Starting with Naruto, I'll become stronger through my own efforts.

Chapter 488: The protagonist Luffy makes his appearance!

Faced with the blue flame orb the size of a marble, Boa Hancock suddenly sensed a deadly danger.

Terrified, the Pirate Empress didn't have time to think. She instinctively raised her leg, bent her knees, and curled up, twisting her waist into an exaggerated arc to withdraw the momentum of her attack.

It rolled backward once, skillfully dodging the fireball, before gently landing on the ground.

However, after landing, Hancock still felt a burning and stinging sensation in her calf.

She looked down and saw a thumb-width black burn mark on her fair skin, covered with tiny blisters the size of rice grains.

Although the fireball did not directly hit Hancock's calf, the heat it emitted from merely passing by at close range had already burned her skin.

If it hits directly—

If she hadn't trusted her intuition, her beautiful leg would have been ruined.

Hancock dismissed the thought with lingering fear, and exclaimed, "I never imagined that Marco's flames would be so powerful in your hands. It's truly incredible."

Xia Zuo praised, "You're not bad either. I've been limiting the heat dissipation to a range of three centimeters, and you still sensed the danger."

"As expected of the only female among the Seven Warlords of the Sea, her intuition powered by Observation Haki is ridiculously strong!"

Hancock's charming smile vanished, replaced by a chilling frost: "To use other people's power so easily, and to be able to harm me so easily, you shouldn't be unknown on the high seas."

"Who exactly are you, Commodore of this naval branch?"

In their second tentative exchange, Boa Hancock and Shaza did not directly clash, but she actually used a great deal of power, which was enough to confirm that Shaza's strength matched the [Flying Slash] he had previously demonstrated.

He is an absolute Emperor-level powerhouse, a powerful Marine who surpasses even the Pirate Empress herself.

Normally, Hancock wouldn't bother with Shazo; no matter how strong he is, so what?

If you can't afford to offend them, can't you at least avoid them?

The Kuja Pirates have never been a top-tier force, yet they've managed to survive on the high seas to this day. How could their captain be a reckless brute?

But today's situation is different. Ace, who is being executed, is Luffy's brother, while Luffy is Hancock's lover. With her lover's safety at stake, the Empress cannot back down and must find out the truth about the other party.

Xia Zuo nodded: "Not bad, that's more polite. No wonder you're a pirate who makes it on the high seas. Those who can rise to the top must be wise and shrewd."

He pointed to his epaulets: "My identity is clear: Commodore of the Navy branch!"

"As for names and positions, that's none of your business as a pirate."

Seeing that Xia Zuo wouldn't reveal her information, Hancock also noticed that his malice towards her wasn't particularly strong, so she probed, "Brigadier General, you don't seem as cruel as you said. You've shown me some mercy."

Xia Zuo readily admitted, "That's true. Although I said that pirates who attack the Navy deserve to die, your identity is, after all, one of the Seven Warlords of the Sea, an external organization of the World Government. If I were to kill you directly, I would encounter considerable trouble."

Hancock suddenly laughed: "Oh dear, this is the first time I've felt that the title 'One of the Seven Warlords of the Sea' is actually quite useful."

"I just don't know how strong the protection this title will provide me—"

Before she could finish speaking, Boa Hancock's Conqueror's Haki suddenly erupted, and she took the opportunity to bend over and use her long legs to step forward and close in on Xia Zuo.

Using the speed of her sprint, the long, snow-white leg instantly bent her knee and struck Xia Zuo's left rib.

The knee strike exploded with tremendous force, instantly covered in black Armament Haki, generating a powerful gust of wind, but it was still blocked by the black elbow.

With a loud "bang", Xia Zuo's expression remained unchanged, and his body did not even sway in the slightest.

Hancock, who had taken the initiative to attack, suddenly changed her expression, feeling as if she had hit a hard steel ingot. Even with the protection of Armament Haki, her knees were still throbbing with pain.

However, this level of intensity was not enough to frighten her into retreating immediately.

The Pirate Empress gritted her teeth and threw a punch, using the twisting motion of her body to explosively increase the power of her fist, directly aiming for Xia Zuo's face.

Xia Zuo raised his right hand and easily blocked the punch.

Just as he changed his palm into a claw, trying to grab Hancock's wrist, he found that the other's hand was like a large python, smooth, strong, and elastic, and he pulled it back in an instant.

The two stood their ground, launching a dazzling and rapid offensive without giving an inch.

On Amazon Amazon's Snake Island, women reign supreme, and naturally, a unique system of martial arts has evolved, perfectly suited for the flexible bodies of women.

However, in the hands of Hancock, who stands at a height of 191 cm, it can unleash even greater power, especially her long legs, which make Shazo dare not retreat even half a step, lest the opponent's power become even stronger.

Of course, Xia Zuo also got a good look at Xia Zuo's kicking skills while wearing a cheongsam.

Pale purple —

Lace-trimmed —

! Bang! Bang!

After a fierce stalemate, Shazam launched a counterattack with satisfaction, delivering a triple strike in an instant, hitting Hancock's taut thighs one after another.

The black fist struck the same spot with all three punches, unleashing a burst of ferocious Armament Haki that actually shattered Hancock's Armament Haki.

The intense collision created a powerful gust of wind.

The blow to her domineering aura caused Hancock to suffer a heavy blow to her thigh, and she could no longer hold on to the spot. She had to take seven or eight steps back before she could barely stop herself.

Even with the help of stepping back to rest, the Pirate Empress's thighs trembled violently from the pain, and she could only stand on her other leg.

Xia Zuo's power was beyond her comprehension.

The two fought for only a short while, but it still attracted a lot of attention.

The high command in the Navy is paying close attention to Shazo, after all, he just killed one of Whitebeard's captains and repelled the Phoenix Marco.

Then he fought the Pirate Empress. The three admirals of the Navy, who were high above him, took in all three battles and had already subtly changed their evaluation of Xia Zuo.

Xia Zuo's strength far surpasses that of the two general candidates.

Borsalino sighed, "He's grown to this level in just a few years. This is going to be difficult."

Sakazuki, unusually, agreed with Kizaru: "Yeah, this is really troublesome. That's basic justice."

Kuzan was silent for a few seconds before speaking, "A few days ago, Instructor Zephyr went to see Xia Zuo."

"What?!"

Sakazuki and Borsalino were horrified, and their usual masks could no longer be maintained.

It's no wonder they were shocked; Admiral Zephyr and Commodore Shazo were the two biggest troublemakers in the Navy.

To prevent these two major problems from merging, the naval high command has painstakingly suppressed Xia Zuo's military rank, and has put in a tremendous amount of effort over the years.

So the marshal just let them meet like that?

None of the three generals hesitated to confirm, and the Warring States Marshal played a role in bringing the two major troubles together.

This is Marineford. Without Marshal Sengoku's permission, Zephyr and Shazo will never see each other.

Borsalino was so shocked he couldn't speak, while Sakazuki couldn't help but complain, "What are Fleet Admiral Sengoku, Vice Admiral Tsuru, and Vice Admiral Garp thinking?"

Kuzan pointed to the camera snail that was still filming and said, "It's probably because of this thing that Xia Zuo's combat power can no longer be hidden."

"Ah, I understand!" Borsalino said regretfully, "If the Five Elders see an unfamiliar general-level officer appear, they will definitely suspect Fleet Admiral Sengoku and—us!"

"Oh dear, do I have to continue—"

Borsalino suddenly shut his mouth, clearly realizing that it was okay to be lazy, but speaking out about it was a big problem.

Kuzan said lazily, "It's alright, we've already done our part. With Shazo around, the Whitebeard Pirates can't cause any trouble."

"Alas, at this time, the more we do, the more mistakes we make, and the more the Five Elders misunderstand us."

"Sakazuki, if anything happens, I'll have to leave it to you."

Sakazuki ground his teeth together, but still said in a muffled voice, "I understand."

The Warring States Marshal laughed heartily: "Excellent! A new general has been chosen!"

Garp proudly declared, "I told you long ago, the East Blue isn't weak, and that kid Xia Zuo is very strong, but you just wouldn't believe me!"

Zhan Guo nodded and said, "Alright, alright, I was wrong this time. I shouldn't have disbelieved you."

Overall, while the Navy had some concerns, the general tone was positive.

After all, the Seven Warlords of the Sea are a hidden danger to the Navy, and are the unwelcome stray dogs kept by the World Government. Even if the World Government recruits them to help, they cannot take them lightly.

Xia Zuo defeated the Whitebeard Pirates and then the Seven Warlords of the Sea who dared to offend him, which suited everyone's wishes perfectly.

For the Whitebeard Pirates, the Navy is an enemy, and the Seven Warlords of the Sea are also enemies. It would be wonderful if these enemies suddenly turned on each other.

Even the white-bearded man couldn't help but praise, "Marco's brain is really sharp."

The other captains laughed heartily, "Kill! Fight! Why don't you keep going?"

Xia Zuo's [Mind Network] covered the entire area, giving him a complete understanding of the situation on both sides, but he ignored it all, only looking at Boa Hancock's swollen and red thigh and assessing that the other party had not broken any bones.

Using this as a benchmark, Xia Zuo adjusted his attack power limit again, then asked, "Pirate Empress, do you want to continue?"

"This is the final warning. If you continue to attack me or any other navy personnel, I will kill you."

Shaza raised his head, his eyes fixed on Boa Hancock, and said, enunciating each word clearly, "Don't... say... it... before... you... knew!!"

Hancock didn't sense any murderous intent, but inexplicably felt an immense sense of danger, and the hairs on her body stood on end.

In an instant, all her love for Luffy vanished without a trace. The Pirate Empress lowered her noble head, turned away without a word, and moved closer to the other four Shichibukai.

Hancock found that she needed to exert all her strength to stop her hands from trembling.

At that moment, on the distant iceberg peak, aboard a frozen naval warship, a group of prisoners dressed in identical black and white striped prison uniforms emerged.

These guys were all fierce-looking and exuded a menacing aura.

But there's also a group of guys with completely different vibes mixed in, like Luffy's crew with the straw hat.

Their captain, Luffy, looked down at the sea and exclaimed in shock, "Eh! Eh? What happened? Why did the sea suddenly freeze over?"

Crocodile, the sixth of the Seven Warlords of the Sea, looked at the sea ice frozen to the bottom of the ocean and replied directly, "Freezing the ocean is unthinkable; it was definitely Aokiji who did it!"

Following Crocodile's gaze, Jinbe, the seventh Shichibukai, also saw Whitebeard.

He shouted happily, "It's Dad! Dad's alright!"

The others were drawn to the grand battlefield, then horrified by the brutal carnage.

"Has the war already begun?"

"Wow, this is a terrible war. So many people have died already?"

"This is terrifying! I don't want to get involved in a battle like this!"

"I don't want to get involved. I'm leaving. Entering a battlefield like this, I wouldn't even know how I died."

At this moment, Luffy had already seen the execution platform and Ace, who was forced to kneel on it. He adjusted his straw hat, cleared his mind of all distractions, and shouted to everyone, "Listen up, everyone! The execution time is almost here. Let's get down quickly, or it will be too late!"

Ivankov shook his head and said, "No, Luffy, the warship is frozen solid. We can't leave unless the ice melts."

Jinbe frowned and said, "This is ice frozen by Admiral Aokiji. It will take at least three days to melt, by which time the person will be dead."

Luffy stepped forward again and said confidently, "Listen, I have a good idea."

After hearing his plan, all the pirates were dumbfounded: "You mean break the ice under the warship and then slide down the slope of the iceberg? Is that really going to work?"

Luffy confidently assured him, "No problem! As long as we work together, we'll definitely succeed!"

It can only be said that Crocodile, Jinbe, Ivankov and others did not understand Luffy well enough. If the Straw Hat Pirates were here, they would definitely fight to the death to stop Luffy's plan.

But these prisoners in Impel Down were all rescued by Luffy, and they owed him a huge favor, coupled with Luffy's strong confidence.

So a bunch of top pirates decided to go on a wild adventure with Luffy.

At this moment, the experts on the warship worked together and actually shattered the iceberg that bound the warship. However, the warship was unexpectedly thrown off course and fell vertically from the sky.

The prisoners in Impel Down were all terrified.

"Aaaaaah!"

"I'm going to die, I'm going to die!!!"

"Wow! It's all ice down there! I'm going to fall and die!"

"Damn it, I knew your idea was no good!"

Bang! ! !

Guided by fate, the warship did not shatter but instead safely crashed into the sea.

Luffy jumped onto the ship's bow statue and shouted, "Ace, I'm here to save you!"