Chapter 129: Three Forces on the Move
Marineford - Port
Zephyr strode forward, sleeves rolled up, a stern expression on his face. In one hand, he dangled Luffy, who was still whining about his missed meal. With his other hand, he pointed at Kuina and Zoro. "You two are coming, too! The graduation exam starts now!"
"NOOOOOOO! I HAVEN'T EATEN YET!!!!" Luffy wailed, swinging like a ragdoll in Zephyr's grip, his cries echoing across the port.
Kuina was already dressed in her combat gear, sword sheathed, her steps steady and silent.
Zoro followed closely, his eyes burning with eagerness. "Finally, a real fight!"
Roy watched Zephyr drag Luffy onto the dedicated exam warship, a small smile touching his lips. "Classic Instructor Zephyr style..."
Ace stood beside him, watching the ship sail away with a complicated expression. "Big Bro Roy... aren't you worried? Instructor Zephyr's exams are intense. What if..."
Roy stood with his hands behind his back, his voice calm but certain. "Don't worry. With Zephyr there, nothing will go wrong."
He paused, his gaze drifting upward toward the northern sky. "But... the northern seas haven't been peaceful lately."
"If I remember correctly—Enel is also on a mission up there."
Ace raised an eyebrow. "Enel? That lightning maniac?"
Roy didn't answer. He just chuckled and turned toward the Fleet Admiral's office. "Come on. Let's go see Sengoku first."
Marineford - Fleet Admiral's Office
Creak—
The heavy mahogany door swung open. Sunlight spilled onto the mountain of paperwork, illuminating a corner of the office.
Sengoku sat at his desk, glasses sliding down his nose, writing furiously.
Garp was sprawled comfortably on the sofa, legs crossed, loudly crunching on rice crackers, crumbs scattering everywhere.
"Oh? You're back?" Sengoku put down his pen, looking up.
Roy walked in, his expression composed. "East Blue cleanup complete. The remaining pirate remnants have been handed over to Smoker and the local branches."
Ace followed, giving a crisp salute. "The main hostile pirate forces have been annihilated. No escapees."
Sengoku nodded. "Good. I expected as much. Well done."
Garp spoke through a mouthful of crackers. "What about that brat Luffy? Did he slack off?"
Roy smiled, shaking his head. "No. Instructor Zephyr personally dragged him onto a ship—Graduation Exam, pirate annihilation mission. He took Kuina and Zoro, too."
Garp sprayed crumbs everywhere. "Bwahahaha! That kid is doomed! Zephyr's exams aren't for the faint of heart!"
Sengoku rubbed his temples, sighing. "I just hope he doesn't go too overboard..."
Ace cleared his throat, his expression serious. "Fleet Admiral, I heard Enel is on a pursuit mission in the northern seas?"
Sengoku nodded. "Correct. It's a remnant group from a pirate crew we crushed a while back. They have considerable strength. Enel is perfect for the job."
Ace frowned slightly. "Fleet Admiral, I have a request. Could you have Enel swing by Instructor Zephyr's exam area after his mission? He doesn't need to interfere, just... take a look."
Sengoku and Garp exchanged a glance, a rare softness appearing in their eyes.
Garp tossed the cracker bag onto the table, grinning. "Tch. Brat really cares about his brother."
Sengoku closed his file, sighing lightly. "Don't worry. I'll have Intelligence notify Enel to pass by."
"Relax," Sengoku softened his tone. "Zephyr is strict, but he won't let his students die."
Roy walked to the window, looking out at the horizon. He smiled. "Nothing will go wrong, but they'll definitely lose a layer of skin."
"Yeah," Garp stood up, laughing. "To grow, you gotta take a beating."
Sengoku sat back, his voice low and solemn. "The Marines of the new era will be forged in fire and thunder."
The room fell silent.
Ace took a breath, watching the distant ship disappear. "Don't cause too much trouble, Luffy..."
Outside, a horn pierced the sky.
Onigashima - Beast Pirates' Base
In the dim throne room, fire roared in massive iron braziers, illuminating the ancient beast totems and broken axes on the walls.
The air smelled of blood and alcohol, the lingering scent of battle.
Gulp—gulp—
Kaido threw back a barrel of sake, the strong liquid dripping from his thick beard onto the dragon scale tattoo on his chest.
"Haaah—! That hits the spot!"
SMASH!!
He slammed the barrel into the floor, splinters flying, leaving a charred crack in the stone.
He wiped his mouth roughly, his voice booming like thunder. "Queen! What did you just say?"
Queen the Plague, sweating profusely, pulled a stack of intel reports from his chest zipper. "Bro, we just intercepted a report... A new pirate crew has appeared in the northern seas of the New World—the 'Tyrannosaurus Pirates'."
"Tyrannosaurus?" Kaido grinned, revealing sharp fangs. "Arrogant name."
Queen nodded. "Not just the name. Their strength is no joke."
He flipped open the file. "Their core combat force is the 'Three Pillars of the Hunt'—"
Captain: 'Tyrant King' Drake - Dragon-Dragon Fruit, Ancient Zoan, Model: Indominus Rex (Modified). Bounty: 680 Million Beri.
Vice Captain: 'Sword-Jaw' Gal - Dragon-Dragon Fruit, Ancient Zoan, Model: Stegosaurus.
Combat Captain: 'Phantom' Selena - Cat-Cat Fruit, Ancient Zoan, Model: Shadow Panther.
"Their style is extremely brutal. They destroyed a sword school, wiped out a Marine Commodore's fleet, and absorbed two medium-sized pirate crews. They're currently approaching the Thunder Rock Archipelago."
Kaido licked his lips, eyes glinting with murderous amusement. "Three Ancient Zoans... It's been a while since trash of this quality showed up."
He slammed the armrest of his throne. "I want to see if they have the guts to refuse the Beast Pirates."
Just then, Queen leaned in, lowering his voice. "By the way, Bro... Caesar sent a report. Since he moved into the factory, utilizing the 'experimental materials' from Wano, artificial fruit production has skyrocketed. We're getting ten stable fruits a week."
"Although some side effects remain, the success rate is up to 18%. The Gifters are now forming their fifth squad."
"Worororo~" Kaido stood up, laughing, his massive presence filling the room. "Good!! That guy finally did something useful!"
He grabbed his kanabo, stepping down from the dais. "This is 'mass-produced calamity'! When my animal army is complete—the whole world will kneel!!"
"As for those bugs calling themselves 'Tyrannosaurus'—" Kaido cracked his neck, the alcohol boiling in his blood. "They better crawl over here and submit."
He looked toward the shadows near the throne, at a figure carved from obsidian, wreathed in black flames.
"King."
Black wings spread. The sword remained sheathed, but the killing intent was sharp.
"Go."
Kaido whispered ominously. "Tell them—submit to the Beasts, or disappear from this sea... forever."
The hall fell silent, save for the crackling fire, illuminating King's back as he took flight—
The black flame of the Beasts was heading north, toward the Thunder Rock Archipelago.
New World - Northern Unnamed Sea
The wind howled like blades, the waves crashed with fury.
Under the gray sky, a grotesque ship cut through the waves, looking like a monster from hell.
The ship's prow was a tyrannosaurus skull forged from metal and bone, roaring with sharp teeth. The sides were painted with totems of skeletons and broken blades in black and blood red.
On the deck, a giant nearly five meters tall stood alone.
Muscles like iron rocks, a black steel battle axe half the size of a man resting on his shoulder. The blade was chipped, stained with dried blood.
His eyes were cold, pupils vertical scarlet slits, a vertical scar running down his forehead like a blood groove.
This was the captain of the Tyrannosaurus Pirates—
'Tyrant King' Drake.
"Report!!!" A lookout practically slid down the mast in panic. "Behind us... Unidentified Marine warship! Light cruiser class, extremely fast, heading straight for us!"
Drake raised an eyebrow, snorting heavily. "Marines?"
He looked up slowly, spinning the axe on his shoulder. "Interesting... They dare chase us?"
Vice Captain 'Sword-Jaw' Gal leaned against the railing, arms crossed, his grey-blue eyes sharp as a hawk's. "Not following... they're charging straight at us."
"Like they knew our route," he added calmly.
Another pirate with a telescope reported, confused, "It's... a purple-haired old man, two young swordsmen, and a kid... They don't look old, but they stand like soldiers."
"A purple-haired old man and three brats?" Drake sneered. "Heh... any cat or dog thinks they can block my ship now?"
He spread his arms, pointing to a rocky island nearby. "Orders—!"
"Change course! Dock at that island."
"I want to see what kind of clowns dare extend their claws toward my scales!"
The pirate ship turned, engines roaring, heading for the desolate, rocky island.
On deck, 'Phantom' Selena, wrapped in a black cloak, walked up, her amber vertical pupils glowing with excitement. "Captain... can I kill them this time?"
Drake grinned, showing yellowed fangs. His voice was a beastly growl. "Wait until they land."
He looked at the rapidly approaching warship, a cruel smile on his face.
"If they dare step foot on that island, I'll give them an apocalyptic welcome!"
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