dmims Chapter 244 Old Alliances and New Friends
Chapter 244 Old Alliances and New Friends
Chapter 244 Old Alliances and New Friends
Bucky stared at the monitor screen, his eyes practically bulging out of their sockets, his voice filled with shock.
"Thinking about it carefully, how could that bastard Shanks end up in a place like this?! Did the World Government issue him an arrest warrant? — No, he has no reason to be here!"
Jason watched as Baghdad went from being terrified to cursing and swearing, and raised an eyebrow in confusion.
"Oh? Why can't you come specifically to see us allies without a reason?"
"This guy isn't so kind!" Bucky crossed his arms and snorted.
His expression was complex; though he was reluctant to admit it, it was a mixture of slight relief at seeing his old friend and worry about the trouble his sudden appearance might cause.
Bonnie recognized Shanks, and her tension eased slightly, but she remained vigilantly guarding her father's life support pod.
"Red-haired Shanks—he's not a bad guy, but what's he doing here?"
A calculating glint flashed across Vegapunk's enormous apple-shaped head as he looked at Leonardo da Vinci, who nodded slightly to him.
Vegapunk then operated the control panel, disabling some of the outermost optical camouflage and interference barriers of the laboratory, allowing the Red Foss to clearly receive communication signals from inside the laboratory.
Almost simultaneously, a cheerful and familiar voice came through the external communicator, tinged with a hint of teasing.
"Hey—! Bucky! Bonney! Dr. Vegapunk! What are you doing hiding in that giant eggshell?"
"The navy friends outside are very welcoming, it's a bit hard to persuade them to let me in. Why don't you invite me in for a while?"
It was Shanks' voice.
Bucky immediately rushed to the communicator and shouted into the microphone.
"Shanks! You bastard! Stop talking nonsense! Do you know how troublesome things are here right now?"
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""
"The World Government has no shortage of lackeys; are you trying to drag me down with you?!"
"Hahahaha, — don't say that, old friend."
Shanks' laughter rang out.
"I heard you and your friends on the red team were having some trouble, so I came here specifically to help."
"Moreover, Mr. Merlin said that not only are our lost comrades from the Red Team here, but also a crucial scientist, isn't that right?"
Bucky crossed his arms; he understood that Shanks had come to help them. But his inherent pride resented this outcome.
"Don't try to take him from us! Dr. Punk specifically asked us to take him with us!"
"You'd better think about how to break through the navy's defenses first!"
Shanks grinned and nodded, "That's true! It's a deal then! Once I break through the defenses, you'll all come with me!"
The call was cut off as soon as he finished speaking.
Bucky was left fuming, muttering, "Who said that?! You bastard!"
The atmosphere in the waters surrounding Egghead Island had frozen.
The naval fleet was arranged in a fan shape, its cannons menacingly aimed at the Red Fosse, which seemed to be strolling into the restricted area at a leisurely pace.
On the deck, the newly recruited Vice Admiral Bastiyu, the Shark Slayer, gripped his massive dragon-slaying sword tightly, cold sweat beading on his forehead, and issued a stern warning through the loudspeaker.
"Red-haired Shanks! This is a key research facility directly under the World Government!"
"Stop advancing immediately, or we will consider you an intruder and take all necessary measures!"
Shanks stood alone at the bow of the ship, casually putting away his Den Den Mushi, the sea breeze ruffling his red hair.
He didn't even press Griffin down, but calmly gazed at the main building of Egghead Island in the distance, a faint smile playing on his lips.
Behind him, Ben Beckman, a cigarette dangling from his lips, calmly observed the naval formation.
Raki Lu gnawed on his meat, but his eyes were sharp; Yasopp's fingers lightly caressed the sniper rifle —
The entire Red-Haired Pirates were like a fully drawn bow; though they hadn't yet unleashed their power, they already exerted suffocating pressure on all the Marines.
"Necessary measures?" Shanks finally spoke, his voice not loud, but clearly carrying across the sea.
"I'm just visiting an old friend, and incidentally—picking up a few friends. Could you please make way, Lieutenant General?"
His tone was relaxed, but his domineering aura, like a real tsunami, spread out with a roar!
Om-!
A terrifying deterrent force swept through!
The naval soldiers on the front row of several small frigates couldn't even withstand the mental shock; their eyes rolled back and they fainted!
Even a lieutenant general like Bastiyo felt his heart suddenly clench and his breath catch in his throat!
"Conqueror's Haki—Haki!" Bastiyu gritted his teeth, stubbornly refusing to retreat.
"Hold your ground! Pacifista forces, move out!"
The order was given, and the hatches along the coast of Egghead Island opened, with dozens of pacifist vehicles gleaming with metallic luster stepping out with heavy strides.
They raised their palms, and dazzling golden light began to condense—it was a laser!
However, just as tensions were rising...
On the Red Fox, Merlin, who had been keeping his eyes closed as if sensing something, suddenly opened his iridescent eyes and a mysterious smile appeared on his lips.
"The timing is perfect, let's avoid the fighting, Shanks."
He paused slightly with his wooden cane.
There was no earth-shattering noise, only a dreamlike pink petal appeared out of thin air, enveloping Shanks and Merlin like a vortex.
The next moment, a flash of light, and the two of them disappeared directly from the bow of the Red Fox!
"What?!" Bastiyu's pupils constricted. "Where did they go?!"
Almost simultaneously, inside the core laboratory of Egghead Island, a vortex of pink petals appeared out of thin air, and Shanks and Merlin gracefully stepped out.
"Hey, Bucky, Bonnie, looks like you're both safe and sound."
Shanks greeted him with a smile, then his sharp gaze fell on Vegapunk.
"This must be Dr. Vegapunk, right? I've heard so much about you. And this one—"
His gaze fell on Leonardo da Vinci, sensing the wondrous artistic aura emanating from him that was unlike any other heroic spirit.
"This must be the Heroic Spirit summoned by the Doctor? What an extraordinary lady."
The next moment, Merlin's dreamlike figure quietly appeared, holding a wooden staff and smiling brightly.
"Hello everyone! Wow, the technology here is truly dazzling!"
"Beautiful lady, the light of possibility emanating from you is truly dazzling. You must be the legendary omnipotent man, Leonardo da Vinci, right? It's a pleasure to meet you!"
Da Vinci smiled gracefully in response: "You flatter me, Mr. Merlin, the Magician of Flowers."
"To know a lady's name so clearly upon first meeting her is not the behavior of a knight."
"However, your name is well-known to me, as is Mr. Shanks. Thank you for your mediation on the outside."
Bucky was taken aback at first, then flew into a rage and pointed at Shanks' nose.
"Shanks! You bastard! Are you trying to kill me by creating this huge scene?!"
"It's full of navy personnel and those metal hullers outside! And you still dared to come in in such a ostentatious way?!"
Jason breathed a sigh of relief when he saw Shanks and Merlin, and patted his chest.
"Phew~ It's the red-haired man and the Flower Magician! My comrades who fought alongside me in Alabasta! I almost thought they were World Government lackeys who had infiltrated!"
He straightened his clothes and stepped forward: "It seems our Red Team's strength is gathering! This is truly fate's arrangement—"
"Let's do something big together! Treasures, fine wines, and beautiful women will all be ours!"
Before he could finish speaking, Merlin added casually, his smile gentle: "Oh, by the way, Mr. Jason, you know what?"
"According to some ancient records, Princess Medea's resentment could sometimes even transcend time and space, perceiving certain—well, peculiar behaviors, you know?"
Jason froze instantly, feeling that familiar chill creeping up his back once more.
He chuckled twice, immediately took half a step back, and said righteously and solemnly.
"—Of course! We've gathered our strength to deal with evil scoundrels like Blackbeard!"
"As a hero, Jason has no choice but to do so!"
After saying that, he looked down at his nose and then into his heart, and became quiet for the time being.
Leonardo da Vinci returned the greeting gracefully: "Let's skip the reminiscing for now; your arrival has truly been a lifesaver."
As she spoke, her fingers flew across the control panel, bringing up external monitoring, her brow furrowing slightly.
"However, our friends outside don't seem too happy."
On the screen, the naval fleet can be seen to be thrown into brief chaos due to Shanks' sudden disappearance.
But soon, under Basteyu's roaring command, the pacifist forces had locked onto the main buildings of Egghead Island, while more elite naval forces were attempting a forced landing.
Hercules stepped forward, his massive body blocking Bonney and the life support pod, letting out a low, warning roar. His crimson magic rippled slightly, displaying unparalleled power.
Although he was silent, his presence was incredibly strong, like an insurmountable mountain.
Bonnie clung tightly to Hercules's trouser leg, her face pale, but her eyes resolute.
"Uncle Shanks, Mr. Merlin, are you here to help us? My father—"
Upon hearing this, Shanks looked at Vegapunk, his expression turning serious.
"Doctor, to make a long story short, we've detected anomalies on Egghead Island and have a general idea of your situation."
"Blackbeard's display of power in Impel Down has completely shattered the balance, and the World Government's next reaction will only be more extreme and ruthless."
"It's too dangerous for you to stay here. It's not good for you or for the world."
Sweat was clearly visible on Vegapunk's enormous apple-shaped head.
He looked around, and the powerful heroic spirits certainly gave him confidence.
But as the only ordinary person present with almost no ability to protect himself, the fear and sense of urgency stemming from the instinct of a knowledge worker almost suffocated him when faced with the all-out attack from the behemoth that is the World Government.
His voice trembled slightly, almost imperceptibly.
"I—I have no way out. They've threatened me with Bonnie, threatened me with my life's work—I can no longer serve them. I'll go with you!"
He looked at Shanks and Bucky.
"But how do we break through the naval pacifists outside—and the soon-to-arrive CP0 and even an admiral?"
"Leave the Navy to me," Shanks said calmly, with a convincing confidence.
"My crew and I will draw their attention. Merlin can assist you with short-range spatial concealment, helping you leave the Egghead Island area unnoticed."
"Afterwards, you can go to our temporary base in Elbaf, which is relatively safe."
Bonnie asked eagerly, "Uncle Shanks, what about my dad—"
"Of course we'll go together." Shanks looked at the bear in the life support pod, a hint of respect in his eyes.
"Bartholomew Bear's sacrifice and perseverance deserve our utmost respect."
Bucky then jumped out again, pointing at Shanks.
"Hey! Shanks! You make it sound so easy! Help me distract the Marines? What about me then?! If I escape with the world's number one scientist, and they pin that on me, how am I supposed to live on the seas after this?!"
Shanks chuckled and patted Bucky on the shoulder, who dodged away halfway in disgust.
"Don't worry, Bucky. Merlin will use illusion magic to temporarily hide your great Bucky and its crew."
"Once we draw the main force away, you can slip away with Bonney and Vegapunk. As for the charges—"
'
He stopped smiling, his eyes becoming deep and thoughtful.
"This ocean is about to face unprecedented storms. The old order is collapsing; it's time for a reshuffling."
Bucky's expression shifted, and finally he gritted his teeth.
"Damn it! I'm going all out! Shanks, if you dare damage my precious ship, I'll make you pay!"
Jason also stepped forward at this moment, his eyes still somewhat unfocused, mainly avoiding Leonardo da Vinci, for fear of triggering some kind of trans-temporal resentment.
But the tone of voice was deliberately meant to sound bold and unrestrained.
"In that case, the important task of clearing out the remaining soldiers and clearing the way will be entrusted to Lord Jason and my old friend Hercules!"
"These mass-produced robots and naval soldiers are nothing but clay chickens and dogs compared to the heroes of Argonautica!"
Hercules responded with a low growl, slamming his giant axe heavily on the ground, making his stance clear.
"Then, let's begin!" Shanks' eyes flashed, and he nodded in agreement with Merlin.
Merlin tapped his staff lightly, and the two figures were once again enveloped in petals and disappeared.
The next second, in the waters surrounding Egghead Island, aboard the Red Fox, Shanks and Merlin reappeared.
Shanks drew his Griffin from his waist and swung it forward, the sound like thunder.
"Red-Haired Pirates! Attack! Open a path for our friends!"
"Ooh!!!" A deafening roar erupted from the Red Fox, a violent blend of domineering aura and fighting spirit crashing into the naval lines like a tangible shockwave!
Almost at the same time that the Red-Haired Pirates launched their attack, piercing intrusion alarms blared throughout every corner of Egghead Island!
"Warning! Warning! Multiple landing points have been breached! Pacifista forces have entered internal clearing mode!"
Outside the heavy metal doors of the laboratory, heavy and orderly footsteps echoed, along with the distinctive humming sound of laser energy condensing!
"They're here!" Vegapunk's voice was tense.
Jason took a deep breath, drew his sword, and shouted at Hercules.
"My friend! Let them see what the might of a Greek hero is like!"
Hercules let out a roar that shook the entire passage and charged out like a red lightning bolt!
Outside the door stood a full squad of ten Pacifista PX-5s, their hands raised, and blinding laser beams were already taking shape!
"emission!"
Swish-!
Ten high-energy laser beams, powerful enough to melt steel instantly, enveloped Hercules like a net of death!
"Berserker! Watch out!" Bonnie exclaimed.
Faced with a volley of fire that could destroy an army, Hercules neither dodged nor evaded, his eyes flashing with ferocity. He didn't even use his stone knife, but simply threw a punch!
boom!!!
The terrifying air pressure generated by the fist's force acted like a solid wall, colliding fiercely with the ten laser beams!
The imagined energy explosion did not occur; instead, the ten laser beams were shattered head-on by this pure and extreme power!
The dissipated energy scorched large areas of the alloy wall, leaving red marks!
Hercules continued his march without stopping, charging into the horde of robots like a savage beast!
Swing, spin, tear!
boom!boom!boom!boom!
Like shattering a pile of fragile pottery, the pacifists, faced with Hercules' absolute power, were utterly powerless and dismantled into pieces!
Metal fragments and broken wires rained down like a storm!
Vegapunk's tense mood eased slightly as he watched the almost overwhelming battle before him.
But he still dared not relax, knowing that this was only the beginning.
The real threat is yet to come.
Surveillance footage outside the laboratory showed several menacing figures approaching at an alarming speed on the distant horizon.
Among them, the five figures were as dark as an abyss, filled with an ominous, deathly silence.