With the reinforcements brought by Momousagi, the Marine Headquarters' forces grew even stronger, and the combined might against Buggy's pirate crew became overwhelming.

Within minutes, the Marines had the upper hand, suppressing most of the chaos.

"Damn it! We can't keep this up, Alvida—let's move!" Buggy shouted with a furious expression. Activating his Chop-Chop Fruit, his body split apart and darted toward the outskirts in desperation.

Alvida didn't hesitate either; her Slippery-Slippery Fruit activated, turning the ground beneath her into a slick, icy path as she glided swiftly away.

"Three Devil Fruit users…" Momousagi murmured from her vantage point, observing the battlefield with narrowed eyes. A flicker of surprise crossed her face. "That man with the straw hat… he must be Garp's grandson. Really now… should I capture him?"

Her gaze swept over Luffy, who was locked in fierce battle. A slight headache pressed behind her temples.

Others might not recognize Luffy, but as Tsuru's younger sister, Momousagi certainly did.

"Forget it," she muttered. "I'll let Garp deal with this himself."

With a small sigh, she vanished in an instant—her figure flickering out of existence—only to reappear directly above Buggy's head.

Buggy, still running and proud of his narrow escape, suddenly felt a strange chill overhead. He glanced up—only to see a pair of long, toned legs in black heels descending from above, framed by a Marine coat of justice fluttering behind them.

His grin froze.

Why me? Why do I always attract the scary ones? he thought bitterly.

Before he could react, a surge of pain struck his head, his vision blurred, and his body fell limp to the ground—his fruit power deactivated.

Momousagi calmly took out a pair of seastone cuffs, secured them around his wrists, and in a flash appeared before the nearby Marines.

"Take him," she ordered curtly, handing Buggy over before her gaze drifted toward the ongoing battle.

Smoker was locked in combat with Luffy and his crew. The Straw Hats were clearly at a disadvantage; surrounded and exhausted, their defeat was only a matter of time.

Momousagi frowned slightly. "This isn't good. If Garp finds out I captured his grandson, I'll be in trouble with Naval Headquarters."

But the others didn't know Luffy's true identity. If the entire Marine force discovered that Garp's grandson had become a pirate, the old man's reputation would collapse.

"Ugh, what a headache…" she groaned. "That idiot kid… why couldn't he just become a Marine like his grandfather wanted?"

Her mind raced, weighing the consequences. If she captured Luffy, she'd offend Garp. If she didn't, she'd be letting a pirate go right in front of her men. Either way, the situation was a disaster.

While she hesitated, the tide of battle shifted again.

Without Momousagi intervening directly, Luffy's crew had already suffered heavy losses. Buggy was down, Alvida had fled, and the remaining pirates were struggling to hold their ground.

Momousagi merely stood there, calm yet commanding. Even without moving, her presence alone exerted immense pressure.

Sanji, panting and bruised, kicked back another Marine before glancing around. The realization hit him—they weren't winning this one.

He exhaled deeply, a sharp resolve flashing in his eyes. "Luffy, take Nami and the others and get out of here. I'll hold them off!"

"No way, Sanji!" Luffy shouted, shaking his head fiercely. "We're in this together till the end!"

At that moment, his usual goofy grin was gone. His tone was steady, his expression serious—the look of a true captain.

Not far away, among the watching crowd, Kaito raised his head. Through his heightened senses, he could detect a faint human presence hidden deep within the thunderclouds above.

"Still waiting? Or maybe testing him…" he muttered. "But I can't just stand by—Nami's in danger."

Unlike later in her adventures, Nami was still just a skilled navigator now—no weather-controlling powers to save her.

Kaito clenched his fists. She once helped me with information… I might as well return the favor.

Without hesitation, he stepped forward—straight toward Momousagi.

His bold move drew every eye on the battlefield. The Marines paused, and even the pirates turned in confusion.

He wasn't running, nor sneaking. His stride was confident, calm, deliberate.

"Hey, stop right there!" a Marine barked. "Approach any closer, and I'll open fire!"

"Quiet," Momousagi ordered with a wave of her hand. The Marine immediately lowered his weapon.

Her eyes, soft yet sharp, met his. "I was just about to look for you… but you decided to show yourself first."

Kaito stopped a few steps away, his tone flat but commanding. "Let them go. Today, you won't be taking anyone."

Momousagi tilted her head slightly, amused. "Do you really think you can protect them? You may be strong, but you're not that strong."

Kaito gave a faint smile. "Who said I'm the one protecting them?"

"What do you mean?" she asked, brows knitting together.

Kaito raised his hand and pointed toward the sky.

Momousagi's gaze followed his finger, squinting at the storm clouds rumbling above. A chill ran through her veins.

Someone was up there.

"It's your bad luck," Kaito said calmly. "Today's the day Luffy sets sail for the Grand Line… and someone powerful decided to come see him off."

A thunderous boom echoed across the sky.

Momousagi froze. The realization struck her like lightning.

She remembered stories from years ago—how Garp's son had left the Marines in defiance, founding a movement that shook the entire world.

The Revolutionary Army.

And its leader...

Her eyes widened slightly.

Don't tell me—

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