Kong, the "Steel Bone," never imagined that even with his and the bald Elder Star's personal intervention, the situation would spiral so far out of control.
Just moments ago, as Lin Xuan and his forces landed on Sabaody Archipelago, the Marines had launched repeated assaults in desperate attempts to rescue the three Celestial Dragons. Yet each offensive was thwarted by the ninja world's elite, ending in utter failure. Now, they couldn't even get close to Sabaody, let alone reach the execution platform.
But the thought of the enemy publicly beheading Celestial Dragons before the eyes of the world was unthinkable. The Marines couldn't possibly give up, relentlessly charging toward the archipelago—only to be repelled every time by devastating ninjutsu.
Finally, after multiple failed assaults, Fleet Admiral Sengoku called a halt to the futile attacks. His expression was grim.
"Garp's sister, Tsuru… do you have any ideas?" Sengoku asked, his last hope resting on the "Great Staff Officer," Vice Admiral Tsuru.
Tsuru shook her head. Even she had no solution for this predicament.
Though reluctant to admit it, the enemy's strength was overwhelming. With just over a hundred fighters, they had held back tens of thousands of Marines, even suppressing them. Now, with the three Admirals incapacitated and the remaining forces battered, rescuing the hostages seemed nearly impossible.
Yet giving up wasn't an option. They all knew the catastrophic consequences if the Celestial Dragons were executed.
Just then, a messenger rushed forward, holding a Den Den Mushi.
"Commander-in-Chief Kong! A call from Dr. Vegapunk!"
Kong and the others exchanged surprised glances. Why would the genius scientist contact them now?
Taking the white Den Den Mushi, Kong answered, "This is Kong."
A calm male voice replied, "Ah, Kong. I'm aware of your situation. There's something aboard your wrecked flagship that might help."
Sengoku and the others were stunned.
Kong immediately sent soldiers to search the remains of the destroyed battleship. Soon, they retrieved a strange device—a palm-sized apparatus with a glass chamber filled with a blue liquid.
"What is this?" Kong muttered, examining it.
"A little invention I recently created, inspired by Admiral Kuzan's abilities," Vegapunk explained briefly over the call, detailing its function, usage, and risks before abruptly hanging up.
Kong and Sengoku's faces lit up with hope.
If this device worked as described, they might not only rescue the Celestial Dragons but also restore the Marines' dignity!
"What do you think?" Kong asked Sengoku and Tsuru, gauging their willingness to use it.
Sengoku didn't hesitate. "Use it. We must save the Celestial Dragons at all costs."
The others nodded in agreement. With no other options, this was their only hope.
"Then let's proceed," Kong declared, gripping the device as he strode toward Sabaody.
But after just two steps, Sengoku stopped him.
"You're the World Government's Commander-in-Chief. You can't afford to take risks. I'll go."
Before Sengoku could finish, Tsuru snatched the device from Kong's hands.
"Enough. Neither of you can afford to be reckless. This old woman will handle it."
Ignoring their protests, she dashed toward the archipelago.
"Tsuru—!" Sengoku moved to stop her, but Kong held him back.
"Sengoku, she's made her choice. And she's right—the Marines can't lose you."
Sengoku's expression twisted, but he finally gritted his teeth. "She'll be fine."
Under covering fire from the Marines, Tsuru swiftly closed the distance to Sabaody, stopping just a hundred paces away. Fortunately, scattered ice fragments from earlier provided footing—otherwise, she'd have had no place to stand.
Crouching on the ice, Tsuru submerged the device in seawater.
"Come on, let this old body serve one last purpose," she murmured resolutely.
Vegapunk had warned that activating the device at close range could be fatal.
Without hesitation, she pressed the red button.
BOOM!
A blinding blue light erupted from the device, shooting skyward.
Before anyone could react, the beam engulfed Sabaody Archipelago. The surrounding seawater was instantly drained as the light encased the entire island.
When the radiance faded, the Marines gasped in shock.
Before them, Sabaody Archipelago had been transformed into a colossal block of ice—every building, every person frozen solid. The once-lively island now stood as a glacial monument.
Simultaneously, viewers worldwide watching the live broadcast saw the feed suddenly freeze—not cutting out, but locking in place as if time had stopped.
"What's happening?"
"Did something go wrong?"
"It's like the whole island was frozen!"
"Did Admiral Aokiji intervene?"
"If he were that powerful, the Marines wouldn't have lost so badly!"
"I saw Vice Admiral Tsuru do something—it must be her!"
Amid the global confusion, Sengoku barked orders:
"Now! Rescue the Celestial Dragons while we still can!"
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T/N:
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