Chapter 197: The Gathering Storm
Kuma's original intention had been to send Luffy directly to Amazon Lily in the Calm Belt—far from the impending maelstrom, where he could train and grow stronger in safety. But now he felt uncertain about Rhodes's intentions.
Rhodes's performance in this battle had been extraordinary, genuinely rivaling an Admiral in multiple respects.
After pondering momentarily, Kuma noticed Rayleigh secretly observing from a distance. With sudden inspiration, he spoke to Luffy in a low, mechanical voice:
"We will never meet again. Farewell."
With that declaration, Kuma sent Luffy flying with his Nikyu Nikyu no Mi ability, leaving only a small puff of dust swirling from the ground.
Rayleigh, who'd been keeping careful watch over the area, felt genuinely startled. He noticed that the direction Luffy had disappeared toward seemed... suspiciously like his own home?
What the hell?!
This massive guy had quietly deposited Luffy directly at his residence?
Rayleigh immediately leaped down from his observation point. Although he didn't particularly mind accepting Kuma's "delivery," he still wanted to understand the situation properly.
Kuma began explaining:
"Luffy's straw hat comes from Red-Haired Shanks, and he himself is—"
"Excuse me, Rayleigh-san. I need to stop their fight immediately."
Perhaps due to his ongoing Pacifista conversion, Kuma's perception wasn't as sharp as usual—he hadn't noticed the true nature of Rhodes and Kizaru's current "battle."
With that, he utilized his Devil Fruit power to reach Rhodes and Kizaru at near-instantaneous speed, clapping his palms together to release an incredibly powerful repulsive shockwave.
Rhodes and Kizaru naturally retreated from the blast.
Kizaru dispersed Ama no Murakumo and spoke with deliberately serious expression:
"Bartholomew Kuma~ have you considered the consequences of your actions~?"
"As long as it's not a direct order from the World Government, I retain the right to act according to my own judgment."
Kuma responded calmly. He cast Rhodes a brief look of gratitude before turning to depart.
His current compromised status made prolonged interaction with Rhodes inadvisable.
Rhodes remained silent, watching him leave. This was a man worthy of profound respect—someone willing to sacrifice everything, even his own consciousness, for his ideals.
"What about you, Rhodes~?"
Kizaru's attention shifted back to Rhodes. The primary culprit in the Celestial Dragon incident had slipped through his grasp. While this wouldn't endanger him as an Admiral, it still represented a problematic failure—so naturally he needed to assign responsibility somewhere.
"Weren't we just sparring?"
Rhodes sheathed Spectre with a faint smile. "Besides, that battlefield will need combatants of my caliber soon enough."
Kizaru paused momentarily—this was precisely why he hadn't wanted to genuinely confront Rhodes.
"I'll report it as a sparring match then~ I'll inform Fleet Admiral Sengoku about what transpired on the island~"
"As you wish."
Rhodes waved dismissively and turned to leave.
He wasn't remotely concerned that the Marines or World Government would target him over something like this.
Being on par with an Admiral—a genuine peak-tier combatant—was no trivial matter. Perhaps only twenty to thirty such individuals existed worldwide. They represented forces capable of influencing global affairs, and every major organization had to respect and value them accordingly.
Not to mention the rapidly approaching Battle of Marineford.
As for any potential aftermath following Marineford—the Marines and World Government might pursue retaliation, but what did Rhodes have to fear?
Even if Rhodes's plans at Marineford somehow failed and the Book of Knowledge didn't advance to the next stage, with his current capabilities, he was nobody's easy target.
He felt confident facing one Admiral—the outcome uncertain, but survivable.
Even against two Admirals simultaneously, he could still escape unscathed given his superior mobility.
As for three Admirals at once...
He'd never witnessed all three engaging a single opponent simultaneously. If that unprecedented scenario somehow occurred, the worst-case outcome was simply walking away.
Rhodes remained completely undeterred, his immense personal strength forming the foundation of his absolute confidence.
"Ahh~ what a headache~ they've all escaped~"
Kizaru rubbed his chin and spoke slowly to Sentomaru:
"We can't return to Marine Headquarters completely empty-handed, can we, Sentomaru~?"
"Old man, in that case, let's just capture some pirates and bring them back to save face."
At Sentomaru's practical suggestion, Kizaru's eyes lit up with approval. Pirates were indeed much easier targets to bully. Just watch this performance.
Soon, a series of explosions and anguished screams echoed across various groves of Sabaody Archipelago.
Meanwhile, after finishing his brief conversation with Kuma, Rayleigh immediately rushed home—and sure enough, discovered a freshly unconscious Luffy sprawled across his floor.
"Grandson of a Navy hero, son of the Revolutionary Army's Supreme Commander, captain of the Straw Hat Pirates, protected by Shanks... what on earth are you thinking, Red Hair?"
Rayleigh muttered, feeling a genuine headache forming.
Shakky stood nearby, equally surprised—some of this information had been unknown even to her.
"By the way, after Rhodes-kun revealed Ace's identity last time, I did some research. Luffy and Ace are apparently brothers."
"Huh?"
Rayleigh's mouth fell open unconsciously, his mind instantly filling with numerous complicated implications.
"Not biological brothers—they were probably raised together by Garp."
Shakky clarified with slight exasperation.
"You'd better start thinking about how to tell him that Ace has been imprisoned in Impel Down and is scheduled for public execution."
At that precise moment, a shocked voice suddenly rang out:
"Ace is imprisoned in Impel Down?! He's going to be publicly executed?!"
It was Luffy, having regained consciousness and now staring at Shakky with wide, horrified eyes.
"Rayleigh-san! I'm going to Impel Down to save Ace!"
The news of Fire Fist Ace's impending public execution spread like a devastating hurricane across the seas, rippling throughout the entire world.
Everyone who heard felt shocked, shaken to their core.
Because they understood perfectly what this announcement meant.
If the Marines had executed Ace secretly, it might not have triggered major consequences. But a public execution meant the strongest man who'd ever stood at the world's pinnacle would never allow it to proceed unopposed.
"The world is about to change."
Anyone with even modest insight could keenly sense the overwhelming scent of approaching war. The mandatory summons of all Seven Warlords, the mobilization of countless elite Marine forces...
Everything coalesced into an invisible storm cloud hanging ominously over everyone's heads.
What was about to erupt was undoubtedly a world-shaking—perhaps even era-defining—war!
Off the coast of Amazon Lily—
A Marine warship lay anchored in the Calm Belt. Beside it floated the massive corpse of a Sea King, its blood having stained the surrounding waters crimson.
Vice Admiral Momonga, having just demonstrated his prowess by slaying the Sea King, now felt genuinely nervous.
He was about to face the notoriously eccentric and impossibly arrogant Pirate Empress, Boa Hancock.
As Hancock approached aboard the Kuja Pirates' ship, Momonga discovered with surprise that despite her legendary aloofness, pride, and devastating beauty, the Pirate Empress wasn't quite as unreasonable as her reputation suggested.
"Isn't Rho— the Dragon Slayer also supposed to attend this summons?"
Hancock inquired with studied casualness.
"Of course."
"In fact, besides retrieving you, I'm also proceeding to Sabaody Archipelago to collect Rhodes."
Momonga, uncertain of Hancock's reasoning for asking, responded immediately.
Upon hearing this confirmation, Hancock's eyes flickered with barely concealed joy, though her expression remained perfectly composed—maintaining her aloof empress demeanor flawlessly.
"In that case, let's depart."
"Understood."
Vice Admiral Momonga agreed readily, though several questions lingered in his mind.
Could it be that the Empress and Rhodes have some kind of grudge?
The thought made Momonga feel a subtle sense of schadenfreude. He and Rhodes did know each other, and they'd developed a modest friendship.
But Rhodes's strength had grown so explosively fast. Not long after they'd separated, he'd already defeated the legendary Chinjao, and just days ago, he'd apparently matched Admiral Kizaru's strength in direct combat.
God only knew how surprised Momonga had been upon hearing that particular report.
Momonga couldn't hope to catch up to Rhodes in terms of raw power, but it would certainly be entertaining to witness Rhodes experiencing some embarrassment.
He certainly didn't believe Hancock could defeat Rhodes—who now rivaled an Admiral—but Rhodes was still young, full of masculine pride and vigor. He probably wouldn't fare particularly well against the world's most beautiful woman, someone even Momonga himself found somewhat overwhelming to deal with.
(End of Chapter)
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