Chapter 318: The Support of the Great Buggy

"Garp... why must you go this far?" "Cyborg" Kong sat sprawled on the ground, abandoning all pretense of dignity as he sighed continuously.

Moments earlier, just as the spear had been about to impale his skull, Sabo and Luffy had simultaneously released their grip on him and hauled him clear of the fatal vector in the nick of time.

Seeing that everyone was safe, Sengoku and Weitian let out deep sighs of relief.

Exchanging a glance, the two combatants came to an unspoken truce and ceased fighting.

Just as the Five Elders attempted to make a move, a formidable crowd stepped forward to encircle them.

"You old bastards sit tight and stay right where you are."

The allied forces of the Dragon Flag Pirates and the Straw Hat crew formed a tight, impenetrable perimeter around the four remaining Five Elders.

The Elders' expressions grew darker with every passing second as they surveyed the assembly. Previously, Dragon's watchful eye had denied them any opportunity to act.

They had assumed this sudden chaos would provide an opening.

Yet the figures surrounding them now...

"Aokiji!"

The first to step into their path was none other than Kuzan of the Dragon Flag Pirates. Behind him, Kenshin, Locke, and Bell held their weapons at the ready.

They were clearly not here to negotiate.

Alongside them stood the Straw Hats' three-sword style swordsman who had just felled Gold One, former Warlord "Knight of the Sea" Jinbe, "Black Leg" Sanji, and several others...

Confronted by such a vanguard, the Five Elders would have held zero chance of victory even in their peak condition, let alone in their current battered, half-crippled state.

Breaking through this encirclement was a pipedream.

The moment they made a move, they would be subdued and beaten like stray dogs on the spot.

The Five Elders abandoned all resistance, sinking onto the shattered pavement with lowered heads, keeping their silence.

After the harrowing scare with Garp and Dragon, a strange calm washed over the gathered forces. Even Sengoku and Kong made no further movements, sitting quietly among the ruins without uttering a word.

"WHAT?!"

Suddenly, a chorus of hushed gasps erupted from a corner of the line.

"Shh, shh, shh... Keep it down! Don't let the others hear and cause an unnecessary panic," Ace hissed, motioning for silence.

"Right, got it!" Yamato nodded vigorously.

Beside her, Empress Boa Hancock and Weitian traded glances and nodded in understanding.

Seeing their compliance, Ace couldn't help but feel a twinge of surprise. Yamato made sense given their rapport, but who were the Empress and Weitian?

They were extraordinary, proud women whose gazes looked down upon the entire world.

For them to be this cooperative was something he genuinely had not anticipated.

At the same time, he couldn't help but feel a surge of admiration for Drake and Luffy. Those two truly had some incredible methods up their sleeves.

Drake was one thing—after all, rumors had it that marriage was already in the picture.

Yet for someone with Luffy's simple-minded nature to have the Empress going to such lengths for him was truly beyond comprehension.

Ace glanced instinctively at Luffy, only to find him digging his pinky into his nostril, staring blankly at the group.

Ah, forget it. It's all that damned personal charisma of his.

It's only natural for our little brother to be that charming.

"Alright, that's the situation. We're heading out now—we're leaving this place in your hands," Ace said, rising slowly to his feet. "Let's move!"

"Right!" Luffy and Sabo sprang up instantly. Just then, the earth shuddered violently, nearly knocking them off balance.

"That's..." Ace looked up at the sky in shock.

Not a single ray of sunlight remained; the firmament had been entirely swallowed by absolute darkness. Beyond the perimeter of the energy barrier, the world was pitch black.

A deluge of black lasers poured down like a torrential thunderstorm, endlessly bombarding the dome and sending violent, shuddering ripples across its surface.

KABOOM!

High in the sky, the hull of the Demon Warder buckled violently under the impact, slamming Drake face-first onto the deck.

Straining with both arms and clenching his teeth, he barely managed to keep himself from collapsing completely.

"Oh? You're still holding on? You've got quite some stamina, kid—it's already been five whole minutes."

Inside the sea of consciousness, the little black fluffball of a System had somehow produced a miniature armchair, crossing its legs and letting out a casual yawn.

"I'm going to take a nap now. Keep it up~ If you can't hold on, just give up. That way I can scout for my next host—sticking with you is a total dead end anyway."

Drake: "!!!"

I knew this damned System was up to no good! To pull this crap at a time like this... this is beyond intolerable!

Damn it all!

Drake knew Im had undoubtedly increased her offensive output. Having her ultimate technique completely neutralized by a barrier must have come as an utter shock to her as well.

Consequently, the Demon Warder's energy consumption rate surged exponentially, multiplying the crushing physical strain transferred onto his body.

With every passing second, the urge to collapse and give up tempted his mind. The agony was excruciating, like being dragged through the fires of hell without reprieve.

Yet seeing the System's smug demeanor ignited a blazing fury in his chest.

He had to grit his teeth and endure every ounce of pain. Only by seeing this through to the very end would he discover the final outcome.

Anchored by this unyielding resolve, Drake forced himself to rise once more.

The people I care about are right behind me... How can I just fall here?!

In that fleeting moment, countless faces flashed across Drake's mind: Luffy, Sabo, Ace, as well as Daolang, Garp, Shanks...

And Weitian.

Those familiar faces surfaced one after another within his memories—they were his most treasured bonds!

Things he would stake his very life to protect!

"I CANNOT DIE YET!" Drake unleashed a roar torn from the depths of his soul, his legs slowly straightening as he forced his frame upright.

Even though his consciousness had blurred to the point where he could barely perceive his surroundings, an inexplicable force sustained him, refusing to let him collapse.

Inside his mind, the tiny eyes of the seemingly asleep System cracked open into a hairline slit.

To an outside observer, it was entirely imperceptible.

Much less to Drake, whose senses were on the brink of fading.

I truly didn't expect him to hold out this long. From the start until now, he has broken through his physical limits ten consecutive times.

Just a little more! The System inwardly sweated for Drake as well.

Outside, the moment Ace and his brothers stepped beyond the energy barrier, a barrage of black lasers rained down upon them. Wherever the beams struck, the bedrock was blasted into pulverized ruin.

Just then, several gaping breaches tore open across the dome above, letting plumes of the dark tempest pour through into the plaza.

"Not good! The barrier's breached!" Ace gasped in horror, momentarily at a loss.

"Plug the gaps!" Drake's voice drifted down from the heavens once more.

The three brothers caught on instantly, transforming into radiant streaks of light that soared toward the fractures.

"We're counting on you for the money..."

Left behind, Hancock, Weitian, and Yamato exchanged a silent glance; everything was conveyed in that single look.

Without hesitation, the three women plunged straight into the zone bombarded by black lasers, scouring the ruins for the location of the Celestial Dragons.

Enveloped in pitch-black gloom, their visibility was severely restricted as they searched relentlessly through the devastation.

Yamato...

Weitian...

Hancock...

You can do this! We're counting on you! Ace, Drake, and Luffy thought in unison.

Time ticked away second by second as Ace and his brothers shifted positions continuously to seal the expanding breaches.

Drake's body was rapidly approaching its absolute physiological limit. Having exhausted all his Senzu Beans, he was running on sheer willpower alone; otherwise, surviving this long would have been impossible.

At the very least... let me protect them until my final breath! Drake's eyelids grew impossibly heavy, his standing posture maintained solely by autonomic muscle memory.

Just as his vision was about to sink into total oblivion, a blinding radiance erupted out of nowhere.

[Energy replenishment complete. Full-Spectrum Defense: Engage!]

A brilliant cascade of light burst forth from the Demon Warder, saturating the entirety of Mary Geoise. The battered, fracturing energy dome was instantly restored to a resplendent, impenetrable radiance.

"Who was that...?" Through his hazy, fading vision, Drake faintly caught the silhouette of a man bathed entirely in golden light. That back...

Suddenly, the figure turned around and flashed a broad, goofy grin right at Drake.

"GAHHH!!" Drake shrieked in sheer terror, instantly snapping wide awake.

"BUGGY?!"