Lightning soared high into the sky, ascending to the heavens and falling to earth.
The scene was clearly visible even from afar—from "Ohara"—and it was evident even from a distance that a considerable situation was unfolding.
Even if it was a technique that had never been shown to anyone other than Kanata, if it caused a phenomenon of that scale, it was not difficult to imagine that a very serious situation had occurred.
Enel looked up at the sky and groaned, "Hmm."
"Is this... a more troublesome situation than I thought?"
He disliked Komurasaki, but he roughly knew her strength.
She was the leader of the "Valkyrie," Kanata's direct subordinates, and practically the strongest "witch's apprentice."
If she was getting serious, it was only in a battle against a Navy Admiral, a top executive of the Four Emperors, or someone of similar power.
"Hey, don't just stand there, give the islanders evacuation orders. At worst, the damage could reach even here."
"Y-Yes!!"
He instructed one of the nearby God's soldiers, and Enel let out a sigh.
He knew well the strength of the Goro Goro no Mi. Even if it couldn't match Octavia's, the fact that it could produce attacks of a similar scale meant that the damage was unpredictable.
Enel entered the "Shrine of God" and headed to the monitoring facility that had been urgently set up next to it.
Birds carrying Visual Den Den Mushi were sent out to confirm the situation.
He called out to one of the monitors and asked about the situation.
"What's going on?"
"Komurasaki-sama is in battle. Her opponent is Alpha Maraptonoka, a black market merchant whose name has started to be heard in the last two or three years."
"Is she strong?"
"We didn't think much of her because she was a merchant, but it seems she's quite out of the ordinary."
At the very least, she was fighting on par with Komurasaki. That alone made her an opponent worthy of caution. Judging from the footage, she was certainly a peculiar opponent.
From the looks of it, Komurasaki seemed to be attacking one-sidedly... but she was having a hard time taking her down, and she was starting to fight back.
Kanata had already been contacted, but she had apparently said only, "Leave it to Komurasaki."
"She said, 'If you need reinforcements, I'll send them, but it will take time'..."
"I figured as much. This island was originally like that."
If they were to send an army to Skypiea, the means were very limited. It was practically impossible without George, the Fuwa Fuwa no Mi ability user, who was essential.
To begin with, if Komurasaki were to lose, it was more likely that the reinforcements sent would have to be selected, or Kanata herself would have to come, or it wouldn't be resolved.
It would take several days to get from the New World to Ohara.
There was nothing to do but have Komurasaki do her best.
"What are the pirates who caused the disturbance doing?"
"That's this footage here."
The monitor pointed to another monitor.
Enel looked at it and saw five people fighting, as if protecting the ship.
"When we conveyed the enemy's appearance, we were told to secure at least one, dead or alive."
"Hmm. Certainly, they seem to be a rare race, but..."
White hair, dark skin, and black wings... It was understandable to say to capture them alive because they were a rare race, but he couldn't quite understand saying that even their corpses were fine.
There must have been some reason.
Well, that wasn't something to think about now, and he turned his attention to another video when he was called from behind.
"What are you doing? The outside is making a lot of noise, too. Could it be that something serious is happening?"
"Oh, Madam. You've come here."
She was a guest currently staying in Ohara, reading various materials in the library and sometimes researching with Enel.
She was wearing a lab coat and holding a coffee cup in one hand, and she said that she had just seen Enel enter this room and followed him.
"There's currently a battle taking place in 'Upper Yard'. Madam, I'd like you to evacuate if possible."
"So that's why Komurasaki-chan told me not to leave the guesthouse... But she's strong, isn't she?"
"There's always a chance. I'd be scolded by your scary husband if a guest got hurt."
"Fufu, that's true."
The woman laughed at Enel, who shrugged.
Suddenly, looking at one of the surveillance monitors, the woman widened her eyes as if noticing something, rushed to the monitor, and stared at it intently.
It wasn't the footage of Komurasaki's battle. It was footage of the Straw Hat crew fighting five enemies.
"...Could it be, Sanji?"
Surprised, the woman muttered softly.
***
Luffy and the others, four people in total, were running through the forest towards the coast.
Zoro was riding on Chopper's back, and Robin was being carried by Luffy.
"Zoro, are you okay!?"
"Don't worry. It's just a scratch."
"It's not just a scratch!! You were shot in the stomach, weren't you!? I really want to give you proper treatment right away!!"
"I know. Don't make a fuss, Chopper. I won't die so easily."
Blood was dripping from the abdomen where he had been shot by Maraptonoka, even though he had received first aid.
The bullet had gone through, so there was no need to extract it, and it hadn't hit any internal organs, so he was lucky, but even so, it was normally a serious injury.
Chopper was worried and kept glancing back, but Zoro told him, "It's dangerous, so look ahead," so he looked ahead.
"Captain-san, it's almost there."
"Yeah! It's that place where the fire is!?"
The smell of burning trees became noticeable as they approached.
There were burned trees along the way, and the direction Robin was pointing was the same, so they could understand that this was the right way.
"We have to hurry...!"
"...Rain?"
Raindrops, falling one by one, hit their skin, and the burning trees were slightly extinguished.
It shouldn't rain on an island that was higher than the clouds, but when they looked up at the sky, clouds had formed locally and it was raining. Robin didn't remember anyone who could do such a thing, but did Luffy and the others know?
When she thought that and asked, the three of them replied in unison, "I don't know," in cheerful voices.
It was certainly someone's doing, but this was lucky for Luffy and the others.
"We're leaving the forest! The enemy is probably nearby!"
"All right! I'll beat them up!!!"
Luffy, breathing heavily through his nose, was full of spirit.
The intensity of the fire was getting stronger, indicating that they were getting closer to the enemy, and the rain was also getting stronger as if in response.
"We're out!!"
"That's...!!"
They ran past the burning trees and reached the shore where the ship was stopped.
There were Sanji, Zepo, and Pedro fighting on the front lines, and Usopp aiming with a slingshot and Nami swinging the Clima-Tact and creating something like bubbles to support them from behind.
"Luffy!"
"Be careful, the enemy is right there!!"
Nami was delighted, and Pedro sent a warning.
Before they could react to the words of the two, Martin punched Luffy, who was carrying Robin.
Robin instantly jumped off Luffy's back, and Luffy, receiving the punch in the face, used the momentum to bring his head back and headbutted Martin.
"Gomu Gomu no~~Bell!!"
It hit Martin's abdomen directly, but it only pushed him back slightly, and it didn't look like it had done any damage.
Zoro, who had jumped off Chopper, also blocked the fist of a Martin who had come to punch him with his sword, and next to him, Chopper, who had become human-shaped, punched his abdomen.
But this, too, didn't seem to do any damage at all.
"What's going on!? It doesn't feel like it's working at all!!"
"Aim for the moment when the flames on their backs disappear! Your attacks might go through!"
"The flames on their backs!? Even if you say that, when will they disappear..."
If they were ability users, it seemed easier and more certain to knock them into the sea.
Of course, if they could do that, they would have.
"All right, anyway, if the flames on their backs are gone, I can beat them up!"
"There are five opponents with the same face... It seems like a troublesome opponent, but it can't be helped."
"Robin-cha~~~n!! I'm glad you're safe~~!!!"
"Zepo, Chopper. You guys support Luffy. I'll support Zoro and Sanji."
"Got it, partner. Anyway, there are five opponents! And they coordinate without saying a word! Everyone be careful!"
"I-I'll do my best!!"
Nami and Usopp supported from behind, and the six who went forward watched.
Robin also went behind them and tried to find a chance while using her ability to interfere and support.
"Long-nose-kun, this."
"? What's this?"
"It's a type of Dial. It's called a Flame Dial... It has the property of storing and releasing fire."
"Wait, Robin, when did you get something like this!?"
"I met Komurasaki earlier, just a little."
She didn't have time to talk in detail, so she just handed over the item, but she understood the intention of handing it over.
Komurasaki had shot down one of the enemies the other day. Seeing the nature of creating and manipulating flames, she probably intended to stop the burning of the forest, or to stop the attacks.
But in the current situation, it could be used for something else.
If they could take down even one, the situation would change dramatically.
"I want you to do it. Can you? Long-nose-kun."
"O-Of course!! Leave it to me!! This brave warrior of the sea, Captain~~~ Usopp!!!"
His knees were clearly shaking, but Usopp still answered Robin's words in a double take, trying to show his manliness.
***
Lightning runs.
The pillars of lightning rising to the sky/raining down become a canopy covering the world, creating an inescapable area of certain hit.
It didn't create a physical wall, but even Maraptonoka, with her strong body and regenerative ability, wanted to avoid throwing herself into the lightning that was still burning the atmosphere.
"This is...!"
Natural Logia types are abilities that turn their own bodies into nature.
If you expand your own territory, the range in which you can utilize your ability expands, but at the same time, it means that the target increases for Haki users.
If they clad themselves in Haki, attacks would land no matter where they attacked.
"It's just an act of expanding the target... but I don't think that's all, but this way, no matter where I attack, it will just hit. Isn't it more advantageous for me?"
"If you think so, you can try. If you think you have the power to break me."
If she expanded her own territory, incorporating her weaknesses, there was a corresponding meaning.
For Maraptonoka, who was in Human-Beast Form, the "Boro Breath" headed straight for Komurasaki—but it was neutralized by the lightning spear released from the rising lightning behind Komurasaki herself.
"!?"
Originally, the abilities of the Natural Logia types cause phenomena by changing or releasing their own bodies.
For Komurasaki, who held swords in both hands, it was inconvenient to activate her ability with her own body as the starting point.
Therefore, she thought.
To make the most of both swordsmanship and ability, she should prepare the starting point of her own ability outside of her body.
"Capture the target in your own inescapable territory, and don't limit the activation of your ability to your own body. For me, this was optimal."
Kanata's "Niflheim Silver World" physically enclosed the enemy in a dome-shaped ice and was not expanding her own territory, but Komurasaki constructed it with that as a hint.
Due to the nature of the lightning ability, it was not possible to physically enclose it. But if she made a situation where they couldn't get out, it was the same.
If there were countless starting points for activating the ability, countless lightning bolts could be released.
"What a ridiculous person!? Really, those related to the 'witch'...!!"
Blue lightning due to her ability and black lightning due to wearing Conqueror's Haki mixed, covering Komurasaki's two swords.
Maraptonoka was sweating coldly at the bad situation and swung her Haki-clad claws, trying to defeat Komurasaki first.
But it was easily blocked, and lightning strikes ran from a position that was a blind spot for Maraptonoka.
She was shot down diagonally, and lightning spears were released from all directions at Maraptonoka.
"Hmph—!?"
She instantly created flame clouds, grabbed them, moved through the air, and narrowly avoided them, but Komurasaki, who had predicted even that, pierced straight through the lightning spears.
This was Komurasaki's territory. She wouldn't be injured by her own lightning, and she could even move by riding the surging lightning.
"Oden Two-Sword Style—Senkyo Kusanagi"
She unleashed consecutive slashes, cornering the fleeing Maraptonoka.
Although she was superior in physical ability, Maraptonoka was accumulating damage from the powerful Haki and the accompanying lightning ability.
Thinking it was bad, she created an ice armor by wearing intense cold air on her body.
Clang! The moment the claws and the sword collided, a lightning spear shot through Maraptonoka's back from behind as if it had been aimed.
"Gah...!"
Her movement stopped for a moment of numbness and intense pain, and even though Komurasaki was in front of her, she exposed her defenselessness—in that instant.
"—Shinriku!!"
She clad the sword in Conqueror's Haki and ability, and swung it straight down at Maraptonoka.
The slash cut deeply into her body along with the ice armor she was wearing, and knocked her to the ground.
She clicked her tongue at not being able to completely sever her, and aimed to pursue Maraptonoka, whose "voice" had not yet disappeared.
"You're still alive...!!"
She was too tough.
If she was conscious, she would probably regenerate. If she left it for too long, it would drag on, so she quickly took aim.
"I'm sorry, but it seems impossible to defeat you. It's annoying, but it can't be helped—I'll have to run away."
"There's nowhere for you to run in this territory! I'll kill you here!!"
"No, there is. Just one place."
Maraptonoka, who had been knocked to the ground, said so with a battered body and laughed at Komurasaki, who was about to launch a follow-up attack.
Before she could do anything, Komurasaki judged, and released the converged lightning at the ground at the same time as releasing "Jakumetsu Muho" from the air.
"1 Billion V—Lightning Spear!!!"
The attack with maximum firepower surely captured Maraptonoka and hit her with enough power to pierce "Upper Yard."
The response was sufficient. She didn't think that even if the opponent was somewhat strong, they could survive that.
But Komurasaki was not satisfied.
"...You escaped, didn't you?"
At the last moment, she was defending instead of neutralizing. If she was aiming for defense in that situation, she must have been inducing Komurasaki's attack and planning to escape below.
She had certainly dealt a considerable amount of damage, but she didn't think she was dead.
Komurasaki sighed, sheathed "Enma" and "Muramasa," and took a breath.
She had consumed a considerable amount of Haki. It seemed that long-term battles were tough when using these two swords. She should see this as room for improvement.
"Now then, after that..."
She had to deal with the five who were aiming for Luffy and the others' ship.
***
Jakumetsu Muho
A technique that Komurasaki came up with after seeing Kanata's "Silver World".
By expanding her own territory, she separates the space not with a physical wall but with lightning. If you endure it, you can get out, but it penetrates ordinary Haki and deals damage. Even if you attack the lightning used as an outer wall, Komurasaki will take damage, but Komurasaki's own Haki is ridiculously strong, so unless you're on par with a Four Emperors' top executive or a Navy Admiral, you won't take much damage.
Within this territory, lightning will fly from the lightning that surrounds it. You have to deal with almost unlimited attacks while receiving Komurasaki's swordsmanship, so most enemies die.
It was enough to make even Kanata struggle and get injured.
It doesn't work on Luffy.