One Piece: The Cryo Doctor on the Straw Hat Ship

On the distant ruins of the execution platform, the golden Buddha from the Warring States period has quietly vanished, returning to human form.

He didn't speak.

He simply stood there, gazing at the massive fissure that stretched across the entire island, at the seawater surging from it, and at the red-clad boy in the center of the plaza, his body enveloped in white steam—

The corner of his mouth twitched slightly.

"V, is this what you meant by causing a little bit of damage to Marineford!?"

After pondering for a moment, Sengoku could only sigh helplessly in his heart.

"Oh well, never mind."

"Things have developed to this point, it's long past my concern!"

in fact……

Long before the war began, V had a secret conversation with Sengoku that no one else knew about.

The conversation was about how to hunt down the Celestial Dragons' henchmen—the Knights of God!

The process wasn't complicated, but it turned this drama of fighting between the Navy and the Revolutionary Army into a great show that revealed the Celestial Dragons' Guardian Knights to the public!

That's right!

Fleet Admiral Sengoku actually knew all along that the Straw Hat Pirates would betray them.

Everything that happened in the plaza before was just a show put on by him and the Straw Hat Pirates for the World Government.

As the commander-in-chief of an agency under the World Government, Sengoku had reasons to obey orders.

But that doesn't mean he can become a pawn to be manipulated at will.

not to mention……

"The Straw Hat Pirates' power has surpassed that of ordinary pirates..."

"Even I couldn't defeat him!"

He tilted his head slightly, gazing at the pitch-black magic circle in the sky, at the several black-robed figures floating in mid-air, and at the leader, Figarando Shamrock, whose face resembled Shanks's but whose eyes were icy cold.

A barely perceptible smile finally appeared on Zhan Guo's lips.

……

……

Click, click!

A crisp snapping sound rang out sharply in the deathly silence of the battlefield.

The longsword in Shamrock's hand snapped in two to the astonishment of everyone present.

The broken sword blade fell along with the monster's remains, crashing onto the ground, which was a mixture of rubble and seawater, with a dull thud.

"..."

For the first time, cracks appeared on the face of Saint Shamlock, which was as cold as a ten-thousand-year-old glacier.

In those unfathomable eyes, shock, bewilderment, and a kind of resentment at being desecrated by ants intertwined like surging undercurrents.

He slowly raised his head, his gaze like a poisoned blade, piercing the boy in the center of the square, who was surrounded by white steam.

"...Straw Hat Boy..."

His voice was hoarse and low, as if squeezed from the depths of his throat, each word carrying a chilling edge:

"You... how dare you destroy my Cerberus!"

Luffy slowly retracted his fist, white steam swirling and rising around him, and his golden pupils reflected Shamrock Saint's face, which was similar to Shanks' yet completely different.

He grinned, revealing his snow-white teeth:

"That sword is too noisy."

"I'll quiet it down for a bit, you're welcome!"

Chapter 226 All-Out Attack

"Arrogant brat!"

Shamrock Saint's voice suddenly rose, and an even colder and more violent Conqueror's Haki erupted like a tangible tsunami, sweeping across the entire Marineford.

"The Knights of God!"

Saint Shamlock's voice boomed in mid-air, like a frozen decree, carrying an unquestionable majesty and coldness:

"All forces, attack! Leave no one alive—we cannot let these madmen leave Marineford alive!"

"As ordered!"

The seven black-robed figures behind him responded in unison.

The voices intertwined, without any superfluous words, only a kind of indifferent and chilling execution of orders.

The next moment—

Seven figures moved simultaneously!

The jet-black cloak billowed in the smoke, revealing the various shapes and weapons beneath.

The power that had been suppressed for so long erupted like a wild beast breaking free from its cage!

Various eerie lights emanated from them, weaving together into a death net capable of devouring everything, engulfing the Straw Hat crew!

Leading the charge was Thatcherz Maffei Palace, which had only made a brief appearance in the comic book storyline.

With her two horns, she was the largest and strangest of the group of knights of the gods.

She let out a sharp shriek.

The next instant, her body suddenly swelled up, transforming into a ferocious beast with wings on its back and a tiger-shaped bull tail.

Zoan type, Dragon-Dragon Fruit, Mythical Zoan type, Qiongqi form!

It flapped its wings, stirring up a foul stench.

"What kind of monster is that!?"

The navy and revolutionary army members looked at each other in bewilderment upon seeing this.

Those who have fought to this point without being knocked down by Conqueror's Haki are all exceptional individuals.

Even so, they still felt a chill run down their spines when they looked at the monster in the sky.

Thatcherz Maffei Palace opened its blood-red maw, its mouth brimming with surging energy. Dark red light churned and gathered deep within its throat, like a star about to explode, radiating a suffocating sense of oppression.

A piercing laugh echoed throughout the energy convergence.

Those vertical, beastly eyes were locked onto the figure shrouded in white steam in the center of the plaza—Straw Hat Luffy.

The energy was compressed to its limit in her mouth, and the surrounding air emitted a sharp buzzing sound under that terrifying pressure, as if even space itself was about to be torn apart.

however--

Just before she was about to exhale, a figure appeared in front of her like a ghost, blocking her view of Luffy.

"Hello, hello, hello—"

The voice, with its lazy yet sharp tone, seemed to be saying something completely ordinary, yet it made Thatcher's pupils tremble slightly.

"—If you want to attack my captain, you'll have to get past me first!"

Zoro stood suspended in mid-air, his feet seemingly touching the ground, his posture as composed as if he were standing on his own deck.

He held Ashura in his left hand, Satori in his right, and Wado Ichimonji in his mouth.

Three knives, a trinity.

Those sharp eyes reflected Qiongqi's ferocious face, yet a haughty smile played on his lips.

That smile carried the unique confidence and composure of a swordsman, as if the behemoth before him was nothing more than a stubborn rock waiting to be cut.

"Mere small fry—"

Thatcherz Maffei's voice was hoarse and deep, carrying the bestial resonance unique to mythical beasts. The triple sound waves overlapped, causing the air to tremble slightly.

"Then let's start with you!!!"

Before she could finish speaking, a beam of energy suddenly shot out from her mouth!

It was a dark red pillar of destruction, carrying a temperature and impact force strong enough to melt steel, like a demonic spear shot from the depths of hell, heading straight for Zoro who was blocking its way!

Wherever the beam of light passed, the air was scorched and twisted into ripples, and the rubble on the ground melted instantly under the high temperature, turning into pools of flowing lava.

however--

Despite the blow that could pierce a mountain, Zoro's smile remained unchanged.

His body sank slightly, adjusting the three swords to the optimal angle in his hands, and he took a half step forward with his left foot, lowering his center of gravity—that was the most classic stance in the Three-Sword Style starting position.

"Three-Sword Style—"

His voice remained clearly audible amidst the roar of the energy beams, each word as sharp as a blade:

"—Purgatory Demon Slayer!"

—Three sword lights flashed simultaneously!

It was a strike that defied description.

It wasn't three separate sword lights, but rather three sword lights intertwined and entangled in a subtle trajectory, ultimately condensing into a purer and sharper slashing wave.

The slash wave was a deep, dark green, with jet-black Armament Haki swirling around its edges, as if it were a slash drawn from the depths of hell, carrying the will to sever everything.

The dark red energy beam and the dark green slashing wave collided violently in mid-air!

laugh--! ! !

There was no earth-shattering explosion.

Yes, but only a sharp, tearing sound, like cloth being ripped apart.

That dark red energy beam, powerful enough to melt gold and iron, was actually sliced ​​in half by Zoro's slash!

Like silk being ripped open by a sharp blade, the energy beam split to both sides, grazing Zoro's body and blasting two charred trenches into the ground behind him.