Chapter 234

Luffy tightly clutched the Life Card Ace had given him last time in Alabasta.

"Ace…"

Finally, the Den Den Mushi was connected.

"Moxi moshi, is this Luo En?"

Sabo spoke.

The Straw Hat crew all stared intently at the Den Den Mushi; Usopp even swallowed hard, his expression tense.

Enel leaned against the doorframe, arms crossed, lifting his gaze toward them.

"Yeah, it's me."

Luo En's voice came through the Den Den Mushi.

Luffy's eyes instantly lit up with joy.

Nami, Zoro, and Sanji also couldn't help but exhale in relief.

"It really is that traveler Luo En…"

Usopp muttered nervously to himself.

Enel listened to the voice, his eyes narrowing slightly.

"Luo En!"

Luffy couldn't help shouting into the Den Den Mushi.

"Luffy? Have you already reached the Shichibukai Islands? Are you with Sabo at Lei Li's place now?"

The voice from the Den Den Mushi carried a hint of amusement. "You're faster than I expected. Are you also joining this war?"

"Of course!"

Luffy nodded without hesitation.

Sabo picked up the Den Den Mushi and asked gravely, "Luo En, tomorrow is the execution day. What should we do now?"

"Tonight, you depart from the Shichibukai Islands and head to the sea roughly five hundred li southeast of Marineford. I'll pass through there tomorrow."

"Understood."

After hanging up the Den Den Mushi, Sabo contacted Ivankov, who was still on the Shichibukai Islands gathering information about Bear, and summoned him over.

The sky grew dark.

The three prepared to board the Revolutionary Army's ship and head there.

Just as Luffy bid farewell to Zoro and the others, preparing to leave with Sabo,

Enel's body flashed into Lei Guang and appeared on the ship.

"I couldn't just stand here and watch."

Zoro cracked his neck.

Usopp looked at him and couldn't help exclaiming, "Eh?"

"Are you saying, Zoro…?"

"A war that can change the world must have many powerful swordsmen. Missing it would be a shame."

Zoro grinned and stepped forward to join Luffy and the others.

"I heard the Pirate Empress will appear too. I want to see her legendary beauty with my own eyes."

Sanji stepped forward to join them.

"I want to see Sister Luo Bin again."

Nami smiled and stepped forward to join them.

Usopp stood frozen.

"Nami, even you…?"

"I've already died once. Dying again doesn't matter. Hehehehe…"

Brook, the spiky-haired skeleton, laughed oddly, one hand on his hat, the other gripping his cane as he followed.

"Super—Hot-blooded!!! How could I let the captain go alone? General Franky is joining the battle too!!"

Franky followed closely behind.

"Then… I'm coming too!"

Chopper's gaze hardened, and he trotted after them.

"Franky, wait for me!"

"Chopper… even you…?"

Usopp clutched his head. "Are you all idiots!? In a battle that level, you could really die! You bunch of… idiots!"

He lowered his head, dropped his arms, and slowly clenched his fists.

"Forget it!" He looked up and shouted loudly: "Fine, I'll die then! I don't care anymore!"

He sprinted after them:

"Wait for me!"

"Eh, even Usopp's coming?"

"What can I do? Without me, you'd be useless at everything."

"Since everyone's joining, let's take the Sunny. Let's make a huge mess!"

"Woooh!"

…

Lei Li stood where he was, smiling as he watched the Straw Hat crew depart.

"Xia Qi, don't you think they're just like the old Roger Pirates? Always noisy, yet value each other and their comrades more than anyone else…"

"They're still too immature right now."

Xia Qi exhaled a puff of smoke: "Do you think Luffy can reach that position?"

"I don't know."

Lei Li took a sip of the liquor inside the tin can. "If Luo En's plan truly succeeds, the entire world will undergo a massive transformation—all truths will surface. At that time, will the concept of Pirate King still exist upon this sea..."

Xia Qi remained silent.

204, you have no right to challenge me.

One night passed.

When dawn broke and the sun rose in the east.

This day was the execution day of "Fire Fist" Ace; the entire sea watched and waited, awaiting the war that would reshape the world!

Would the Marines win and reclaim dominance over the sea?

Or would the pirates triumph, definitively declare the Marines' authority lost, and claim the sea's future for the mighty pirates?

Karp led Ace away from Impel Down, escorted by three warships, passing through the Gate of Justice, heading toward Marineford.

As the warships escorting Ace neared Marineford, the massive fleet of the Whitebeard Pirates also drew nearer.

In the southeastern seas, hundreds of miles from Marineford.

The Thousand Sunny of the Straw Hats and the revolutionaries' ship floated there.

Enel, holding his golden staff, opened his eyes and turned his head toward the side sea.

"They're here."

Luffy, who had been gorging himself to replenish strength for the coming battle, immediately lifted his head and looked over.

Soon.

A ship rose from the horizon, appearing in everyone's sight.

When that ship drew closer.

Luffy, Zoro, and the others immediately spotted several figures standing on its deck.

Especially the young man at the front, wearing a black coat and carrying a blood-stained sword at his waist.

"Luo En!"

Luffy shouted joyfully toward the man.

"That's the Traveler Luo En..."

Usopp couldn't help swallowing hard, beads of cold sweat breaking out on his face.

He felt both tense and uneasy—he never imagined he'd one day see such a great figure with his own eyes.

Franky, watching the approaching figure, also felt a chill: "Such overwhelming pressure... is this what a figure on par with the Four Emperors feels like..."