To ensure the safety of the Heavenly Tribute, the entire transport had been shrouded in utmost secrecy from the start.
What was more, Punk Hazard lay relatively close to Marine Headquarters — the journey would take only a few days.
Zephyr had also brought along students like Ain, who had only been enrolled for less than two years, because he wanted them to see for themselves the true nature of the Celestial Dragons on this mission.
Never in his wildest dreams had he imagined it would turn into a battle against an Emperor.
"Are you out of your mind, Zephyr?"
Before he could say another word, it was the agents of CP‑0 who spoke first.
"The protection of the Heavenly Tribute is your duty — you may not abandon it!"
Fufufufu…
Doflamingo ran his tongue over his teeth, laughing with a mix of madness and contempt.
Hopeless… utterly hopeless.
Even the dogs the Celestial Dragons keep are just as foolish.
"Silence, you agents! This is my decision. If you dare, go ahead and report me directly to your masters."
Zephyr shot them a glare. His eyes were blood‑red and ferocious, like those of a raging demon — so terrifying that the elite agents of CP‑0 instinctively took two steps back.
Thump. Thump.
Doflamingo took two steps forward, spreading his arms in mockery.
"Zephyr… fufufu, I can hardly tell if you are still the same Black Arm Zephyr of old. There are two mistakes in what you just said…"
"First, you no longer have the strength to hold off Grimm all by yourself. Second, whether these CP‑0 agents will even make it back to file their report is far from certain — because…"
He trailed off and turned his gaze toward the open sea to the left.
Everyone else followed his line of sight and saw more than five large pirate vessels approaching rapidly.
The flag of the Holy Light Pirates, emblazoned with its sacred symbol, stood out clearly against the horizon.
"Whether any of you will return alive is still an open question," Doflamingo said with a cold grin.
"Four ships of the Holy Light Pirates, and one from the Donquixote Pirates…"
Zephyr quickly assessed the numbers below, then turned his head and shouted with all his might: "Get out of here, while you still have your lives! Leave this place to me!"
RRRRAAAAGH!
He roared, and the full power of his cursed blood‑red arm surged forth — making him stronger than ever, but also eroding his grip on sanity.
"Have you forgotten where this power of yours truly comes from?" Grimm asked, as beams of golden light gathered in his hands.
He launched a barrage of luminous spears one after another, resembling a storm of energy attacks like Eight‑Foot Curved Jewels.
Hah!
Zephyr clenched his fist, and a massive blade of solidified blood‑red energy materialized in his grip.
He swung it wildly to block the incoming assault, but the spears came in such overwhelming numbers that they forced him back step by step.
"Instructor!"
Ain took a step forward, only to have Binz grab her wrist and pull her back.
"We must carry the unconscious men and leave immediately. Staying here will only get in his way!"
Ain hesitated, her heart heavy, but when she looked again at Zephyr — fighting alone to protect them, the weaker ones — she relented.
Together with Binz and the other cadets still standing, they lifted their fallen comrades and ran toward the waiting warships.
"Stop right there! Your duty is to guard the tribute with your lives!"
The CP‑0 agents tried to block their path, only to suddenly find their bodies unresponsive, as if their limbs no longer belonged to them.
One masked agent struggled to turn his head and saw Doflamingo standing a short distance away, moving his long, slender fingers as if manipulating puppets.
On his command, the agents drew their own weapons and began to slash and strike at one another.
Hmm?
One of the CP‑0 fighters managed to break free of the control and lunged a fist toward Doflamingo.
The warlord sidestepped easily, then leaped lightly upward until he stood suspended ten meters above the ground, hands in his pockets, looking down with a wicked smile.
"Truly worthy of being the Government's finest — you have quite the strength."
"But the outcome will not change. Look there — the pirates are coming ashore."
Doflamingo nodded toward the beach.
Sure enough, the four warships of Grimm's fleet, as well as Doflamingo's own Flamingo, had already dropped anchor and begun landing on Punk Hazard.
Ain and Binz had barely managed to get the unconscious cadets onto their own vessel when they realized the enemy fleet was already swarming onto the island.
"Charge!"
"Seize the treasure of the Celestial Dragons!"
"Hell yeah! Who'd have thought I'd ever get to rob those scum lords?"
The men under Grimm were practically bursting with excitement. Before the gangplanks were even fully lowered, Planck fired a shot into the air to rally the crew.
"Listen up — leave no treasure behind, and spare no one who stands in our way! Anyone who tries to stop us is stopping us from getting rich! So give 'em hell!"
ROAR!
The pirates leaped straight from the gunwales, weapons raised, eyes gleaming with greed as they stared at the crates half‑buried in mud and earth.
Gulp.
Many of them swallowed hard. They all knew exactly what the Heavenly Tribute meant — the combined wealth of more than 170 nations allied to the World Government.
Even if each nation contributed just a single billion Berries, that added up to nearly two hundred billion — and in reality, the sum was far greater, enough to make anyone's mouth water just thinking about it.
Once ashore, Planck glanced disdainfully at the officers of the Donquixote Pirates stepping off the Flamingo, a malicious grin spreading across his face.
"Now that we've arrived, it looks like you lot are no longer needed, does it not? Take you out, and the entire haul is ours!"
The same thought crossed the minds of hundreds of others: Why split it with them? We're pirates anyway, and we're stronger.
Once the treasure is in reach, we can just kill them and take that forty‑five percent for ourselves too.
The moment the words left Planck's mouth, hundreds of Grimm's men surrounded Trebol, Diamante, and their crewmates, all wearing greedy, bloodthirsty expressions.
Pica, Diamante, and Trebol immediately closed ranks, while Gladius and Lao G moved in closer, eyes fixed warily on the crowd.
Baby 5 and Buffalo, easily frightened, broke out in cold sweat.
"Our captain and Lord Grimm have already reached an agreement," Trebol warned, leaning heavily on his staff.
He knew working alongside an Emperor was a dangerous game and that betrayal was always a possibility.
He tried to use Grimm's name to deter them, even as he doubted it would work.
"An agreement, eh?" Planck snickered, biting into an orange.
"Forty‑five percent… forty‑five percent. Think about how much that would be — I doubt our captain would mind if we took it all."
"And I believe that is exactly what Lord Grimm intends," Ul'dah added from behind him.
"Men — cut these Donquixote dogs down and throw their bodies into the sea!" Planck roared.
The pirates lunged forward, and their first target was Sugar — the youngest‑looking and seemingly weakest among them, yet whose power was one of the most feared.
Trebol instantly stepped in front of her, ready to fight back.
"Flame Arrows!"
Suddenly, a wave of flaming projectiles shot through the air.
They were not traveling at blinding speed, but enough to force Planck and his men to retreat.
They froze and turned around, only to see Boa Hancock standing with her arm drawn back as if releasing a bowstring.
"Snake Princess — what is the meaning of this?" Planck asked, lowering his pistol.
"If Lord Grimm says they are not to be killed, then they will not be killed. He has his own reasons. Do not defy his orders… you ugly brute," Hancock replied without even glancing in his direction, her tone dripping with contempt.
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