Time seemed to freeze at that moment.
Usopp's smile stiffened on his face, and everyone's gaze instantly snapped toward the golden Den Den Mushi, which was continuously emitting its ominous alarm.
He... he actually pressed it!
...
Almost simultaneously,
In the communication room of Marine Headquarters, a top-level alarm suddenly blared!
"Report! Signal received from a golden Den Den Mushi! Coordinates: Water 7!"
"The Buster Call... has been activated!"
"Execute immediately! Order five Vice Admirals in the nearby sea area to lead the strongest fleet and proceed at once! Target — complete obliteration of Water 7!"
The order, like an icy iron law, was transmitted across the sea via radio waves.
Five massive, terrifying fleets, flying Marine flags, like a pack of sharks smelling blood, simultaneously turned their bows, cut through the waves, and sailed at full speed toward the unfortunate island, carrying the command to destroy everything.
Meanwhile, at the Water 7 dock, the alarm continued to echo shrilly.
Spandam lay slumped on the ground, his face a mixture of exhaustion from his enacted madness and a pale, lingering fear, still muttering nervously, "You forced me... you did..."
Ron's eyes instantly turned ice-cold, and without the slightest hesitation, his figure blurred as he moved!
*Bang!*
A heavy thud!
Ron's foot had already kicked Spandam's abdomen like a battle-axe!
"Waaah—!" Spandam screamed, his body flying backward like a broken sack, blood spewing from his mouth in a dazzling arc.
He crashed heavily to the ground, without even the strength to groan.
"Useless," Ron's voice was as cold as ice.
He walked step by step to Spandam, who lay like a dead dog, grabbed him by the hair, and roughly dragged him to the very edge of the Water 7 port's embankment.
"Since you want to destroy this place so much,"
Ron took out a thick rope and tied Spandam firmly to a broken mast in a humiliating posture, forcing him to face the boundless sea that was about to welcome the fleet of destruction,
"Then you'll be the first to 'enjoy' your masterpiece, the first to 'welcome' the Buster Call fleet you summoned!"
Spandam was firmly fixed there, in excruciating pain, unable to move.
He looked desperately at the distant horizon, as if he could already see the dark silhouettes of warships representing absolute destruction.
He had initiated the Buster Call, and now, he would be the first sacrifice of this feast of destruction.
Ron stood behind him, the sea breeze ruffling his clothes, his voice clearly reaching Spandam and everyone else's ears:
"Watch closely. See who the hell you personally summoned... will claim first."
A suffocating tension filled the air.
Everyone's gaze shifted from Spandam, tied to the mast, to the distant, seemingly calm sea surface, which was about to be covered by the shadows of steel warships.
"That madman... he actually..." Nami covered her mouth, her face drained of color, her eyes filled with fear of the Buster Call.
Usopp's teeth began to chatter: "Five... five Marine Vice Admirals?! Leading a fleet?! Did we go a little too far this time?"
Despair and panic spread like a plague among some of the shipwrights and citizens.
In the center of this maelstrom of panic, everyone's gaze—the Straw Hats, the Franky Family, and even Iceburg and the Galley-La Company shipwrights—involuntarily turned to the same person: Ron.
Facing this desperate situation that could make anyone collapse, Ron showed no sign of panic.
He even let out a soft laugh, a laugh that strangely soothed some of the anxious atmosphere. He looked around at everyone, his tone calm but with an undeniable firmness:
"What's there to panic about? If soldiers come, we'll block them; if water comes, we'll cover it with earth."
He took a step forward, his voice clearly echoing across the dock: "No matter who comes, or what power they possess, they won't easily destroy this island that carries the lives and dreams of countless people. As long as we stand here, Water 7 will not disappear."
His words seemed to carry magic, instantly igniting the fighting spirit of the Straw Hats.
"That's right!" Luffy pulled down his straw hat, his rubber arm swinging fiercely, his eyes full of fighting spirit. "Who cares if they're Vice Admirals or Admirals! Whoever dares to destroy our friends and this place, I'll punch them all away!"
"No problem!!" Zoro grinned, gripping his sword hilt. Sanji lit a cigarette. Chopper and Franky also immediately cheered up. The Straw Hats' morale instantly soared.
The Franky Family and some hot-blooded shipwrights were deeply infected, raising their weapons and roaring in response: "That's right! Let's fight them!"
However,
Mayor Iceburg, who stood by, also nodded, but a deep worry, impossible to dissipate, settled in his profound eyes.
He knew better than the young people what the Buster Call meant: absolute firepower, indiscriminate destruction.
"For now... we can only take it one step at a time. I hope a miracle truly happens."
In this tense atmosphere of impending war,
Ron's gaze turned to Iceburg, and he asked in a steady tone, "How is the construction progress of 'Pluton'? What stage is it at now?"
Iceburg took a deep breath, forcing himself to detach from his worries about the Buster Call. As a top shipwright, when talking about the work he poured his heart into, his eyes immediately became focused and sharp:
"Only the final, and most crucial, process remains — the ultimate activation and integration of the energy core! It will all be completed in at most another hour!"
His voice carried an uncontrollable excitement and the pride of a craftsman.
"Very good." Ron nodded, his eyes showing anticipation. "Finish it as soon as possible. We need this power."
Those around who heard this conversation, whether the Straw Hats or the shipwrights who knew the legend of Pluton, couldn't help but hold their breath, their eyes sparkling with a light of anticipation mixed with curiosity and shock.
The legendary Ancient Weapon was about to fully awaken before their eyes!
Time passed minute by minute in suffocating anticipation.
In the huge shipyard behind the dock, the metallic roars and energy hums became increasingly dense, finally converging into a low, powerful resonance, as if a primeval beast was gradually regaining its heartbeat.
Finally, at the extreme mark of one hour, all sounds abruptly ceased.
Immediately after—
*Rumble...*
A low but ground-shaking tremor came from deep within the shipyard.
Under everyone's unwavering gaze, the huge roof of the shipyard slowly slid open to both sides.
....
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