The news of the war spread across the seas like wildfire, unstoppable in its momentum.
No one had expected that in what should have been a very peaceful year in the Sea Calendar of 1519, and with it nearly coming to an end, a war would erupt so suddenly.
People who received the news were all astonished. The war between a Yonko and the Marines would always have a serious impact on the Sea.
For a moment, the entire sea seemed to be in turmoil, with hidden currents surging beneath the surface.
In the first half of the Grand Line, at Water 7...
"Um, is it time to take action now, Fujitora San?"
Trafalgar Law, holding a Den Den Mushi, hesitated in surprise. " 'Iron Fist' Garp chased me for ten days and nights. I finally managed to shake him off during a rainstorm night. If I show up now, I'm afraid..."
From Gatte Island World City to Water 7, Law's journey had been quite eventful.
Without Rowen opening doors for him, he had encountered trouble after trouble.
Now, Marine's power was far beyond what it used to be. Just by seeing them engage in an all-out war with Yonko's pirate crew using only Headquarters soldiers, one could tell that the pirates were having a tough time.
Fortunately, Law was quite capable, and his Operation-Operation Fruit was also powerful, allowing him to make his way without being detained in Impel Down.
And then, he had a chance encounter with the seemingly immortal Garp while returning to complete his mission.
The specific process didn't matter much. After a bout of sparring...
The Sea pirate "Surgeon of Death" Trafalgar Law was born with a bounty of 100 million Berries!
"Don't worry, at this point, Marine doesn't have time to bother you here."
In the familiar aerial garden of Century City...
Fujitora was dressed in a white bathrobe with steams rising making his skin reddish, the scar over his eyes appearing particularly fierce against his crimson skin, hardly fitting with his title of "Benevolent Hero."
Upon hearing Law's response, Fujitora nodded knowingly and explained, "It's like this, Law."
"Just now, through the message transmitted by the Gold Emperor Gild Tesoro, it's confirmed that the new batch of reinforcements sent by Marine is led by Vice Admiral Garp."
Although Kizaru and Aokiji were powerful, their battles with Big Mom were mostly evenly matched, causing the conflict to reach a stalemate.
The Gorōsei (Five Elder Stars) didn't realize that this war with the Yonko was different from previous ones. Annoyed, they wanted to quickly end the conflict and focus on internal issues.
To make Big Mom realize the gap and withdraw her troops voluntarily, they decisively deployed the senior combatant "Iron Fist" Garp to the front lines. It was said that Akainu even went to protest to the Gorōsei (Five Elder Stars) about this but was rebuffed.
An Admiral not only proved their strength but also symbolized their status.
"Marine Headquarters" in Marineford couldn't be without an Admiral.
Akainu's presence was much more important than his combat prowess!
"I see!"
Law's eyes lit up.
Garp had been sent to the front lines of the New World, Akainu couldn't leave Marine Headquarters, Rowen was on his side, and Momousagi and Chaton were reportedly still doing missions in Gourmet City...
So, at this point in time, in the latter half of the first half of the Grand Line, from Water 7 to the Sabaody Archipelago, who else could make him wary?
The Vice Admirals of Headquarters?
At the moment, he was indeed no match for them.
But with [The Polar Tang] at his disposal, ordinary battleships would not be able to stop the Heart Pirates from advancing.
As he hung up the Den Den Mushi, Law suddenly heard the voice of his navigator, Bepo.
"Captain, Captain!"
The large White Bear dashed forward, leaping into the air, rolling into a ball, and completing a 720-degree aerial somersault before landing with a soft "thud" on the ground.
Glancing at Law, who had put away the Den Den Mushi, Bepo approached. "Captain, [The Polar Tang] has been repaired and is ready to set sail anytime!"
"Excellent!"
Law rested the famed blade "Kikoku" on his shoulder, his long coat billowing in the wind as he smiled confidently.
"Bepo, it's time for us to make a name for ourselves!"
"Huh? What do you mean, Captain?"
Bepo scratched his head in confusion, unsure of what Law was referring to.
…
"Ahem... Ahem!"
At the shadowy fortress, a giant figure loomed by the window. Moria rubbed his nose and tossed aside the newspaper.
"Tsk, tsk, tsk! Let them fight!"
"If I can kill two of them, I'll make sure to make good use of your corpses!"
"Tsk, tsk, tsk, tsk, tsk!"
In a corner of the room, Nico Robin shook her head slightly and turned the page of her book.
This guy is hopeless.
...
As the entire sea buzzed with excitement due to Rowen's impulsiveness, Rowen himself returned to Alabasta after a series of thunderous escapades.
"Hmm? It looks like the Kingdom's army has finally realized the problem... But why is Koza leading the troops?"
Passing by a battlefield in a small town, the local militia and the reinforcements sent by the Kingdom combined forces to repel the invading pirates.
The external disturbances had indeed reached Alabasta, but nobody had the time to deal with them.
Compared to the distant battles of the New World, the immediate benefits were more tangible.
It was a perfect victory.
Without organization or discipline, the pirates could only fight when circumstances favored them. With their escape route cut off, the undisciplined pirate army fell into chaos without direction. With no one to lead or dictate their movements, Koza's cavalry seized the opportunity and routed them on the spot!
However, throughout the entire journey, this was the only instance where the Kingdom's forces took the initiative. Moreover, the leader was not Chaka or Pell, who were hailed as the Guardian Gods of the Kingdom, but just a guard from Vivi's side.
The story behind this was thought-provoking.
At this rate, Alabasta would probably not see peace for the next 1-2 years.
"Hmm, it's none of my business!"
Rowen hesitated for a moment before no longer paying attention to the situation. He accelerated away, leaving behind a dazzling streak of lightning in the sky.
…
Alabasta, at the heart of the Death Desert.
Thud!
Lirisk, who was resting in his tent, instantly opened his eyes. In less than a second, he sensed the powerful aura approaching his location, followed by a violent tremor outside.
Someone with such speed and who would appear here... the answer was obvious.
"I think I need an explanation, Lirisk San!"
Whoosh!
As he stood up, a strong gust of wind directly blew open the tent, and thunderous roars echoed outside. The sky was shrouded in rolling dark clouds.
Did he really master his Awakening Abilities?!
Lirisk stared dumbfoundedly at everything. He could feel an invisible force eroding the surrounding environment, causing the dry desert to rumble like thunder.
Combining this with the information he had received earlier, Lirisk swallowed nervously, a hint of a smile curling up at the corners of his mouth.
"Aha... Hahaha!"
"Congratulations, Rowen! I didn't expect you to succeed!"
"Come on, let's have a fight now!"
"Oh? Alright!"
Rowen looked down at him from above. At 2.23 meters tall, Rowen towered over Lirisk by a shoulder. His imposing aura remained strong and sharp.
Smiling at Rowen's obvious attempt to change the subject, Rowen raised his hand.
Buzz!
Clang!
The tremors of electricity filled the air with a buzzing sound.
The Thunder Dragon Crescent-sided Halberd, which had been inserted into the tent where he was resting, flew towards him with lightning surrounding it. The surrounding electrical currents converged, forming a silver serpent that danced around him, sending waves of invisible surges that made Lirisk's scalp tingle.
Literally sending shivers down his spine!
Too preoccupied to even fix his exploding hair, patches of skin on Lirisk's body began to bulge, and his green scales suddenly swelled, enveloping his body.
Damn it!
This asshole really knows how to hit!
(End of Chapter)
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