One Piece - Heaven Defying Comprehension!

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Naval Headquarters

When the warship that carried out the Buster Call returned to the Naval Headquarters' port, the sight of several figures being carried off the ship sent Naval Headquarters into complete chaos.

In the medical room

"Bang!"

The door swung open with urgency.

"Fleet Admiral..."

Sitting on their hospital beds, their bodies heavily bandaged, Gion and Chaton lowered their heads as the figure entered the room. 

The chief staff officer, standing beside Gion, let out a heavy sigh.

Next to them, Momonga and Yamakaji were wrapped like mummies, trying to sit up but unable to. 

And on the side, Onigumo lay under a white sheet, lifeless.

"What in the world happened?!"

Sengoku's voice roared as veins bulged on his forehead. He looked at the injured Gion and Chaton, the incapacitated Momonga and Yamakaji, and the ghostly stillness of Onigumo.

Sengoku had been blindsided when he learned that a Buster Call had been launched at Enies Lobby. But a Buster Call is authorized by the World Government to carry out indiscriminate and devastating attacks on any location where the signal is sent—an "extraordinary summons" meant to eliminate all threats to the government's rule.

Once the signal is triggered, even as Marine Fleet Admiral, Sengoku had no choice but to wait until the Buster Call was completed before intervening.

But who could have predicted that five Vice Admirals, including Onigumo, would fall in action? That Momonga and Yamakaji would be critically injured? And that two Admiral candidates, Gion and Chaton, would be gravely wounded?

Such devastation had never occurred in the history of the Buster Call.

"What happened at Enies Lobby?" Sengoku demanded, his voice dark and tense, looking at the downcast Gion and Chaton.

"Calm yourself, Sengoku. Gion and the others are severely injured," Tsuru, the great staff officer, said gravely.

"Haa... haa..." Sengoku exhaled heavily, trying to rein in his emotions. He sat down.

"Now, tell me what happened on Enies Lobby. How did one of you end up dead, and the rest of you gravely injured?" he asked in a serious tone.

Though Gion and the others hadn't reported through the transponder snail, Sengoku understood. Transponder communications aren't always secure and could be intercepted.

Gion, having worked under Tsuru for many years, knew better than to take that risk.

"It was the Entei Pirate... Portgas D. Ace! The Entei Pirates invaded the Enies Lobby!" Gion lifted her sorrowful face and answered.

"What?!" Sengoku's eyes widened in shock.

Gion went on to explain everything that had happened at Enies Lobby, including how Ace, out of respect for Garp, chose not to annihilate them all. Instead, he allowed them to take a single blow, which resulted in the death of Onigumo and severe injuries to the others.

Ace had even used their unwillingness and submission under his Conqueror's Haki to strengthen his own Haki immediately.

There were also suspicions that it was Ace who initiated the Buster Call.

"Bang!"

Sengoku slammed his fist against the wall, cracks spreading out from the impact as veins pulsed on his forehead. His teeth clenched tightly.

"Portgas D. Ace!"

He growled through gritted teeth.

"Is this how he demonstrates his authority to the World Government and the Naval Headquarters!? How dare he!" Sengoku's eyes were bloodshot with rage.

Compared to Gion and the others, Sengoku had a clearer understanding of the situation. 

First, there was the clash between Aokiji and Ace himself. 

Then, in Water 7, CP9 had provoked Ace's crewmate, Nico Robin—the "Devil's Child."

Though Ace had retaliated, killing Blueno on the spot, he was now seen as a Fifth Emperor of the Sea. This was no ordinary skirmish; it was a major provocation.

Ace had issued a clear warning to the World Government, but Sengoku had assumed the matter would end there.

Unexpectedly, Ace erased Enies Lobby from the map and crippled the Buster Call as a show of his power.

The message was clear: the king's majesty cannot be defied. Those who offend him will perish. Their power will be wiped off the map.

This is what Ace wanted to declare to the World Government and the Naval Headquarters: that he is truly the Fifth Emperor of the Sea.

Sengoku couldn't help but be alarmed by Ace's rapid growth in power. 

Just from clashing with Aokiji, Ace's strength had skyrocketed to unimaginable heights. With his Conqueror's Haki and raw physical strength, Ace had managed to defeat five Vice Admirals in a single blow, including two Admiral candidates.

One dead and four heavily injured.

Only two emperors at their peak—Kaido of the Beasts and Red-Haired Shanks—were known to possess such overwhelming power, capable of using Conqueror's Haki to such a devastating degree.

"Has Portgas D. Ace already reached this level?" Sengoku muttered in disbelief.

"This rate of growth is terrifying, Sengoku," Tsuru added gravely. "He can now directly feed off the surrender and unwillingness of the strong to strengthen his Conqueror's Haki. Even Shanks can't do that. Do you understand what this means?"

Sengoku gritted his teeth.

"This means that if he is given enough time, his power might even surpass that of Roger or Whitebeard at their peak! His strength alone could upset the balance of the entire sea!"

"The most frightening part," Tsuru continued, "is that even if we summon a Super Buster Call, we might still fail. The Entei Pirates have matured into a formidable force."

Gion had already reported the presence of other dangerous members of Ace's crew, including a Thunder Fruit user and a Bird-Bird Fruit user of the mythical Suzaku model—both of whom had the strength of Admiral candidates.

In addition, there was a Sand-Sand Fruit user and several other Devil Fruit wielders, all contributing to an already deadly lineup.

"This is almost a fully-formed Four Emperor crew."

"The real problem, though, is that CP9's Door-Door Fruit has fallen into Ace's hands," Tsuru said gravely.

"With such a rare space-manipulating ability, even if the Marine and World Government launch a Super Buster Call at full force, Portgas D. Ace could simply use the power of the Door-Door Fruit to retreat after taking out a portion of the fleet."

"And given that the Entei Pirates, like Shanks' crew, follow the elite route, with only a small core crew, the Door-Door Fruit is more than enough for Ace's entire crew to escape through the 'gates'."

"Even if a Super Buster Call is deployed, Ace could still lead his crew to safety, while the Marine forces would face catastrophic losses."

"Not to mention, the Entei Pirates boast users of the Thunder, Flame, and Sand Logia Devil Fruits—if they all unleash their full power at once, the casualties would be unimaginable."

"The ability to hunt Devil Fruits... Damn it!"

As the Resourceful General, Sengoku fully understood the key to the Gate-Gate Fruit's power.

This Devil Fruit had fallen into the hands of Ace, placing him in an invincible position.

"Fortunately, Portgas D. Ace isn't as crazed as Rocks once was. For Garp's sake, he only made one move. Otherwise, Gion and the others would've been wiped out. This… this was mercy from him."

Sengoku's tone was grave.

Facing an Emperor and a near-complete Four Emperors pirate crew, launching a standard-sized Buster Call would be like trying to shatter a boulder with an egg.

It would be absurd for a pirate to show mercy to the Marines, but that's the reality. If Gion hadn't used Garp's name, she and the others wouldn't have survived the battle at Enies Lobby.

Portgas D. Ace is not someone who would hesitate over a Buster Call.

"Let Garp keep negotiating with Ace. See if there's a chance to recruit him as a Warlord of the Sea. If not, we at least need to stabilize him."

Sengoku pressed his hand to his forehead, gritting his teeth.

"Fleet Admiral! Portgas D. Ace… he killed Onigumo and destroyed Enies Lobby! You still want him to become a Warlord?!"

Yamakaji's eyes flew open as he lay paralyzed in the hospital bed, glaring at the ceiling.

"Justice cannot be swayed by personal whims! Ace, with his mastery of the Gate-Gate Fruit, is currently beyond the reach of the Marines' forces."

Sengoku's eyes were bloodshot, but as a Marine Fleet Admiral, he kept his composure.

Even if he, with his Conqueror's Haki, led a force with two Admirals and ten elite Vice-Admirals, they might only have the slightest chance of subduing Ace's crew before he could use the Gate-Gate Fruit to escape.

But could the Marines afford such a risk? Could they, while dealing with the Four Emperors, mobilize such a high-caliber force?

Even if Sengoku himself were to lead the charge, he would be putting almost all of the Marine's top combat power at stake.

And even then, they'd be gambling on a slim hope.

Portgas D. Ace's Conqueror's Haki is formidable. His power won't be easily subdued.

In truth, the Marines have no feasible way of defeating Ace at present. Negotiation is the only option.

"I'll report to the Five Elders. You all rest and recover…"

Boom!

Before Sengoku could finish, the door to the infirmary was flung open. A terrifying aura filled the room.

"Onigumo!"

The intruder's eyes were bloodshot as he gazed at the covered corpse.

The man was draped in an Admiral's cloak, wearing a red shirt with a flower pinned to his chest—Admiral Akainu, wielder of the Lava-Lava Fruit and the Marine's highest combat power.

"Who killed Onigumo?!"

Akainu's voice boomed, his arms transforming into seething magma as the heat began to warp the very air around them.

"Sakazuki!"

Sengoku's eyes narrowed as he shouted at the enraged admiral.

"Fleet Admiral! How could Onigumo die on a Buster Call mission?! Who killed him and dared to trample on justice?!"

Akainu's eyes flared, staring Sengoku down. Onigumo had been one of his most trusted subordinates, practicing Akainu's doctrine of absolute justice.

That he had died executing a Buster Call—an instrument of that very justice—was unthinkable.

For Akainu, who pursued "thorough justice," the failure of the Buster Call was a disgrace. The thought of it fueled his fury.

"Calm yourself, Sakazuki! Wait for my orders on this!"

Sengoku barked, his voice authoritative.

Among the three Admirals, Sakazuki's strength was unmatched, but his form of justice was too extreme. For this reason, Sengoku had always seen Aokiji as his successor.

"Hmph."

Akainu grunted, his face cold. Since Sengoku wasn't going to give him answers, he'd find them from the Five Elders himself. The person who defied justice would pay—with magma.

"Sakazuki! Damn it!"

Sengoku rushed after him, realizing too late what the Admiral intended to do. Both Marine Headquarters and the Holy Land of Mariejois were thrown into chaos in the aftermath of the Enies Lobby disaster.

Meanwhile, far from the turmoil at Marine Headquarters, a grand banquet was underway in the City of Water, Water 7.

"Ooooooh! Super~~cool dance moves!"

Franky stood atop the table, striking a bizarre pose under the stage lights. The Square Sisters danced around him, cheering wildly.

Ace laughed heartily as he stuffed his face with food and wine provided by Raki.

However, uncharacteristically, it wasn't Kaya or Vivi sitting beside him. Instead, Robin was by his side, refilling his wine glass with a coy smile.

"Haha! Robin, you've got quite the tolerance for drinks," Ace chuckled, eyeing her flushed face.

"It's still early," Robin replied with a smirk, her red lips curved as she refilled his glass once more.

Ace laughed and downed the drink.

"It seems that after Enies Lobby, Robin has finally let go," Kaya whispered to Vivi, watching Robin with a knowing smile.

Vivi nodded, having worked with Robin before, and could recognize the change.

"Come on, everyone! Let's drink!"

Ace raised his glass with a wide grin.

"Cheers!" the girls shouted in unison, raising their glasses high.

By nightfall, with faces flushed from drinking, the girls retired to the guest rooms prepared by Iceburg.

Ace also returned to his room, using his Devil Fruit abilities to quickly metabolize the alcohol from his system.

Click.

The door to Ace's room quietly opened.

"Huh?"

Ace's senses instantly recognized who had entered.

A silhouette, radiant in the moonlight, moved toward him, placing her hands on his chest. Her beautiful, liquid eyes sparkled with warmth, a mix of emotions and intoxication.

"Robin…"

Ace's gaze grew intense as he saw her, clad only in a thin layer of gauze.

Bold, as ever.

"So, that's why you were drinking so much tonight…" he muttered.

Robin leaned in, her voice soft. "You promised I wouldn't be alone anymore, didn't you?"

Her hand rested on his chest, her lips curling into a smile.

"I don't want to be alone tonight either."

Ace felt warmth spread from her lips to his, and his eyes blazed.

Without hesitation, he flipped her over, enveloped in an even greater warmth.

Tonight will be unforgettable.