In One Piece, as Hashirama Senju

[166] The City Center

Chapter 166: The City Center

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[Present Time]

Wings flapped vigorously at my back as I navigated the expanse above the city, my allies Tsunade, Vivi, Mikita, and Marianne in tow.

Karoo and Robin were not with us, they were resting, and Nami was with their to protect them.

Vivi ran in the sky with Moon Walk, she seemed to have learned it in the last... two years. It still shook me a little to accept it's been that long. I decided to take her into my arms to preserve her strength.

"Save your strength."

"Alright..."

She agreed, and I folded her into my embrace to ease her burden.

The silent calmness of our departure point sharply contrasted with our current flight path—a direct course to the city's turbulent heart. We were moving fast. Below us, the green-tinged shadows cast an otherworldly vibe over deserted streets, a silent prelude to the conflict that awaited us.

After minutes of flying, the city's center drew near, and the distant sounds of machines and robots grew increasingly defined.

No, there was a fight going on. Nothing like a serious battle, but more of a dummy test. I frowned.

"...Looks like we're expected," Tsunade quipped, eyeing the area with a mix of anxiousness and anticipation.

Mikita clenched her fists. "I'd rather have us wait this out, but whatever, we're here anyway. Let them come, for one last time," she declared, and honestly, the fierce determination in her voice bolstered even my spirits.

I knew as much as them how dangerous this was. I didn't even have half my chakra, just 40%. It's not little, but I'm surely not in my best condition.

But the city square was right ahead of us, and I wasn't going to back out now.

The central plaza of this underground city was an architectural marvel, a vast expanse that seemed to stretch endlessly beneath a canopy of glowing green light. Its surface was made with gleaming emerald tiles, reflecting the soft luminescence of the city's heart, casting our shadows long and eerie across its breadth.

The massive building below was shaped like a pentagon with a dome above. It was made with ancient yet futuristic designs that soared towards the sky, their facades adorned with intricate carvings that told stories of a civilization lost to time.

In the center of the plaza, a magnificent fountain, now silent and still, stood as a testament to the city's former glory.

The plaza was bathed in a perpetual soft glow, turning the air into a canvas of light and shadow. It wasn't unintentional, the dome's surface was alive with the dance of holographic constellations.

"How unsettling."

Yet, for all its beauty, the plaza was eerily devoid of life, save for the patrol of robot defenders that emerged to challenge our presence. The lack of any humane sound was quite unsettling, proof of the city's abandonment.

"Let's go." Tsunade took the lead.

As soon as we descended into the central plaza, a squadron of tall and bulky robot defenders emerged from the shadows, their metallic forms glinting menacingly. These were no mere sentinels; they even looked more advanced than the samurai, if much smaller.

[Uncertified Humans Detected...]

[Enemies Detected.]

[Erasure Protocol has been activated.]