Chapter 103: All Forces Attack
The voice carried an eerie, penetrating clarity, slicing through the chaos like a blade and reaching everyone's ears even amidst the earth-shattering storm.
The moment it rang out, Shiki's entire body jolted with shock. His pupils shrank to pinpoints.
That voice—familiar, cursed!
Could it be...?
A terrible premonition surged from the deepest recesses of his mind.
Suddenly—
Shhh!
A streak of sharp black light tore through the storm like an arrow, ripping through the torrential rain and screaming winds with unimaginable speed. It pierced the thick wall of the storm itself... and came shrieking toward him!
That sword!!
Shiki recognized it instantly. That eerie, wicked flash of black light—
The cursed blade, Enma!
It howled through the sky, cutting a temporary "vacuum" path in the middle of the storm's fury.
From that fleeting tunnel, Shiki finally spotted something strange out on the distant sea—
Warships!!
Shadows of battleships flickered through the wind and rain. On the lead ship... Shiki caught sight of a tall figure at the bow, smoking a cigar.
He was grinning straight at him.
Damn it!!
This was... a Marine ambush!!
How the hell did they know he was here!?
How long had they been lying in wait!?
Just how many troops were hiding out there!?
A barrage of questions overwhelmed Shiki's thoughts, leaving his mind momentarily blank.
Buzz!
Enma tore through the air and closed the distance in an instant!
In Shiki's tightening pupils, the black blade rapidly grew larger, heading straight for him with terrifying speed!
A chill shot down his spine. Gritting his teeth, he crossed his dual swords to block.
Clang!
A thunderous clang erupted as Enma, coated in Armament Haki, was deflected with brute force!
The sheer impact of the strike made Shiki's body jolt—he was knocked slightly off balance from the force alone.
Then—
His eyes went wide. His pupils dilated. Blood vessels burst across the whites of his eyes, painting them crimson.
A wave of disbelief and terror surged across his face.
Because of Roger's earlier assault—
Because of Daren's blade—
That split-second delay...
From behind, a terrifying suction force suddenly surged forth. The raging storm howled and ripped the fabric from his back, slicing at his skin like blades.
"No!!!"
Shiki's voice was barely a whisper, trembling with denial.
BOOM!!
The roaring, apocalyptic storm swallowed him whole.
"AAAAAAGGGGHHHH!!!"
Trapped in the maelstrom, unable to resist, Shiki screamed in agony as he felt his body being torn apart, piece by piece.
Just for a moment, he thought he saw a dark shape flying toward him...
Then everything went black.
A searing pain pierced his forehead—
And he lost consciousness completely.
...
"It actually worked!!"
On the surging waves, every Marine aboard the fleet's warships stared in stunned silence at the monstrous storm in the distance. A cold chill crept down their spines.
Sengoku swallowed hard, a bead of sweat trailing down his forehead.
A storm of this scale—one akin to a natural disaster—was truly terrifying. It felt as though even the sea and sky couldn't bear its force, roaring as if the world itself was coming undone.
"That kid Dragon... he's gotten so much stronger..."
The thought flashed across Sengoku's mind like lightning.
"Dragon has vanished."
Beside him, Sakazuki spoke grimly.
Sengoku snapped to attention and quickly turned toward the small boat.
But across the vast ocean, the waves still roared—and that little boat had long since capsized, shattered into pieces by the raging sea.
The one responsible for conjuring this overwhelming storm had vanished without a trace.
Gone?
Just like that?
So fast!
What kind of ability was that?
Teleportation?
Or was it the man standing next to Dragon?
"How terrifying... to create such a devastating natural disaster..."
Borsalino had, at some point, strolled over from his lounge chair. He smiled leisurely, rubbing the stubble on his chin, gazing at the storm in the distance with a meaningful look.
"Even our Marine fleet... wouldn't stand a chance against a storm like that."
At his words, Sakazuki's expression grew even darker, as though storm clouds were hanging from his face.
Sengoku's pupils narrowed slightly. His heart twisted with complex emotions.
While the storm wasn't entirely Dragon's doing—the treacherous, chaotic climate of the Edd War Sea had massively amplified his Devil Fruit's effects—it was still undeniable.
The kid's control over naval warfare was terrifying.
And now that such a genius, armed with what could only be described as "invincible" large-scale sea battle prowess, had left the Marines and become a wanted man...
Just the thought made Sengoku's mind swirl.
What if...
What if one day, they really had to go to war with Dragon...
He didn't even dare to imagine that future.
No. Now wasn't the time to think about that!
Sengoku shook his head, banishing the thoughts from his mind. His expression hardened again as he focused sharply on Daren.
"Daren. When do we launch the attack?"
"Wait a little longer..."
Daren exhaled slowly, a plume of smoke curling from his mouth like a dragon, a savage grin tugging at his lips.
"We have to wait for the storm to pass before launching the assault. If we get caught up in it, even Marine warships wouldn't survive something on this scale."
He cast a glance toward the spot where Dragon had disappeared, then looked away.
Kuma's ability sure is convenient...
With Kuma supporting him—and Dragon's own overwhelming command of the Kaze Kaze no Mi in naval warfare—there were hardly any opponents on the seas who could truly threaten him now.
Add in Daren's own "backing," and given enough time, the army Dragon would raise could become a force capable of shaking the entire world.
The thought burned in Daren's mind.
Just then, a streak of black light returned from the void, hovering silently beside him. In the flickering lightning, its blade gleamed coldly with a hunger for blood.
Enma.
...
The storm in the distance began to fade, rolling away across the ocean.
By Daren's estimate, a sea storm of that magnitude would stretch for hundreds of nautical miles before it fully dissipated—possibly taking out an island or two in its wake.
But that wasn't his concern.
He raised his gaze, eyes narrowing as he surveyed the battlefield.
After the storm had passed, the sea remained rough and violent.
The entire ocean looked as though it had been crushed beneath a god's wrath—shattered pirate ships drifted like grave markers, and mangled bodies bobbed like broken buoys in the waves.
"It's time to clean house."
Daren chuckled coldly. His sharp eyes locked onto a staggering figure struggling to stand among the wreckage of a pirate ship.
He raised his right hand.
Fingers spread wide.
At that signal, over ten thousand elite Marines across the ten warships jolted to attention, standing tall as they drew their blades.
The Vice Admiral clenched his fist—
A command to attack!
"All troops... advance!!"
The moment the words rang out, war drums thundered across the sea!
The covers over the warships dropped away. Towering white sails rose all at once.
The bold black kanji for "Justice" unfurled across the ten vessels lined side by side, radiating a chilling and righteous intensity!
"Charge!!!"
Sengoku, unable to hold back any longer, drew the sword at his waist and leapt to the bow, eyes blazing red as he roared—
"For Justice!!"
The killing intent surged skyward.
...
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