"This... this is..." Nami's orange hair seemed to float around her head, illuminated by the unearthly blue glow. The Log Pose on her wrist was spinning erratically. "The entire island's magnetic field has gone haywire!"
Ron's pupils reflected the overwhelming blue light as he fully unleashed his Kenbunshoku Haki. "No... this isn't natural..." His voice was uncharacteristically grave. "We might be in serious trouble. This blue energy... it's forming a barrier around the entire perimeter of the island..."
Chopper, terrified, hid behind Robin, his tiny hooves clutching the fabric of her clothes. "Did... did we activate some ancient trap by digging?"
The blue dome of light intensified, its surface shimmering like liquid energy as it connected with the sky, encasing all of Jaya. Light particles occasionally broke free from the main structure, landing on leaves with a sharp, metallic ping.
Robin's archaeologist instincts screamed a warning. She knelt suddenly, pressing her palm flat against the trembling earth, her Devil Fruit ability resonating faintly. "Something beneath us is responding... this vibrational frequency..."
"What is it, Robin? Could it be...!" Nami's eyes instantly morphed into glittering Berry symbols, and she jumped up in excitement. "What did we unearth this time? Did we find the entire legendary City of Gold?!"
She clasped her hands over her heart, already envisioning a ship overflowing with treasure. "We're rich! We're rich!"
Ron, however, shook his head, his brow deeply furrowed. "Something's wrong... The vibrations are too uniform, and..."
RUMBLE—
The ground shook with renewed violence. Trees whipped back and forth, shedding leaves like rain. Just then—
"Nami! Big Brother Ron! Robin! Chopper!"
Luffy shot into the clearing first, his rubber arm stretching out to snag a tree branch and slingshot himself directly in front of the group. Zoro and Sanji were right behind him, with Usopp bringing up the rear, panting.
"What the hell did you dig up this time?" Zoro growled, his hand tight on his shaking sword hilts, his eyes scanning the chaotic surroundings. "The whole damn island is coming apart!"
Sanji's dress shoes sank into the quaking ground as he assessed the situation. "Miss Nami~ I hope you haven't unearthed another... world-altering incident?"
Luffy looked around, his eyes sparkling with anticipation. "This is so cool! What is it? A mountain of treasure? Or a super strong guy to fight?"
Nami just shrugged helplessly, her orange hair swaying. "I don't know! I just took one shovel—" she pointed at the still-swirling black vortex, "—and then the whole island went crazy."
Usopp's jaw practically hit the floor. "J-Just one shovel?! My prediction came true... You really did dig up something impossible again."
At that moment, the violent tremors shaking the island suddenly ceased. As one, the crew held their breath—
CRACK!
A massive fissure erupted from the small hole Nami had dug, spider-webbing outward at an alarming speed. Dazzling blue light erupted from the crack, painting everyone's faces in an eerie, cerulean hue.
Luffy's eyes shone. "Wow! Is it coming out now?"
Zoro's three swords slid from their sheaths in unison. "Everyone, battle positions!"
Sanji lit a cigarette, his expression uncharacteristically stern. "This time... I have a feeling it's not something as simple as treasure."
Usopp had already retreated to the very back of the group. "I-I really think a strategic withdrawal is our best option right now..."
As the chaos had unfolded, more and more pirates had converged on the forest's edge from all over the island.
Drawn from their tavern brawls and back-alley deals by the cataclysmic tremors, they now formed a restless, noisy crowd.
"It's them! The ones from the tavern who were bragging about a treasure hunt!" a scar-faced pirate shouted, pointing an accusing finger at the Straw Hats.
"Damn it! I was in the middle of a major transaction! This quake ruined everything!"
"You're going to pay for this! You have to compensate us!"
The mob of pirates cursed and began to close in, brandishing flintlock pistols and cutlasses. The atmosphere grew thick with menace.
Usopp broke out in a cold sweat but forced his chest out. "H-Hey! What do you think you're doing? Do you have any idea who you're dealing with? I am—"
"—The Sniper King from Sniper Island!"
An excited voice cut through the crowd. Bellamy, with his crew in tow, pushed his way to the front. His face was plastered with an obsequious smile, a complete reversal from his earlier arrogance in the tavern.
"All of you, shut your mouths!" Bellamy turned and barked at the surrounding pirates. "How dare you show disrespect to the great Sniper King! Are you tired of living?!"
Thoroughly cowed by the memory of Usopp's eight thousand "elites," he saw this as a perfect chance to curry favor.
His lackeys immediately chimed in, emboldened:
"That's right! This lord commands eight thousand elite marksmen!"
"He could crush you all with a single finger!"
The mob fell silent under this outburst. A few of the more timid pirates even took hesitant steps backward.
Usopp was stunned for a second, then quickly slipped into character, adopting a profoundly mysterious expression. "Hmph. It seems you've learned your lesson."
Bellamy rubbed his hands together ingratiatingly. "Lord Sniper King, I was a fool before. But look at this..." He gestured to the still-cracking ground. "Might you require any... assistance?"
Zoro and Sanji exchanged a look, their faces deadpan. Luffy just scratched his head, confused. "Why's this guy being so nice all of a sudden?"
Nami quietly elbowed Ron. "Hey, what's the deal with this?"
Ron stifled a laugh, whispering back, "It's the 'Sniper King' effect."
At the same time,
Blackbeard Teach, followed by Van Auger, Doc Q, and the others, emerged from the restless crowd. His eyes landed on Ron's group standing before the massive light pillar, and his pupils constricted sharply. His thick fingers twitched toward the flintlock pistol at his waist, then slowly relaxed.
Zehahaha... Teach thought, a greedy smile spreading across his face. Straw Hat, the 'Sniper King,' the Devil Child... Today is my lucky day. Several hundred-million-Berry heads, all gathered in one place...
Just as he was weighing the risk of making a move—
"My, my. Blackbeard Teach? Fancy meeting you here." Ron suddenly turned, his sharp gaze slicing through the crowd and locking directly onto Teach's stubbled face. "I had a feeling our paths would cross."
The name landed like a thunderclap.
Luffy's head snapped around, his eyes blazing with fury from under his straw hat. "TEACH?! Where is that bastard?!"
His rubber neck elongated with a swoosh, his head swiveling around like a radar dish. "I'm gonna punch him for what he did to Ace!"
The scene plunged into an awkward, stunned silence.
Ron sighed, reaching out to point calmly behind Luffy. "He's right over there... behind the crowd. The one with several teeth missing."
....
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