew they had yet to cross paths with. It was highly probable that the final Poneglyph rested in Red Hair's custody.
Even if it wasn't, it mattered little. The mere thought of their impending reunion made the corners of Luffy's lips curl into an involuntary smile. Clasping his straw hat, his heart overflowed with pure, unadulterated nostalgia.
Back on the shores of Onigashima, Hiyori watched the diminishing silhouette of the Thousand Sunny, her hands tightening inside her silken sleeves.
"Farewell... my samurai..."
Nearby, Drake and his crew aboard the Guma began their slow departure, the ship gradually submerging into the ocean depths.
"Kin'emon, systematically reclaim every weapon stockpiled across Onigashima," Hiyori commanded, slowly withdrawing her gaze from the horizon. "As for Kaido, we shall use him to negotiate a strategic treaty with the World Government."
"Understood!" Kin'emon turned and marched toward the inner depths of the fortress.
Indeed, Kaido was currently incarcerated deep within the subterranean chambers of Onigashima. Furthermore, the fortress still housed the massive stockpile of weapons and artillery that Wano had manufactured over the decades. Aside from the munitions exported overseas, nearly every single piece crafted by the nation's factories was gathered here.
This arsenal represented the solitary material legacy salvaged from the dark era that had blighted their nation. By weaponizing these assets, the military capabilities of Wano's standing forces would see an immediate, massive upgrade—a perfect example of turning a curse into a benefit.
Furthermore, by surrendering Kaido to the World Government, they could secure a degree of political tolerance. Though the samurai detested the notion of dealing with the global regime, the current geopolitical climate left them with no alternative. Without this leverage, opening Wano's borders would remain nothing more than an elusive dream.
After all, the World Government remained the ultimate administrator of global order. If Wano wished to open its borders, it ultimately required their legal recognition.
Fortunately, the pirate alliance had shielded them from initial external pressures, leaving Hiyori with absolute confidence that her nation would successfully open its borders to the world.
Suddenly, along the coastal waters flanking mainland Wano, a fleet of ten Marine warships slowly breached the horizon.
BOOM! BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!
A thunderous volley of cannon fire sundered the peace of the morning.
The sudden bombardment startled Ace's vanguard and the Straw Hat Pirates alike.
The Navy!
"Why are the Marines showing up here?!" Luffy gasped in shock.
"That pigeon guy explicitly stated that the World Government intends to seize control of Wano," Zoro reasoned after a brief moment of reflection. "I imagine this fleet was dispatched the exact microsecond he returned to report."
"That is the most logical deduction," Robin added calmly.
"Is it possible... because that pigeon guy failed to capture Robin, they deployed the Navy out of spite?" Chopper murmured, a wave of anxiety softening his voice.
Hearing his words, a heavy silence settled over the Straw Hat crew, quickly replaced by a collective, incandescent fury.
"Let them come then!" Luffy growled, thick plumes of steam venting from his nostrils. "I'll personally sink every single one of their warships!" He was thoroughly enraged.
"Robin-chan! Do not harbor a single worry," Sanji declared, burning with explosive motivation. "No matter how many men they deploy today, I'll ensure every last one of them sinks to the bottom of the sea!"
"Fufufu, thank you," Robin smiled gently. With her comrades anchoring her line, she harbored zero fear, even if it meant positioning herself as the archenemy of the entire world.
"Hmph! The more targets they provide, the better," Zoro muttered, his hand resting lazily against the hilts of his three legendary blades. The corners of his lips curled into a precise, lethal smirk. "I'll cleave them all to pieces."
At the absolute vanguard of the exodus, the Heart Pirates and the Kid Pirates had already engaged the Marine fleet. Having departed the coast earliest, the incoming warships had intercepted them the exact moment they cleared the harbor.
Right then, a roaring torrent of fire erupted across the water. Utilizing his thermal energy as a high-velocity propulsion system, Ace rocketed past the conventional sailing ships, materializing directly in front of the Marine flagship in a fraction of a second.
"Who stands before us?!" Vice Admiral Onigumo bellowed from the deck of the warship. "The Navy Headquarters has arrived under absolute orders to liquidate the newly minted Emperor, 'Wisdom King' Luffy, and Vale D. Drake of the Dragon Flag Pirates!"
Ace recognized the speaker immediately; it was the exact same Vice Admiral who had supervised his high-security transport from Impel Down to Marineford during the Summit War.
For this operation, each of the ten warships was commanded by an elite Vice Admiral. In truth, their public objective regarding Luffy and Drake was nothing more than a convenient geopolitical pretext. Their true assignment was the total pacification and annexation of the Land of Wano!
Furthermore, based on the data compiled by their intelligence networks, the pirate alliance should have already vacated the territory. Why were they all still anchored at these exact coordinates?
Neutralizing the Heart Pirates and the Kid Pirates was one thing, but the pirate materializing before their vanguard was none other than the "Flame Emperor" Ace!
Vice Admiral Onigumo's expression turned remarkably grim. Though their armada had arrived fully prepared for high-level combat, crossing blades with an Emperor-caliber powerhouse was an entirely different narrative.
"Ace..."
"It's been a while, Vice Admiral Onigumo," Ace smiled lazily. He hadn't anticipated that their paths would cross again under these parameters. "Are you gentlemen here to pick a fight with me?"
Perched securely on Ace's shoulder, little Otama clasped her arms tightly around his neck, remaining absolutely still. The structural scale of the enemy fleet was simply too immense to process; ten colossal warships manned by burly, heavily armed soldiers whose raw power was visibly formidable.
"What is your business here, Flame Emperor Ace?" Onigumo demanded. He understood the gravity of the situation, but as a vanguard of absolute justice, a Marine could never display a single shred of fear before a pirate.
"You came here to launch an assault against Wano, didn't you?" A sharp, lethal light flashed within Ace's eyes.
The alliance had intentionally leaked intelligence suggesting they had already abandoned the country, precisely to test whether the World Government would move to exploit Wano's vulnerability.
Currently, Wano's independent defense forces were far too weak. Though they possessed advanced weaponry, their standing army lacked sufficient personnel, and their elite combatants were severely limited, with the Akazaya samurai still nursing catastrophic injuries.
Consequently, the pirates had chosen to sustain their celebrations on Onigashima, deliberately waiting to see what manner of predator would emerge from the shadows. And just as they prepared to execute their definitive departure, the enemy had taken the bait.
"It truly has been a long time, Vice Admiral Onigumo. Since you've traveled all this way, don't bother heading back!"
Ace vaulted into the upper sky, fire erupting from his boots. Extending a single finger, he unleashed a concentrated laser beam of pure thermal energy, cleanly sundering Onigumo's warship down the middle.
"What?!"
The surrounding Marines were instantly paralyzed with shock. Initially, they had held these small pirate vessels in complete contempt, confident in the martial might of their Vice Admirals. But looking at the destruction before them, the disparity in power was clearly not something that could be measured by conventional metrics.
"ACE!!" Onigumo roared, leaping from the collapsing deck of his ship, his eight blades clearing their sheaths as he lunged fiercely toward the Emperor.
Mid-air, Ace casually flicked his finger once more, driving another high-velocity beam straight into Onigumo's chest.
KABOOM!
"Gah... cough!" Onigumo forcefully spat out a spray of blood, staring down at the smoking cavity pierced through his torso in absolute disbelief. Had his combat instincts not triggered a microsecond before impact, prompting him to desperately twist his frame, that single strike would have obliterated his heart.
What terrifying power was this?
Resting against Ace's shoulder, Otama bit her lip tightly, her eyes wide as she witnessed the exchange.
"Otama, are you watching closely? This is the reality of the sea," Ace murmured softly. "Though being a pirate grants you absolute freedom, this ocean is filled with adversaries who wish for your destruction. When the lines of battle are drawn, we cannot afford a single shred of mercy."
"As for what truly constitutes absolute justice... I believe the adventures awaiting you across this sea will eventually provide the answer."