The natural system started off strong, but the navy finally reached its peak!

Aramu's pupils behind his sunglasses contracted slightly.

"Oh?" He let out a slightly surprised hum, but his reaction was quick.

"Senro Shield of Ten Thousand Shields!"

He slammed his left hand down on the ground beside him!

In an instant, the surrounding ground cracked, and countless thick, tough vines burst forth from the earth.

In an instant, they intertwined, layered, and hardened, forming a massive, thick composite wooden shield beside him!

"Boom boom boom boom!!"

Luffy's Snake Man Giant Snake Cannon slammed into the wooden shield!

Each strike caused the wooden shield to tremble violently, sending wood chips flying and leaving deep dents and cracks on its surface.

However, Huangmu has an extremely strong control over plants. New vines immediately replenish and repair the damaged areas, and he has withstood this continuous attack.

"Interesting... but still too green!" Huang Mu grinned.

After all, even after leaving the Navy and joining the Divine Knights, he wasn't always idle!

(Amplified effects of the second-stage Deep-Sea Contract)

"This is about to become my home turf!"

As soon as he finished speaking, Huang Mu suddenly spread his arms wide and laughed loudly.

"Full power..."

"Deep Awakening, the Birth of All Things!!"

Centered on the desolate pasture, an immense vitality (or rather, a predatory life force) swept out like a green tsunami!

It's no longer just about growing plants; it's about completely changing the rules of the environment!

The ground beneath my feet, the surrounding metal ruins, the scattered parts, even the dust floating in the air...

All non-living matter rapidly "wooden" under the erosion of that strange life force!

The metal grew ring-like patterns, then cracked, from which new shoots emerged and grew into towering trees.

The concrete transformed into fertile soil, instantly covered by wildly spreading roots and vines.

Even the air seemed to become thick, filled with plant spores and a suffocatingly rich vitality!

In just a few breaths, the area within a radius of several hundred meters centered on the battlefield between the two had been transformed into a primitive plant inferno completely controlled by Huang Mu!

"Hahaha! Did you see that? Straw Hat Boy!"

Standing atop the tallest, most eerie ancient tree, Aramu looked down at Luffy, who appeared tiny amidst the sea of ​​plants below, his voice filled with an arrogant sense of control.

"Here, I am a god! Every bit of your strength will become nourishment for this forest!"

"Here's how you just hit me, I'll do it again!!"

"Senroku - Wild Vine Strangulation!"

Countless thick vines, as thick as buckets and covered with sharp thorns, came from all directions, from the sky and the ground, to strangle Luffy!

At the same time, the ground suddenly softened, and countless roots emerged like ghostly hands, reaching for Luffy's feet!

Luffy, in Snake Man Mode, unleashed his speed and Observation Haki to the fullest, weaving through the gaps between vines and wooden spears.

The snake fist continued to blast, shattering the approaching plants.

At first, he was able to cope; his fourth-gear strength and the snake-man's agility prevented him from immediately falling into a desperate situation.

Occasionally, a counterattack can even force the plants controlled by Aramu to return to defense.

But gradually, the disadvantages began to emerge.

This area, completely transformed by the power of the Wilderness Shepherd, is not only attacking, but also invisibly absorbing energy.

With each breath Luffy took, he felt the "life force" in the air trying to invade his body.

Every time I come into contact with plants, even just by brushing against them, a tiny bit of my energy is drained away.

What's even more terrifying is that the attacks from the wild grass are endless. The plants that are broken immediately regenerate, and even become thicker and more troublesome, while Luffy's stamina is being continuously depleted.

"boom!"

Due to a moment of carelessness, Luffy tripped over a suddenly protruding tree root while dodging the giant wooden mallet that was pressing down on his head, causing him to stumble slightly.

In that very instant...

"Gotcha! Senra Giant Wood Nail Fist!"

Wild Shepherd laughed wildly, and a giant tree disguised as ruins suddenly "came to life".

The tip of the tree trunk coalesced into an incredibly hard, massive wooden fist, wrapped with top-tier Armament Haki.

Seizing the slight opening where Luffy's body was still, he slammed into Luffy's side with astonishing speed!

A heavy, muffled thud!

Luffy's eyes widened suddenly, and he spat out a mouthful of blood.

He transformed into a blur, smashing through several layers of newly hardened wood walls behind him.

Finally, it crashed into a pile of twisted metal and plant debris, amidst billowing smoke and dust.

"Tsk." Huang Mu withdrew his wooden fist, stood atop the tree, tilted his head, and his expression behind his sunglasses showed doubt, but even more so, an increasingly inflated arrogance.

"Strange, strange, really strange!!"

Someone capable of defeating Kaido shouldn't be limited to this level, right?

Was it a war of attrition with CP0? Or... is the so-called 'Fifth Emperor' a bit of a stretch?

Or is it that I'm just too strong now?!

"Hahaha! How about I just grab all your companions later?"

Then they'll drain you dry one by one, kill you, and I wonder what your expression will be then!

After speaking, Aramaki licked his lips, and the surrounding plants became even more restless due to the emotion of the ability user.

Smoke and dust slowly settled in the pits of the ruins.

"Yeah……"

A deep voice, completely different from the usual cheerful tone, came from the depths of the pit.

Huang Mu's arrogant expression froze slightly.

The next moment, a completely different domineering aura suddenly erupted!

It wasn't the scorching steam at level four, but rather...

A plume of white steam gushed out of the pit like a fountain, accompanied by a cheerful drumbeat rhythm, yet inexplicably carrying a chilling anger.

Luffy slowly rose from the ruins.

Still with snow-white hair and eyebrows, still with a rubbery body.

However, his face no longer bore the signature, infectious, radiant smile that Nika had always possessed.

Instead, there is an extreme seriousness.

His tightly pursed lips outlined cold lines.

The aura emanating from him was no longer pure joy and liberation, but a terrifying pressure mixed with anger and chilling killing intent!

Fifth Gear - Nika Mode!

Luffy raised his head slightly, his gaze piercing through the billowing dust and swaying vines, precisely locking onto the desolate grazing treetop.

That gaze sent a chill down Huang Mu's spine, even though he was on his home turf.

"The warm-up is over."

Luffy's voice was calm as he raised his hand and gently patted the dust off his clothes.

With casual movements, the burst of Conqueror's Haki seemed to cause the entire plant realm to tremble.

"Now, it's my turn."

Looking at Luffy, Aramaki was clearly panicked, not only because Luffy had entered his awakened state, but also because there was something he couldn't defend against or fight against...

"It's Conqueror's Haki enveloping me, holy crap!!!"

Chapter 648 York's Betrayal and Landing

At the same moment when Luffy and Aramaki were engaged in fierce battle

Meanwhile, Vegapunk and his crew, who were evacuating according to Luffy's orders, quietly slipped into a trap carefully woven by the traitors during their seemingly smooth transfer.

The clone "York" appeared anxious as he guided the group, but his actions were clumsy and flustered.

However, at the same time, they cleverly used the terrain and communication interference to lead the team to the designated location.

"No, something's wrong!" Halfway there, York's voice was filled with just the right amount of terror.

"Monitoring shows...unidentified energy fluctuations and signs of intrusion have appeared in the Seraph storage area!!"

Vegapunk, unaware of York's betrayal, explained to the Straw Hat crew that Seraph was a top-tier weapon to which he had poured his heart and soul, its importance self-evident.

Furthermore, the World Government possesses supreme authority, and since I wasn't present, my authority overshadowed that of the World Government...

After hearing the explanation, Sanji and Jinbe's expressions changed drastically.

The two exchanged a glance and saw the determination in each other's eyes.

"Old man (Vegapunk), leave this to us!" Sanji leaped onto the ground, smoke billowing around him. "Let's go check that out there! We can't let them succeed!"

"Please, Jinbe-sama!" Usopp was scared, but he knew what was important.

Jinbe nodded calmly: "I'll leave this place to you. I'll be right back. Nami, Usopp, Chopper, protect everyone!"

Without much hesitation, York successfully lured Sanji and Jinbe, two reliable fighters, away from the core protection zone using a mix of true and false information.

The group continued forward, but their numbers dwindled, leaving only Usopp, Chopper, Nami, Vegapunk's main body, his clone "Shakya," and the scheming "York."

But Yorke's tactics didn't stop there.

She led the remaining people through a maze of twists and turns, passing through several seemingly safe but increasingly secluded passages.

Finally, they entered through a heavy gate marked "Old Era Laboratory".

"This is the isolated area of ​​the old laboratory, with an independent defense system, so it should be safe for the time being."

As York offered words of comfort, his massive body blocked the only exit.

Meanwhile, the avatar representing "wisdom," Shakyamuni, remained silent and observed throughout the journey.

He hadn't received any news about the Seraph's incident before, assuming it was due to CP0's previous sabotage causing the continuous disconnection between the clones, but now...

Upon entering this enclosed space, his eyes swept across the abandoned laboratory, then glanced at York's subtly positioned spot, as data streams rapidly passed through his vision.

He realized something was wrong, so he turned sharply to York, his voice stern.

"York! Your path selection contains a logical contradiction!"

The old laboratory's independent power source was already unstable and had a weak connection to the main control system, making it not the optimal hiding place!

The 'information' you just gave Sanji and Jinbe to leave from has a vague and unclear source!

What are you hiding? Or rather... what are you guiding?

Shakyamuni's question instantly shattered the pretense of panic.

When York was directly exposed, the "panicked" expression on his face vanished instantly.

Instead, there was a mixture of smug mockery.

"Oh dear... 'Wisdom' saw through it?" York's voice turned flippant and dangerous as he ran his fingers over a dusty control panel beside him.

"Too bad...it's too late."

"Click! Rumble!"

The moment York pressed a hidden switch, the internal structure of the old laboratory underwent a dramatic change!

Several thick alloy partitions suddenly popped out of the ceiling and floor and closed with a dull thud!