Location: Coast of the Sorbet Kingdom
On the undulating sea, Bartholomew Kuma stood alone in his small fishing boat.
Even with three massive Marine warships lining up in battle formation before him, Kuma's resolute face showed no fear. He stood like a statue, clutching a Bible.
On the deck of the flagship, King Bekori roared, his face twisted with malice.
"Marines! Kill him!"
Bekori pointed a trembling finger at the small boat. "I am the King of the Sorbet Kingdom! Do as I command!"
The King's shrill voice was carried by the sea breeze to Kuma's ears.
"King Bekori..."
Kuma lowered his head slightly, the brim of his spotted hat obscuring his eyes, casting a heavy shadow over his face.
"You dare to return."
The Marines on the warships couldn't hear the murmur of the "Tyrant," but the King's constant screaming forced their hands.
Every cannon on the three warships swiveled, their dark, gaping muzzles locking onto the lone wooden boat.
King Bekori looked down at Kuma and swung his hand down like an executioner's blade.
"Fire!"
Boom! Boom! Boom!
Blazing fire erupted from the cannons. A dense barrage of black cannonballs rained down, forming an impenetrable net of death in mid-air.
Facing the bombardment, Kuma raised his head. A faint hint of pity flashed across his stoic face.
He raised his right hand, revealing the soft, paw-like pad on his palm.
Just as the cannonballs were about to annihilate him, Kuma moved. His hand was a blur, gently tapping the air in front of him.
Poof. Poof. Poof.
Strange, soft sounds rang out—like air being compressed into bubbles.
The cannonballs, which should have exploded on impact, seemed to strike a super-elastic wall upon contacting the bear's paw pads. Kuma deflected every single shot.
The laws of physics seemed to invert. The cannonballs flew backward at several times their initial speed.
Their target was clear—the three warships that had just fired them!
"The cannonballs! They're coming back!"
"They're too fast! Faster than when we fired them!"
"Evasive maneuvers!"
Panic erupted on the decks. Before arriving, the Marines had been warned about the "Tyrant's" strength, leading the G-Branch to dispatch three heavy warships.
Three warships against one man. The advantage should have been absolute.
But at this moment, no one had imagined that their prized artillery would be rendered useless by a single hand.
As the returning shells screamed toward the ships, chaos took over. Sailors dove into the sea to escape. The previously arrogant King Bekori collapsed onto the deck, his legs turning to jelly, too terrified to even run.
Suddenly—
ROAR!
A deafening dragon's roar, capable of shattering clouds and splitting rocks, erupted from the heavens.
It wasn't just a sound; it was a physical force.
[Dragon Roar: Death Wink]!
A translucent, supersonic shockwave blasted down from the sky, accompanied by an explosive gust of wind. It formed an invisible wall between the returning cannonballs and the warships.
Boom! Boom! Boom!
The cannonballs crashed into the sonic barrier and detonated mid-air. Brilliant flames illuminated the terrified faces of the Marines, but the shockwave absorbed the impact. The ships were unharmed.
The Marines were too shaken to understand who had saved them, but Kuma looked directly up at the sky.
"Another enemy?"
Kuma's eyes narrowed behind his glasses as he spotted the legendary creature soaring above the clouds.
"A dragon?"
High above, standing on the head of the Blue-Eyes White Dragon, Storm stood up.
He spread his arms, leaned back, and fell.
A Leap of Faith.
"Hey! You! Why did he jump?!"
Kid and Killer, still clinging for dear life to the dragon's back, watched in horror.
"Jumping from this height... he'll be smashed to pieces hitting the water!"
"Kid! Look!" Killer shouted, pointing down. "It's... an angel?"
As Storm plummeted toward the ocean in a freefall, white clay surged from his back. It sculpted itself instantly, forming a pair of magnificent, pure white wings.
Storm spread the wings, catching the wind and pulling out of the dive, soaring nimbly between the warships and Kuma's boat.
"An angel?"
Kuma immediately noticed the white wings. As a man of faith, his mind went to the scriptures. However, his rationality quickly took over.
'No. A Devil Fruit user.'
Having served in the Revolutionary Army, Kuma was experienced. But King Bekori was not.
Seeing a "birdman" descend from the heavens with white wings, Bekori genuinely believed salvation had arrived. He scrambled to the ship's railing, pleading at the sky.
"Angel! Oh, Great Angel! Quickly, kill that Tyrant!"
Even in his plea, his tone was imperious and demanding.
"You."
Storm hovered in the air, looking down at King Bekori with cold eyes.
"You're too noisy."
[Clayfall: Heaven's Drop]!
A strange ripple distorted the space directly above King Bekori's head. A portal opened, and clumps of heavy, viscous white clay poured out like a waterfall.
Splat!
King Bekori was drenched from head to toe. The clay hardened instantly, encasing him in a living statue. He couldn't move or speak; only his eyes darted around in terror.
"The King is under attack!"
"It's an enemy! Prepare weapons!"
The Marines finally reacted, aiming their rifles at the sky.
Storm frowned. Based on the size of these ships, these were likely from a G-Branch in the Grand Line, crewed by elite soldiers hired by Bekori's gold.
He didn't intend to slaughter his "future colleagues" if he didn't have to.
"You all quiet down too."
[Clayfall: Heaven's Drop - Area suppression]!
Ripples of space appeared above all three warships.
A massive torrent of white clay descended from the void, hanging in the air like a white curtain connecting heaven and earth.
Under the onslaught, the three steel warships were coated in a layer of heavy, sticky clay. The guns were jammed, the engines clogged, and the Marines on deck were glued to the floor, turned into white statues.
In a fleeting moment, Storm had neutralized three Buster Call-sized warships single-handedly.
'This ability isn't bad,' Storm thought, glancing at the blue interface hovering in his vision.
[Ability: Clayfall (Heaven's Drop)]
[Star Rating: ★★★★★]
[Effect: Opens a spatial portal to teleport a massive amount of clay to a designated area.]
[Origin: Obtained by wishing upon the Grand Trophy of a Warp-Warp Fruit user.]
This was a new power Storm had acquired recently. Today was a successful field test.
Below, Bartholomew Kuma watched the "Angel" incapacitate the entire fleet without shedding blood.
'He is not with the King,' Kuma realized, relaxing his guard slightly. 'He spared them.'
Storm flapped his wings and landed gently on the water's surface, standing on a floating platform of clay. He looked at Kuma.
"Tyrant Kuma?"
"I am," Kuma replied calmly, clutching his Bible. "Who are you?"
"Vongola Storm."
Storm extended a hand, offering a direct invitation.
"I saw the news. Kuma, would you like to sail with me? I'm putting together a crew."
"No."
Kuma refused without hesitation.
He had prepared himself to fight the Navy today. He knew that if he fought back, he would be branded a criminal and a pirate. But now, this stranger had neutralized the threat for him.
"I have no desire to be a pirate," Kuma said softly. "And... I have family waiting for me."
'Bonney,' Storm thought. 'Of course.'
"What a pity," Storm said, though his smile didn't waver. There was no regret in his eyes.
He knew he couldn't recruit a man like Kuma with words alone. And honestly? Storm was terrible at speeches.
"If you won't come willingly..."
Snap!
Storm snapped his fingers.
The clay covering the three warships instantly liquefied and vanished.
The guns were free. The engines hummed. The Marines, released from their clay prisons, immediately grabbed their weapons, their fear turning into adrenaline-fueled aggression.
The three warships were back in a fully armed state, their cannons pointed directly at Kuma.
Storm smiled, a chaotic glint in his eyes.
"Please, begin your performance... Tyrant."
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