Chapter 532: The Awakening Roar: Luffy Unleashed

“Is that Luffy?”

Zoro asked, “Is that a Devil Fruit Awakening?”

Sanji breathed out, “Doesn’t matter, as long as Luffy’s okay.”

“Ha! Luffy’s back on his feet again!”

Chopper was the first to rush over to help after seeing Luffy collapse, but with so many Navy soldiers blocking the way, he hadn’t even reached Luffy before Luffy transformed and stood up on his own.

“Luffy, boy!”

Roger looked over. “Is this the thunderous drumming you spoke of?”

“Now that the drums have sounded, there’s no reason to keep hiding anymore.”

Shanks grinned. “So, Luffy, not bad at all, huh?”

“Never thought this fruit would finally show its real power in your hands.”

Laughing, Luffy said, “Anything I want to do, I can do! Looks like I can keep fighting a little longer.”

“This is my peak—this is Gear Fifth!”

With Luffy’s new power, the entire ice surface turned springy, bouncing so wildly that everyone nearby struggled to keep their balance. Brilliant waves of Conqueror’s Haki flowed from him, overwhelming anyone with weak willpower and knocking them out cold.

“What kind of ability is this?”

Marco shouted, “Doesn’t matter what it is! Get out of this area, or you’ll stay caught up in it!”

“And drag all our unconscious comrades out with you!”

He could tell at a glance—this was the influence of a Devil Fruit Awakening.

Anyone standing or fighting near Luffy on this ground would be affected, as he could transform the environment itself into part of his power.

Still, having a friend like this on the frontlines? Now that’s enough to fire up anyone’s morale.

“An Admiral?”

With a wide grin, Luffy started to laugh.

He clapped his right hand to his mouth and blew. Instantly his arm ballooned tenfold and shot forward, snatching up the stunned Udyr in one gigantic grip.

“Shishihahaha!”

“Huh? What’s going on?”

At first, Udyr just thought, So what if Luffy got back up? I’ll just knock him down again.

Udyr thrashed with all his strength, trying to break free, but his efforts slipped away like water in his hands—there was no leverage, nothing he could really grab onto.

Bang! Bang! Bang!

Before he could react, Luffy started slamming him into the ground again and again, just like a whack-a-mole.

“Masaka?”

“Is that even Luffy? How did he get so strong all of a sudden?”

“Even with a Devil Fruit Awakening, there’s no way his combat power should jump this high.”

“Yohohoho! Luffy-chan, that’s our captain for you!”

While speaking, Luffy thumped his own chest. His body swelled like a balloon, and now he towered nearly three meters tall—a perfect match for any Admiral.

And somehow, he’d already grabbed Udyr by the leg and was swinging him above his head, flinging him straight toward Navy Headquarters.

“Boom!”

As Udyr crashed toward the Navy Headquarters, a thunderous rumble echoed from even farther above in the sky.

Sharp-eyed spectators quickly noticed something strange up there.

“This isn’t good—it’s an island!”

“There’s an island falling out of the sky!”

Sengoku frowned. “Could it be the Golden Lion?”

They had no idea the Golden Lion had already been taken down by Karl. They just assumed he was making trouble again—after all, dropping islands was his signature move.

If the Golden Lion Pirates really showed up, the Navy Headquarters would be in serious danger.

After all, the Golden Lion Pirates were rivals to any Four Emperors crew from the New World.

“It doesn’t seem like him, but no matter who it is, we can’t let that thing hit Navy Headquarters!”

Garp leapt up, aiming straight at the falling chunk of earth, while Sengoku transformed into a golden Buddha and unleashed waves of shockwaves skyward.

The two of them landed right beneath the boulder and shattered it with a single blow, while eager Navy forces below finished off the remaining debris.

“Meadow, your time’s up.”

Roger’s figure flickered behind one of the Holy Knights.

“Who are you?”

Meadow turned and saw Roger in a Navy uniform, sneering in disgust.

For a Navy officer to talk to him like that? Unforgivable arrogance.

Did this guy really think he could take him down alone?

“Some lowly Navy grunt—no idea who gave you such nerve, but since you’re so mouthy, guess I’ll have to teach you some manners. Maybe next life you’ll know better.”

Meadow leveled his Golden Spear at Roger, grinning as he lunged forward.

Most of the Holy Knights were recent recruits, so it made sense they didn’t recognize Roger—especially since he’d disguised himself.

“Celestial Dragons really have arrogance running in their bones.”

“But every word you just spoke? Those were my lines first!”

“Divine Departure!”

The surge of Conqueror’s Haki, the familiar sweeping attack, and that unmistakable voice caught the attention of several heavyweights on the field.

In an instant, the mood of the battle completely shifted.

Whitebeard squinted. “Is that…?!”

Sengoku shook his head. “Impossible—that’s just not possible.”

Garp just laughed. “Ahahaha, I had a feeling!”

Everyone else was far more shocked than Garp was.

Ever since he’d taken Ace back to Windmill Village as a kid, he’d sometimes felt the prickling sensation of being watched.

He’d always thought maybe pirates were after his family, so he kept running to the East Blue to check, but after years of searching, the feeling never quite matched. It was like an old, familiar presence he just couldn’t place.

But the day Ace set out to sea and he returned to Windmill Village, that sensation vanished completely.

He guessed that maybe when Roger surrendered himself, he’d already planned a way out. The only question was—who did he trust to watch over his son?

Now it all made sense. Roger didn’t have someone else watch his son. He was watching himself, from the shadows.

“Nani?”

“Whoa!”

Meadow hadn’t taken Roger seriously at all, so his guard was down.

But then, when Roger closed the gap and left a long scar across his chest, Meadow doubled over, coughing up blood. Only now did he realize this Navy officer was frighteningly strong.

So strong, he barely seemed like a Navy man at all.

“Aahahahaha!”

“When you get down there, don’t forget to tell everyone who ended you! Gol D. Roger!”

Not giving Meadow even a second to recover, Roger darted in and, with a single swing, beheaded him.

He didn’t bother reacting to the stunned big shots around him, instead racing straight for Snail.

He knew if he didn’t deal with these two Holy Knights now, once Garp got involved, things would get even tougher.

“What the…?”

Ace stood at the harbor’s exit, staring at a familiar figure—his thoughts drifting to the old man from the junkyard when he was a kid.

Back then, he, Sabo, and Luffy would scavenge the junkyard, trading whatever they found to that old man to save up for their journey to sea. He never would’ve guessed the old man was actually… his father, whom he’d never met.