Chapter 122 - Egg Head

[Tokage Port, Udon -- Wano]

"Just Pick a different day to leave Straw Hat-ya! Our alliance has run its course, we're rivals again!" Law said to Luffy.

"No way! We've already decided to sail today!" Luffy responded.

"Let's at least pick different routes if we're all leaving now!" Kid suggested.

"Why did everyone decided to set sail today?!" Emma questioned, before Law took out a Log Pose with three needles.

"The islands our Log Poses locked onto are in three different directions. North East, East, and South East…Meaning two have to share the same route" Law said while holding the Log Pose in his hand.

"Why do I have to share the same route with someone else?!" Luffy said.

"Yeah, that's stupid!"

"Just pick one already" Law said to everyone.

"The middle!"

"The middle!"

"East!" Kid, Luffy and Emma said at the same time.

"You too Emma?!" Luffy said to her.

"I've already visited Winner Island when I sailed with Ace, so I'm going a different route this time" Emma said to Luffy. The latter smiled at hearing Ace name.

"North East! I Guess I'm set...North East is the most direct route" Law stated.

"WHAAAT?!" Kid and Luffy exclaimed.

"Did you two just randomly pick the middle one? How childish" Law said with a smirk.

"Alright the loser will go to South East" The three of them proceeded to decide with draw. Unfortunately for Luffy he was the who lost.

"NOOOOOO! I LOST THE DRAW! SORRY GUYS!" Luffy said to his crew in defeat.

"Yes, East!" Kid looked happy about it before he turned to Emma still not liking the idea of sharing the same route with her "Let's play another time, the loser will go with Straw Hat!"

"Beat it Kid! the sea is big enough for two ships" Emma responded "besides, I'm not going South East that's a government island, Luffy you be careful there"

After they finished deciding their routes, Law handed each one of them a copy of Kaido's Road Poneglyph.

A few days Later,

[New World, Future Island -- Egg Head]

At sea, a ship from the World Government was approaching Egghead. On board, Rob Lucci, Kaku and Stussy were going over their newest mission, the assassination of Vegapunk. As it turned out Dr. Vegapunk, somehow split himself amongst six more people, referred to as Satellites, as he had too much to do. In the process of delivering S-Bear, the three are to assassinate all the Vegapunks with as little damage to the lab as possible.

Rob Lucci demanded as dozens of Sea Beasts Weapons surrounded them.

"What poorly trained pets" he said.

"Reports indicate that Jewelry Bonney was spotted making her way here too" Stussy informed him.

"That pest keeps slipping away from us. Let's terminate her on sight, she served her purpose" Lucci told everyone.

At the same time Yonko 'Straw Hat' Luffy and his crew along with a member of the Worst Generation Jewelry Bonney made it into Egg Head earlier that day.

A few minutes after that a massive fleet of ships appeared on the horizon, they were flying the Ashen Pirates Jolly Roger and leading them is none other than infamous 'Sword of Xebec' With the Emperor of The Sea Ashen and his entire crew on board.

"You know the deal…We're here for Straw Hat's Road Poneglyph and Vegapunk's Sattelite York. She's an incredibly big, dumb looking young women, you kill anyone who gets in the way, understood?" Ashen gave orders while standing on top of the ship's figure head that is shaped like a demon "If you get the chance, kidnap Bonney as well, we may find use of that devil fruit of hers"

"You got that Captain!" Enel said standing behind him.

Inside the island…

"Shaka!! There is a government ship, it will be bad if they found us harboring pirates!!" Pythagoras informed Shaka.

"What does CP0 want with us?! And why did they bring Rob Lucci?!"

"WHAAAT?! ROB LUCCI?!" Ussop screamed in panic.

"NOOO! That guy's still around?! You can let them in!!" Nami screamed in panic as well.

"Don't worry Robin-chan! I'll protect you no matter how many times he comes back!!" Snaji said to Robin.

"Tell them to hand over the seraphim and leave…we're declining their request to Dock!!" Shaka ordered "I doubt agents of the World Government will respond well to that, so prepare for battle!!"

"Wait, there is another thing…A massive fleet of ships just made an appearance as well!" Pythagoras informed everyone, before he was frozen in his place from shock.

"Is it the Navy?!" Shaka questioned looking surprised as well.

"N-No it's pirates….It's the Yonko Ashen!!"

"Yonko?!!" The Straw Hats were shocked.

The water near Egg Head,

Pythagoras responded to Lucci's demands through the speaker.

"…"

"That's not exactly a warm welcome…!!" Lucci tried to persuade them, but it was useless.

"What now, Lucci?" Kaku asked him.

"Prepare to abandon the ship. We'll infiltrate using S-Bear's ability" Lucci gave orders "A direct assault would always end in those Sea Beasts making a meal of the ship anyway"

"Ah, u-understood!"

Immediately after that Lucci and the other dozens of CP0 agents teleported into the island using S-Bear ability. Their ship was devoured by the Sea Beasts, Lucci clashed with Dr. Atlas taking her out before he went after Luffy.

Shortly after that, the Ashen Pirates fleet finally made it into the islands before they were attacked by the Sea Beats Weapon.

"Ashen! These things look like and have the same size of Sea Kings!" Calvin stated.

"They think they can stop us with a few fishes?" Ashen took out his sword and along with the rest of the crew they swiftly dealt with them and then docked on the island.

"Shaka! CP0 are on the island!"

"They most have used S-Bear to teleport here knowing that after we declined their request the Sea Beasts will attack them" Shaka stated "But the real problem is those Pirates…"

"The Sea Beasts around the Island were taking out, the Ashen Pirates Landed as well!!" Pythagoras informed Shaka in panic while showing him the video of dozens of Sea Beats floating in the water.

"As expected, this isn't gonna end well with that guy being here! The CP0, the Emperors how did we end up in this situation…why is that guy here anyway?!"

Not all the Ashen Pirates disembark, a lot of them stayed on the ships outside in case something happens.

Just as Rob Lucci was going to clash with Luffy, Ashen and rest made their appearance.

"Deploy the Z-unit, take out the lower ranking CP0 zero agents!" Ashen gave orders as Moria lead his Zombie Generals and a few hundred Zombies, they were all brought here except for Oars who's size isn't fitting for this battle.

"Kyaah!!"

"They got Dr. Atlas!!" Everyone was running away from Lucci and the CP0 agents.

"We got another intruder!!" Someone exclaimed.

"What the hell are they talking about?" Lucci glanced back seeing dozens of pirates invading Egg Head as well as Zombies "Zombies?...Pirates?!"

"What are you doing here pigeon guy?!" Luffy asked Lucci.

Just as the two were going to engage another figure appeared beside them.

*SWOOOSH*

"…?!!"

"I'm here for Straw Hat, you get out of the way Lucci!!" Ashen said while glaring at him, he slowly unsheathed his sword while mid-air. Thick black lightning with red hue surged from him.

Ashen used before attacking them, so none of them even noticed his presence until he declared it himself.

"D-Demon…of the Sea Ashen?!!" Lucci was in complete shock, Luffy had the same reaction as well as he recognized that name.

"…You mean Yonko Ashen?!"

Ashen proceeded to channel his purple flames into Shusui, before he infused it with Advanced Armament and Conqueror's Haki, and then unleashed a massively powerful sword slash that sent Lucci crashing into a wall, before he threw a mouthful of blood and passed out after that.

"…?!" Luffy looked at Lucci open mouthed as he didn't expect him to go down with shot.

"Straw Hat, I suggest you get serious from now on, I won't play around with you like Kaido did"

"Hoi! I was going to kick his ass--" Before Luffy finished his sentence, Ashen already closed the distance between them using Inferno Jet Steps before he swung his sword at Luffy. The Latter crossed his arms in an attempt to block it, but he was sent flying back, until he crashed into a building.

*CRASH* The sound of crashing was heard again as Luffy emerged from the rubbles before he jumped in the air, but this time he was very different, a sinister smile was in his face. His hair and clothes turned white, his eyes glow with red ring-like pupils, and white clouds floated around his neck. His eyebrows also became swirled and billowing.

DOOM DUT DA DA – Luffy's heart started beating in the musical rhythm of the Drums of Liberation.

"Ahahahahaha!!!"

Ashen smiled excitedly seeing that "You're finally getting serious…"

"…Joy Boy"