Bonney stood completely still, her entire world narrowing down to one person.
Her bright violet eyes were locked onto Luffy, wide and unblinking as she watched him bounce across the battlefield like gravity itself didn't apply to him. There was something unreal about it, something straight out of the stories she'd grown up hearing.
She couldn't look away.
Then slowly, she turned her head toward her father.
Everything he had ever told her.
Every story.
Every laugh.
Every moment.
It all came rushing back at once.
And when she looked up again—really looked—
At Luffy standing there, bouncing on the side of a building, laughing like nothing in the world could weigh him down—
Tears welled up in her eyes.
Not from fear.
Not from pain.
But from something deeper.
Something she was only just beginning to understand.
Nearby, Vegapunk lay barely conscious, his vision fading in and out as he forced his eyes to remain open just long enough to see.
To confirm it.
His voice came out weak, but certain.
Vegapunk: The buster call is futile because there are those all over the world who have been waiting for him, they have waited for centuries
Ryo heard it.
And he couldn't help it.
A smile crept onto his face.
Soft.
Almost nostalgic.
As he watched his brother.
Ryo (thinking): So..my brother is the sun god Nika, that makes so much sense, he's always had a ridiculous way of fighting and just existing, Everywhere he went since he became a pirate he has liberated people, he freed zoro when he was tied to a cross, freed Ussop from being stuck playing pirate for the rest of his life, freed Sanji from being chained to his duty at the baratie and from being forced to go along with his families wishes, he freed Nami from arlong's tyranny, he unchained chopper's heart, he freed Alabasta from crocodile, he freed Robin from her past and from being executed, he freed franky from being a ship dismantler for the rest of his life and from being executed by the world government, he freed brook from being stuck on that ghost ship without his shadow until he died again, he literally freed jimbei from impel down, so yeah..warrior of liberation makes sense
The smile lingered.
But then—
Something else surfaced.
An image.
Himself.
In chains.
Struggling.
Pulling.
Trying to break free—
But he couldn't even see what was binding him.
Ryo (thinking): Luffy..are you going to free me from whatever this is..or do I need to free myself..I guess I don't have time to figure it out
The thought faded as quickly as it came.
Because something else was happening.
Something big.
From the sea behind them—
A shadow loomed.
A warship.
But not just any warship.
This one dwarfed the others completely, its sheer size making the marine fleet look insignificant by comparison. The wood creaked like something ancient, something that had endured far more than a normal ship ever should.
And then there was the flag.
Pitch black.
A skull adorned with a horned helmet.
Two crossed swords beneath it.
A symbol that should not have been here.
A crew the world believed had vanished a century ago.
But the truth was far different.
They had never disbanded.
Their captains had simply been locked in a duel for a hundred years—driven not by hatred, but by pride, by honour, by a promise neither would break.
And now—
For reasons unknown—
That duel had ended.
Or at the very least—
Paused.
Because they were here.
The Giant Warrior Pirates.
And standing at the forefront—
Two figures the Straw Hats knew well.
Dorry.
And Brogy.
The marines reacted instantly, panic setting in as they unleashed a barrage of cannon fire toward the approaching ship.
Explosions rang out.
Smoke engulfed the hull.
But when it cleared—
Nothing.
The ship hadn't even flinched.
Then—
Movement.
The two giants leapt.
Their massive bodies cutting through the air before crashing down onto separate marine warships, each impact shaking the sea itself.
To them—
These ships were nothing more than toys.
Dorry swung his massive sword.
Brogy brought down his axe.
The masts of the ships were sliced clean through, collapsing instantly like they were made of paper.
Wood shattered.
Sails tore apart.
And through it all—
They laughed.
Loud.
Proud.
Like warriors who had finally found a battle worth enjoying again.
They had come.
To help Luffy.
For the Straw Hats—
It was a miracle.
For the marines—
It was a disaster beyond comprehension.
And that's a wrap
