Splash, splash~~
On the ocean surrounding the floating island, the Thousand Sunny drifted alongside the other pirate ships.
All the Straw Hats had gathered on deck.
Everyone except Shirogai.
"Whoa... so this is the Holy Land, Mary Geoise?!"
Usopp stared ahead with wide eyes at the magnificent city hidden among the clouds. The luxurious buildings looked like a heavenly kingdom floating above the world.
His jaw slowly dropped.
Ever since he was a child, Usopp had dreamed about becoming a brave warrior of the sea. He constantly imagined himself surviving dangerous adventures and creating legendary tales.
But even in his wildest fantasies, he had never imagined standing before the highest and most powerful place in the world.
And now...
He wasn't arriving as a visitor.
He was arriving as an invader.
Whoosh!
Luffy stretched both arms around the mast before launching himself high into the air. While hanging upside down, he shielded his eyes and looked toward the distant city with excitement.
"Shishishi! So that's where those annoying Celestial Dragons live?! I kinda wanna punch every single one of them!"
"Wow! Look at all those giant houses!"
Chopper stood on top of Luffy's head, staring in amazement.
"..."
Zoro rested one hand on Wado Ichimonji and silently observed the sacred city shining beneath the sunlight.
His expression remained indifferent.
Click.
Sanji lit a cigarette before casually flicking the lighter shut.
Smoke drifted from his lips as he looked toward Mary Geoise.
"So that's the Holy Land of the Celestial Dragons..."
He exhaled slowly.
"Looks like a pretty rotten place."
"I completely disagree!"
Beside him, Nami's eyes sparkled brightly.
Her money-loving instincts had already taken over.
"Gold! I can practically smell the Berries from here!"
She pointed excitedly toward the shining buildings.
"The rooftops are covered in real gold!"
"Nami-san~ Then this place must be paradise~"
Sanji instantly spun around her with heart-shaped eyes, abandoning all pretense of coolness.
Cling, clang~~
Brook played his violin cheerfully while hopping around the deck.
"Yohohoho! I haven't even properly explored Skypiea yet, and now we're already at Mary Geoise! Life truly is wonderful!"
"Mary Geoise..."
Robin quietly gazed at the city.
The place responsible for Ohara's destruction.
Her beautiful face remained composed, but her eyes carried a depth no one could fully understand.
Silent.
Mysterious.
Dangerously unreadable.
"Right! Right! Did you guys hear about this before?!"
Usopp suddenly jumped back into the conversation dramatically.
"They say there was this legendary hero who climbed the entire Red Line with his bare hands and rescued thousands of slaves!"
"He was called... uh... Fish something?"
"Fisher Tiger."
A deep voice answered from nearby.
Usopp turned around and saw Jinbe standing behind him.
The former Warlord looked toward Mary Geoise with complicated emotions in his eyes.
"The man who climbed the Red Line and attacked Mary Geoise was Fisher Tiger, Captain of the Sun Pirates."
Jinbe paused briefly.
"He was my older brother."
Usopp noticed the pride and sadness hidden in Jinbe's expression.
"Yeah! That's him!"
Usopp nodded excitedly.
"Hahaha! I never thought I'd actually end up doing something even remotely similar!"
He puffed out his chest proudly.
"Maybe we'll rescue some slaves too!"
"OWWW!!!"
Franky suddenly leaned out from the control room while staring at Mary Geoise with excitement.
"SUPER!!"
"They say the world's most advanced technology is gathered here!"
Then his face twisted with disgust.
"Hmph. That makes it even worse."
"This place doesn't deserve any of it."
Franky clenched his mechanical fist.
"Technology should exist to improve people's lives, not become a toy for corrupt nobles."
At that moment, Pilgrim Island finally stopped above Mary Geoise.
Its enormous shadow swallowed the sunlight over the Holy Land.
Then Shirogai's voice echoed across the skies.
"Luffy."
Luffy immediately looked upward.
"Break the gate."
Luffy grinned instantly.
"The giant one on the wall?"
"Yeah."
The next second, Luffy shot into the sky.
One of his legs rapidly expanded into the size of a giant's limb.
"Third Form!"
"Gum Gum Giant Axe!!!"
BOOOOOOM!!!!
The enormous foot descended from the heavens like divine punishment.
The massive gates protecting Mary Geoise exploded apart instantly.
Wood, steel, and stone shattered violently across the battlefield.
"ENEMY ATTACK!!!"
The guards on the walls froze in horror as they stared at the floating island above them and the countless pirate ships advancing through the airborne sea.
"Sound the alarm immediately!"
"Inform the Five Elders!"
"Load the cannons!"
"Where are the Pacifistas?!"
A terrified soldier answered immediately.
"R-reporting! The Celestial Dragons moved all the Pacifistas away earlier for some ridiculous battle tournament!"
"..."
The defenders instantly fell silent.
The gates of the world's most untouchable city had been destroyed in a single blow.
And now...
Mary Geoise stood completely exposed.
"..."
Hundreds of pirates stared at the city greedily from their ships.
Nobody moved.
Not yet.
Their eyes burned with desire while they waited for one command.
One sentence.
One permission.
Cero looked down at the shattered gates with mocking amusement.
"So this is the strongest city in the world?"
He laughed lightly.
"What a joke."
Shirogai remained expressionless.
"It opened easily."
For centuries, the Celestial Dragons had hidden safely atop the Red Line while spreading chaos throughout the world below.
Wars.
Pirates.
Famine.
Slavery.
They manipulated everything from the shadows while Mary Geoise itself remained untouched by suffering.
They sat above the world with wine in hand while entire nations collapsed beneath them.
Even after Fisher Tiger climbed the Red Line and humiliated them, they still learned nothing.
Their arrogance never faded.
They genuinely believed nobody would ever dare invade the Holy Land itself.
As a result, the city gates were guarded by decorative soldiers wearing flashy armor designed more for appearance than combat.
Their weapons gleamed beautifully beneath the sunlight.
But they were useless.
Because the Celestial Dragons never believed war would ever reach their doorstep.
Shirogai looked down at the panicking guards beneath him.
His face showed no emotion.
"Repay hatred with justice."
"Repay kindness with kindness."
Then his voice echoed across every pirate ship.
"Go."
"Plunder their wealth."
"Free the slaves."
"Take whatever you want."
"From this moment onward..."
Shirogai's eyes turned cold.
"Everything in Mary Geoise belongs to you."
The floating ocean surrounding Pilgrim Island suddenly surged forward like a stampede of war beasts.
Pirate ships charged toward the Holy Land atop the roaring waves.
"..."
The pirates trembled with excitement.
Then Eustass Kid roared first.
"FIRE!!!"
"YEAHHHHHH!!!"
BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!
Countless cannonballs exploded from the pirate fleet.
Flaming shells tore through the sky like black meteors before crashing directly into Mary Geoise.
BOOOOOOM!!!!
Explosions erupted throughout the Holy Land.
Walls collapsed.
Buildings shattered.
The flames of war finally reached Mary Geoise.
"CHARGE!!!"
The pirate ships surged toward the broken gates as the invasion officially began.
===
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