Ray stood on the surface of the ocean, steam rising from his body.
His clothes were shredded, his silver hair was wild, and his breathing was heavy.
But he remained standing.
Although his demonic energy was dangerously low, he calmly faced the Yonko before him, circulating the last trace of demonic power through his veins to accelerate his regeneration.
'What now?' Ray thought, tightening his grip on the broken hilt of his sword.
But something unexpected happened.
Big Mom, hovering on Zeus twenty meters away, didn't attack.
Instead, she turned around.
"MAMAMAMA!"
She began to fly away into the distance, her massive form retreating toward the horizon.
Her voice, amplified by Haki, boomed back toward Ray, growing fainter as she moved.
"If you want your dog back, come to Whole Cake Island in the New World! I'll be waiting for you there! We have a wedding to plan!"
She paused,then her tone turning venomous.
"I'll only give you one month... If you don't show up by then, I'll skin him alive and turn him into a dog meat cake for my tea party! Mamamama!"
Ray watched her go, his eyes burning with silent fury.
She wasn't confident she could defeat Ray quickly without sustaining severe injuries herself.
That terrifying Meido Zangetsuha from earlier—the black hole that nearly swallowed her—had left quite a psychological blow on the Emperor.
She wasn't sure if Ray had any more hidden bursts of power, and she didn't want to find out the hard way.
Moreover, as a Yonko, she had already been present in the "Paradise" for too long.
There was another issue—Aokiji.
Big Mom knew the Admiral had just gone to Enies Lobby. For a man of his caliber, eliminating a few hundred sea beasts would be as easy as splashing water.
If she couldn't quickly defeat this silver-haired man before her, and Aokiji returned to support Ray in a 2v1, even she would find it difficult to escape unscathed.
Furthermore, the huge battle commotion she and Ray had created couldn't have gone unnoticed by Marine Headquarters.
If she delayed any longer, the chances of being surrounded by Garp, Sengoku, or Kizaru would increase significantly.
'Better to leave now,' Big Mom decided.
'I have the bait. Once I return to my territory, I only need to wait for Ray to walk right into my trap.'
For Big Mom, this was the most advantageous course of action!
...
Watching Big Mom disappear into the clouds, Ray didn't immediately give chase. He knew he didn't have the stamina to catch up to Zeus right now.
As for Big Mom's so-called one-month deadline, Ray was half-convinced and half-doubtful.
Logically speaking, those who had become Yonko still cared about their reputation.
Keeping promises, even threats, was part of their power.
Putting himself in her position, Ray analyzed the situation.
'To capture me, she needs leverage. It would be best for her to ensure Chouchou remains alive and well until I appear before her. Otherwise, if I learn of Chouchou's death beforehand, I might flee or go on a rampage elsewhere, rendering all her efforts worthless.'
But Big Mom was mentally unstable.
She was a woman capable of ambushing enemies and eating her own children during hunger pangs. Who knew if this old woman might be in a bad mood one day and kill Chouchou in her rage?
Thinking of this, Ray forced himself to calm down.
Panic would not save Chouchou.
'One month,' Ray thought, his fists clenching until his knuckles turned white.
'I have one month to get stronger. I have one month to prepare. And then... I am going to kill that fucking old hag.'
...
A few minutes later.
Not only had Aokiji successfully dealt with the sea beasts that had breached Enies Lobby, freezing them into massive ice sculptures, but he had also arranged matters on the judicial island.
Aokiji had ordered the surviving Marine officers to tend to the wounded and secure the perimeter. Once the immediate crisis was managed, he headed back toward the open sea, skating on a path of ice toward Ray's location.
The moment he saw the battle-worn Ray standing alone on the water, Aokiji showed an inexplicable smile.
"Arara," Aokiji drawled, sliding to a stop. "Ray, you're almost completely drained. Your Haki is faint. Yet you still dare to stay here waiting for me? Aren't you afraid I might capture you right now? This is the perfect chance for me you know."
Ray didn't even look at him.
He snorted coldly. "You can try."
Hearing this, Aokiji shook his head, chuckling.
"Arara, what an arrogant fellow. Your sword is broken, you're bleeding, yet you're still this confident?"
Ray looked down at his right hand. He was holding the hilt of Tokijin.
The blade was gone.
Only a jagged, five-inch remnant of the metal remained attached to the guard.
During the earlier battle, Ray had been crazily infusing Demonic Power and Haki into the weapon. Midway through the duel with Aokiji, the sword had been repeatedly frozen by the Admiral's awakening techniques, making the metal brittle.
Then, it had withstood Big Mom's strongest Ikoku Sovereignty.
This weapon, forged from the fangs of a demon, had finally reached its limit.
'A pity,' Ray thought. 'I never expected that this sword would be destroyed. What an unexpected turn of events.'
But Ray didn't dwell on it.
He casually tossed the broken hilt into the sea, letting it sink into the dark depths.
Seeing Ray's nonchalant action, Aokiji shrugged helplessly.
"Ma~ fine," Aokiji sighed, scratching his head. "I won't fight you to the death this time. Let's call it even."
Aokiji's expression turned serious. "If you weren't here, I truly couldn't have handled both fighting a Yonko and restraining those frenzied sea beasts alone. Enies Lobby would have fallen. Though I'm certain you had no intention of actively helping me either, the result is the same."
"As for Water 7," Aokiji continued, looking toward the distant island. "How about putting on a show with me? The World Government will demand answers. At least let me send a reply to the Celestial Dragons that we 'tried our best' before you escaped."
Ray said nothing more.
He merely watched calmly in the direction Big Mom had departed, his mind already formulating plans for the New World.
"Do what you want," Ray muttered.
Just as Aokiji was about to share his specific plans regarding the "staged" battle at Water 7, both of them simultaneously tensed up.
RUMBLE...
A deep, vibrating sound echoed through the water beneath their feet.
"Disturbances beneath the sea..." Aokiji noted, frowning.
Ray also frowned slightly.
It felt like a massive earthquake was occurring deep beneath the ocean floor not far away.
The water began to churn violently, waves rising without wind.
After brief consideration, they both arrived at the same conclusion.
"Aqua Laguna?" Ray asked.
"Aqua Laguna," Aokiji confirmed.
But they were somewhat puzzled.
Wasn't the Aqua Laguna supposed to arrive tonight?
It was only 10:00 in the morning right now.
Was the tsunami already going to strike Water 7?
The timing of the aqua laguna had always been fixed every year.
What was happening today?
...
Flashback: Underwater
Some time earlier.
After Big Mom left the floating island, her partner remained busy.
Shiki used his Fuwa Fuwa no Mi ability to switch his massive pirate ship to flight mode.
Then, Shiki and a group of scientists he had captured flew above the specific sea area known to trigger the Aqua Laguna.
Shiki grinned, lighting a cigar. "Let's speed things up."
As a former great pirate who had roamed the New World and rivaled Roger, he naturally had skilled subordinates capable of ship coating.
Thus, Shiki and his scientists brought the coated pirate ship several hundred meters underwater. Using his gravity-defying ability, Shiki touched the tectonic plates of the seabed.
RUMBLE!
He altered the movement of the crust, forcing the pressure to release early.
And not just early—he enhanced it.
Thus, the massive tsunami was triggered ahead of schedule!
...
The Present
When they sensed the impending arrival of the tsunami, Ray and Aokiji realized the danger instantly.
"The civilians are still evacuating," Aokiji realized, his face paling. "If that wave hits now..."
"They die," Ray finished.
Ray and Aokiji could only helplessly rush back to Water 7 to rescue people.
Two powerful individuals, found themselves reacting passively to the chaos of the day.
"Let's go!"
The two quickly moved toward Water 7, hoping to make it in time.
Not long after they left the area... a figure floated down from the sky.
Golden Lion Shiki returned alone to the ruins of Enies Lobby, grinning at his handiwork!
...
Meanwhile, back at the beach.
The battle was raging harder than ever. The two pirate crews were still locked in combat with the Marines.
Vice Admiral Momonga continued directing the shelling from the flagship about one kilometer away from the island.
As for the other four Vice Admirals—Onigumo, Doberman, Strawberry, and Yamakaji—they had now reached the island.
They were forced to land and fight directly against members of the Straw Hat Pirates.
They had no choice.
If they didn't intervene, their elite Marine soldiers would have been wiped out already by the pirates.
CLANG!
Zoro was locked in a duel with Vice Admiral Onigumo, his three swords clashing against the Vice Admiral's eight-sword style.
Sanji was trading kicks with Vice Admiral Strawberry.
"Clutch!"
Robin was using her giant limbs to hold back Vice Admiral Yamakaji.
The remaining Vice Admiral, Doberman, was being held back by a surprising duo: Gin and Alvida of the Buggy Pirates.
They were struggling, but they hold the line.
Meanwhile, the captains—Luffy and Buggy—were currently facing unprecedented pressure.
Both captains were exceptionally serious right now.
Sweat poured down their faces.
Because their opponent was none other than the former Marine Admiral, "Black Arm" Zephyr!
With the civilian evacuation mostly complete, Zephyr could no longer stand by and watch.
His duty compelled him to act.
"Gum-Gum - Red Hawk !" Luffy roared, his arm stretching back, wreathed in flames and Haki.
"BUGGY MACHINE GUN!" Buggy shouted, levitating hundreds of Haki-coated rocks and firing them like bullets.
A rubber fire fist and a barrage of stone projectiles simultaneously attacked the legendary hero.
Seeing this combined assault, which was powerful enough to defeat an average Vice Admiral instantly, Zephyr's expression remained remarkably relaxed.
He smiled slightly while adjusting his sunglasses.
"Not bad, kids," Zephyr grunted.
He pushed off powerfully with his legs.
"SORU!"
With incredible speed that defied his age and bulk, he instantly dodged the attacks, appearing as a blur.
He closed the distance to the two captains in a heartbeat.
"Black Fist!"
BAM! BAM!
Both his left and right fists shot out simultaneously, coated in shiny black Armament Haki. He struck toward Buggy and Luffy respectively.
However, these two captains were no pushovers either.
Relying on their exceptional Observation Haki, they pushed themselves to the limit.
They barely evaded Zephyr's punches, the wind pressure alone cutting their cheeks.
They leaped in different directions—one to the front, one to the back—surrounding Zephyr in the middle.
"Now!" Luffy shouted.
Just as the two were preparing to launch their next combined assault, Zephyr suddenly raised his hand.
"Hold it," Zephyr commanded, his voice sharp.
He lowered his fists, looking toward the ocean with a frown.
"The seawater..." Zephyr muttered. "It feels off."
Buggy and Luffy froze mid-attack, blinking in confusion.
"Huh?" Luffy asked. "What do you mean?"
---------
I dont get it, people complaining about Mc joining luffy cause they dont like luffy? then why do you watch one piece or read a one piece fanfic??