Chapter 295: The Shackles of Balance!
Marine Headquarters · Marineford Port
The warships at the port slowly docked. The Marine soldiers on deck stood in neat formations, cheering loudly to celebrate the flawless victory of the Hachinosu campaign.
The sea breeze carried their cheers across the entire port district. The soldiers' smiles revealed immense pride and exhilaration.
Sengoku led Tsuru, Zephyr, Garp, and Roy, standing in the center of the port to await the triumphant return of their warriors.
The gangway was slowly lowered. Walking at the very front was Kuzan, lazily keeping his hands in his pockets. As he walked, he raised a hand toward Sengoku, offering an extremely casual military salute:
"Arara~ Mission accomplished."
Gion followed closely behind, her expression solemn. She delivered a crisp, standard military salute: "Reporting to the Fleet Admiral! The pirates of Hachinosu have been entirely annihilated!"
Sengoku nodded slightly, expressing his satisfaction: "Beautifully done."
Roy stepped forward, smiling as he patted Kuzan's shoulder. "Senior Brother, thank you for your hard work."
Kuzan scratched the back of his head, still maintaining his slacker demeanor. "Well~ It was on the way. I didn't have much to do lately anyway."
As soon as he finished speaking, two familiar figures suddenly bounced out from behind him—
"Big Brother Roy!!!"
Ace and Luffy's eyes were shining. "We want extra training! We want to get stronger!!!"
Roy raised an eyebrow, unable to hold back a chuckle. "Oh? Suddenly so motivated? What provoked you?"
Luffy clenched his fists, his tone resolute: "We want to become as strong as an Admiral!"
Ace also nodded solemnly: "This battle made us realize... we are still far, far away from that!"
Roy chuckled and stepped sideways, raising his hand to point behind him—revealing Garp and Zephyr, who were grinning wickedly.
"Then you've come to the wrong person."
"These two are the ones who can help you the most."
Following the direction of Roy's finger, Ace and Luffy's expressions instantly petrified:
"G-Grandpa?! Teacher Zephyr?!!"
Garp let out a bizarre "Bwahaha", closing the distance in a single bound. Moving as fast as a cheetah, he grabbed the two brothers by the backs of their collars, one in each hand: "I heard exactly what you just said!"
"Come, come, come! Join this old man for a week of extra training!!!"
"I guarantee you'll be—completely reborn!!!"
"Wait! We aren't ready yet!!!"
"SAVE US—!!!"
However, resistance was futile.
The two brothers kicked and flailed, their howls echoing across the entire port, but Garp ignored them completely, dragging them straight toward the training grounds. Zephyr followed behind with a calm expression.
Along the way, the Marine soldiers couldn't help but snicker.
Sengoku watched their retreating backs, shaking his head helplessly. "Those two brats really have too much energy."
Tsuru watched the protesting brothers, the corners of her lips curling up slightly. "With Garp's 'special care', they'll be completely different very soon."
Just as Ace and Luffy were dragged away by Garp, their screams fading at the end of the port, a female intelligence officer walked over briskly.
Her expression was serious. After standing at attention and saluting, she handed a sealed document stamped "TOP SECRET" to Tsuru, then leaned in to whisper a few words in her ear.
Tsuru's originally calm expression instantly changed, a glint of cold light flashing in the depths of her eyes. She slowly looked up, her gaze shifting to Sengoku and Roy.
The eyes of the three met briefly, a tacit understanding passing between them.
Sengoku made a prompt decision, ordering his adjutant to take over the post-battle arrangements at the port. Roy merely raised his hand, and the space suddenly rippled like water—
The next moment, the three of them appeared silently inside the Fleet Admiral's office.
Sengoku took his seat, his brow furrowing slightly. "Tsuru, what happened?"
Tsuru didn't answer immediately. Instead, she solemnly placed the sealed document on the desk, her tone carrying a trace of gravity and hesitation:
"The Five Elders have sent their reply, but..."
She paused, as if weighing her words, then pushed the document toward Sengoku and Roy. "See for yourselves."
Sengoku opened the file, and Roy leaned in slightly to read it alongside him.
Their eyes swept over the text simultaneously. It was just a few short lines, but they carried an intensely heavy implication—
Sengoku's brow instantly knotted into a deep trench. He looked up, his voice heavy:
"How could this be? Logically speaking, they have no reason to refuse the Marines' request for full authority over this matter... Why the sudden change of tune?"
Roy didn't respond immediately. Instead, he slowly closed the file, his fingers tapping lightly on the cover. A look of deep wariness surfaced in his eyes.
"This condition..." he murmured softly, as if talking to himself.
In an instant, the word "Balance" abruptly surfaced in his mind. Like freezing seawater pouring down the back of his neck into his spine, it made his heart sink.
"Heh... it's you again, isn't it?"
Sengoku and Tsuru exchanged a glance, seemingly sensing that something was wrong from Roy's reaction.
"Roy," Sengoku asked gravely, "Have you already guessed who is pulling the strings behind the scenes?"
Roy looked up, his gaze slowly drifting between the two of them. "I wouldn't say I'm absolutely certain, but I have a good idea of who played this move."
He paused, his voice lowering: "This so-called 'Balance'... might just be the greatest trouble on these seas."
The air instantly solidified, as heavy as the sea before a storm.
...
Meanwhile · Wano Country
The dome of Onigashima was swallowed by thick, heavy dark clouds. Lightning snakes wreaked havoc among the clouds, their low rumbles acting like war drums beating a prelude for an uninvited guest.
The sea breeze, carrying the scent of salt and blood, rushed over. Waves crashed against the port's reefs, turning into foam like shattered silver.
The fierce wind howled through the gaps as a solitary figure walked against it.
A single arm, a black cape flapping loudly in the wind.
Under the dim sky, that striking red hair looked like a burning battle flag. Accompanied by steady, fearless footsteps, every step plucked at the heartstrings of every member of the Beast Pirates.
Along the way, the Pleasures initially let out bizarre laughter, trying to use mockery to mask their deep-seated unease.
But as that figure closed in step by step, their laughter was abruptly cut off, as if an invisible hand had gripped their throats.
The Gifters instinctively tightened their grips on their weapons, their eyes full of vigilance, but their feet felt as if they had grown roots. Not a single one dared to take half a step forward.
He strolled casually through the ranks of the Headliners, passing the cold stares of the Tobi Roppo. His pace was unhurried, yet it carried an unstoppable, overwhelming pressure.
Finally, he stood before the throne, where the three All-Stars stood together.
The All-Stars' killing intent surged like a tide, their weapons glinting coldly. Yet that red-haired figure remained completely unmoving—with the presence of a single man, he forcibly withstood the oppressive aura of the entire Beast Pirates!
High above, Kaido sprawled lazily on his giant skull throne, the wine jug in his hand swaying slightly.
Those dragon pupils slowly opened. A gaze like a thunderbolt crashed down, seemingly wanting to crush the newcomer to pieces.
A dull, deep voice rolled from the depths of his chest, making the air tremble: "Red-Haired Shanks... you come to Onigashima..."
"What do you want?!"
Shanks looked up. His gaze was as calm as the deep sea, his aura not losing in the slightest to the "World's Strongest Creature" sitting high upon the throne.
His voice was indifferent, yet it sliced through the air like a sharp blade, sounding exceptionally clear in the silence—
"I came here..."
"...to help you."
—BOOM!!!
In an instant, the entire Beast Pirates erupted into an uproar. Gasps, whispers, and killing intent merged into a surging tidal wave.
"Help... the Governor-General?!!"
"Red Hair came to help us? Are you kidding me?!!"
"This must be a trap!!!"
Hearing this, Kaido merely snorted coldly. A battle-hungry smile surfaced on his savage face beneath his dragon horns: "What could I possibly need your help with?"
Before his voice even faded, the Haki inside his body erupted like a collapsing mountain! Merging with the military momentum of the Beast Pirates, it turned into a heaven-sweeping giant wave, pressing down on Shanks with overwhelming force!
The air was compressed instantly. The ground emitted dull cracking sounds, and shattered stones were forcibly ground into powder.
But Red Hair merely stood perfectly straight, his feet not moving an inch—Conqueror's Haki surged violently upward, fiercely clashing with Kaido's aura in mid-air!
Lightning and dark red electrical arcs intertwined and flashed, as if two primeval behemoths were roaring at each other across the void, tearing apart the dark clouds above Onigashima!
—The entirety of Onigashima, in this very moment, held its breath.
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