Chapter 237: Shane Descends
"Pah!"
Sanji and Law were sent crashing to the ground. As the blinding light faded, a massive, expressionless figure stepped forward.
"That's..." Law's eyes widened in disbelief. Impossible! That guy... wasn't he killed by Lord Shane?!
On the commercial street of Grove 40, the once-bustling crowds were now a panicked mob, fleeing from the sound of explosions coming from the amusement park.
"Looks like some of our colleagues are making a scene," Kid said with a sneer.
"I heard they attacked a Celestial Dragon," Killer said. "An Admiral is probably on his way. We should leave, Kid."
"Leave? And miss the show?" Kid grinned, slamming his fists together. "You'll never become the Pirate King with that attitude, Killer! Let's go! We might even get a chance to take down an Admiral!"
He strode off into the fleeing crowd. Killer sighed. Once Kid made up his mind, there was no stopping him. He was about to follow when his face went pale. "Kid! Above you!"
BOOM!
A dark figure shot down from a rooftop, slamming Kid into the ground. A tall man in a black suit with "[PX-03]" stitched on his chest and a gleaming metal hook for a left arm rose from the dust. A red light gleamed in his cold, emotionless eyes.
Doot-doot-doot!
"Target confirmed. Captain Kid, bounty 300 million. Massacre Soldier Killer, bounty 165 million. PX-3 experimental Pacifista, initiating capture protocol." A mechanical voice came from its mouth as a cannon port opened in its palm.
"What the hell is this thing?!" Killer yelled, drawing his blades.
BOOM!
A laser beam shot out, grazing his shoulder and sending him staggering back.
"Aaargh!!" Kid erupted from the rubble, his eyes blazing with rage. "You bastard! You dare to step on my head?!" He threw his arms wide, and every piece of metal on the street—lampposts, signs, swords, jewelry—flew toward him. "MAGNETIC..."
He never finished. The Pacifista was suddenly in front of him, its metal hook buried in his stomach. He coughed up a mouthful of blood and was sent flying into one of the giant mangrove trees.
"Kid!" Killer cried, but a cold chill ran down his spine. He looked up to see two more identical figures surrounding them.
"PX-3 through PX-5 in position. Target lockdown complete. Per Commander Sentomaru's orders, begin elimination of all Supernova threats."
On Grove 13, in the alley outside Shakky's Rip-Off Bar, the exhausted Ace and Zoro struggled to their feet, their faces grim. Two more Pacifistas, and a portly man with a giant axe, were slowly closing in on them.
At the docks, X Drake adjusted his cap. "Change of plans. Sabaody is no longer safe. Let's go."
"But the other Supernovas..."
"If they survive," Drake said, his face impassive.
"Oh? You sound so confident you'll be one of them," a lazy voice came from above. Drake looked up to see Admiral Kizaru, sitting casually on his mast. "Long time no see, Drake. The fallen Rear Admiral... I never thought you'd be the first one I'd run into."
ZHEW!
A beam of light shot from his finger, and Drake collapsed to the ground, a smoking hole in his chest.
"Sorry about that. Ancient Zoans are just too scary. Better to end this before you transform," Kizaru said, then stepped over his unconscious body and onto the island.
...
The emergency sirens blared across the Sabaody Marine base. "Emergency! The Celestial Dragons have been attacked! All units, deploy! The assailants are the Supernovas! Requesting Admiral support!"
...
"What?!" Sengoku's face went grim. "They attacked the World Nobles...? The Supernovas... I understand." He sighed.
"It seems we have no choice," Kizaru said, lazily clipping his fingernails. "Don't worry, Fleet Admiral. I'll handle it. By the way... Vegapunk's new toys are ready for a field test..."
Back at the amusement park, the battle raged on. "Curly-brow!" Law yelled over the sound of gunfire. "You were all talk before! What happened?!"
"Shut up!" Sanji snapped, kicking away a Marine. "A man gets tired! Dammit, where are all these dogs coming from?!"
"Insolent commoners!" Saint Rosward shrieked from the distance. "An Admiral is on his way! And then—"
"Their firepower is increasing," Law said. "Bepo and the others should be safe by now. Let's get out of here!"
"Just like that? I wanted to give those two bubble-heads a good kicking first."
"It's not worth it. There's an opening over there! Now!"
They both leaped into the air, but—
VWOOM!
A flash of golden light exploded in front of them, blocking their path.
"Gah!"
Sanji and Law were sent crashing to the ground. As the blinding light faded, a massive, expressionless figure stepped forward.
"That's..." Law's eyes widened in disbelief. Impossible! That guy... wasn't he killed by Lord Shane?!
It was a Pacifista, a PX-1 unit, holding him in its massive hand. Another, PX-2, had Sanji pinned to the ground.
"Insolent commoners!" Rosward shrieked, whipping his slaves. "Did you really think you could defy a god?!"
"This is a boring little drama," Shalria yawned. "Are you done playing, Rosward? I want to go to the auction house. I hear they have a giant."
"The auction house can wait! I still haven't gotten my white bear!"
"Patience," a lazy voice came from the sky. Kizaru landed gracefully on the ground.
"Old man!" Sentomaru said, relieved. "You're finally here!" He gestured to the captured Supernovas. "I've already taken care of Ace, Zoro, and Bartolomeo. Killer is captured, but Kid escaped. And PX-1 and PX-2 have secured the two who attacked the Celestial Dragons."
"Arara. Looks like I came all this way for nothing," Kizaru said with a yawn.
"Not at all!" Rosward snapped. "Go find me that white bear! I want it alive!"
"Now, now," Kizaru said with a placating smile. "My duty is to protect you..."
"Don't talk back to me, Borsalino!" Shalria screeched. "Have you forgotten your place?!"
"...I understand," Kizaru said with a bow.
"Stop!" a sharp voice cried out. A young, ponytailed swordswoman was striding toward them, her eyes blazing with righteous fury.
"Target approaching," the Pacifistas droned. "Identity confirmed. 'Squinting Sword' Smoker's Subordinate. Threat level: medium. Initiate capture?"
"Silence!" the girl snapped, pointing her sword at Kizaru. "I am not a pirate! I was a Marine! And now, I am an adventurer, following in the footsteps of Lord Shane!"
"Another traitor?" Kizaru said with a lazy smile.
"You're the traitors!" she roared. "The Celestial Dragons tried to enslave a mink, and his nakama fought back! What's wrong with that?! And you... you mobilize thousands of soldiers, even an Admiral, to protect them?! Is this your justice?! It's disgusting! You defile the very meaning of the word!"
"Arara, such passion... I'm getting tired of that speech," Kizaru said. "And that white bear... he's still a pirate. What's wrong with a Marine capturing a pirate?"
"A pirate?!" she laughed, a bitter, angry sound. She pointed behind the two Celestial Dragons, at the five young women in chains, their bodies covered in whip marks, their eyes empty and dead. "And what about them?! Are they pirates, too?! You're so quick to protect the Celestial Dragons, but what about them?!"
"Silence," Rosward sneered, turning to look at the women. "Those are just skins I collected for my wall." He looked the swordswoman up and down, a lecherous glint in his eye. "You, though... you have nice skin. Borsalino, tie this one up for me. I've decided she's my new favorite."
"..." Kizaru paused, then gave a slight bow. "As you wish." He looked at the girl with a pitying expression. "You knew I was here, and you still came. You must have been prepared for this..."
BOOM!
Just as he raised his finger, the sky went black. A massive thundercloud appeared out of nowhere, and with a deafening clap of thunder, a bolt of black-and-red lightning slammed into the ground between them.
"Old man! Look out!" Sentomaru yelled.
"I see it," Kizaru said, his voice grim.
From the smoke and dust, two massive, mountain-like figures emerged, followed by a woman who was the spitting image of Smoker's subordinate, but with an aura of cold, sharp steel.
"Target detected," the Pacifistas droned, their voices now tinged with something like... fear. "'Thunder Fall' Bartholomew Kuma, bounty 870 million. 'Earth Rumbler' Jack, bounty 777 million. 'Wind Erosion' Kuina, bounty 940 million. Threat level: extreme. Requesting backup."
"WARNING! WARNING!" their alarms blared. "MAXIMUM-LEVEL THREAT DETECTED! 'WORLD'S GREATEST SWORDSMAN' SHANE, BOUNTY... 3,276,000,000 BELLY!!! EXTREME DANGER! EVACUATE IMMEDIATELY!"
"Shut up, you hunks of junk!" Sentomaru roared, but he, too, was sweating.
The smoke finally cleared. The Three Calamities parted, and a slender figure in a black coat strode forward. With every step he took, the very island seemed to tremble.
"Impossible..."
"An Emperor of the Sea... is here?!"
"L-Lord Shane!" Smoker's subordinate cried, tears of joy streaming down her face. She fell to one knee in a swordsman's salute. Finally... after all this time... I've finally found you again!
Shane nodded to her, then placed a hand on her shoulder. His gaze swept over the scene, finally settling on Kizaru. He smiled, a warm, friendly smile that didn't reach his eyes.
"It's been a long time, Borsalino."
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