The next day, under Morgans' relentless hype, news of the "Fifth Emperor" Arima's reappearance on Dressrosa Island in the New World, after a half-year absence, spread like wildfire across the seas.
In his reports, Morgans subtly hinted that the Celestial Dragons' treasure was buried on that same island, even publishing photos of a few treasure chests marked with the hoof-shaped insignia of the Tenryuubito.
That was all it took to ignite every pirate's greed. Crews all over the world set sail for the New World in droves.
Upon learning of Arima's whereabouts, the Five Elders immediately dispatched elite CP0 agents to cooperate with the Marines in a full-scale assault against him.
At the same time, the Big Mom Pirates and Beasts Pirates, after decades apart, decided to temporarily join forces again, with one goal: to kill Arima and his allies.
However, Shanks' Red-Haired Pirates and Edward Newgate's Whitebeard Pirates remained unusually quiet.
Among the Seven Warlords of the Sea, six accepted the Navy's invitation to participate. Only Boa Hancock refused.
At this point, Dressrosa was surrounded by enemies on all sides.
Early the next morning, Shanks called Arima.
"Hey, Arima, why is it that every time you show up, you make the biggest damn headlines?
Every major power's heading to Dressrosa right now. You'd better pack up and lay low before things get ugly."
Having learned of the growing movements around the world, Shanks had rushed to warn him.
"Heh, so they're already coming? I thought it'd take them a little longer to react."
Arima didn't sound the least bit worried about his situation.
"What, are you actually looking forward to fighting them? You barely have a handful of people on your ship, what, three top-tier fighters at most?
Let me break this down for you: the ones confirmed to be coming include Fleet Admiral Sengoku, old man Garp, Kaido, Big Mom, the three Admirals, CP0, and six Warlords of the Sea!
Even my crew would think twice before taking that on!"
"Why aren't you coming then?"
"Me? Why the hell would I? I'm not short on money, and I'm definitely not short on booze.
Besides, you still owe me a few barrels! What, planning to get yourself killed just to skip out on the debt? Not happening, buddy!"
"Uh… Shanks, let me ask you something. Are those the only top-tier fighters left on the seas?"
"Hmm… other than the ones I just listed, there are still plenty of monsters locked up in Impel Down's Prison.
And honestly, I'm not sure what the Five Elders are really capable of. Word is, there's someone even stronger above them."
"Oh? Someone above the Five Elders…? Huh. Alright, I got it. Once this is over, I'll come visit you."
"Heh, just don't make me have to save your ass."
"I'll hang up for now. Got a few things to prepare."
Arima ended the call, kissed the still-sleeping Tsunade, got out of bed, changed clothes, and headed for the King's Plateau.
By then, King Riku had already received a final ultimatum from the World Government, ordering him to immediately arrest Arima and prepare for punishment if he refused.
The king was bitterly helpless, sighing again and again.
For years, Dressrosa's economy had been weak, shackled by the Heavenly Tribute like an iron chain that strangled the nation's growth.
But King Riku had come to understand Arima's nature, and in this gamble that would decide the country's fate, he was willing to stake everything on him.
When Arima arrived at the palace, the two quickly came to an agreement: evacuate the island's residents to Green Bit for now, and bring them back only after the war was over.
King Riku had clearly decided to follow this path to the end.
There was still nearly a week before the enemy forces arrived, enough time for preparations.
"It's time to reclaim the Dark-Dark Fruit."
Looking down at the bustling evacuation below, Arima muttered to himself.
From that day on, he left only a single Wood Clone behind on Dressrosa as a guard against intruders, while his true body, following the system's guidance, dove into the depths of the sea to retrieve the most "sinister" of all Devil Fruits.
Six days flew by, and Dressrosa was now fully prepared for war.
The civilians had all relocated to Green Bit, where they finally discovered that the "fairies" of legend were real. They were the Tontatta, the dwarves who lived there.
The little people had eagerly volunteered to join the battle, but Arima firmly refused. Instead, they joined forces with the royal guards to defend Green Bit.
Inside the now-empty palace, Arima's family lived as usual, completely unfazed by the looming war.
The newest member, Monet, admired their calmness. She had assumed they must have some secret plan in place.
But as time passed, she realized with growing unease that all their available fighters were already present.
Her anxiety deepened by the day. Having never truly felt a sense of belonging in "Konoha," she began to consider escaping with her sister amidst the chaos.
Tsunade seemed to notice her thoughts. "If you want to leave, you can go anytime," she told her.
"Arima has a kind heart. He couldn't bear to see Sugar still trapped under Doflamingo's influence, which is why he saved her in the first place. Otherwise, why bother?"
Those words etched themselves into Monet's heart.
Over the next few days, she realized her sister Sugar had already blended in perfectly with Arima's family, smiling more than ever before.
Compared to their old lives under Doflamingo, the ideals she'd once held so dearly were crumbling without her even noticing.
As Monet wavered between doubt and fear, a single question from her sister struck her deeply.
On the afternoon before the seventh day, the eve of battle, Monet approached her sister and whispered, "Sugar, how about we leave this place before it turns into rubble?"
Sugar looked up from her candy and asked innocently, "Will Kushina and the others come too?"
Monet shook her head. "Just the two of us."
"Then… we'll be wandering again?" Sugar's gaze locked on her sister's face, her eyes wide and unblinking.
That single word, "wandering", pierced Monet's heart like a knife.
Two scenes flashed through her mind.
One was her life in the Donquixote Family, growing stronger through blood and slaughter, doing everything to protect her sister.
The other was her time here in Konoha's circle, where she could finally lower her guard and live as a person, not a weapon. Sugar laughed freely now, surrounded by real friends.
In the end, Monet made her choice. She would stay, even if this land was about to turn to ashes. She believed that man, Arima, would never allow their "Konoha" family to be destroyed.
What she didn't know was that Tsunade and Mito had seen through her every thought.
"Tsunade, I assume this puts your worries to rest?" Mito asked with a smile.
"Yeah. It's always better to be cautious, though. We haven't known them long, and you're the one who taught me never to fully drop my guard."
"You brat, dragging me into this too! …Anyway, Arima's clone just reported back, he's found the Dark-Dark Fruit and is on his way home."
"Really? Heh, that's great news! Those bastards are in for a real surprise now!"
"They think they can bully an old woman like me just because I seem outnumbered? The Nine-Tails is going to show them what real power looks like this time.
And if the passage between the Shinobi World and this one ever opens again… oh, what a show that'll be."
"Hehe, Grandma, you're the best! Say, if Granduncle finds out Arima's been surrounded, you think he'd lose his temper and use Edo Tensei to summon Grandpa back?"
"You brat! Of course not! Though if that happened, I'm sure the former Kage from all five great villages would be showing up too!"
"Heehee, I knew you all loved Arima the most!"
"Alright, you're sweet enough to give me cavities. Go get ready, we should evacuate too. This country didn't come easy, and it'd be a shame to see it destroyed."
"So Arima's planning to ambush them at sea? Doesn't he need our help?"
"Arima said he could handle it, but as his grandmother, there's no way I'm letting anyone lay a finger on my grandson without answering to me."
Though Mito smiled, the overwhelming pressure radiating from her made even Tsunade shiver. She knew her grandmother had been holding back her fury for far too long.
"Then I'm going too!" Tsunade declared.
But Mito shook her head. "No, you stay and protect the younger ones. This world still holds many secrets, and we must be ready for the worst.
If they find the Konoha Senju, one Wood Clone might not be enough to hold them off."
"Aww, fine. What a shame. Guess I'll just have to let you two take all the glory. Who knows, Grandma, maybe your bounty will end up higher than mine!"
"Hmph, we'll talk about that later! Now go, my clone just spotted a fleet approaching the nearby waters."
"On it!"
Tsunade strode out of the palace, her steps steady and sure, as she gathered the family for one final pre-battle meeting.
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