Pluton.
That name hit the world like a lightning strike, ripping open more than 800 years of buried history. People didn't just hear it. They remembered it instantly and viscerally.
Pluton. The Ancient Weapon. One of the three.
At first, no one wanted to believe it.
But once they realized it was the Buggy Pirates who had it, suddenly the impossible felt disturbingly real.
Truth be told, most of the world didn't even understand what Pluton really was. Information in this age was fragmented. Entire islands lived and died without hearing a whisper of what happened beyond their borders. If it weren't for Morgans, the king of news himself, this broadcast wouldn't have reached even half of them.
But now? Everyone had seen it.
Still, many weren't stunned by the name. They were stunned by the sight.
Thanks to Gabban's Fuwa Fuwa no mi, the massive warship floated above the Red Line, silently trailing Buggy and his army. The Video Den Den Mushi gave the world a perfect view.
And what a view it was.
A colossal warship, pitch-black and over a thousand meters long, hovered with ghostly silence. Dozens of massive cannons protruded from the hull, each one as thick as a tower and forged from black iron.
These weren't normal cannons. They looked like monsters.
And then came Uta's voice, playful but clear.
"This is Pluton. The real one. One shot. That's all it takes to erase an island."
That was enough.
Even the most sheltered villager could now understand what kind of power they were witnessing.
The idea of erasing an entire island with a single blast was no longer a myth. It was real. It was in the sky. And it belonged to Buggy.
It was a force on par with the black dragon weapon the Celestial Dragons once used against the Crimson Empire. But this time, that power was aimed the other way.
Inside Pangaea Castle, chaos erupted in the war chamber.
Inside the dim, echoing chamber of Pangaea Castle, four old men sat beneath the flickering light of the ceiling lamps. Their usual composure was gone. Panic had slipped into the room like a knife through silk.
Warcury slammed a fist against the table.
"How the hell did Buggy get his hands on an Ancient Weapon like Pluton?"
Mars leaned forward, jaw clenched, voice low and sharp.
"It's Robin. That woman must have cracked the Poneglyphs. She's the only one alive who could lead him to it."
Nusjuro, arms crossed, narrowed his eyes toward the broadcast feed.
"If it's really Pluton, why hasn't he fired? He could have leveled Mary Geoise by now. What's he waiting for?"
Ju Peter wiped the sweat from his forehead with a trembling hand.
"It matches the ancient schematics. And Uta confirmed it on air. What more proof do you need?"
"Enough talking," Warcury snapped. "Deploy the second and third knight divisions. Mobilize the entire Punishment Army. One hundred thousand strong. No one gets through."
Mars growled, "Get Kizaru back. Garp and Sengoku are out of range. We're on our own."
"And Blackbeard?" Nusjuro said coldly, staring at the inactive Den Den Mushi. "He promised he'd show when the battle started. So where the hell is he?"
"Nothing. No signal. CP0 is tracking him now," Ju Peter muttered. "We put trust in pirates, and this is what we get. Fools, the lot of them."
Their voices filled the room, but the tone had shifted. This wasn't a strategy anymore. It was desperation.
They didn't understand why Buggy hadn't attacked yet. They didn't know what he was waiting for.
And they weren't alone in wondering.
From hidden Marine bases to remote island villages, the whole world was asking the same question.
If that ship really is Pluton, then why hasn't he pulled the trigger?
At the same time...
Sanctuary - Inside Mary GeoiseRed Line, underground slave prison
Shhhhhh...
The silence was broken the moment the bathroom door inside the lavish office creaked open. In front of the large wall mirror, the glass rippled like a whirlpool.
A second later, a strange, hunched figure appeared on the mirror's surface. She looked like a witch from a nightmare—old, twisted, and far from human. She scanned the room quickly, then vanished back into the mirror.
Voices followed.
"Katakuri. Stussy. The area outside is clear."
"You're sure this is the underground slave prison beneath the Red Line?"
"I'm sure. I'm linked to the mirror at the base of the continent. This is it."
"Good. No need to worry. Buggy promised your entire Charlotte family a peaceful, stable home. He won't break that promise."
"I believe in Buggy. I don't believe in you. I want to hear it from him directly before I risk the lives of my siblings."
"You're as cautious as ever, Katakuri," Stussy said with a small smile. "Fine. I'll call Buggy right now."
Inside the mirror world, dozens of figures stood waiting.
Among them were former CP9 agents like Stussy and Kalifa, along with the surviving members of the Charlotte family, led by Katakuri. These were the remnants of the Big Mom Pirates—now aligned with Buggy and holding sway over a third of the world.
Surprisingly, none of them showed grief over Big Mom's death. Not sorrow. Not rage. If anything, they looked relieved.
And it wasn't hard to understand why.
A mother who steals her children's souls on a whim, one who inspires more terror than love, isn't mourned. Most of her children had lived in fear their entire lives. Some of them had even wished for her to die.
So when they learned it was Buggy who ended her reign, there was no thirst for revenge. Just gratitude. Not only had he spared them, but he also let Katakuri retain a third of Totto Land.
In return, he asked for two things.
First, surrender two-thirds of their territory to end the chaos in the New World. Second, lend Brûlée's help for an upcoming operation.
Even that favor came with payment.
Buggy promised a quiet, secure homeland for the Charlotte siblings, a land that would one day fall under the protection of the Crimson Empire.
Katakuri understood immediately why Buggy wanted Brûlée's power. He didn't even need to be asked. Brûlée agreed before the discussion was over.
And that was why they were here, deep in the underground slave prison of the Red Line.
Brrrrrr-brrrrrr.
The Den Den Mushi rang.
Click.
"Hello?" Buggy's voice came through, casual as ever.
Stussy smiled. "It's me. Stussy."
"Oh? So it's time? Better move fast. Pluton's getting impatient," Buggy said with a laugh. "We've been dragging our feet, strolling through Mary Geoise like it's a guided tour."
Stussy chuckled. "Of course. That's just like you. But Katakuri wants to speak to you first. He needs to hear it straight from you before we begin."
"No problem. Put him on."
Katakuri took the receiver, his voice calm but firm.
"Buggy. Do you still stand by your promise? A safe and peaceful territory for the Charlotte family?"
"Absolutely."
Buggy's voice dropped into something more serious, more grounded.
"Everything you're about to do will be broadcast by Uta. The whole world will see it. You'll be remembered as heroes, as liberators, just like Fisher Tiger. And I'll remember it too."
He paused for just a second.
"You already know I control the Ancient Weapon, Pluton, right? You've probably been wondering why I haven't fired on Mary Geoise yet."
Katakuri said nothing for a moment. Then he let out a breath. "I get it now. The only thing stopping a man like you is those slaves."
He nodded slowly. "Understood. We'll rescue every last one of them."
"Please do," Buggy said with a grin.
Katakuri and the rest of the Charlotte children froze for a second.
They hadn't expected it. That man, Buggy, had actually said "please" to them.
For a brief moment, every single one of them felt a strange emotion swell in their chests. The kind of feeling that made even hardened warriors consider fighting to the death for someone.
Was this the charisma of Buggy the Dreamer?
No wonder so many powerful figures had chosen to follow him.
Maybe this was why.
"...Leave it to us," Katakuri finally said, his voice low but firm.
Then he ended the call.
He didn't want to keep speaking. The longer he listened to Buggy, the more he could feel himself being drawn in. That man's influence… it was frightening. Perhaps even more dangerous than his power.
Stussy, watching the exchange, gave a sly smile. "Well then, everyone. Shall we begin?"
"Move out!"
Katakuri wasted no time. He was the first to step out of the mirror world.
What followed wasn't a battle—it was a slaughter.
With the overwhelming strength of their squad, the guards protecting the Celestial Dragons' slaves didn't stand a chance.
They showed no mercy.
The moment Katakuri and the others saw soldiers whipping slaves, tormenting children, and smiling while doing it, their fury ignited. They struck harder, faster, and more viciously.
If Stussy hadn't warned them to keep the noise down and act quickly, they would have dragged the guards into the torture cells themselves.
The cruelty these guards had inflicted was beyond words. Even pirates like the Charlotte siblings, raised in chaos, felt sick witnessing it.
By the time it ended, the prison ran red with blood.
The soldiers were dead. Most of their bodies were barely recognizable.
The slaves, terrified at first, cowered in their cells.
But when they realized their abusers were being wiped out one-sidedly, their fear gave way to disbelief. Then, slowly, to wild, desperate joy.
Even the Charlotte siblings struggled to quiet them.
"Shut up!" Katakuri barked.
A wave of Conqueror's Haki burst from him, shaking the prison to its core. The air fell still. Silence returned.
The prisoners sat frozen, wide-eyed, unable to look away.
Katakuri's voice was cold and firm as he stepped forward, his body still soaked in blood.
"We were sent by Buggy to rescue you. Soon, a space gate will open. You'll exit through it in an orderly line. Do not panic. Another gate will be waiting on the other side. Do you understand?"
No one dared defy him. Even the strongest among the prisoners nodded like frightened children, their heads bobbing like they were being pounded into the ground.
Click. Click. Click.
Cell doors began to open one by one.
Creeeak.
Just as Katakuri had said, a space gate, nearly ten meters tall, opened at the far end of the hall.
From where they stood, the slaves could see something they hadn't seen in years—blue sky and white clouds.
The first man in line hesitated. He turned and looked at Katakuri, fear still clinging to his bones.
Katakuri nodded calmly.
"You can go now. Don't panic. Everyone will get out safely."
"...Thank you, sir."
The man's voice cracked. He held back a scream, tears running down his face as he bowed deeply and rushed through the gate.
Then came the second. The third. The fourth.
One by one, they passed through the gate.
And almost every single one of them stopped to bow, whisper thanks, or cry as they passed Katakuri and Stussy at the door.
It was a kind of gratitude neither of them had ever known. A strange feeling welled up inside them.
Was this... what doing the right thing felt like?
On the other side of the gate, Pluton floated high in the sky.
Another space gate had opened on the bow of the massive ship, with a span of nearly a kilometer between the two.
This setup was intentional. It gave the freed slaves space to breathe, and gave Uta, Robin, and Shirahoshi time to capture the moment.
As the first wave of slaves stepped onto the deck of Pluton, they froze again. This time in awe.
Three beautiful young women stood nearby, holding Video Den Den Mushi units. They were filming. Documenting everything.
The lead slave tensed, unsure.
Then Uta stepped forward with a bright smile.
"Don't worry. We're with Buggy Pirates. We're here to broadcast your rescue to the world."
Her voice was gentle, but strong. "Buggy doesn't let heroes go unrecognized. And he doesn't let evil hide."
She paused for just a moment, her smile deepening. "You're free now. No one can take that away from you. Not anymore. Not under Buggy."
The weight of her words struck them hard. The nerves eased. The tension drained. And for the first time in years, they felt it.
Once their emotions had started to settle, the freed slaves couldn't hold back anymore. Excitement burst from them like a wave.
"We're finally out of hell!"
"Hahaha! Thank you!"
"Those damn Celestial Dragons can rot in the abyss!"
"My child... my child was beaten to death by them!"
"Buggy will win! He has to!"
What began as scattered cries soon grew into a thunderous chorus. Shouts of joy, rage, and gratitude echoed through the sky above the Holy Land, Mary Geoise.
All across the world, viewers watching the live broadcast were stunned into silence.
They didn't know how to react at first. Then, as the camera zoomed in, they saw it—the mark of the Sky Dragon's Hoof, scorched into the backs of shirtless men.
The unmistakable slave brand of the Celestial Dragons.
Shock turned into outrage.
Disgust. Fury. Grief.
Right then, Uta stepped forward. Her expression had changed—gone was her smile, replaced with cold resolve. She activated the Den Den Mushi's audio link and spoke to the entire world.
"I'm sure many of you are wondering—where did these people come from?"
Her voice was steady, but the anger underneath it simmered.
"But before that, there's probably another question on your mind. If we have Pluton, one of the Ancient Weapons, why haven't we fired already? Why didn't we blast Mary Geoise the moment we arrived?"
She paused, giving the world a second to hold its breath.
"Here's why."
Uta's tone turned sharp, almost trembling with intensity.
"Because Captain refused to let these slaves die with the filth that imprisoned them. That's why we waited. That's why we held back."
The moment she finished, the camera panned across the survivors. Faces full of tears. Scars. Starved bodies and haunted eyes.
"But now that every last one of them has been rescued," Uta continued, her voice cutting through the air like steel, "we have no more reason to hold back."
She stopped again, then spoke with crystal clarity.
"Remember the names of the ones who led the rescue. Burn them into your memory. These are your heroes."
She raised her hand and counted them off.
"Stussy. Kalifa. Brulee. Katakuri..."
One by one, she named every member of the special operations team.
And with every name she spoke, the people watching around the world erupted. Roaring. Crying. Chanting.
Some recognized loved ones were among the rescued. Others had long assumed their friends and family were lost forever.
People started writing the names down. Some swore they would pass them on to future generations. These weren't just liberators. They were legends in the making.
A new wave of cheering swept across the globe.
"You have to win Buggy!"
"You just have to!"
At that exact moment, on the battlefield, Buggy stared down the shining towers of Mary Geoise.
He raised his hand, eyes fixed with purpose.
No hesitation. No mercy.
His voice rang out with absolute finality.
"Fire!!!"
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