The sky over Egghead Island was a canvas of nightmares. Dark, heavy clouds choked the horizon, lit only by the jagged streaks of flashing lightning and the roar of howling winds. Below, the ocean was a churning graveyard. Sea Kings, usually the undisputed masters of the deep, fled in every direction as if something primordial and immense had terrified them.
High above the crashing waves, two crimson waves of Conqueror's Haki collided with the force of a collapsing star. The bolts of red lightning stood opposed like sharpened blades, and the pressure was so intense that the sea itself looked like a hellish abyss.
"How is this even possible? Kaido is actually holding his own against Imu!" one of the Gorosei below hissed, his teeth gnashing in utter disbelief.
Imu glanced down coldly at the sound of the voice. Seeing the Five Elders trembling with terror, the ruler grew bored of the distraction. Imu carelessly tossed Queen aside—who had just begun to regain enough strength to struggle—and focused entirely on the crushing weight of the incoming Conqueror's Haki.
Borsalino, meanwhile, had become nothing more than a spectator. Despite being one of the Marine's strongest fighters, he was completely unqualified to step into a battle of this caliber. He wasn't alone; the Gorosei and the All-Stars of the Beasts Pirates could do nothing but watch the gods of this world trade blows.
"Queen, are you alright?" King asked, catching his comrade as he was hurled through the air.
Queen wiped a smear of blood from his chest and let out a wheezing laugh. "Don't worry about me! If it were before, that hit might have actually finished me off. But now?" He reached down and peeled back a layer of his artificial skin, revealing the complex mechanical hull of his stomach. Sparks and arcs of electricity flickered among the gears damaged by the trident. "Some of my parts are smashed, but honestly, it's a good thing."
"A good thing?" Jack and Eneru asked at the same time, looking at Queen as if he had finally lost his mind.
"I'll explain it once we get back," Queen chuckled, looking smug. "That was a dangerous experience, but I gained a lot of data from it."
King looked up at the flying demon in the sky and nodded, seemingly understanding what Queen meant. Above them, the clashing Haki finally reached its breaking point. With a booming sound that made the heavens rumble, a massive wave of energy surged outward, tearing the dark clouds apart and revealing the sky.
The sound of the rising and falling waves returned. To an outsider, it looked like an evenly matched contest, but those present knew the truth. This was not a clash between the physical peak powers of the sea. The mysterious Imu was merely inhabiting a host body; the true form remained in the Holy Land of Mary Geoise. Similarly, Kaido, the ruler of the New World, was not physically present either. He was far away in Wano Country, an immense distance from Egghead.
The fact that they could unleash such terrifying Haki across the sea was almost incomprehensible. It left the battlefield in a sudden, heavy silence. King, the Gorosei, and Kizaru stood still, unsure of their next move. This war had moved beyond their control.
Suddenly, the woman possessed by Imu showed a flicker of genuine anger. A boundless, icy killing intent radiated from her. She fixed a freezing gaze on the Gorosei and roared, "Useless!"
The word struck the Five Elders like a physical blow. Their faces turned pale, and cold sweat poured down their foreheads. Without another word, a dark magic circle appeared beneath Imu's feet, and the ruler vanished, taking the Gorosei along.
"Wait, what?" King muttered, bewildered by the sudden retreat. They had been bracing for a final, bloody stand.
"What's going on?" a voice called out from behind them. A scout rushed forward. "Sirs, I just got word from Fuz-For. The Revolutionary Army is attacking Holy Land Mary Geoise! Everything is in chaos!"
"So that's why they left," Queen laughed. "Our luck is holding out. That person felt just as terrifying as Big Brother Kaido."
Jack and Eneru nodded in agreement, but King kept his eyes on the Admiral hovering in the distance. "Hey, Admiral! How long are you going to stand there and watch the show? Do you want us to invite you to stay for dinner, or are you leaving too?"
Three days passed in a blur. While Vegapunk's final declaration had shaken some, it didn't cause the massive wave of rebellion many expected. This was because a much larger story had seized the world's attention. Someone else had followed Kaido's lead and declared open war on the Celestial Dragons.
The headlines of the World Economic Journal screamed: "Revolutionary Army Invades Holy Land Mary Geoise! Tyrant Kuma Rescued! Slaves Freed!"
It had been fifteen years since the Fishman hero Fisher Tiger scaled the Red Line to free the slaves. Now, the Holy Land had been breached again. But unlike the previous raid, this one left Mary Geoise in ruins.
Sabo, the Flame Emperor, had led the charge alongside Yamato, the "Ogre Child." Supported by the four commanders of the Revolutionary Army, they had turned the Holy Land into a battlefield. Even though the Marines dispatched Fleet Admiral Akainu and Admiral Aramaki, they couldn't stop the advance.
The battle had turned the capital of the world into a landscape of ice and fire. While Akainu fought to protect the city, his magma was met by Yamato's freezing powers. Akainu had to hold back to avoid destroying the buildings, but Yamato had no such restraint.
Witnesses at Red Port reported seeing massive plumes of black smoke and pillars of fire rising from the top of the Red Line. In the end, the Revolutionaries successfully retreated. For the first time, people across the world began to doubt the World Government's absolute control.
By all accounts, the mission was a total victory. They had rescued their comrade, Kuma, and humiliated the World Government. However, at the Revolutionary Army's hidden headquarters in Baltigo, the mood was somber.
Kuma sat before them, a tattered shell of a man. His mechanical parts were exposed, and his eyes were hollow. He looked less like a person and more like a discarded toy.
Lindbergh, the scientist and Southern Army commander, lowered his head. "I'm sorry, Chief. I can't fix him. This technology is far beyond anything I know."
Bonney collapsed into a chair, hugging her father's cold, metallic body as she sobbed. Ivankov threw his hands up in frustration. "This can't be how it ends! We finally got him back!"
Dragon looked on, a few drops of sweat on his brow. "Is there really no other way, Lindbergh?"
Lindbergh hesitated, his eyes shifting toward Yamato, who stood nearby. "If there's anyone left who can help... with Vegapunk dead, there's probably only one person on the sea with the technology to bring Kuma back to life."
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