The battlefield was a mess of cracked stone and scattered debris, but Lucci barely noticed any of it. His entire focus was locked onto the rubber idiot in front of him, the one who just wouldn't. Stay. Down.
"Shit, you're persistent," Lucci growled, his leopard tail flicking in irritation.
Luffy grinned back, blood trickling from his split lip but his eyes burning with excitement. "Shishishishi! Of course! I really wanted to beat you without using that, but..." He wobbled slightly, his body clearly pushed to its limits.
Lucci didn't relax. He'd seen this idiot take hits that should have killed him and keep laughing. His hybrid Zoan form bristled with power, every muscle coiled for another attack. His Rokushiki techniques, his Seimei Kikan mastery—he was a perfect weapon, honed to kill.
And yet...
Luffy reached into his pocket.
Lucci tensed. A weapon? A drug?
What came out was... a small green bean.
Lucci blinked. A painkiller?
Before he could react, Luffy popped it into his mouth and—
CRACK.
The sound of bones resetting.
SNAP.
Cuts sealing shut.
Lucci's eyes widened as Luffy's injuries vanished before his very eyes. The bruises faded, the blood stopped, and—worst of all—the exhaustion in Luffy's stance disappeared completely.
"What the hell was that?!" Lucci snarled, his composure cracking.
Luffy tilted his head. "Huh? This?" He patted his pocket. "Dunno. Nolan gave it to me."
Dunno?!
Lucci saw red. This bastard was mocking him!
"I'LL KILL YOU!" he roared, lunging forward with claws extended.
But Luffy wasn't there anymore.
"Gear Second."
WHOOSH.
Steam burst from Luffy's skin as his body flushed red. His grin turned feral.
Lucci barely had time to think Oh shit before Luffy's fist buried itself in his gut.
BOOM!
The impact sent Lucci skidding back, his ribs screaming in protest. His breath came in ragged gasps, he'd already burned through most of his stamina in their earlier fight, and now...
Now he was facing a fully refreshed monster.
This isn't fair!
---
The battle raged on, but the tide had clearly turned. Across the battlefield, the Straw Hats were gaining ground, adapting to CP9's techniques, countering their moves, and most importantly, popping those miraculous green beans that healed their wounds in an instant.
The watching civilians gasped as Usopp—who had been battered and bruised just moments ago—suddenly sprang back up after chewing one, his energy completely restored.
"What the hell are those things?!" someone shouted from the crowd.
"Magic beans or something?!"
"No way! That's gotta be some secret Marine tech!"
"Bullshit! The Marines would never give pirates something like that!"
Meanwhile, back at the execution ground, the real spectacle was unfolding.
Nolan stood motionless, his loteyes locked onto Spandam with terrifying intensity. The air around him warped, as if reality itself couldn't handle his presence. The Sea Kings circling the island let out deep, rumbling growls, their massive forms making the ocean tremble.
Spandam's hand shook violently around the Buster Call trigger. "D-Don't you fucking dare move!" he screeched, his voice cracking. "I'll do it! I swear I'll—"
Nolan didn't even blink. "You talk too much."
Spandam's finger twitched—then slammed down on the button.
BWOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO—
The alarm that blared through Enies Lobby was deafening, a bone-rattling siren that sent every Marine on the island into instant panic.
"CODE RED! CODE RED!"
"BUSTER CALL INITIATED!"
"ALL UNITS, PREPARE FOR IMMEDIATE—"
The announcements cut off as the ground shook, the sheer force of the alarm's vibrations sending cracks spiderwebbing through the stone. Marines dropped their weapons, clutching their ears in pain. Some collapsed outright, blood trickling from their noses.
Spandam laughed hysterically, his eyes wild. "SEE?! SEE?! IT'S OVER! IN FIVE MINUTES, THIS WHOLE ISLAND WILL BE—"
Nolan sighed.
Then, without even raising his voice, he muttered.
"Shut the fuck up."
He jumped from his place and reached the execution grounds.
Nolan didn't just step forward—he moved, appearing on the execution platform in an instant, his presence crashing down like a tidal wave.
"I don't give a fuck what you believe in," he snarled, his voice cutting through the air like a blade. "You think your little government badge makes you untouchable? That this bullshit system of yours means anything to me?"
His eyes burned with something primal, something that made the very air tremble.
"Listen up, you worthless pieces of shit!" Nolan's voice boomed, carrying across the island and beyond. "Marines! Shichibukai! Celestial Dragons! I don't care who the hell you are—you lay a finger on what's mine, and I'll fucking rip your spine out through your throat!"
[Ding!]
A strange chime echoed in Nolan's head, but he ignored it. The world around him was already warping, bending to his will.
[Ding! Host's words have shaken the hearts of thousands!]
[Charismatic Action detected...]
[Ding! Host has obtained Conqueror's Haki!]
[Congratulations! Critical multiplier activated—500x amplification!]
[Ding! Conqueror's Haki has been upgraded to Supreme Tier!]
Then—
BOOM.
The sky shattered.
A shockwave of pure, unfiltered dominance exploded outward, turning the heavens gold and pink as Nolan's will forced reality to kneel. The ground split, the sea recoiled, and every single living being on Enies Lobby—and the surrounding islands—dropped like puppets with their strings cut.
Marines. Civilians. Even the goddamn seagulls mid-flight—all of them hit the ground, unconscious before they even realized what happened.
The only ones left standing?
The Straw Hats.
Because Nolan's control was that precise.
Luffy blinked, looking around at the sea of collapsed bodies. "Whoa."
Zoro whistled. "Well, that's new."
Nami's knees wobbled. "H-Holy shit..."
And Spandam?
Spandam was on his ass, pissing himself, his precious Buster Call button rolling away uselessly.
Nolan cracked his neck, staring down at him with a smile that wasn't a smile at all.
---