It didn't take long for Wright, Kuzan, and the others to receive the report from Marine Headquarters—one of the Seven Warlords of the Sea, Gecko Moria, had been defeated by the Straw Hat Pirates.
Moreover, the Straw Hats had gained another crew member—a talking, walking skeleton!
The World Government was utterly enraged. Without hesitation, they bypassed the Marines and directly dispatched Bartholomew Kuma, another Warlord, to "eliminate" the Straw Hat Pirates.
"Wright, you don't seem the least bit worried. You think your little adventure crew won't get wiped out by Kuma?"
After confirming Nico Robin's safety, Kuzan strolled into Wright's office once more.
Despite his usual laziness, Kuzan had been an admiral for years—his sharp insight was anything but dull.
Since Wright's promotion to admiral, he had fewer chances to personally engage in combat, yet he hadn't been idle in the slightest.
In fact, he seemed to be mirroring Fleet Admiral Sengoku's days as an admiral—strategic planning, tactical formulations, and handling daily affairs with such proficiency that it put even his three senpais to shame.
Originally, Kuzan had thought only Sakazuki, with his strict and methodical nature, could endure the endless stream of paperwork. But to his surprise, the far more energetic Wright handled it even better than that stone-faced magma brute.
Because of this, Kuzan and Borsalino had been more or less liberated—one spent his days cycling around, napping wherever he pleased, while the other focused on training his "reliable subordinate," Sentomaru.
Hearing that Dr. Vegapunk had already produced prototypes of his new weapon, Borsalino was immensely relieved—finally, he wouldn't have to be "requested" for further research assistance.
As the nominal head of the Marine Science Unit, Borsalino could at last stop avoiding his responsibilities.
"Hmph! And what excuse did the World Government give this time?"
Wright sneered. "They claim they haven't found a suitable successor and don't want to repeat the debacle of stripping a Warlord of their title like they did with Crocodile. After the Enies Lobby incident, removing another Warlord so soon would tarnish their image…"
"So instead, they're pretending nothing happened and ordered Kuma to 'eliminate all witnesses of Moria's defeat—everyone on the island!'"
"Idiots. Anyone whose shadow was stolen by Moria will realize the truth once their shadow returns. There's no way to cover this up!"
"And among those people… there are even Marines!"
With a cold snort, Wright crushed the pen in his hand.
"Kuma won't kill them… Even though the order came directly from the World Government, our plans cannot be disrupted!"
"If he kills Garp's grandson and interferes with Marine Headquarters' strategy, even the 'Tyrant' Kuma will have to consider the consequences…"
"You know why Kuma was called 'Tyrant,' don't you, senpai? And now, the World Government no longer holds any leverage over him. He remains only to ensure that child has a fighting chance."
"A mere 'failed assassination'… is nothing to Kuma."
Kuzan fell silent for a moment, then shook his head helplessly.
"Honestly… Wright, you're becoming more and more like Sengoku. You strategists… your hearts are—cough!"
Waving his hand dismissively, Kuzan stood up and walked toward the exit.
"Well then, with the plan reaching its critical phase, I'll be waiting for the good news."
—
On the Thriller Bark, Kuma surveyed the aftermath of his "Ursus Shock," which had left everyone on the island incapacitated.
"So these are the people Admiral Wright has acknowledged… But this time, their safety net is gone. Wright's protection ends here."
Turning his gaze to Zoro, who, despite trembling, still stood resolutely before him, Kuma—beneath his expressionless facade—couldn't help but sigh.
Admiral Wright specifically instructed me to activate the Lightforged Crystals. I made sure to take special care of those carrying them… It seems the Admiral wants them to experience true near-death adversity.
Their trials so far have been too few… Is this the only way to forge them?
As Admiral Wright's kohai…
Roronoa Zoro, you have not disgraced that title.
"Spare Luffy… Take my head instead!"
"I'm begging you!"
"…"
For the first time, Kuma's voice carried a hint of emotion.
"It seems if I don't let the Straw Hats go, I'll become a laughingstock."
"Much obliged!"
"Then… experience true hell."
Kuma demonstrated an advanced application of his Devil Fruit powers, extracting all of Luffy's accumulated pain and fatigue.
Despite Luffy's significant growth, Moria's strength far surpassed any foe they had faced before.
Even though Luffy had refined Gear Second and Balloon techniques to reduce their toll on his body, he and his crew had still been knocked unconscious by Kuma's enhanced shockwave.
The activation of the Lightforged Crystals was proof that they had brushed against death.
Thus, the pain Kuma extracted from Luffy was even greater than in the original timeline.
"All the wounds from your battle with Moria are here. Since you're willing to die in his place, then bear this suffering yourself."
"With your current injuries, accepting this pain is certain death."
"…Can we do this somewhere else?"
With a fierce grin, Zoro clenched his teeth.
"I've already used up my lifeline. Now, there's nothing left to hold me back!"
"…"
Kuma gave Zoro a long, thoughtful look before revealing a faint, knowing smile.
"As you wish."
At the boundary between ruins and forest, Kuma placed the paw-shaped sphere of pain on the ground and turned to leave.
Zoro stepped forward, took a deep breath, and plunged his hands into the searing mass of agony.
—
"Your crewmate is quite the man."
"Not bad for your son… Dragon."
"Not bad for your kohai… Admiral Wright."
—
Luffy awoke feeling completely refreshed, his wounds miraculously gone. Meanwhile, Sanji found Zoro at the forest's edge—standing blood-soaked yet unmoving.
"You're bleeding like crazy!"
"Hey! Are you still alive?!"
"Where is he? That Warlord!"
"What the hell happened here?!"
Zoro's face was deathly pale, his brows furrowed, veins bulging from his forehead. His body swayed, but he refused to fall.
"…Nothing happened."
—
"Blackbeard has set sail from Water 7… Marco and the others failed to capture him again. It seems his crew has grown significantly stronger."
Seated on the Fleet Admiral's couch, Wright exchanged glances with Sengoku, a faint smirk appearing on both their faces.
"The bait worked—he took it."
"Hmm… In that case," Sengoku turned toward Kuma. "I'll take the heat for this one."
"This is for Marine Headquarters' strategy."
"Bwahaha! That's my grandson for you!"
Garp cackled, munching on rice crackers.
"Defeating a Warlord just two months into his journey—now that's a real debut!"
"Shut up, Garp!"
Sengoku roared. "The higher-ups are already furious! I AM the one who has to report this!"
"They're headed for the Red Line now! Watch yourself!"
"Well then… I'll be taking my leave."
With a nod to Sengoku, Garp, and Wright, Kuma turned and exited.
"The doctor is expecting me."
"It seems… the project is nearly complete."
Watching Kuma's departing figure, Wright smiled slightly.
"Pacifista!"
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