"Of course it's fake. How could something like that exist in this world?"
Abis snapped, glaring at Nami.
Even though she didn't fully understand whether the bones of the Millennium Dragon could really be used to make an elixir of life, one thing was certain—she would never allow anyone to harm the ancient creature.
Kaoru Tsubasa, watching silently beside them, was reminded of something else entirely—the Ope Ope no Mi, the Operation Fruit. The legendary ability to perform the "Perennial Youth Surgery," granting true immortality. Based on the memories of his past life, Kaoru suspected that the shadowy ruler Imu might have once undergone that very operation.
"I was only kidding! Don't get so worked up," Nami said quickly, noticing the anger flashing in Abis's eyes.
She could tell the girl deeply cared about the Millennium Dragon.
"Let's drop the dragon talk for now," Sanji interjected, smoothly steering the topic away. "Abis, where's your home?"
"Battleship Island," Abis replied without hesitation.
"Battleship Island?" Luffy tilted his head. "Why's it called that? Does it look like a warship or something?"
"That's right," Abis nodded. "From a distance, the whole island looks just like one."
Kaoru Tsubasa already knew this. He'd read enough about Gunkanjima—the real-world name for Battleship Island—to recall that its jagged stone ridges resembled the hull of an ancient battleship.
After a brief discussion, the crew agreed to take Abis home.
"Alright, set course for Battleship Island!" Luffy announced proudly from his perch atop the rail.
Nami immediately spread out the chart while Karina—nicknamed "Bloodthirsty" for her sharp instincts—helped mark the heading.
Just as they began steering the Merry toward open waters—
"Hey! Bad news!" Usopp shouted from the crow's nest. "Marines! Up ahead to the left!"
"A warship?" Luffy's face lit up. "They're finally here to arrest me?"
He looked almost thrilled by the idea. His bounty had just been issued, and he'd been waiting for the Navy's reaction ever since.
"How could that be possible?" Nami snapped. "Even if they were after you, they wouldn't send this many ships!"
She pointed toward the horizon, where rows of warships advanced in formation. It looked like a miniature Buster Call.
"I must be too awesome if it takes that many ships to catch me," Luffy grinned smugly.
Zoro sighed, rubbing his temple. "This idiot…"
Sanji flicked ash from his cigarette. "No one's sending a fleet for a rookie worth thirty-five million."
"That's the Navy from the Eighth Branch!" Abis suddenly exclaimed.
"The Eighth Branch?" Nami echoed in confusion.
"They're the ones who captured me," Abis said quietly.
Kaoru Tsubasa narrowed his eyes as he watched the approaching ships. "So it's them again, huh?"
Abis nodded gravely.
"Are they bad guys?" Luffy asked with childlike earnestness.
To him, the world was simple—there were good people and bad people. And obviously, he was one of the good ones.
"Pretty much," Kaoru said with a faint smirk. "We're pirates, after all. To us, the Navy's the bad guys."
"Got it!" Luffy cracked his knuckles. "Then I'll beat them up!"
He was already tensing to leap into action. The Luffy of this world wasn't quite like the one Kaoru remembered—he had already mastered Second and Third Gear. A few warships led by mere colonels would be no challenge at all.
"Hold on," Kaoru said, stepping forward. "Let me try out my new technique first."
Luffy blinked. "You sure?"
Kaoru smiled faintly. "I've been sparring with Rock Lee in the virtual realm for months. Time to see how far my body's come."
His muscles tensed, veins bulging as he whispered under his breath, "Open the gate… First Gate—Release!"
A powerful aura burst from him. His speed exploded as he kicked off the deck—straight into the air.
"He's running on air?!" Sanji shouted, eyes wide.
He'd heard of such a thing before—the Navy's Geppo, or Moon Step—but seeing it performed live was another matter.
Kaoru ignored their astonishment. He dashed through the sky toward the warships, each footstep exploding with bursts of compressed air.
He'd spent two full years mastering this technique under Instructor Zephyr in Redoria. Two long, frustrating years to learn what others might achieve in months. If not for the System guiding him, he might've remained a nobody forever.
"Colonel Nelson!" a marine lookout shouted. "There's someone running on air from that pirate ship!"
"Running on air?" Nelson sneered. "Just shoot him down."
Cannons swiveled toward Kaoru.
Boom!
Boom!
Boom!
Shells roared through the sky.
Kaoru grinned. "Lotus Formation—Retaliation!"
He tore off the bandages wrapped around his arms and whipped them out like serpents. The bandages snared several incoming shells midair—then spun, hurling them back toward the fleet.
This was a variation of Rock Lee's Primary Lotus, modified into Kaoru's own personal technique during his months of training.
"The shells! He threw them back!" a marine screamed in disbelief.
"Take cover!" Nelson bellowed, diving for the hatch.
BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!
A string of explosions tore through the fleet.
Ordinary cannon fire couldn't normally destroy Navy warships—but Kaoru's attacks weren't ordinary. Each shell was wrapped in a layer of chakra, amplifying its destructive force severalfold.
"Th-they actually blew up the ships…" Nelson stammered, staring in horror.
The only reason his own vessel hadn't been destroyed was thanks to the man beside him—Eric, a mercenary with the power of the Scythe-Scythe Fruit. With a sweep of his wind-scythe, he deflected the redirected shells.
"So Nelson and Eric are both here…" Kaoru muttered, narrowing his eyes.
"Lotus Technique—Black Rope!"
He wrapped his bandages around his arms again, coating them in Armament Haki, and lashed them forward.
The reinforced bandages sliced through the air with a sound like tearing steel.
Crack!
BOOM!
Kaoru landed directly on the deck of Nelson's warship, spinning and slashing with both arms.
Within moments, the ship was a wreck—its deck splintered, its cannons twisted and useless.
Kaoru straightened, the bandages fluttering behind him like ribbons of black flame.
His Haki shimmered faintly—a dense, impenetrable shell of power. Even someone like Garp in his prime would've struggled to break through it.
Of course, Kaoru wasn't so arrogant as to think he was untouchable. Ever since the System's last update—after the "Colonel Mouse Incident"—he had felt the Navy's overall power rising rapidly.
Still, that didn't change one simple fact: for now, Kaoru Tsubasa stood untouchable on this battlefield.