One Piece: The Multiverse Simulator

Both Ivankov and Jinbei had a solid understanding of Wood's strength, which bolstered their confidence in rescuing Ace.

With most of the firepower near the execution platform drawn toward Wood and Marco, Luffy and his group encountered little resistance as they steadily approached the platform.

With Revolutionary Army cadres and a Warlord clearing the way, unless they ran into one of the Navy's notable figures, there was little that could stop Luffy and his companions.

However, when things proceed too smoothly, unforeseen events often occur—just as they did now.

As they pressed closer to the execution platform with the key Mr. 3 had created from wax, several figures clad in the Navy's Justice coats suddenly appeared, blocking their path.

Throughout their journey, many Marines had tried to stop them, only to be defeated by Luffy and his crew. Luffy, ever the single-minded fighter, paid little attention to military ranks. To him, the Justice coat-wearing Marines were just more obstacles to punch through.

Even now, seeing the three Marines blocking their path, Luffy didn't hesitate. Without a second thought, he charged forward, intent on taking them down.

After all, he hadn't hesitated to knock out his childhood friend and fellow villager, Koby, earlier. For Luffy, nothing mattered more than rescuing Ace. Whether it was his grandfather or anyone else, he was ready to knock them aside.

But just as he moved, both Ivankov and Jinbei grabbed him, stopping him in his tracks.

"Don't be reckless, Straw Hat Boy. These aren't ordinary Marines," Ivankov warned.

"Luffy, my friend, I recognize that Vice Admiral. Defeating them with just our strength might not be enough," Jinbei added solemnly.

Standing in their path were three Marines—two women and one man. Luffy immediately recognized the man: the relentless Captain Smoker, who had chased him from Loguetown into the Grand Line.

The two women, however, were unfamiliar to Luffy. Yet from the way Smoker stood behind the long-legged female Marine, it was clear she outranked him.

Although Luffy wasn't the sharpest, he wasn't entirely clueless. Seeing how both Ivankov and Jinbei were focused on the pink-suited woman with the beauty mark at the corner of her mouth, he understood she was the strongest among them.

The three Marines blocking their path were Smoker, Ain, and Vice Admiral Gion—better known as "Momousagi" (Pink Rabbit).

Ain, mentored by Gion and a protégé of Admiral Zephyr, had risen swiftly through the ranks. From the moment she graduated from the Naval Academy, she had been promoted to Captain and, within just a few years, had climbed to the rank of Commander.

Facing Gion, Luffy's instincts as a fighter screamed that she was a formidable opponent—not someone to be taken lightly.

Still, Luffy wasn't afraid. He had already defeated two Warlords of the Sea—Crocodile and Gecko Moria—and even bested Rob Lucci of the CP9, reputed to be the strongest agent in their history. To him, there was no reason to fear a Vice Admiral.

Sure, Vice Admirals were strong, but the Straw Hat Pirates had faced them before. Back during the Buster Call incident, the fleet was led by Vice Admirals.

This thought bolstered Luffy's confidence. Ignoring Ivankov and Jinbei's warnings, he activated Gear Second, his skin turning red and steaming as he charged at the Marines.

Since their encounter in Loguetown, Luffy's strength had grown exponentially. After his battles with CP9, he had developed both Gear Second and Gear Third.

Gear Second utilized the properties of his rubber body, using his legs to pump air and accelerate blood flow to enhance his strength. In this state, Luffy's speed and power were dramatically increased, allowing him to move faster than most Marines could follow. Even Smoker knew he couldn't handle Luffy without relying on his Devil Fruit powers.

"Rubber Jet Pistol!"

Luffy's Gear Second version of the Gomu Gomu no Pistol was a high-speed, sonic-level attack intended to blast through Smoker and the others to clear a path.

Luffy planned to use his speed to overwhelm them, forcing them aside before quickly escaping with the advantage of Soru.

It was a good plan, but Luffy had underestimated Gion and the others.

As Luffy's red fist, moving at near-sonic speed, reached Gion, she calmly raised a hand and caught it firmly.

Her body remained completely unmoved, her expression unchanging. Even as the air around her rippled with the force of the impact, Gion didn't flinch, her grip effortlessly halting Luffy's punch.

Seeing his fist caught, Luffy didn't panic. Using the elasticity of his rubber body, he retracted his arm and launched himself toward Gion, aiming a headbutt.

"Rubber Jet Headbutt!"

The attack, risky as it was, was something only Luffy would attempt. As a rubber man, he was nearly impervious to physical blows, making such an attack viable for him.

In Gear Second, Luffy's speed was already incredible, and combined with his rubber body's recoil, he became a blur of motion, barreling toward Gion like a missile.

"Your mastery of the Soru technique is impressive," Gion remarked, her voice calm. "But with your fist in my grasp, the trajectory of your headbutt is easy to predict."

As Luffy's body closed in, Gion extended her free hand, now coated in Armament Haki. Her fist shimmered like blackened steel, the concentrated power clearly visible.

"Clang—!"

A sharp sound echoed through the air as Luffy's head collided with Gion's Haki-infused fist. The impact reverberated through his body, and for the first time, Luffy felt as if he had slammed into solid steel.

The pain was intense, and the sheer force of the blow left Luffy momentarily dazed, his vision swimming. It was a sensation he had only ever experienced when facing his grandfather, Garp.

Despite being a rubber man, impervious to most physical attacks, the punches of Garp—and now Gion—carried a force that seemed to ignore such immunity, striking him with a crushing intensity.

Before Luffy could recover, Gion grabbed his arm and, with a fluid motion, lifted him into the air. With a powerful swing, she slammed him headfirst into the ground, the impact cracking the stone beneath them.

"Boom!"

With a deafening explosion, the ground beneath Gion split open, forming a modestly sized crater. Luffy, who moments ago had charged forward with boundless energy, now lay unconscious at its center, his eyes rolled back.

"Though you're Garp's grandson, you're still a pirate. And not just any pirate—you're the son of the world's most dangerous criminal, Dragon.

"I'm sorry, but I'll have to end your life here," Gion said calmly as she unsheathed her blade, Konpira, preparing to deliver the final blow to the unconscious Straw Hat.

Just then, a massive blue figure darted in front of her with incredible speed, delivering a powerful punch.

"Fish-Man Karate: Karakusa Straight Fist!"

The sheer force of the punch created a shockwave that hurled debris into the air and carved a deep trench into the ground.

Faced with the incoming strike, Gion abandoned her attack on Luffy and raised Konpira to defend.

"Clang!"

The sound of the clash echoed through the battlefield. Gion slid several meters back from the impact, but she remained unharmed.

Jinbei hadn't expected to defeat the renowned Vice Admiral "Momousagi." His goal was only to push her back long enough for the others to rescue Luffy.

As Gion was forced to retreat, the Revolutionary Army officer, Inazuma, rushed to the crater, scooping up the unconscious Luffy and preparing to flee.

Gion, however, wasn't one to give up easily. Just as she moved to pursue them, Ivankov suddenly appeared, launching a flashy "Death Wink" that triggered a massive explosion, enveloping Gion in smoke and debris.

"Inazuma, take Straw Hat Boy and retreat! We're up against Vice Admiral Momousagi. Attacks like that won't stop her for long, but we'll buy you the time you need!" Ivankov shouted.

Nodding, Inazuma, holding Luffy, signaled to the other Okama to retreat. However, before they could get far, thick white smoke formed a circular barrier around them, ensnaring many of the retreating Okama.

Simultaneously, flashes of pink light emanated from the smoke, and to everyone's shock, several of the Okama were transformed into children, staring at their altered bodies in bewilderment.

There was no mistaking it—the ones blocking their escape were Smoker and Ain, who had been standing behind Gion earlier.

With their combined strength, Smoker and Ain were more than enough to deal with Inazuma and the Okama from the fifth level of Impel Down.

As Smoker's Smoke-Smoke Fruit fists closed in, Inazuma placed Luffy down temporarily and used his Snip-Snip Fruit ability to slice apart the ground, creating a massive barrier of rock in front of him.

"Boom!"

The barrier successfully blocked Smoker's attack, but in the next moment, a pair of long legs, coated in Armament Haki, shattered the rock wall effortlessly. A hand glowing with pink energy shot forward, covering Inazuma's face before tossing him into the rubble with force.

When Ivankov turned back, sensing something was wrong, he saw that Inazuma's appearance had changed drastically.

Though Inazuma's body hadn't been significantly altered, his face and overall features looked noticeably younger.

"What's going on? What kind of Devil Fruit ability is this? It can make people younger? Isn't that practically helping the enemy? If it's possible, I'd like a turn too!" Ivankov joked, eyeing Inazuma's youthful appearance with envy.

The limited lifespan of humans meant only a few years could be spent at one's peak. Seeing Ain's ability in action, it was hard not to be moved.

Unfortunately, Ain's ability wasn't without limitations. While she could rewind the age of a person's body, it didn't extend to their soul or internal organs, which had natural limits. Additionally, the rewind effect could only be applied once per age cycle.

For example, if Ain rewound someone from 30 to 18 years old, after 12 years, when they returned to 30, her ability couldn't rewind them to 18 again.

Although Ain's Return-Return Fruit wasn't as game-changing as the Op-Op Fruit's Immortality Surgery, its lack of severe side effects made it a formidable ability nonetheless.

Moreover, her power affected both living beings and inanimate objects, altering not just matter but the passage of time itself. This versatility was precisely why Wood had once been so impressed by the fruit.

"Oh, you want to turn back time too?" Gion said with a sly smile, waving Konpira to clear the dust around her. "I wouldn't mind having Ain help you out.

"But be careful—you might rewind too much and disappear from this world entirely."

Gion's voice was playful but carried a chilling undertone. "Ain's ability rewinds 12 years with each touch. How many '12 years' do you think your comrade has left?"

Ivankov's face darkened as he processed her words. "If someone's body isn't even 12 years old…"

"Exactly," Gion replied with a sharp grin. "If their physical age is less than 12, they'll be erased entirely from existence.

"It doesn't matter how strong they are—whether they're a Yonko or a Marine Admiral. Ain's ability is absolute."

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