The great doors shattered with a boom.
Splintered wood shards, now like deadly projectiles, blasted into the courtyard.
*Thwack! Thwack!*
The sound of flesh being pierced by fragments echoed.
"Who's there!"
"Ambush! Ambush!!"
"Grab your weapons!"
"Who dares to court death by coming to Golden Lion..."
"Ughh..."
*Crack!*
Barrett, like a ferocious tiger entering a flock of sheep, his devilish hands crushing countless throats and skulls.
The other squad members were elite soldiers trained in Six Powers.
Wielding short blades, they moved like grim reapers, harvesting lives.
Thin, elongated cuts appeared on necks, and victims clutched their throats, struggling until death.
Meanwhile, Barrett punched a pirate in the chest.
Bones cracked, and his fist sank in.
Suddenly.
Barrett grinned ferociously and tightened his grip.
*Bang!*
The pirate's chest exploded outwards from the immense force.
His blood-stained hand passed through the chest.
And caught a long sword thrusting towards him.
*Clang!*
Sparks flew.
Barrett's Armament Haki flowed outwards from his arm.
With a powerful yank, he pulled back.
The sword-wielding pirate captain was pulled uncontrollably towards Barrett.
Simultaneously, the pirate whose chest was pierced was impacted by the outward surge of Armament Haki.
Torn apart like a rag.
Severed limbs rained down.
The pirate captain, dragged towards Barrett, suddenly let go of his sword.
His fists, imbued with Armament Haki, pushed off to strike Barrett's head.
Those two fists, coated with Armament Haki,
Struck the sides of Barrett's head like twin peaks.
*Thump!*
A dull thud echoed.
In his Oni-Kishin state, Barrett's physical resilience was greatly enhanced.
The impact on his head was dispersed and absorbed.
Barrett's sinister grin did not waver.
He looked at the captain as if he were already dead:
"Not enough!!!!"
The pirate captain looked at the berserk Barrett with some shock.
He had no time to react and pull his fists back to dodge.
A blue blur streaked across, grabbing his shoulder.
The long blade in the other hand plunged directly into his body.
"Ughh..."
Barrett's sword-wielding arm exerted force upwards.
The sword's energy tore the pirate captain's body apart.
*Swoosh!*
As the bisected corpse fell to the ground.
Barrett's Observation Haki swept through.
The gathering of Golden Lion's subordinates in this area was almost completely cleared.
Only a few remaining, incredibly weak remnants were left.
*Swish!*
A whistle blew, and the assault team members, who were still hunting, all gathered around Barrett.
Barrett exited his Oni-Kishin state and ordered his men:
"Withdraw, and proceed to the next island."
Then, sonic booms sounded, and the figures standing on the spot vanished instantly.
Everything happened unbelievably fast.
In just a few minutes, the entire pirate gathering point was annihilated...
---
Grand Line, Jaya Island.
Dragon felt as if he had received enlightenment after just a few pages.
"Revolution... Revolution..."
He kept murmuring these two words.
These simple words seemed to contain supreme ideology.
Constantly bombarding Dragon's mind.
*Pat-pat-pat...*
The sound of hurried footsteps approached from afar.
Dragon snapped back to reality, slamming the booklet shut.
As if he had just experienced some great terror.
He was gasping for air:
"Huff—huff—"
He quickly stuffed the booklet into his pocket, regulating his chaotic breathing.
Taking a deep breath, he slowly exhaled, calming himself.
He pushed the door open and beckoned a nearby soldier.
The soldier ran over and saluted:
"Vice Admiral Dragon."
Dragon nodded and asked:
"Any discoveries?"
The soldier replied:
"Report, the search is not yet complete."
"No findings for now."
Dragon nodded slightly:
"Continue the search."
"Yes!"
Dragon walked into the distance, and a gentle breeze began to blow across the island...
On the warship at the port.
Vice Admiral Feld lay back lazily in his chair:
"Ah~ comfortable~"
"This breeze is so timely, it's so cool~"
His adjutant looked at him with a black line across his face:
"Vice Admiral, aren't you going to search?"
Feld replied lazily:
"Just a bunch of fools trying to explore history again."
"What's there to catch."
"Better to take a nap."
The adjutant shook his head and gave a wry smile.
Feld narrowed his eyes.
His thoughts drifted to the arrest three years ago...
He thought of those historians who shouted that they just wanted to uncover the truth of the world.
He sighed inwardly.
"Foolish..."
---
New World, Whole Cake Island.
Charlotte Linlin, whose figure had already started to change.
Angrily smashed the Den Den Mushi in her hand:
"Bastards!!!"
"This is already the fourth island!"
"Annihilated without even seeing the enemy!"
"Are they pigs!"
The many children in the hall trembled, not daring to breathe.
No one dared to cross her.
Charlotte Linlin grabbed Napoleon by her side and stood up abruptly:
"Perospero!"
"Katakuri!"
"Gather the men and set out."
"I want to see who has such gall!!!"
Her fearsome Conqueror's Haki swept out.
Perospero and Katakuri exchanged glances and quietly followed.
At the same time, they waved their hands to signal for men to be arranged.
Not long after.
Big Mom's ship set sail from Whole Cake Island.
Heading towards the island at the border between the territories of the Golden Lion and the Steam Pirates...
---
New World, Garna Island.
Within the territory of the Steam Pirates, one of the New World's three major powers.
Located on the edge, bordering the territories of the Big Mom Pirates and the Flying Pirates.
Sakazuki had just caused trouble in Big Mom's territory.
Afterward, he came here.
His backpack was already half empty.
As he landed, his Observation Haki detected something different.
Sakazuki let out a low chuckle:
"Quite perceptive."
Looking at the backpack in his hand, lava directly burned it to ashes...
He concealed his presence and headed towards the island's central palace.
Inside the palace at this moment.
Hell Noah sat in the main seat, listening to his subordinate's report.
"Boss, according to the latest news."
"Not only the Golden Lion's territory has been attacked."
"Islands under the Big Mom Pirates have also been attacked."
"All the leaders controlling their islands have been killed."
"This... perhaps we are next..."
Hell Noah waved his hand:
"It's nothing."
"Seeing that the attack is targeting the borders between our three factions."
"They probably want to stir up the New World."
"I want to see who it is."
"And..."
"If the Golden Lion truly dies... then..."
As he spoke, he casually threw a few photos onto the ground, his eyes narrowing in thought.
His subordinates looked at the photos on the ground.
Those photos were taken by spies lurking on various islands.
Photos of the fake newspapers Sakazuki had thrown out...
"Hiss!"
"This..."
"If the Golden Lion dies."
"That's a great opportunity."
"Impossible, right."
"How could he die so easily."
"He's a top-tier powerhouse."
"Exactly..."
*Boom!*
A loud bang, and the door was shattered.
The moment the door broke.
Hell Noah appeared in front of everyone.
*Smack!*
He caught something.
Looking at the lava bomb surging with energy in his hand, his pupils contracted.
His palm turned into a mass of steam, and the compressed steam below erupted.
With a rapid sound like a pressure cooker,
It shot the lava bomb straight into the sky.
*Boom!*
The exploding lava bomb's ejected magma, like a curtain, covered the area below.
Hell Noah below also threw out a steam bomb.
The exploding steam dispersed the magma curtain.
The magma fell like a fiery rain onto the island.
"Who is it!"
"Attack!"
"Quick, quick, quick!!!"
"Protect the boss!"
Hell Noah looked at Sakazuki in the distance, his gaze unhidden, a dangerous glint in his eyes.
"Navy, Sakazuki."
Hell Noah had heard the rumors about Sakazuki long ago.
Killing Whitebeard, Golden Lion losing an arm.
These were all circulating in the New World, and interpretations varied.
Hell Noah didn't believe it.
What a joke, Sakazuki leading five warships to annihilate the Golden Lion's fleet with zero casualties, and Golden Lion escaped with a severed arm.
If Golden Lion were that weak, could he have lived this long?
He had dealt with both of them countless times.
Before Whitebeard died, he had been constantly suppressed.
And during the scramble for territory after Whitebeard's death, he had clashed with Golden Lion several times.
He could state with certainty.
Unless Rocks had returned, no one could sever the arm of a top powerhouse on the sea today without a scratch.
There must be some unknown inside story, it couldn't be something Sakazuki alone could accomplish.
From a certain perspective, Hell Noah's thoughts were very close to the truth.
However, he underestimated Sakazuki's strength...
A cruel smile appeared on Hell Noah's lips:
"Since you're looking for death, then don't blame me."
He wanted to see how strong Sakazuki truly was. As his words fell,
His entire body rapidly expanded.
Growing to a size of five hundred meters.
Transforming into a steam giant.
Tearing through the palace.
*Hiss!*
Rapid steam sounds erupted from various parts of his body.
His arms were coated with Armament Haki.
White steam erupted from his back, and the exceptionally agile steam giant charged towards Sakazuki.
Looking at Hell Noah's moves, Sakazuki's brow twitched.
A little familiar...
He chuckled lightly:
"Good ability, but lacking in strength."
"Most importantly..."
"I counter you."
He clasped his hands together and struck:
"Entei Daitemma!"
*Rumble!*
Sakazuki's body also rapidly expanded and erupted!
Lava flowed and condensed, forming an eight-armed lava giant with black smoke and steam.
Eight hundred meters tall.
All eight arms were coated with Armament Haki.
Looking at the charging steam giant, the lava giant's mouth curved into a cruel smile...