"The drums of liberation… I can hear them again after eight hundred years."
"That sound… it is unmistakable!"
"Joy Boy has returned!"
Far away, the massive figure known as the Zou halted its steps for the first time in centuries.
At the same time, atop Onigashima, the rhythm of drums echoed across the battlefield.
Luffy's body began to change.
Starting from the tips, his hair slowly turned white. His heartbeat returned, syncing with the strange, rhythmic drums.
Thump thump.
Each beat made his body tremble.
Red and black lightning burst outward from him, crackling violently through the air. Waves of overwhelming Haki surged in all directions, pressing down on everything nearby.
The ground beneath him shattered under the pressure, breaking apart piece by piece as fragments began to float upward.
Luffy's body slowly rose into the air.
His brows furrowed slightly as confusion filled his expression. "What is going on with me?"
He remembered clearly. Kaido's attack should have killed him.
So why was he still alive?
Thump thump.
Thump thump.
His hand moved to his chest, gripping tightly as he felt his heart beating in an unfamiliar rhythm.
"My heartbeat… feels strange."
Following that rhythm, he slowly stood back up.
"Why can I still stand?"
A grin began to spread across his face.
Then he started laughing.
"Hahahaha… I lost, but I feel… so happy!"
He dropped back down, sitting on the ground as laughter poured out of him uncontrollably.
"Hahahahahaha!"
The lightning around him intensified, flashing wildly with every pulse of his Haki.
Kaido watched the scene with wide eyes.
"This brat… I thought I killed him. And yet he is still alive!"
Surprise quickly turned into excitement.
The regret he had felt moments ago disappeared completely.
Yamato stared in shock. "That level of Conqueror's Haki…"
After a brief pause, relief washed over her.
She had known it. Luffy was not someone who would fall so easily.
When she first sensed the clash of Conqueror's Haki, she rushed toward the dome. From a distance, she saw Luffy fighting Kaido.
She recognized him instantly as Ace's younger brother, Monkey D. Luffy.
At first, she chose not to interfere.
But when Luffy was struck down and lost consciousness, she stepped in without hesitation to hold Kaido back.
Since childhood, Yamato had listened to the stories of Kozuki Oden. Those tales had ignited a deep longing within her, a desire to leave Wano and see the world.
She wanted freedom.
She wanted adventure.
But Kaido had different plans.
He wanted her to rule Wano, to stand beside him and eventually help him dominate the seas.
"I want to be Oden," she would always say.
Each time she said it, Kaido's anger would flare.
In his eyes, his own child had rejected him, choosing instead to idolize a man he despised.
He knew that if Yamato ever escaped, she would leave without looking back.
So he chained her to Onigashima.
From the age of eight, she had lived in captivity.
Eighteen long years.
Now, she stepped back, her gaze fixed on Luffy.
"This is your fight now, Luffy. You have to defeat him."
At that moment, Luffy's transformation was complete.
His entire body had turned white, except for his straw hat. A ring of cloud-like flames curled around his shoulders and back.
"Hahahaha!"
"Hahahaha!"
His laughter rang out as he began to move.
He danced.
With every step, the ground beneath him turned soft and elastic, bouncing under his feet like rubber.
Thump.
Thump.
Thump.
It felt as if the battlefield itself had become a trampoline.
"This is my peak!"
"Gear Five!"
...
Inside the main hall of Onigashima.
"That Haki… it is Luffy!"
Ace felt the overwhelming surge from above, his face lighting up with excitement.
"So he is back on his feet."
The aura pouring down from the rooftop was immense, even greater than before.
He could feel it clearly.
Luffy had grown stronger, strong enough to stand among the very best.
A smile formed on Ace's face. "That kid never stops causing trouble."
Despite his words, pride was evident in his expression.
Nearby, Rolan quietly observed, his senses locked onto the rooftop.
He felt it.
The awakening.
Luffy had successfully reached that state.
Sun God Nika.
A faint, satisfied look crossed Rolan's face.
Luffy, Ace, Whitebeard, Shanks, Dragon, Kuro.
So many top tier fighters were already within his reach.
With that kind of power, even the World Government would not be untouchable.
...
Holy Land, Mary Geoise.
Saint Warcury's eyes narrowed slightly. "So, he has awakened."
Saint Peter spoke calmly. "It was always a possibility. This is no ordinary Devil Fruit."
Sitting nearby, Saint Saturn's expression darkened. "There was never any Gum Gum Fruit. Its true name is the Mythical Zoan, Human Human Fruit, Model Nika."
Saint Nusjuro spoke next. "After awakening, he becomes the Sun God Nika, a warrior who brings liberation and joy."
Saint Mars stroked his beard thoughtfully. "Its awakening enhances both his rubber abilities and his Haki."
Saint Saturn's voice carried clear irritation.
"That fruit has evaded us for centuries. And now, because of Red Hair, it ended up in Straw Hat's hands."
His tone turned colder.
"To think it would not only escape us, but grow to this point."
Saint Nusjuro added, "When we discovered him, it was already too late. He is Rolan's disciple."
At the mention of that name, the atmosphere shifted.
Saint Mars frowned deeply. "Rolan is far more troublesome than Nika."
Saint Peter nodded. "We have dealt with Nika before. But according to Imu, Rolan is unpredictable. Impossible to calculate."
"And the forces gathering around him are not weak," he continued.
Saint Warcury's voice lowered. "He is a serious threat."
Saint Saturn let out a quiet breath. "No one expected his rise to be this fast. In all the history of pirates, no one like him has ever appeared."
From the moment Rolan showed hostility, they had tried to eliminate him.
Every attempt had failed.
Worse still, he possessed an ability reminiscent of Golden Lion Shiki, allowing him to make entire islands float, making him almost impossible to track.
Since his emergence, the balance of the world had begun to shift.
Then, a faint smile appeared on Saint Saturn's face.
"Let him act as he pleases for now."
"As long as that project is completed…"
His eyes turned cold.
"Even Rolan will be reduced to nothing."
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