One Piece: Conquering Wanokuni at Start

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"Stussy! You traitor! Did you betray the descendants of gods?!"

Watching as Stussy calmly ushered Alex's troops into the chamber, the two operatives could no longer deny the truth. No matter how unbelievable it seemed, her betrayal was now evident.

Stussy smiled serenely at their outrage, her eyes lingering on the two. "Betray the descendants of gods? No... I've always had a god in my heart. But I'm far more interested in pursuing new truths than clinging to something so ethereal."

Her gaze shifted to the operatives, particularly to Locator. His ability to move through coordinates was formidable, but it had a critical weakness: it required an environment where he could freely deploy it. Moreover, the process demanded precious seconds.

All those vulnerabilities were exploited by the spider silk now entangling their feet.

"Go!"

Realizing the mission was unsalvageable, Dimension and Locator knew they had no time to hesitate. Even without encountering Alex or his top lieutenants, they understood that staying here meant certain failure—or worse. Whether the blade was genuine or a decoy no longer mattered.

In a desperate move, Dimension forcibly tore his legs free from the unyielding spider silk, ignoring the searing pain as the threads tore into him. Though Locator's coordinates were temporarily restricted, Dimension could still escape into his dimensional space, buying them time to regroup.

Dimension activated his ability, using Locator as a medium. Slowly, a portal to the dimensional plane began to materialize around them, its edges twisting and warping reality.

"Leaving so soon?" A cold, calm voice rang out behind them, sending a shiver down their spines. "How rude not to say goodbye."

The voice froze them in place.

"Wh-what?! When did...?"

Both operatives snapped their heads around, their panic mounting. They had been maintaining their Observation Haki the entire time, locking onto every threat in the room. How had someone managed to get so close without them noticing?

Turning, they found Gion standing mere steps behind them, her form illuminated by the faint glow of the portal.

Their panic deepened.

Even from this short distance, the oppressive aura radiating from Gion was suffocating. It wasn't just her strength—it was a palpable pressure that seemed to freeze the air around them. It felt as though they were sinking into the deep sea, their bodies crushed by an invisible force.

As elite agents of the Celestial Dragons, their instincts and intuition were finely honed—an invaluable asset during missions. But now, those same instincts betrayed them, amplifying the terror clawing at their minds.

Their bodies trembled slightly, a testament to the fear they couldn't suppress.

'How... How can she be this strong now?!' they screamed internally.

They had encountered Gion before, back when they were not yet shield operatives. At that time, she had been far weaker than them, hardly a threat in their eyes.

But this Gion was something else entirely.

"Damn it..." Dimension gritted his teeth, his mind reeling from the unexpected turn.

Desperate to escape, Dimension focused all his effort on completing the portal. If they could just slip into the safety of the dimensional space, they might still survive.

The portal edges began to stabilize.

But before they could step through—

Crack.

A faint sound, like the snapping of a thread, echoed in their ears.

In the span of a single breath, sharp pain surged through Dimension's arm—the one grasping Locator.

Unbeknownst to him, Gion had already moved, her blade, Konpira, gleaming with fresh blood as it rested in her hand.

In his field of vision, a severed arm—his own—tumbled toward the ground, blood trailing in the air like crimson rain. Time itself seemed to slow, each droplet striking the floor in an exaggerated rhythm.

Yet, it had all happened so quickly. Too quickly.

It was as if time had sped up, leaving Dimension helpless to react.

"Damn it!" he hissed, terror gripping him.

Ignoring the pain, he frantically reached back with his remaining arm, touching the floor behind him in desperation. His mind screamed one thing: escape.

As long as he could retreat into the dimensional space, even Gion wouldn't be able to follow. His ability was his only salvation.

However—

Just as he prepared to make his move, his body faltered. He stumbled, collapsing to the ground in a helpless heap.

It was then he noticed the source of his weakness: dozens of tiny needles embedded in his chest. Each needle radiated an oppressive force that sapped his strength, rendering him unable to use his abilities.

"You know," Gion said coolly, stepping forward with calm precision, "for someone with such an unusual ability, your weakness is painfully obvious. Moving that slowly in front of an opponent—what are you expecting? For them to just sit back and let you escape?"

Gion's presence was unshakable. She raised Konpira again, the blade moving faster than the eye could track. In a single motion, her slashes struck both operatives. Their limbs gave way, leaving them crippled and sprawled on the ground.

As if responding to her command, the countless spider threads covering the floor came alive, writhing and surging toward the two shields. Within moments, the threads coiled around their bodies, binding them tightly until they resembled mummified figures. Their defeat was complete.

"Well, it seems Sister Gion had it all under control," Nami remarked, her tone casual as she observed the defeated Celestial Dragons' shields. Despite the brutality of the scene, her expression remained unflinching. "With abilities like theirs, it's better to act decisively than let them make the first move."

Hearing her, Gion smiled faintly and reached out to pat Nami on the head.

"Rare to see you in action, Sister Gion," Kuina said, still shaken by the incredible speed of the battle. "It feels like you've gotten even stronger."

Kuina, known for her sharp observational skills, had been watching closely. Yet even she could only catch faint glimpses of Gion's movements—mere phantoms of light in the blink of an eye. Despite her growth as a swordswoman under Alex's command, she felt the gap between her and veterans like Gion was still immense.

"My strength has its limits," Gion admitted with measured humility. "Against opponents with weaker weapons or inferior defenses, my attacks are overwhelming. But against someone like Big Mom, Kaido, or Vice Admiral Garp, whose mastery of Armament Haki is on another level... my speed alone isn't enough to deal a fatal blow."

Her tone was matter-of-fact, but the truth carried weight. Few individuals on the seas today could stand on par with those titans.

Still, Gion knew the power she wielded after her Devil Fruit awakening placed her in a league of her own. The acceleration she could achieve was so extreme it seemed to warp time itself. Under Alex's command, she was undeniably the strongest swordswoman.

Stussy approached the bound operatives with graceful steps, her lips curling into a sly smile. She glanced toward Robin, her voice tinged with amusement. "Well, here I am—completely exposed now as a full-fledged member of the Sky Kingdom."

Her betrayal of the Celestial Dragons and their mission was absolute. Regardless of the shields' success or failure, Stussy's cover was irrevocably blown.