Chapter 805 - 804: You Are Fighting Against the Whole World

The alliance forged by the three brothers, consisting of the Straw Hat Pirates, the Revolutionary Army, and the remnants of the Whitebeard Pirates, was temporarily named the Straw Hat Alliance.

They stood as one of the few factions remaining in the entire world with the sheer audacity to defy the Immortals, and undeniably the one wielding the greatest military might.

Furthermore, their recent victory over the Black Thorn Pirates under the Immortal Pirates’ banner in the New World seas had caused their reputation to skyrocket across the globe.

Yet, simultaneously, this meant the list of people itching to claim their heads had grown exponentially.

Why?

The explanation was simple: the Immortal Pirates no longer accepted ordinary pirate crews into their ranks. The only remaining way to obtain an Immortal flag for self-preservation in this new era was to eliminate the Straw Hat Alliance, presenting their heads to Alucard as a declaration of submission.

In this current era, the Immortals represented the entire world, holding an authority far eclipsing that of the old World Government. Over ninety-nine percent of pirates could no longer summon even a shred of desire to oppose them; they merely coveted a single Immortal flag to guarantee their survival.

But since the Immortals had closed their doors to newcomers, these desperate crews naturally locked their sights onto the Straw Hats.

Meanwhile, after defeating the Black Thorn Pirates, the Straw Hat Alliance used the remaining members of the Kozuki Clan as intermediaries to formally forge a pact with the Mink Tribe inhabiting the island of Zou.

At that exact moment, three of the premier young crews serving under the Immortals, the Heart Pirates, the Barto Club, and the Bonney Pirates, docked at Zou, crossing paths directly with the Straw Hat Alliance.

"Three crews under the Immortals, huh? Well, well... Are we doing this?" Marco muttered, narrowing his eyes as he looked over Trafalgar Law, Bartolomeo, and Jewelry Bonney.

Truthfully, he didn’t particularly care about the trio. While they were incredibly formidable powerhouses among the younger generation, they still lacked the caliber to challenge him.

"Oh ho~~ To think the Straw Hat crew who beat Fallon-senpai would be right here!"

Bartolomeo let out an exaggerated laugh, drawing a dagger from the leather sheath on his chest. "If we take your heads back to Alucard-sama, I’m sure it’ll put a smile on his face, yeah?"

The moment Bartolomeo’s words left his mouth, Zoro, Kin’emon, and Vista immediately drew their weapons, shifting into combat stances.

"Hold it, Bartolomeo-ya. Don’t forget what we came here for."

Law interceded, stopping him before continuing coldly, "We only came here because we caught wind that the rubbing of the final Road Poneglyph is located on this island. Unlike the rest of the Immortals’ fleet, I have no intention of engaging in a pointless life-or-death struggle with you all."

"The final one?" Nami instantly caught the crucial detail in Law’s statement.

"That’s right..."

The corner of Law’s mouth curved upward. "Two rubbings were already in Alucard-sama’s possession from the start. We found another in Totto Land, previously held by Big Mom. This one right here is the absolute last."

Duke Inuarashi voiced his shock, "The rumors that Alucard the Immortal already possessed two rubbings... to think they were actually true."

"Hey, Tra-guy! You totally lied to us before when you said Kaido and Big Mom had the other two besides Alucard’s!" Luffy barked, pointing an accusatory finger at Law.

Law gave Luffy a flat, sidelong glance. "You’d do well to remember, Straw Hat-ya, that deceiving your opponents is a perfectly valid tactic for victory. The one who ultimately finds the great treasure, the One Piece, will absolutely be me."

"I’ll say this one last time: we aren’t here to trade lives with you. Hand over the rubbing, and we can avoid bloodshed."

Several individuals in the area began to hesitate, most notably Master Nekomamushi and Duke Inuarashi. Zou was their homeland, and they had absolutely no desire to trigger a war here, least of all against opponents of this caliber.

"We can’t do that, everyone," Sabo intervened, speaking up firmly. "Right now, our only hope of turning the tables against the Immortals lies within the great treasure left behind by the Pirate King, the One Piece. If we lose even this chance, we lose everything."

Sabo understood the astronomical chasm in power between themselves and Alucard all too well. Conventional methods would never bring Alucard down. Their singular, ultimate gamble was the Pirate King’s ultimate treasure.

They could not afford to let Law and his cohorts seize it, even if it meant triggering an all-out war right then and there.

"Oh? Hoping to use the One Piece for a grand comeback? Quite a grand dream."

Law slowly drew his tachi, Kikoku, out of its sheath by a few inches. Bartolomeo, Bonney, and the surrounding crew members simultaneously mirrored his movement, tensing into combat postures. "It seems this fight is unavoidable after all."

Pere pere pere...

Just as the atmosphere reached its absolute breaking point and blades were about to clash, a ringing tone echoed from inside Sabo’s trench coat.

Ruining the dramatic tension, Sabo pulled out the Den Den Mushi and answered. The frantic voice of Harley, the current number two of the Revolutionary Army and user of the Mirage-Mirage Fruit, came bursting through the receiver. "Sabo! A massive Marine fleet is rapidly closing in on Zou!"

"What?! How many?!" Sabo demanded urgently.

Spurred by the catalyst of Garp’s death, the current Marines had undergone a terrifying surge in strength. They were under no circumstances a force to be underestimated.

"It’s... They’re being led by Admirals Kizaru, Momonga, and Ryokugyu! Five warships in total!"

Upon hearing Harley’s intelligence, the members of the Straw Hat Alliance stood completely frozen in shock. Deploying all three of the current Admirals at the exact same time, the Marines were going terrifyingly all-out.

In contrast, Law simply snapped his blade back into its scabbard upon hearing the news. Turning his back to the Straw Hat Alliance, he let out a dark, mocking chuckle. "Lest you forget the other identity of the current Fleet Admiral... You are fighting against the entire world, Straw Hat Alliance."

With that, Law began walking toward the exit of Zou, gesturing to Bartolomeo, Bonney, and his subordinates. "Let’s move. We’ll come back for the rubbing after the Marines finish cleansing this lot."

He had never intended to fight a war of attrition to begin with. Since the Marines wanted to muscle in on the action, he was more than happy to let them take the vanguard.

"C-Captain... Zou is my hometown~" Bepo whimpered, shuffling pitifully to Law’s side.

Law remained silent for a brief moment before offering a rare word of comfort, "I’ll tell Kuzan to have them watch their collateral damage."

Meanwhile, roughly ten nautical miles out from Zou, aboard one of the five advancing warships, Borsalino stood with his hands tucked casually inside his pockets, his face wearing its signature, mocking smirk. "To think the objective would actually be the legendary Zou... This really is shaping up to be quite a hassle~~"