In the grim confines of the Lunarian's prison pens.
"Arber, our parents are gone! We're next! The Lunarians are being wiped out by the Celestial Dragons!"
A white-haired, bronze-skinned young woman cried out in despair. The four of them had watched countless kin perish. Now, their clan was down to its last survivors, all treated like lab rats by the Celestial Dragons, subjected to endless experiments.
The Lunarians, known eight hundred years ago as the "God Race," once ruled the Red Line, forging a divine kingdom. Their race thrived in extreme environments, with unmatched vitality and combat prowess.
But after the Twenty Kings defeated the Great Kingdom and seized global dominion, they crushed the Lunarian's divine realm, claimed the Red Line, and established the World Government, renaming their stronghold Holy Land Mary Geoise.
Proclaiming themselves the new "Gods" as Celestial Dragons, the Twenty Kings erased the Lunarians from history, enslaving and slaughtering them. The title of "Gods" was reserved solely for the World Nobles.
The Lunarians' resilience and adaptability made them prime subjects for World Government experiments, plunging their race into darkness. Over eight centuries, relentless hunts and massacres decimated their numbers. To prevent total extinction, the government bred them in captivity, but now only a handful of the strongest young Lunarians remained.
"Aruyan, maybe death is our only escape."
Arber cradled his frail sister Alice, her eyes fluttering shut. His trembling frame barely contained his rage and grief. Alice had been dragged off for another experiment, her blood drained, her wings stripped of most feathers—a pitiful sight.
"No, Arber! We have to break free and avenge our people!"
A burly Lunarian youth, Arodan, growled, his crimson eyes blazing with fury. Scars from surgical knives marred his face, giving him a fearsome, monstrous look.
"He's right, Arber! We can't give up hope—for us, for the Lunarians!"
Aruyan, her white hair tied in dreadlocks, spat with defiance. Don't let her gender fool you—her skill with a warhammer had kept her alive through countless brutal experiments.
"It's impossible. There's no escaping this hell."
Arber's voice was low, heavy with defeat. He'd dreamed of freedom once, but with his parents gone and Alice fading, his will to live was crumbling.
"Damn it! If I get out, I'll slaughter every Celestial Dragon and those heartless scientists!"
Arodan slammed his fist into the ground, his gaze fixed on the battered Alice. The Lunarians were down to four. Losing one more would break them. Deep down, he'd always cared for Alice.
"We're doomed. Every race studied and tortured here ends up dead."
Arber wasn't spreading despair—he'd seen too many failed breakouts, too many attempts to take down the scientists. His heart had gone numb. Once a fiery youth full of hope and vengeance, he was now a husk, clinging only to his sister. If Alice died, he'd likely end it himself.
"A god? No such thing exists! But if someone saves us—anyone but the Celestial Dragons or those soulless scientists—I'll swear loyalty to them!"
Arodan strained against his Seastone chains, his anger barely contained. All he could do was cling to a faint hope, a desperate wish for a miracle, or else they'd be studied to death.
BOOM!
As Arodan's words faded, Punk Hazard shook violently. Cannon fire roared, and the research base's alarms screamed in a deafening wail.
"Arber, could someone be invading the island?!"
Arodan's voice trembled with excitement. A spark of hope flickered in Arber's eyes. Alice, stirred awake by the tremors, gazed longingly at the thought of freedom.
"Hell yeah! If someone's busting us out, I'll pledge my life to them!"
Aruyan gripped the prison's alloy bars, her heart pounding. Freedom—she craved it. Born with wings, yet trapped in this lightless hell, enduring endless torment.
Please, don't let this last shred of hope die!
...
High above Punk Hazard.
"Jahaha! Newgate, that quake of yours cracked the island's foundation! Now I can lift this rock into the sky in no time!"
Golden Lion Shiki wasted no moment, diving into action to float Punk Hazard. The island's enemies? He'd leave them to the crew while he made a name for himself against any admirals who dared show up.
"All hands, charge! Take this island!"
Brook's command rang out. The Hell Pirates' airfleet descended on Punk Hazard, their units joined by Charlotte Linlin's Homies army, scouring for the underground base's entrance.
"Time for my ghost legion to join the fray!"
With a wave of Brook's hand, a towering 50-meter Soul Reaper portal materialized, stunning even Redfield. Countless specters poured out—souls of those slain by Brook or forcibly claimed.
Among them, several 40-meter ice giants and over a dozen 20-meter Elbaf warriors showcased Brook's terrifying power. Most striking were the vivid ghostly generals, including heavyweights like Vesper, Saracha, and Dawei—foes even the Hell Pirates' top fighters took seriously.
"Mama mama! Now that's a crew fit for hell!"
Linlin grinned, already dreaming of her Whole Cake Island boasting warriors from every race, rivaling Brook's spectral army.
The massive force quickly located the underground base's entrance and launched a ferocious assault. The facility's defenses were formidable, its walls built to withstand invasion.
"Requesting backup! Requesting backup! The Hell Pirates are storming Punk Hazard! We're exposed! We need Admiral Devo and Admiral Kong, now!"
"The enemy's relentless! I'm evacuating Professor Whitewing and the others via submarine. I'll stay and defend Punk Hazard to the end! Justice forever!"
Vice Admiral Aishu, after barking into the Den Den Mushi, grabbed his weapon and rallied the soldiers to hold the base's entrance.
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+400 chapters on p@treon/tambeerg