Luffy woke up first, being comfy and warm as he saw that the girls laid around him in the bed still. He gave a snide and didn't wish to get out of bed. He wasn't even hungry which was strange. Instead, he reached over Margaret's head to see his Strawhat was on her.
"Mawh... Phew" he blew on a crazy cow's lick hair she had, smiling tenderly as she had a bright face that told him she was happy in some dream. He took his hat back and sighed.
He stuck out his neck to coil it like a snake to see Ran was murmuring besides Margaret while looking behind himself to see Rindo was pressed closely to his neck, her lips touching behind him that made his head recoil back.
He turned around and without disturbing anyone, hugged Rindo as she was rather cold. He brushed his feet to hers and covered her more to rub his body to hers.
"Cold... Come here." He cooed as Rindo suddenly opened her eyes.
"Brrfffhhh... My sweat made me freeze over. Good morning?" She asked, kissing Luffy as he felt his cheek pecked lovingly. He sighed and nodded.
"Yeah. I hope today will be a good day" he said, making Rindo realize that he wasn't in a good mood. He was sad. So she kept silent and hugged the man, feeling his hands trace her back as she did his to find some comfort which she respected and just dozed awake with his arms over her as Luffy was distant.
He was worried. Very sickly indeed.
🕓🕓🕓🕓🕓🕓🕓🕓🕓🕓🕓🕓🕓🕓🕓
Margaret, Ran, and Rindo all left the mountain side house with Luffy in front.
He seemed alright but his eyes reflected a desperate and grim sensation that told the girls he wasn't alright in the least bit. So Margaret stayed with him, holding his hand as Luffy couldn't rest after waking up.
All he held now between himself and Margaret was a Den Den Mushi. The pink shell with multiple varied red stripes that slept besides the captain, wishing his crew had picked up as he checked 10 times already.
No one picked up. By now, Luffy looked angry and alone. Even as he turned to see Margaret beside him, she looked to his eyes and wished to express that she felt his anguish and wanted to do anything to stop it. But she knew that to end his glum mood, his crew must appear. That was beyond anything she could do.
So even as she brushed up against his arm, her hair tickling his left shoulder, Luffy was visibly unshaken as he sat with his knees in front of him and hugging his legs close. But he wasn't as cold to be uncaring. He instead let her lean to him while he did the same, imagining Nami smiling as well his entire crew. Wishing that they would come here already.
"Luffy...?"
A voice called his name and made Luffy turn behind him to see Hancock, wearing her same Empress attire. She held her hands to her abdomen and had a struggling grin as she saw Margaret so close to him, practically the entire island was gossiping that they were together. This of course brought a plethora of emotions that the Empress couldn't control.
But now she felt sadness in seeing such a jolly man like him be so negative and under the weather. It wasn't right. So she mustered the courage to talk to him despite glaring a bit to Margaret, who defiantly stayed by Luffy's side.
"We have the scouts at all corners... We haven't seen anyone get even miles close here. I'm... Sorry to report that" she said, making Luffy even more depressed as he looked to the Den Den Mushi.
That's when he felt Margaret let go and instead Hancock took her place, hugging his arm to make the pirate lean back and laid him over her thighs, sitting in a womanly manner that let Luffy look up to the shade of a tree he had a speckled view of the sun.
She looked down to him as she cutely expressed curiosity and a wish to quell his lackluster face.
"Despite that... I hope your crew is doing fine. After all, they have you as a captain. They should be more than ready for these seas and be on their way" she comforted Luffy, who smiled and took his Strawhat that laid now beside his head to put over her head.
She blushed a smidge before looking down as Luffy was prideful for his crew.
"Yeah. I just... Miss them. That's all. I'm having some mixed up emotions and just... I just am imagining the worst. But yeah... I'm selling them too short-! I bet Zoro and Sanji would kick my ass for doubting them while the rest would just show me they are fine. Hah! What a laugh they would have for my nerves-!" Luffy told her as she smiled, feeling successful in seeing his grin once again shine bright.
"Have more faith, Luffy."
"I will. Thanks... For rallying this dull side of me" Luffy thanked her, which she side eyed and nodded. Margaret sat beside Luffy's side, now greeting her Empress before handing him the Den Den Mushi. The Strawhat captain then tried again to call their own makeshift Den Den Mushi on the Thousand Sunny. He let it sit on his chest as he called, yet no answer. It confounded him that no one had answered. And he wished he could've gotten Rayleigh's number or even Shakky to make sure his crew got out.
He even slapped the snail, scaring it to hide in it's shell as Margaret bonked him in the head for that cruel act for no reason.
"IT'S NOT THE ANIMAL'S FAULT-!" She angrily scolded him.
"Sorry..." Luffy said as he apologized by feeding the snail something, as Hancock now stayed by his side and Margaret did on the other.
This made the Empress grow a tick mark as she had already told her with a side eye look to move away, go elsewhere, anywhere but here. Yet she remained. And it made her mouth squiggle in anxiety to see Luffy respond so physically by patting her hands, thighs, and letting the blonde Amazon know he was fine.
All she got was a nice smile from him. This made her fume but onlooking Amazons made her not react so honestly.
Instead she just ignored those feelings and would later ask Elder Nyon why she felt so... So... So weird and wanting his attention. To be more friendly... More reactive to her by him.
Suddenly Margaret stood up, seeing a signal from the Amazons go off in the form of a fire arrow. It crossed the sky and soon enough the big emergency was notable to everyone as Luffy stood up to see-
"A mist cloud-!? And this big-!?" Hancock yelled, coming besides Margaret to see a scout land before her.
"Hebihime-sama-! A large cloud is covering the front side of Amazon Lily-! It suddenly emerged and condensed out to what you can see now. Shall I give the order to converge the Kuja Pirates now to the defenses-!?" She asked the Empress as Hancock snapped her fingers.
"Do as such-! Also tell my sisters to protect the rear with a handful of our warriors-!" Hancock ordered as the scout jumped away much like a ninja and horns began to blaze, the Kuja populace moving about to begin their preparations as Luffy used Kami-Soru to move across like an untouchable shadow to now be at the entrance which closed it's gates to what could possibly be an intruder force readying a surprise assault.
"Arm the cannons-! Get the archers a proper angle and prepare oil banks to fire flaming arrows-! The Perfume Yuda should have a rapid open way to sail forward if whatever awaits within that cloud begins to head to the gates-!" Another Kuja gave orders as Now Kikyo appeared, beside Luffy to have the current and present Kuja Pirates all to the sides of Luffy.
"Mugiwara. This is our fight. But I won't say no to your help." She said as Luffy nodded, serious and now his hair began to grow out, much like Gear 4th, but he kept a normal stature and no haki markings formed. However he did have the black outline around his eyes and he fumed from his mouth as most of the Kuja felt the presence of a true king.
It was surprising and shocking to a vast majority, even Elder Nyon who watched his back and saw the haki concentration was like something she has seen within Admirals and... Great pirates.
Rindo, Ran, Daisy, and every other current Kuja pirate now couldn't recognize what haki they were feeling out of him. It couldn't be him. They began to back away of changed positions as Luffy's face was shadowed by wrath as he felt what was inside that cloud thing.
The mist cloud then suddenly began to disproportionately expand out, beginning to show that something was inside. One scout saw what Luffy could feel.
A giant branch-like whip came out to snap the air at sound breaking speeds, revealing that fleets of Marine ships were inside. However... Luffy saw something off.
It was the Marine insignia alright... But the sails were black... And green-?
Then he saw that the Marine Logos weren't consistent. Some had the World Government insignia that blazoned everywhere even in their Jolly Roger.
Luffy clenched his fists and now fumed like he spat dry ice and boiling water at the same time.
Suddenly cannons fired and aimed to the closed gates and even into the mainland. Had Luffy not stopped them as he went Gear Third to swipe those away.
"Gomu Gomu No Elephant Whip-!" Luffy destroyed their onslaught and then pulled back that air as sea stone harpoons aimed to strike his oversized leg. However he brought back the air to his arms, vulcanizing them in haki to then aim at the fleet as he now saw familiar faces.
3 Vice-Admirals: He saw Momonga, Hina, and Smoker
However he wasn't angry and enraged by them. It was the strongest haki essence he was feeling now. So he fired his attack.
"It's that haki thing again-!" Smoker warned "All Marines take cover or start-!" He barely got out as someone laughed to stop his order.
"Ignore that order, weaklings-! Stay back and watch real men fight-!" A cocky and brazen voice commanded as Luffy fired his attack as Hina and Momonga felt the danger, one with her instinct while the other sensed the haki.
"BRAZE FOR IMPACT-!!!!" Both Vice-Admirals ordered as Luffy went with considerable power meant to wipe them out.
"Gomu Gomu No Elephant Gatling Gun-!!!"
Black enormous fists projected into multiple shadows that aimed at the fleet. The Kuja were stunned to feel the haki and saw that despite the incredible power behind it that even made the snakes of Perfume Yuda shiver, something stopped the attack in the form of vines and tree trunks that were as malleable as water itself, moving and blocking the entire fleet from the attacks that without a doubt would have sunk them.
Even Smoker was caught off guard by this evil wrath he felt come off Luffy as he worried for the men on the ships, knowing damn well this wasn't something survivable until he saw the new Vice Admiral drafted by order of Fleet Admiral Sengoku to the means of deterring and stopping any further growth of pirates in the world. In any sea. And as soon as possible eradicate that intention of any mind to ever be a pirate. The Gatling kept going as the ever growing flora kept recuperating to cover that devastating attack to a collision clash
He hated him as he knew that something he did must... It must have been his doing-! That upstart brought in by the draft was not just reckless... It is wrong in his eyes-! This is just a booster for their power, not what it truly needs which is morality and strength!
"Hina-! Momonga-! What did that bastard do for Mugiwara No Luffy to attack like this-!?!" He asked them as the mist was blasted away and now showed what held back Luffy's attack.
The Strawhat pirate fumed from his mouth as black like rock structures began to form around his cheek bones and bridge of the nose. Worst of all, Luffy's eyes now shined a pale color that made him look nothing like the fun and dancing boy most of the Kuja knew and saw in the dining hall.
He landed near the rest of the Kuja, where Aphelandra, Sweet Pea, and other island guardians were posted near the gates. Luffy landed in a more soldier like form, on a knee to then stand up to aim a finger at the massive trees and vines that emerged out to touch encase the ships in protective wooden growths. At the top of a high rising tree though, the main enemy could be seen.
"... You-!" Luffy yelled, his facial features wrinkled due to the rage he was feeling.
"WOOOOOHOOOOO-!! Working with a new title and my dream job is absolutely the shit-! The Marines are now the strongest across all the seas-!!! Ghahahahahaha-! Come on Mugiwara-! I've heard that it was you who gave me this chance-! I'll repay you alright... By being the first one to defeat you and hang you on Marineford right after Fire Fist-!! AAAAHAHAHAHAHA-!" The new Vice Admiral, an absolute change to this world, showed his face as his arm grew into colossal tree branches as his head sprouted branches to look like a tree. He began to grow in size as he leaped so fast to the island, none of the arrows fired even got close as now he stood in front of Luffy as a giant forest tree Titan.
"Ryokugyu" Luffy's voice distorted and now his face was becoming greyish. However now two visible spikes were by the side of his face while his hair seemed to have grown out. His height also increased as even Smoker could see he towered over the Kuja.
"Hina doesn't know-! I came by orders to join Momonga's unit" Hina said as Momonga scoffed.
"HQ gave us orders to attack with the new mechanical soldiers given to us by Vegapunk- The Pacifista- to engage a very specific quadrant. It turns out to have been a pirate ship that had been coated, sailing towards the calm belt... It was stopped by the new Vice Admiral you see there... And-" Momonga informed as even he found this new allies' method to interrogate was far exceeding humane. He snide to the side before speaking up again "-All those pirates were apprehended including with their ship. They are now heading to Impel Down. All 8 of them." Momonga said, making Smoker stare wide eyed, red veins from his angered eyes to hear terrible news that despite the fact they were pirates... He lamented he knew who he was talking about. He even felt regret in hearing what Momonga said befalling those pirates he knew didn't deserve it. He knew about that guys' abilities...
That's when Ryokugyu slammed his giant branch arm to squish Luffy as every other Kuja jumped away to avoid the collision. However to their surprise, the impact of a heavy and powerful object never came. Instead a shockwave went off that expanded out beyond what Ryokugyu was pushed back, his leaves shaking and the Kuja being affected in the air to be knocked further out like a bomb's blast.
The Vice Admiral coughed and shed off tree bark by the hundreds as well branches "PFFFAAAGHH-!? How did you even hurt me with just-!?" He asked to his enemy only to be grabbed by a giant hand that squished his face into a mesh of splinters and crushed tree trunks before being slammed to the ground, Luffy leaping to the air and being observable by everyone.
"Luffy-! Answer me-!!!" Margaret yelled in fright as she saw Luffy only to see his entire forearms and fingers were coated now in onyx black protrusions that looked like volcanic glass rock, making his arms appear clad with armored clawed gauntlets. Then Margaret truly looked with a thousand years stare to see Luffy had something covering his face. Five like small horns emanating upwards to have three of the five spikes covered among his wild extended hair while the other two to the side were connected to the cheekbones to become a full half mask. However what made Margaret begin to whimper as she went unconscious like most of the Kuja falling back to ground to be caught by their comrades, was his grin. It was nothing of him.
It was a grimace of pure wrath and psychopathy. His teeth had blood in them as well saliva drooping out as he then laughed.
"SHARARARARAAAAA-!" He laughed with his Conqueror's unleashing outward to knock out ally and enemy alike in the dozens as Ryokugyu undid his tree form to see Luffy in a new light as he towered him now. He landed in a semi-crouch to then smile with the half mask covering his eyes in a faceless dark reflective surface of what looked like an obsidian crude visor until two red eyes shined through to be seen by all the Vice Admirals and Marines both coming in and on the coast of Amazon Lily.
"What the fuck...?" Ryokugyu said as he never expected this coming from some boy in a Strawhat. Even less the fact he spat blood from his mouth to see those fulgid red eyes behind some creepy five thorn mask. It looked like... A crown of some kind. However the steam coming from him looked like he was boiling within. The haki was another disturbing thing as he could swear he felt like he was being watched by many things... It was a weird sensation "So now you wanna fight? What Devil Fruit did you eat-? The demon-demon one-!? HAH-! I hope that you are a better fighter than that measly crew of yours I caught."
His words made Luffy spasm on his feet, making multiple fast after images all around Ryokugyu that he could see and those he just couldn't due to the blinding speed. That's when he flinched, seeing Luffy so close he could see in the cimmerian red vortex eyes that made his spine recoil backwards.
This made Luffy laugh, an echo that reached everyone's heads instead of ears. It was terrifying to hear him right next to you when clearly he wasn't. The inadvertent use of the ability known as the Voice of All Things.
Now even Smoker was fully prepared to fight, knowing that Luffy right now wasn't rational or... Even himself. What he felt right now was something other worldly and it wanted to fight.
Ryokugyu clad his arms in haki and took out a bloodied shirt, a yellow with orange flowers on the front that was badly stained in crimson.
This shocked Hancock and her sisters who felt Luffy once again growl within their minds as well everyone watching.
"But I gotta give credit when it's due-! Not one of them gave you up! Everyone was so frustratingly determined to not spill one ounce of information-! Even that navigator of yours even when I tore her nails in her dried up state-! No more manicures for her-! Anyways, I got your vivre card and found your dumbass" Ryokugyu made fun of his crewmates, the shirt and his insult to Nami's bravery now making Luffy rattle in place. The island then began to shake.
"An Earthquake-!?!? In this island-!?!?" Elder Nyon acknowledged as Smoker, Hina, and Momonga felt their ship shake across the multiple unsettled waves forming.
The rogue Vice Admiral though wasn't unsettled as Luffy's haki suddenly began to dip down, quickly becoming absorbed into him to be a controlled and diminutive quantity that made him believe he was not as strong as he presumed. He might be charging a greater attack but he was prideful in his speed and logia ability.
"Rahahahahaha-! I'll dry you up and take you to Impel Down myself to let you see how I left her left hand-! Try to be a match and I'll even kill you to behead your smuck and rebellious head to deliver to Sakazuki myself!" He boasted as an entire forest formed to cover the fired arrows of Kuja Pirates aiming at him, the landscape becoming filled with flora of both natural and unnatural species formed to create giant trunks of wooden enormous fists and faces of himself that spat spikes and thorns to hit the Kuja, blasting them away as Luffy got hit only for Ryokugyu to see the projectiles not even reach him.
He just kept vibrating in place as the island shook with the constant 2-3 Richter scale earthquake rhythm.
'he... Broke and divert them without moving? But how!?' Ryokugyu wondered and didn't mind as he punched some of the Kuja that avoided the thorns and spikes, like Kikyo and Rindo, weaving around to fire at the Vice-Admiral who raised a finger and an entire array of trees emerged to aim at them as Ran and the rest of the Kuja current Pirates fired as Ryokugyu was annoyed.
"Trghm-! Annoying tramps-! Go somewhere else for I have my real target right here-! Mori no Kodō-! (Forest Beating-!)" Ryokugyu mercilessly summoned trees that were slim yet harder than any normal tree, the red coloration and tough texture suddenly making the Kuja regret coming in close as each one got rammed and struck so bad they broke bones like the arms and legs or received grievous physical trauma that tore their skin open. All of them tried to dodge but his retaliation was too fast, ending with them being blown back by violent force.
Hancock and her sisters didn't move as now the island stopped shaking. They were about to intervene had they now bare witnessed that Luffy looked so abnormal it was insane. This must be someone else-
The Vice Admiral then attacked, going with a full splintered arm that hit Luffy in the face straight to the mask. He used haki to hurt the pirate real bad but was only left aghast as he felt pain in his knuckles and fingers as well see his arm break apart the bark around it.
"Hrghm... hrghm... hrgmmm..." Luffy laughed as he didn't even need to move or dodge "My head seems to be stronger..." He remarked as Ryokugyu was at a loss.
"Head? You didn't move!" He retorted.
"You sure...? Oh didn't see. Try again. This time, put some weight on it, brittle weed."
"GRRRRHHHGHHH-!" Ryokugyu felt bad mouthed by some brat as he jumped back and now made heavy green like thorn vines evolve his entire right fist and arm then charged forward to connect one again, this time though everyone saw the fist be lightly tapped by Luffy's fast moving head, making him recoil back to see the vines smushed and the thorns bended or split apart.
The Vice Admiral was without words as then he felt headbutted to his forehead and was sent reeling down the island, black lighting roaring across the landscape as Luffy did not move after that.
"VICE-ADMIRAL RYOKUGYU-!" His men yelled as Smoker was caught off guard by the speed. And his creepy smile was making him wish Ryokugyu had never done that. He flaunted something that Luffy considers family... In hurting them summoned this thing that only unleashes rage and chaos.
Hina heard the thud of Ryokugyu who landed on one side of the mountain. He felt his head pound with noisy and pain, straddling to his feet to see Luffy's skin was now grey and he became skinnier yet muscle in a more macabre form. His above ten feet stature was very visible to anyone as his eyes kept looking with those vortexes.
The Vice Admiral was going to say something until a clawed hand smacked him so hard, he felt his eyes bug out, lifted to the air and hoisted out the island and into one of the ships, bursting it in flames as he broke through the ship's hull to detonate gunpowder kegs. This made Ryokugyu come out with screams, putting out fire on himself as other Marines sprayed him down with water they had
"GGHOOUGH-! KGAAHH-! DAMN YOU-!" The Vice Admiral roared and saw now that Luffy was actually on board, not on the island.
"WHAT THE FUCK IS HE-!?!?" One Marine soldier stated, his sword shaking in his hand as the rest aiming guns or blades had the same physical reaction in observing a teleporting like demonic enemy in front of them.
They couldn't perceive even a single movement.
Luffy no longer spoke or made any visible movement akin to what he normally is. Instead, he raised all fingers on his right open hand and his left thumb to Ryokugyu. The Vice Admiral now was ready and kept his eyes very sharply on any movements he had.
"Gear... 6..." He murmured, echoing across minds as Luffy dropped his arms to let them hang besides his legs before doing a steady squat. Then in a fraction of a second Luffy made his right leg forward with his arms extended forward with his 'claws' pointing outward in a similar fashionable as gear 4th with his hair moving in the wind and his mask shining with purplish red coloration that now coated his body like a faint neon glow. Diminutive red and black sparks flashed momentarily across his body, arching over to his limbs, torso, thighs, and feet to reach the ground or snap in the air in vague shock sounds.
"Akuma" he finished, no emotion on his face but an empty tone in saying this half name, not feeling too talkative to say 'Gomu' in the name as he didn't care if he let him loose. It was also like the demon within no longer wanted to be named as such and just be named demon. So his will was now fully enforced... Even his bloodthirsty to kill this cocky walking toilet paper trash.
Ryokugyu will die. Now.
"Forestation-!!!" Ryokugyu saw the murder in his vortex eyes and did not wait any longer to slam Luffy with a massive tree entwined arm that knocked the pirate back on the island as an entire forest grew out of his right arm, becoming a ludicrous mass of wood and greenery that sunk the ship he was on before he tore his arm off and spawned a flower from his back that began to sound like a helicopter rotor that made him fly above his forest mass splashing to the ocean and the ship squashed under it.
Some Marines clearly died by that while others got saved or abandoned ship to see Ryokugyu stand on his makeshift small floating island and saw Luffy now perched over the reaming gateway.
"Shidā Kurasutā-!!! (Cedar Cluster-!!!)" Ryokugyu fired small jagged like boards that emanated from the island mass he made and from his arms up to his shoulders, firing them at stupendous speeds as Luffy did not move and instead he raised his left arm, then swiftly pointed two fingers at Ryokugyu as Haki emanated like lighting to slice through an array of his jagged wood blades to almost cut him had he not dashed away to create a bridge of wood coming out of Amazon Lily.
"Fire at his footing-!" Ryokugyu ordered as the other Marine ships fired at the entrance and blew up the arc where Luffy stood as he vanished.
A ship exploded as Ryokugyu quickly made his way to the island only to see Hancock came diving down to the branch
"Perfume Femur-!" She bellowed and cracked the bridge into pieces as he leaped over to give a kick, only for her to doge wit a spin to aim at his groin as he grew out branches out like spikes to make her kick apart a pair that almost impaled her.
"Impertinent whore-! Your land is our land-! The World Government owns everything the sun can touch-! Might as well call us the land of the rising sun!" He said as Hancock felt the island quake then the ground shift and burst, great trees emerged that reached out with their arching canopies across Amazon Lily. This forced Hancock to dodge, seeing Sandersonia and Marigold clash tails to double squash him only for him to dodge their twin collision before both got socked by his legs that became giant red wood logs.
"Redwood Split! -And get your scrubby sisters out of my face-! Can't you see I'm fighting the devil over there?!" He easily avoided them and gave Sandersonia a headbutt to knock her over, only to be struck by Marigold's snake tail.
"Hebi Stick-! Make us yourself, witless man-!" Marigold roasted before raising both palms and blasting the Vice-Admiral who backed away willingly as one of his summoned trees splintered, Ryokugyu entering the splintering apart wood to become one with it as soon enough he was once again a giant tree humanoid.
"Marines-! Fire at the island-! Doesn't matter if you hit the Kuja or Hancock herself-!" He shouted out before Hancock landed a spinning axe kick to then enter into a fury of counters to the giant wood avatar that could be heard across the island, with the Kuja aiding their captain in any way possible which made the Vice Admiral stay on his toes at all times, moving his body and maneuvering around to try squash or swat Hancock viciously.
"ROGER-!!!!!" the Marines received orders as Momonga and Hina were now engaging Luffy, only to see him barely try when they clearly were having a great struggle to avoid his claws and quick fists that pummeled them. Hina was already bleeding despite the fact she had been blocking and making cages to make distance. Momonga was too and he felt his sword rattle to the point of discomfort, unsure why even his blade felt weak.
Luffy just stood there as he vanished with Soru. Hina meanwhile pushed Momonga out of the way to feel correctly that her ships had fired an array of seastone harpoons. She looked behind to see even one almost struck her foot so close to pinning her there as then explosions roared across the sea, multiple ships exploding and their crew decks splattered all over with their men now diving to the sea or being knocked over by the brute explosions.
The Strawhat pirate appeared out of a wall of fire, holding a marine by the head to dunk him to the ocean as he side stepped Smoker to look behind in a feral like crouch.
"Smokey smokey... Fly away before I blast your smoke across the red line-!" Luffy threatened as he felt Momonga above his head to go for a downwards slash only for him to lazily claw the air to strike his weapon away with two claws. The force behind it though felt to Momonga as if the sea train had clashed against him, tossing him aside to bounce multiple times across the sea as Luffy's footing slowly sunk as he vanished again to now be on top of a crow's nest of a Marine ship.
Smoker kept track but lacked speed to keep up as he landed on one of the masts "Mugiwara-! I'm sorry that your crew got taken in and much more by a savage like Ryokugyu-! But stop this-! My men-" he tried to say only to quickly block his fist to feel his Jutte rattle by extreme force as he got sent reeling into another ship across the one he landed in, coughing bile and hints of crimson as he didn't even realize he got hit. The ship caved from the stern, many Marines looking behind to see Luffy had fired his fist to aim at Smoker yet give him time to dodge.
"-YOUR MEN ARE WORTHLESS AND A SIGHT FOR SORE EYES-! GET OUT OF MY WAY-!" Luffy growled, emanating haki to make the ship he landed be crushed and torn apart by black red lighting strikes that emitted off him. Most Marines in this ship died instantly to the foreign and very advanced haki control Luffy just manifested. The pirate landed on a ship, many Marines lining up to aim their blades and guns at this towering danger that did not take his eyes off Smoker.
Smoker dodged but he did felt hit by a force that gave him the sense he was stuck by a giant object, feeling his ribs loose as he threw caution and patience in the air to stop him "I won't let you hurt any more when a war is over the horizon-! I will take you down, Mugiwara-!" Smoker declared, saddened that he cannot reach Luffy. But no one could. The demon was in control.
He just laughed, foaming from the mouth a blueish hue of steam as his skin soon enough looked covered in front and emitted the same steam that was cold to even touch as the ship deck he was standing in began to freeze.
"Fire-!" A marine commander ordered as the men did so, only to see the bullets bounce off him or shattered against his cold skin. Luffy snapped his neck and to analyze them all.
"Small fry scum-!" He leaped so fast he causeda shockwave that dropped all the Marines as well released a dangerous Rankyaku circle that cut the ship's deck clean off any masts or structures on the top. Even the feet of the crew members that couldn't dodge in time were cut to make a macabre clatter of dismembered limbs audible.
He however cocked back both arms as they became covered in ice shards, then detonating as he started a gatling move.
"Gomu Gomu No Frost Gatling-!!!"
"AAAAAAAAAAGHHHHHH-!!!"
The whole crew got blasted then frozen to be pulverized to pieces alongside the ship, sinking everything and making a whirlpool below that slowly iced over to collide to a half by the recently made icebergs.
Hina and Momonga were speechless as Luffy landed in the debris ice mass on all fours and hissed, expelling a great deal of steam before both Vice Admirals attacked. Hina wielded a net of her cage ability while Momonga had his blade fully coated in Haki as well ready on his feet by performing fast paced Geppou to then slightly bend forward to get kicks ready.
"Club Lock-!" She swung her twisted cage that turnt and compressed itself into a bat like object aiming for Luffy's head yet he did not move. Instead he got hit, becoming cages upon a strike to the head and remained standing there as Momonga now attacked.
"Grhaaaa-! Rankyaku: Rain Of Justice-!"
He swung his blade then fired from his feet two other slashes, continuously doing so without looking to make a disaster as Luffy laughed among the slashes, clawing at them to break said air cuts and veer off his blade with is as the cage he was in snapped apart like nothing. Haki fluctuated in the area to make a giant omnipotent red purple dome across Amazon Lily. This scared the dissidents and children of the Kuja, who now kept back to stay on guard as Luffy seemed on their side yet... They felt in danger because of him as well.
"SHARARARARARARA-!!!" He laughed, his jaws clearly visible as Hina punched his chest, thighs, ankles, and even his neck only to see her fists did nothing despite using haki of a lesser degree. Nothing worked even Momonga who finished and dived in to the smokescreen made on top of the ship he was.
Then Hina coughed, hurting as she backed away with Momonga doing the same in the opposite side.
The purple striped Marine Vice Admiral clattered his teeth as he saw that his balde had frost imbedded quite deep, only to merely swing it to see his blade snap in pieces "WHAT-!?!? Cccuugghhh-!? Kghuuhh...?! I feel so cold... When was I hit!?" Momonga asked as he felt to his knees and saw his hands had turned purple. His lips had too and part of his hair had ice pieces on it as he felt so weak. He snarled and tried to stand only to feel his ankles and legs were shaking to the point they could not do anything.
"Keep fighting... Weaklings. I call this... Conquering Frost. Not many can live after being so close in it's activation. It's an ability I learned from a long gone race of people... Combined with my Conqueror's haki. Now stand. I am not done wih either of you..."
Hina hummed in anger and fear as she took off her gloves, sitting down on her rear in a fall to see her hands were purple. Unlike Momonga, her face showed more terrible signs of hypothermia. Her face seemed cracked, her inner red skin showing to show it was pink and not bleeding. Her lips look beyond chapped, almost torn as if a knife was passed through them. Her hair was frozen and even broke apart from her constant moving attacks but worst of all were her eyes, that looked yellowish and bleeding as she closed them from the pain which made them bleed more to have her face tinted in crimson tears
"Whuuu... aaaah... My eyes... I can't see!?!?" She shouted and hugged herself as she felt so cold. Suddenly two apprentices jumped from a nearby ship and came over to help her, wielding chakrams and knuckle dusters respectively.
It was Jango and Fullbody.
"Strawhat... Stop" Jango called out as Luffy just started for a second before smirking ear to ear, his eyes shining brighter red to dim back down.
"WaaaaghhAHAHAHAHA-! YOU TWO!? Get out of my way before I slap you six feet under or freeze you completely-!" Luffy waved the air as he turned away from Hina to then see Momonga had charged forward with his broken sword to aim at his mouth.
The pirate thought and simply opened his mouth, snapping upon the remaining blade to pull it off his hand to then deliver a painful left hook that struck him down to crack the ice underneath to go through into he cold waters.
"VICE ADMIRAL MOMONGA-!!" They all screamed for their leader as Luffy licked the blood from his fist, hearing Fullbody pick Hina up with Jango and both jumped to the sea to grab onto a rope as Luffy planned to murder them all until Smoker appeared behind him. He made a choking maneuver while kicking his legs to make him fall but neither actions worked on him besides making Luffy now look behind in a unfazed standing pose.
"Smoker-kun... Drop it. You can't do anything. Not here. And not even when my crew was taken. Leave. I'm tired of seeing Marines..." Luffy adviced before he swiveled to become a splash of rubber liquid that stained the ground as Smoker flew back, amazed that he got covered in that stuff despite his logia ability only to feel something strange. Haki.
That's when he felt Luffy's claw behind him, piercing his back to then feel a horrendous wave of electricity conduct through his whole body.
"Gomu Gomu No... Pulse" Luffy said, a bored and annoyed tone that he whispered as Smoker fell forward, white eyes showing he was down for the count just like Momonga as he was currently being rescued. Now Hina remained, raising her hands to cross them over her chest and be ready to summon a cage. Luffy jumped to her ship and crouched slightly with his arms hanging in front.
"VICE ADMIRAL SMOKER-! SOMEONE GET HIM BACK-!" A Marine captain ordered
"Hina doesn't understand... How could you break the cages!? Even with haki that-??" She said only to be interrupted as a giant rubber hand emerged from the ship she was at, grasping her hand to make her open her eyes to see everyone on deck was in the same trouble. The Marines couldn't breath as they struggled to even shake their heads, beginning to feel clenched hard to lose their breaths and have veiny faces due to the pressure being applied on their bodies.
"Shararara... Haki is the ultimate weapon in this world. Devil fruits surely are a great substitute but Haki is not just a counter, it is the only way one can conquer this world and reality by breaking through-! Roger became the King of the Pirates with just that... Imagine what one can do with both-!?" Luffy talked before snaps of bones could be heard echoing across the ship. Then Hina coughed blood as she was dropped, clearly her left shoulder broken or dislodged. Luffy left her down on the ground and moved on.
"VICE ADMIRAL HINA-!!!" The Marines soldiers ran to check her and despite some being hurt, they still carried her away.
The Strawhat pirate ignored all of this as he felt his hat swing in the wind, held by the cord as he arrived to Amazon Lily still in this demon form that seemed to have perfect control despite the few blunders of mercy he had right now.
He saw Hancock land harshly on her feet, shaking a bit with giant wood splinters and thorns on her legs that made the warlord bleed. Ryokugyu appeared too, now off his tree form as he greeted Luffy.
"Geeeeaaahhh-! How fucking cheap-! Those idiots didn't even last 10 minutes-!? How does the World Government accept such drag downs!?" The Vice Admiral berated his allies "No matter, get off my way bitch-! You're poisoned and that bleeding tells me giving .ore kicks will only further debilitate you. And you, demon fuck-! I'll bust you up-!" Ryokugyu confidently said with Buso on his arms and vines jutting out the ground to eerily move all around him.
Hancock coughed and fell to her knees as she felt the poison already take it's toll. She tried to stand only to be patted by her shoulder and shoved down slowly. She looked besides her to see Luffy was there.
It freaked out a bit, cowering back as Luffy suddenly growled and swiftly grabbed two of the left horns on his half mask and tore them to pull off a considerable amount covering his face to reveal his left side. The vortex lights shut off as Hancock looked to the brown eyes of Luffy who tried to maintain control despite the sensation he was losing heavily to speak normally.
"... Han... Hanc... Hancock. Plea... Please... Protect your Kujas. I will defeat 𝖙𝖍𝖎𝖘 𝖋𝖊𝖗𝖙𝖎𝖑𝖎𝖟𝖊𝖗... And leave. Don't follow me... I...- I- can't- CONTR- ol-! Myself-! Just go-! DON'T GET IN MY WAY-!!!!" Luffy struggled on breaths and heaves before the mask began to reform, sprouting out like melted iron to shine a deep purple as it became whole once more, the red vortex eyes returned to the eye sockets.
He walked away from her and Hancock nodded, vanishing to go to her sisters who were now tending to their own wounds caused by Ryokugyu and back with the Kuja Guard to protect the island and keep watch of the inert Marines.
"... Oh Luffy. What... Are you fighting within?" Hancock wondered as she felt her spine shake with chills to feel that thing instead of the man she knew as funny and caring. How could a good heart like his have this... Beast hidden to spew such hatred and malice?
As Hancock retreated, Luffy scoffed and grinned ear to ear "You had your fun Ryokugyu... Now your ass is grass-! I'm kicking you outside the the calm belt and getting my crew back-! Be ready or you will die pompous asshole!!!" He claimed as Ryokugyu didn't respond and just charged into a tackle to push Luffy back as he skid across the ground before the Vice Admiral felt to his hands then an entire forest sprouted, the trees hitting Luffy's jaw, chest, stomach, and arms to bulldoze him away.
"Yamagawa Gado-! (Mountainside Guard-!)" He screeched as a giant mass of trees formed much like a mountain, spreading over to then fall into the ocean as Luffy was caught by impaling branches on his arms and now thighs. He however just snickered even as the forest creation fell to the sea.
"Luffy-sama-!!!" Some Kuja watching over yelled as Hancock stopped mid dash and almost turned about until the words of Luffy buzzed again. She didn't pivot and instead kept going, knowing he will be fine no matter what.
Ryokugyu landed on the befallen trees to make them splash as they had fallen pretty deep "Rahahahaha! Now how will you get out of there, Mugiwara!?" The Vice Admiral acclaimed with a foot on top where he felt a pulse of haki. He confidently raised his hands in the air to claim victory until right in front of his foot, a fist came out to knock right into his chin. This bruised him to open his skin immediately before he made multiple spins backwards into the mainland before stopping himself by anchoring his arms downwards to not be sent flying.
He rubbed his chin, spitting blood as he was appalled to see his hand covered in red that dripped to the ground below. He looked with distraught as now his glasses too splintered, falling from his face as Luffy now coated his arms in haki so strong everyone could feel it.
He was using Buso: Kyōka, near on the verge of using Ryuo but he abstained as he saw that his hit was too much. The Vice Admiral's presence lessened.
"... How!? You shouldn't even be able to move-! You broke through that entire defense-!?" He yelled, raising his fists to coat them in haki as Luffy only grimaced in dark joy.
"Despite it being my weakness... I don't frail up like most Devil Fruit users. I bet if I put you under... You won't come back up to the surface." Luffy stated, looking to Ryokugyu's face to know he had no idea what he just said. But he now was silent as to fire his fist in a mass of wood strands that broke apart to fire projectiles at him.
Luffy though vanished from his sight and Ryokugyu was unable to react until he got folded by a punch to the gut. His eyes almost bugged out as Luffy grasped his face, cutting it via his claws, and slammed him down to the other side on his back.
He however wasn't done as he dragged his backside forward by sprinting across the island to now be in the forest. It was so fast multiple dust devils and explosions of dirt occured before Ryokugyu freed himself by sprouting tree behind his back that knocked him off Luffy's hand.
The pirate let go to flick his claws free from the blood as the logia user vanished this time to appear suddenly to deliver a mean knee to the face. This one was coated in haki which hurt Luffy, hearing his mask break but he didn't let Ryokugyu follow up by kicking him to the sky.
He soared high above to ragdoll out of control before Luffy slowly came into his view by already being there. He then side swiped him with a back arm bash to make the Vice Admiral bounce off to another spot downwards.
Ryokugyu felt his ribs hurt as he got grabbed by the neck this time and a fist almost caved his forehead, twirling him across land to hit a hill and bounce off before Luffy hook him with his left claw, piercing his left side to grasp a rib and drag him below to smash him before double kicking him into the mountain on the rebound.
Luffy landed on all fours as his hair vibrantly flowed and his mask shined with a red reflection "What's wrong-? Can't keep up with the speed? Mister Greenbull?" Luffy stated, cockily and evilly sticking his tongue out before side dodging an array of trees sprouting out to strike him on all fours to then lunge at the Vice-Admiral.
Ryokugyu however was ready, making his arms extended behind him to grow into roots of mangrove and his body became spiked, making Luffy apply haki to his foot and kick his face.
"Gomu Gomu No Frost Stamp-!"
"Annoying brat-! Kuughhh-! Mangurobu No Chouseki-! (Mangrove Tides-!)" He bellowed as his arms swung forward despite his face becoming an ice block. Luffy tucked all his limbs together and got crushed by the whip like arms despite the bark and roots looking mighty heavy.
He didn't stop there as the moment he whipped his arms apart, Ryokugyu opened his mouth wide, six times that of a normal human to show that an entire bush of needles was emerging out of him.
"Onikisu Hari-! (Onyx Needles-!)" He spouted and fired them at the dozen, all aimed to Luffy's heart as he then crossed his arms and vulcanized his entire torso across the arms. The needles hit, the harder than steel haki leaves actually breaking upon contact yet scratching his skin regardless. However the pain was nothing as Luffy propulsed himself using Geppou and barged into him using his body to collide both elbows to his mouth.
This made the Vice Admiral close his maw and before he planned to cross his arms together to squash him again, Luffy now vulcanized his entire head including the mask that shined orange and red.
"Buso-! Ryuo-! Gomu Gomu No Blitzkrieg Blizzard-!" Luffy furiously fired and Ryokugyu immediately leaped high above to dodge of out the zone. The mere haki make his skin hurt due to the combination of the ice ability, floating in the air by creating his flower umbrella to observer the mere devastation.
The fists hit nothing yet the flash of ten rapid fire fists froze the entire south section of Amazon Lily. The ocean was solid ice and anything that might be there was now in the same state. However no animal not even the sea kings dared to show their faces in the face of the monster Luffy was.
"GUUUAAHHH-AHAHAHAHA-! SHARARARARA-! YOU COWARD IN GREEN FRILLS-! WHAT'S WRONG-! A LITTLE TOO COLD- COME HERE-!" Luffy amazingly speed blitz Ryokugyu who didn't even notice Luffy despite his giant haki presence. He blocked a fist coming to his left shoulder only to feel his left claws sink into his left forearm so deep, he bleed instantly and the pain made his arm spasm as Luffy removed his claws.
Now the vice admiral wasn't down for the count and he instead headbutt Luffy with haki of his own. This cracked his maks down the middle but Luffy just grimace before he returned it back.
"Gomu Gomu No Frost Bell-!!!" He bellowed and now he cracked Ryokugyu's head in two, revealing he had been a clone as the skin became rigid and wood stain colored. Then he broke apart as then Luffy felt pierced behind his back by a giant edged log.
He spat blood from his mouth and immediately crossed claws in front of him, cutting the front to then kick his legs back to hit Ryokugyu off him and the log spear. The hit was more like a whip move as the Vice Admiral glided away only to see that Luffy now had vanished.
"Where he go!?" He asked to no one in particular until he saw below him from the island that the pirate was there but also he had slammed his hands so hard an echo reached up where he was and cracks spread across the forest land.
"Ghaaaa-! I'm so pissed off-! Why does some brat from nowhere, have such haki and power-!?!? I'm finishing this off now-!" He declared as suddenly he grew to his forest avatar bigger self "I am a woodsman-! Having eaten the Mori Mori No Mi (Woods-Woods fruit), I am nature itself-! Through our rule we have decided to take you down for the good of our world-! You don't like it, just die with the rest who are not chosen like the Tenryuubito or any of the other nations that chose our system of power-! Discrimination creates Solace-! Solace creates Order-! And Order brings about Peace-!" He affirmed his belief that he knew all too well.
Absolute Justice.
It was some messed up form but anyone who follows that ain't right in the head.
"SHARARARARA-! Peace you say-!? Where-!? What are you even saying-!? Then what the fuck kind of era is this-!? Pirates abound by the millions and more so will come-! One day you will be the ones who will be the enemy and let's see what your 'peace' has earned you when there's a bounty for your head! Your justice is crap as well all those who sleep in the land of the gods that was never meant for any of you, corrupt idiots-! You will get yours as those you dethroned 800 years ago-!" Luffy proclaimed, the environment around becoming silent and wind blowing eerily as if Luffy was going to reveal a dark truth that the world itself feared would be heard.
But Luffy said nothing else, which made time pass normally again.
"Rahahaha-! The winners are the ones who controls destiny and the outcome of each struggle-! It doesn't matter how cruel or who is oppressed when peace can be achieved for the majority-! If we win, then we declare who gets peace and who doesn't, pirate-!" He yelled as he cocked his giant fist behind while falling at a impressive speed.
"For once I'll agree with you, fertilizer pawn-! The winners do control destiny-! So I'll defeat you and get my crew back-!" He bellowed as a giant rubber fist formed from the landscape and fired off into the sky, becoming haki coated and shining red with purple.
"So try not to die and report back to Akainu and even Fleet Admiral Sengoku that I'm coming for all of you for taking my brother-! You will pay me back my sorrow and misery with countless bodies in the battlefield-! Gomu Gomu No Frost King Fist-!"
The attack came out like a giant rocket and shined across Amazon Lily as Ryokugyu felt the haki but didn't look away or move his giant body. Instead he committed to descend and now he applied all his haki and woods ability to clash.
"My justice is unyielding-! You won't save your crew or your brother-! You will live and die alone with all those regrets, MONKEY D. LUFFY-!!! FAREWELL-! GAIA NO IKARI-!!! (Wrath of Gaia-!!!)"
Both attacks collided in the air, now the very environment becoming a swirl of haki that fluctuated across the area to show a green and red hue across the sky above Amazon Lily.
Hancock, her sisters, and Elder Nyon watched over the Kuja as many couldn't believe the absolute power being demonstrated. The fear that such destruction could wipe them out becoming real as Hancock now ran past many of her fellow Kuja to leap into the air and help stop the wave of haki was would sent giant wood debris and red with black lighting their way.
She spread her arms and legs apart as she snapped her eyes open "Kuja-! Hide behind cover and put everyone who's unconscious to a shelter-! THAT IS AN ORDER-! HAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHH-!!!" Hancock commanded and she burst into a golden with pink glow.
Haki flowed out of her as she used her own Conqueror's Haki to manifest it as a shield. This no doubt tired her and just as fast had she jumped to protect her followers, she descended in a dry heave. Her snake Salome slithered her way and curled over her to make a comfy seat. She was sweaty and huffed in relief as the giant wood avatar was gone. Now just snow descended across the entire island, mystifying the Kuja who had never seen such weather ever in their lives in their home.
Looking around the Empress found no one, sitting up with Salome assisting her before she turned around to coat her leg in haki and give a dive kick as a heavily injured Ryokugyu with blood everywhere in his face, arms, and hair came at her. His marine garbs were torn beyond repair and he had no legs to speak off as he tried to get a cheap shot that would've hurt her bad.
That is if he ever got the chance as Hancock felt the ground turn to rubber just as she kicked off to bounce off higher than expected and off danger of that fist attack.
Ryokugyu then had widened eyes as Luffy had been flying straight at him and a clone nearby in a crouch had used awakening for a short moment before bursting into pieces of earth, rock, and debris.
G6 Luffy then smiled bigger as he had a massive red colored haki arm cocked back to the extreme. Heavy steam burst off it and Luffy fired that G4 like attack directly at the airborne Ryokugyu who couldn't stop his momentum
"Blast away-!!! Gomu Gomu No Overkong GGGUUUUUUUUUUUNNNNNN-!!!" Luffy released his fist with a mighty echo as Ryokugyu got the full front to his chest, destroying his arms and lower torso to make a flaming detonation. The Vice-Admiral was hurled through the air at beyond 400 miles per hour.
"BBBGGGHUUUUWWAAAAAAAAHHHHHH-!!!"
Ryokugyu yelled across the seven seas with a painful white eyed face as many of his men heard his scream and knew the worst possible outcome had occured.
"VICE ADMIRAL RYOKUGYU-!!!" The Marines called for their leader that now was out of sight and still going out there, possibly would reach some Marine base or even Sabaody Archipelago based on the direction he sent him.
Luffy however appeared right in front what could be the last functional four warships with the remaining troops that were not too injured aim their cannons and guns at him. But they all were too scared. All the pirate did was hover in place with his Gear 4 kicking technique.
His red vortex eyes shined ever so presently as the sky was now dark grey as the snow kept coming. The Marines were silent and awaited death.
But all Luffy did was...
"Boo" he spoke, using his voice of all things to reach all their heads. This spoked them and all did the one rational thing.
"AAAAAHHHH-!! RETREAT-!!!" A marine ordered and no one said otherwise.
Luffy just kept smiling as he turned away from them and just flew to the sky. He charged up in lighting that struck him before he raced across the clouds to now head towards the direction of Impel Down. He knew this due to having planned for years, even when he had young Ace alive and well, knowing fate wouldn't change much despite his time travel and attempts to steer his brother away from being caught.
Lo and behold... Now he has two reasons.
He will save his crew and Ace. Period.
He left behind everyone in Amazon Lily Including Hancock who raised a hand to Luffy.
"Waaaaiiittt-! Luffy-! It could be a trap-! Don't rush in-!" Hancock warned, her words falling to dea ears as G6 Luffy was unable to care what happened now. He was focused on getting his crew back and in a twisted way the demon obliged with the condition that he was free.
He soared across and in a matter of a few hours would get there. Now all he could think was... How many would he have to kill before they freed his friends and family? How many?
It made his blood boil in dark excitement as Luffy's mind slowly descended into unrecognizable garble. The demon was taking control more and more.