Chapter 290: The World Stunned

The entity shocked by this moment was hardly limited to the combatants on the battlefield; across the entire globe, populations held their breath in rapt, motionless suspense, hanging on every single detail of the live feed.

At Baratie, the floating restaurant on the ocean, the chefs had somehow managed to procure a visual Transponder Snail, projecting a live broadcast of the war straight onto a giant screen.

The cooks—who had been aggressively squabbling just moments prior over who was stuck cooking and who got stuck serving—had all gone dead quiet. Every eye was locked unblinkingly onto the projected display.

They weren't fighting over who would work, but rather who wouldn't—for the absolute first time in history, these proud chefs, who lived by the sacred creed that customer service and cooking were paramount, refused to enter the kitchen.

For no other reason than to catch one more glimpse of that idiot.

"That Sanji kid has matured quite a bit, hasn't he? I just wonder if his culinary output has degraded over the years. Don't tell me he forgot how to hold a spoon! Bwahahaha!" Patty erupted into boisterous laughter.

"That goes without saying! The kid is the former Assistant Head Chef of our ocean restaurant Baratie, even if he was easily the worst cook among us..."

"Gahahahaha! Exactly! Spot on!"

The kitchen crew broke into roaring laughter, before falling into a deep, collective silence a moment later, their focus locking back onto the screen.

They understood with terrifying clarity that every soul on that battlefield was walking a thin tightrope between life and death—Sanji included!

"HEY! HEY! HEY! How long are you going to make us wait for our food?!" a blonde punk suddenly barged through the front doors, yelling at the top of his lungs. "Are you guys trying to run a business or what?! Do you want me to wreck this joint?!"

The chefs' brows furrowed in annoyance.

"We've been waiting out there forever! What in the hell is wrong with you guys?! HUH?!"

BANG!

Before the punk could finish his rant, Patty drove a heavy, bone-crunching fist flush into his head, following up with a violent kick straight to the gut.

The blonde punk doubled over like a boiled shrimp, foaming at the mouth as his eyes rolled back.

Tossing him onto the main floor like a dead dog, Patty barked in a loud, booming voice: "Anyone who wants to eat can wait quietly! Anyone who doesn't can get the hell out right now!"

Without waiting for a response, he ducked back into the viewing room.

With silence restored, the crew returned to staring unblinkingly at the live feed.

High atop the Red Line, Luffy and Ace stood side-by-side, trading a quiet smile as both dropped into battle-ready stances.

Directly behind their backs anchored six individuals arrayed in distinct gear:

The Straw Hat Pirates—"Cat Burglar" Nami, "Devil Child" Nico Robin, "Soul King" Brook, Princess Vivi, the cyborg Franky, and...

"Former Seven Warlord, 'First Mate of the Sea' Jinbe!"

The Marine ranks gasped in absolute horror.

"What is that thing hovering in the sky?! Is it a giant cybernetic bird identical to the one commanded by Revolutionary Army Commander Dragon?!"

Every single entity stepping onto the plateau was a titan in their own right.

Nami lightly flipped her flowing hair over her shoulder, tapping her modified Clima-Tact gently against her shoulder blade.

That brief, casual gesture sent the population of a tiny village in the East Blue into total pandemonium.

It was Nami's home—Cocoyashi Village.

To watch this world-shaking campaign that dictated the future of all humanity, the entire village had pooled their funds to purchase a compact projection Transponder Snail.

What they had never anticipated was that as the camera panned across the field, Nami's face would suddenly fill the entire screen!

"Is that... NAMI?!"

"How did this happen?! Why—why is Nami on a catastrophic battlefield like that?!" Genzo, the village police officer whose entire body was covered in surgical stitches, lunged forward, slamming both hands against the screen.

"Gen!" Nami's sister, Nojiko, hurriedly grabbed Genzo's arms to pull him back. "Don't be reckless! Nami being there is completely unavoidable—after all, the entire Straw Hat crew is on that field!"

After a desperate struggle, Genzo finally forced himself to calm down. Just then, the visual feed pivoted to focus on Luffy's face, which was stretched into a wide, cheerful grin.

Already fuming with anxious rage, Genzo blew his top the second he saw Luffy's relaxed demeanor: "You brat! You'd better keep your promise! If anything happens to Nami, I swear I'll never forgive you!"

"Gen, there's no need to worry yourself sick. Look at Nami—she's actually smiling quite happily," Nojiko noted gently. She could tell Nami wasn't paralyzed by the sheer scale of the war; in fact, she seemed entirely composed and confident.

"Over these two years, she really has grown into a formidable woman."

"No matter how much she's grown, she's still our little girl! To let our Nami step onto a death-trap battlefield like that—what in the hell is that Straw Hat kid thinking?!" Genzo grumbled in fierce, protective indignation.

Though the villagers maintained an optimistic posture, a subtle knot of deep anxiety inevitably tightened in their chests.

That was a world-war zone.

Every soul in Cocoyashi Village prayed silently in their hearts for the Straw Hat Pirates. They didn't fully comprehend the complex geopolitical reasons driving the Straw Hat crew to step onto the Holy Land, but they knew beyond doubt that the crew had their own unyielding convictions.

All they could offer was their heartfelt prayers for everyone's safe return.

At this exact microsecond, the entire world was silently watching the progress of this war: the Vinsmoke Family in the North Blue, Dr. Kureha on Chopper's home island of Drum, Water 7 along the Grand Line...

Fish-Man Island ten thousand meters beneath the sea, the Kingdom of Dressrosa—which had been liberated by the Straw Hats—and every single ally tied to the Straw Hat Pirates watched the screen with unblinking focus.

Meanwhile, in a quiet, modest settlement in the East Blue...

It was Foosha Village—the place where Luffy and his brothers had spent their childhood.

The villagers of Foosha Village, alongside the mountain bandits residing in the nearby hills, stared at the screen with their eyes popping out of their sockets the moment the Straw Hat Pirates stepped onto the field.

"LU-LU-LU-LU... LUFFY!!"

"Ace... Sabo... Luffy... every single one of you is there!" Dadan gasped, her eyes wide as she stared at the screen. She had never imagined a day would come where she would see those brothers standing together on the same field again.

"Ah... Sabo... Ace! You... you boys..." Dadan broke down into hysterical, uncontrollable sobbing, curling up on the floor as tears streamed down her face.

"Boss..." The mountain bandits under Dadan's command stood at a complete loss, though a wave of pure joy washed over them seeing the three brothers reunited in the same frame.

"If that Drake kid were there too, all four brothers would be fully assembled..." one of the bandits mused softly.

The news of Ace, Sabo, and Luffy standing atop the summit of the Red Line had officially spread like wildfire across the globe.

While the inhabitants of Foosha Village were too electrified to tear their eyes away, the old village mayor felt a heavy shadow of dread pass over his eyes.

The sheer horror of this war had surpassed human control; no strategist could predict its ultimate trajectory.

Their survival metrics were in critical danger.

Naturally, his deepest concern lay elsewhere—having monitored the news surrounding the Legendary Four Brothers over the past two years, he knew their combat mass was terrifyingly absolute.

Garp... what choice are you going to make now...? the mayor sighed deeply in his heart.

That was the absolute nightmare haunting his thoughts. Garp was standing directly on the opposing side of those four boys today. In a tragic confrontation like this, how was the old Marine supposed to handle himself...?

Meanwhile, deep within the subterranean chamber of the Holy Land, Drake opened his eyes in deep confusion, gazing blankly at his surroundings. He had zero clue where he was currently located.

"This is a subterranean chamber hidden deep beneath the Holy Land."

A sudden voice echoed right beside his ear, causing Drake to jump in pure, violent shock.