"Hey, hey, do you guys know Zoro and Sanji?"
"Could you be their brothers—?"
Behind them, a suspicious figure carrying a large bundle, wearing a hooded cloak, and sporting a fake mustache was casually following the group. This strange entourage consisted of Zoro, Sanji, and Robin holding a fox…
Forget it. A white pigeon in the sky glanced upward, deciding to erase this memory entirely.
So unprofessional! Seriously, what's with Robin being only 1.4 meters tall? It was even worse than that fake Nami…
The three people and the fox being pestered by Luffy didn't dare speak. After all, the imposters pretending to be Zoro and Sanji were already sweating nervously since Luffy acted like he knew the real ones well. If their act was exposed...
'What do we do?'
'Take him to the meetup spot and let the boss handle it!'
With that, Luffy followed the fake Straw Hat crew to their gathering spot on Sabaody Archipelago's Island No. 46.
"Wow, so many people!"
"What are they all doing here?"
The small, suspicious-looking figure's questions were ignored by fake Sanji, fake Zoro, and fake Robin, who were frantically searching around. The reason was clear:
"Where's the boss?!"
"Yeah, we've been waiting here forever, so why hasn't big brother Luffy shown up yet?"
"We were promised to join the Straw Hat fleet and form the Straw Hat Grand Fleet…"
"Haha, it's like a dream come true. Being under the legendary Straw Hat Luffy, who shook Enies Lobby, Impel Down, and Marineford… Once he becomes the Pirate King, we'll be the crew of the Pirate King!"
"What… are these guys talking about?"
Disguised by Boa Hancock's help, the real Luffy was confused.
"Why do they all want to be my subordinates? I don't need subordinates—I just want my friends!"
…So, who was this strange little guy?
Fake Sanji and fake Zoro were panicking like ants on a hot pan. Without their boss, who was skilled in tricks and intimidation, it was impossible for them to hold the situation together.
"Hey! Why isn't big brother Luffy coming out yet?"
"Is he looking down on us?!"
"Keh-heh-heh! Or is he scared of us?"
Caribou with a bounty of 210 million Berries, and Coribou with 190 million, infamous for slaughtering Marines, stood out as rising stars.
"Right, Coribou?"
The thin, tall older brother with a long tongue and sleeves that hid his arms spoke to his burly younger brother, who was holding a shovel with a pet chameleon perched on his head.
"Yes, big brother!"
"Idiot, I'm over here!"
"Yes, sorry, sorry, big brother!"
…
"Pirates, this is the end for you!"
"Surrender peacefully!"
But they didn't get to meet Straw Hat Luffy… Well, actually, the real Luffy was standing right in front of them. However:
*Whoosh—*
*Boom!!*
A sudden flash of light swept through. The small figure on the platform tilted slightly, dodging the terrifying beam with ease.
"So slow…"
"Damn it, it's the Pacifista!"
"Be careful, everyone! It's the Marine's humanoid weapons—"
As two "Kuma" units marched forward under Sentomaru's lead, ordinary pirates were as powerless as ants before the Pacifistas. Even:
"How could this happen?"
"Captain! Get a hold of yourself…"
"Lip Dotty, with a bounty of 88 million, lost in one move!?"
As the two Pacifistas continued their unstoppable advance, the small figure on the platform dropped the bundle, removed the hooded cloak, and stretched out his right hand. As his arm expanded and compressed:
"Gear Second !"
Swoosh!!
A shadow flickered, and in the blink of an eye, his figure appeared atop a Pacifista.
"Gomu Gomu no Jet Pistol!"
Boom—
Before anyone could react, the small figure with the straw hat had instantly flashed above the Pacifista. Without anyone even seeing him throw a punch, the Pacifista, capable of easily defeating an 8-million bounty pirate captain, was already smashed into the ground!
"What just happened...?!"
"I couldn't see it clearly, but he destroyed the 'Pacifista'! And that face..."
"Isn't it exactly like the one on the wanted poster? Could he really be the real 'Straw Hat' Luffy? Then the one we met earlier must have been—"
"'Straw Hat Luffy'?"
Carrying a massive axe and wearing a Marine coat, Sentomaru looked at Luffy, who had just taken out the Pacifista with one punch. If the Luffy from two years ago could only hold his own through sheer toughness and luck, now:
Even in a head-to-head fight, Sentomaru wasn't confident he could defeat him.
What terrifying Haki. What incredible growth.
...
"What's going on here? Why are there two 'Straw Hat Luffys'?"
"It's simple. You've all been tricked."
A calm voice rang out, accompanied by a flurry of white doves. The pirates gathered in the area froze at first, then their faces turned to despair.
"It's 'The White Dove'!"
"Damn it, isn't that guy supposed to be in the New World? Why is he—"
Thud!
A plump figure was thrown in front of the pirates. It was none other than the 'Straw Hat Luffy' who had issued them a recruitment order earlier. But now, it was clear:
"Demalo Black, the 'Three-Tongued' pirate with a 26-million bounty. Yep, that's your so-called 'boss'."
...
"Damn it! Just a measly 26-million bounty pirate dared to fool us..."
As the pirates stared in disbelief, 'Roman,' accompanied by the white doves, scanned the battlefield with a calm gaze.
A bunch of nobodies.
"Fools who deceive are stupid, but those who get tricked are just as dumb. So, what will it be? Surrender peacefully and head to Impel Down for some prison meals, or do I beat you half to death and drag you there myself?"
"It's over... we're doomed..."
"They say no pirate has ever escaped when 'The White Dove' takes action!"
"Don't panic!!"
"We've got the real Straw Hat Luffy with us. We can totally fight back!"
"Yeah, Big Bro Luffy! If you help us escape, we'll follow you forever!"
"That's right, that's right! Straw Hat Luffy can destroy a Pacifista with one move. Even 'The White Dove' can't—"
"What the heck~~"
But the boy they saw as their savior only looked annoyed.
"I don't even know you guys. Why would I help you? Besides—"
"I'm not fighting 'The White Knight.'"
!?
"Luffy!" x2
Meanwhile, Zoro, who was debating whether to go fishing, was being dragged along by Sanji, running eagerly past the scene. Another Pacifista immediately blocked their way.
"'Pirate Hunter' Zoro and 'Black Leg' Sanji, you two are—"
The sword flashed!
A kick like a dragon!
In an instant, two attacks tore through the air. The humanoid combat weapon, capable of capturing pirates worth over 100 million, had its neck severed and chest blown apart in seconds. It was defeated without any chance to react.
"I cut it first!"
"No, I kicked it first!"
These two idiots...
"Let's go already. Haven't you caused enough trouble?"
A figure clad in pure white armor walked over, a helpless voice coming from within the helmet.
"Luffy, hurry up. Everyone's waiting for you on the ship."
"Hahaha! Roman, Zoro, Sanji, everyone's so full of energy—it's great!"
Luffy quickly hoisted the large "heart-shaped bento" lovingly prepared by Boa Hancock and, together with Zoro, Sanji, and the White Knight, embarked on yet another familiar escape adventure.
"Heh, looks like I won't need to step in this time."
Perched on a nearby tree trunk, "Dark King" Rayleigh watched the fleeing group of four with great interest. Of course, he could tell that the person alive was inside that suit of armor next to Luffy, while the famed Marine star "White Dove" Roman, surrounded by doves, was nothing more than a puppet...
"Rayleigh—!"
?!
"Thank you for everything these past two years!"
Facing Luffy, who turned his head back to shout, the old man called the "Dark King" responded with a doting smile.
"Luffy, you've grown stronger."
"That eases my mind. Now go, back to your crew!"
To this old man who had accompanied him for two years, taught him all kinds of Haki techniques, and become both a teacher and a friend, there was only one thing Luffy could say:
"Rayleigh, I will definitely—"
"Become the Pirate King!!"
...
"Go, and reach the top of the world!"
"Hehehe, let's go~~"
As Luffy and the others dashed off into the distance, the rest of the pirates snapped out of their daze and also prepared to flee. But—
Flap flap flap—
The sky was suddenly filled with countless white doves, their cold beaks and sharp talons gleaming like metal, and their wings flashing with a chilling light! These doves no longer resembled symbols of peace but appeared more like falcons ready to reap lives.
Of course, for ordinary people, dead pirates *do* represent peace.
"Heh heh heh, just an empty show of force!"
The ordinary pirates were scared, but that didn't mean everyone was intimidated. Caribou sneered, boldly stepping up in front of the Marine Vice Admiral candidate, "Roman."
"Let's see just how capable this so-called Vice Admiral candidate really is. Heh heh heh~~"
Gurgle—
As he spoke, his chest suddenly turned to sludge, and a six-barreled Gatling gun emerged from within.
"Take this—"
Bang!
?!
Before he could even finish shouting "The times have changed," his vision blurred, and his stomach exploded with pain! The flying Marine coat became the last thing his mind registered.
Thud.
The bounty of 210 million Berries, a Logia-type user of the Swamp-Swamp Fruit, Caribou, collapsed silently to the ground. Roman, standing in front of him as though he had teleported, slowly lowered his fist.
"Did you think being a Logia made you invincible? How shortsighted."
One punch. Instant defeat!
"Big bro!"
Nearby, Coribou, a burly man with a chameleon perched on his head, raised his iron shovel. But before he could act, a casually outstretched hand pressed down toward him.
Though Coribou was much taller and stronger than the Marine Vice Admiral candidate, as the hand descended, space seemed to distort—shrinking him down while making the hand appear enormous!
In an instant, the once-mighty Coribou was like a child facing an adult, helpless as Roman's hand landed on his head and pressed down.
Boom!
The battlefield shook violently, though no dust rose. The ground beneath Coribou caved in sharply, forming a perfectly round shallow pit at the center of the battlefield. Around the edges, cracks radiated outward, leaving the pirates nearby stumbling and falling in chaos.
When everyone regained their composure, they saw Coribou embedded deep in the ground at the pit's center, leaving only his normal-sized head and his unconscious chameleon exposed. His vacant expression was like that of a broken soul.
"Tch, taking down a Supernova with one move. Impressive, Vice Admiral Roman!"
Sentomaru, carrying his massive axe, walked over and pointed his thumb in the direction where Luffy and the others had escaped.
"What about the real 'Straw Hat Crew' pirates? Are you just going to let them go? That might tarnish your reputation as 'The White Dove,' who's never failed."
...Like I'd believe you can't tell that I'm just a 'puppet'!
The 'Roman' standing here was actually The White Knight, while the 'The White Knight' escaping with Luffy was the real Roman. However:
When it came to dealing with these small-fry supernovas, The White Knight was more than enough.
"Well, I actually came to Sabaody for a vacation. But since I bumped into these pirates trying to break into the New World, I won't let them off. As for those 'civilians,' I won't act until their identities are confirmed..."
!?
Fine, you're the Marine candidate for Admiral—you make the rules!
Sentomaru rolled his eyes. Either way, he hadn't planned to arrest the Straw Hat crew. Honestly, if it weren't for him and Kizaru letting them off two years ago, the Straw Hat crew would've been finished dozens of times. After all, Sentomaru had always kept an eye on Sabaody!
Meanwhile, Brook, fresh from his final concert, rushed to Island 42.
Nami, Usopp, Robin, Chopper, and Franky were already waiting. Now, only—
"Roman has gone to pick up Luffy and the others. Don't worry."
Swish—
Just as Nami finished speaking, four figures leaped into view!
"Everyone!!!"
"Luffy!"
"Zoro, Sanji."
"Roman~~"
"Set sail!!"
With Luffy's shout as he landed on the deck, the Straw Hat crew's journey began once more!
"Set the rudder down. Destination—"
"Fish-Man Island!"
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----You can read 10 advanced chapters at my patreon.com/YeyeQiu