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No one knew exactly what secrets lay hidden within the Rainbow Mist, but as long as they couldn't be absolutely certain of trapping the Thunder Emperor, using this place as the battlefield was the optimal choice.
The seven powerhouses stood with their backs to the unfathomable mist...
"This is the perfect burial ground for the Thunder Emperor, Arthur..." Sengoku's gaze, sharp as a hawk's beneath his round glasses, scanned the horizon as his Justice coat fluttered in the wind.
"Oh my~ He still came. Knowing it was a trap, he still came? How scary~" Kizaru tossed the Op-Op Fruit in his hand up and down, watching it rise and fall as he drawled, his lips pursed in mock fear.
"Prepare yourselves," Kong said, flexing his massive, muscular arms, his expression grim. "Someone will die in this battle. Make your peace with it."
"Cleansing the seas of this hidden danger... is my solemn duty!" Fujitora (Issho) slowly drew his gravity blade, his sightless white eyes filled with terrifying resolve.
Suddenly, all seven looked up in unison. A horrifying aura descended from the sky, pressing down on them like a physical weight. They tensed, ready for the ultimate enemy.
ZZZZZZZZT—
The piercing shriek of electricity tore through the sky. From within a blinding radiance, Arthur stepped out, descending one step at a time.
As his feet touched the earth, his battle spirit soared. Purple-red lightning flashed in his eyes and began to spread across his body. without hesitation, he entered his strongest form immediately.
"Burial ground? You picked it for yourselves, didn't you?!"
"One Billion Volts: Thunder God Descent!!"
BOOOOM!!
Endless, blinding lightning instantly drowned the entire cliff face. Arcs of electricity surged from his eyes, crawling down his cheeks to form intricate, intimidating purple-red demon markings.
The patterns writhed chaotically across his skin, a terrifying display of raw power. Above his head, the lightning condensed into curved, crystalline purple horns that swept backward.
For the second time, the evil, eerie demon descended upon the mortal world—cold, indifferent, and boundlessly domineering.
Even as the sense of crisis deep in his heart spiked to its absolute limit, even as the shadow of death loomed over him, Arthur had no intention of retreating.
To survive in a desperate situation, to strike back against infinite pressure, to carve a bloody path out of an encirclement—that was the only way to live a life worthy of the sea.
"Oh my~ So this is the 'Demon' that appeared briefly in Mary Geoise two years ago? Truly terrifying..." Kizaru put on an act, shrinking back in exaggerated fear.
"CP0's Stussy... well done!"
As he spoke, he crushed the "Op-Op Fruit" he had been tossing into powder. It was a fake, crafted from wax by a skilled artisan—indistinguishable from the real thing to the naked eye.
A fake, as expected. But so what?
"I didn't bring the Thunder Emperor here! Everyone, be careful! He has a terrifying move that nearly killed—" Stussy arrived breathless, sweating profusely as she used Moonwalk to fly over.
"Relax, relax. We know all about his intel!" Aokiji said dismissively, half his body already covered in frost, exhaling plumes of cold air.
"There is a saying: 'Heavy is the head that wears the crown.' Lord Thunder Emperor, for bringing chaos to the seas, you should have expected this ending!" Fujitora drew his blade fully, his sightless eyes locked onto Arthur.
"Gravity Light!"
His blade danced, sending ripples of purple light into the blue sky. He initiated the attack.
Suddenly, the sky darkened. A massive meteorite was pulled from the depths of space by his gravity manipulation. As it tore through the atmosphere, friction set it ablaze with raging fire...
With Fujitora's opening move, the other six rapidly prepared for combat!
"ATTACK!!"
Commander-in-Chief Kong roared. His bulging muscles shredded his Justice coat as Armament Haki coated his entire body. His iron fist lashed out with a strike full of domineering power.
"Bwahahahaha! Arthur, you brat! Don't blame this old man for bullying you with numbers once we take you down!!"
Garp threw his head back and laughed. Waves of heat rolled off his body, rapidly raising the temperature of the air. His physique turned pitch black as he transformed into a towering titan in an instant.
Battle intent reached its boiling point. The moment they met, it was a fight to the death!
"The World Government can no longer tolerate your reckless behavior, Thunder Emperor Arthur!!"
Sengoku's aura surged like a rainbow. He walked forward step by step from the cliff edge. With each step, the golden light around him intensified. His body transformed into a giant Buddha, pressing down like a mountain, radiating a terrifying, irresistible pressure.
"Hahahahahaha! It took you until today to make up your minds to eliminate me? The World Government is truly disappointing. Are you afraid you can't afford the losses?"
"Cowards! You're rotten to the core!!" Arthur laughed maniacally. His demonic head snapped up, his gaze locking onto the super-massive meteorite falling from the sky.
"BREAK!!"
His brutal, domineering fist smashed upward. Searing lightning erupted from his knuckles, forming a dazzling, purple-red pillar of light.
The lightning, like a heavenly cannon, instantly collided with the falling meteorite.
BOOM!!!
The sky shook and the earth trembled. Under the violent impact, the burning meteorite was shattered into fragments like confetti, raining down from the high sky like snowflakes of fire...
Dust engulfed the entirety of Ruluka Island.
Arthur wasted no movement. His focus was absolute. The moment he shattered Fujitora's meteorite, he twisted his body to face the incoming attacks.
"Laser—"
Kizaru's long-charged beam arrived first, aimed straight at the vital point between Arthur's eyebrows.
The speed was astonishing, arriving almost before it was fired, impossible to defend against. But Arthur, prepared, didn't even bother to acknowledge Kizaru. He simply tilted his head, letting the laser graze past his ear.
"Got you, Thunder Emperor!!"
Close on the heels of the laser came Commander-in-Chief Kong. His figure vanished from the cliff, reappearing beside Arthur like a phantom. He had mastered the Six Powers' Soru (Shave) to perfection. His massive iron arm, fully wrapped in Armament Haki, smashed toward Arthur's head with speed and ferocity.
One against seven—and all of them the strongest warriors on the sea. Once entangled, he would be forced into an endless defense, unable to escape.
"I've always heard your legends, but I've never fought you head-on. Let me see just how strong the Commander-in-Chief who led the Navy against the previous era really is!" Arthur's expression was one of unbearable excitement.
In the previous generation of pirates, there were four terrifying legends: Roger, Shiki, Whitebeard, and Redfield. Yet Kong had led the Navy to stand tall in such a horrific era.
Although he lost to Redfield by a single move, no one questioned that he was one of the strongest Marines in history.
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Aside from the Rainbow Mist in front of him, escape routes lay in every direction. If Arthur wanted to leave, no one could stop him—not even Kizaru.
But Arthur had absolutely no intention of leaving. Just like when he arrived at Sabaody Archipelago knowing he would face disaster.
He craved the most satisfying, heart-pounding battle. He hungered to clash with the strongest, even if it meant dying in the next second.
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