"Conqueror's Sea!!!"
"Attack! They actually merged their powers?!"
Garp, Sengoku, and Kong all widened their eyes in shock.
None of them expected the two attacks to combine like this.
Everyone knew — Conqueror's Haki was always supposed to repel its own kind.
Yet now, in the trio's Observation Haki, they could sense the power of this strike growing exponentially.
There was no dodging this.
BOOM BOOM BOOM BOOM!!!
Dark golden energy surged like a divine seal crashing down;
A fist force like a meteor;
Exploding Armament Haki bursting apart—
Everything collided, and in that instant, it was all shattered.
The three of them unleashed their own Armament Haki in a desperate barrage, as if it cost them nothing.
But this sky-rending, sea-splitting shockwave rolled over everything in its path.
And then—
The trio vanished from sight.
The blast wave tore across the sky, stretching on and on before it slowly faded.
Both sides caught in the crossfire… disappeared within it.
Even the sea itself was left with a massive wound that refused to heal.
"Fleet Admiral Kong! Admiral Sengoku! Vice Admiral Garp!!!"
The Navy soldiers stared blankly at the three figures flung into the distance.
Could they even survive such a terrifying blast?
And where would this war go from here?
"...Damn, that strong, huh?"
Doflamingo, still standing at the center, looked a bit stunned as he withdrew his Conqueror's Haki.
This strike—
It was definitely on the level of a Yonko or higher.
Hell, it was almost on par with Imu's attack when they controlled Uranus.
Pfft!
Thud! Thud!
Almost at the same moment, Kaido and Charlotte Linlin coughed up blood, their bodies crashing to the ground, unconscious.
Charlotte Linlin's body, in particular, was visibly shrinking at high speed—proof that her stamina was still draining away.
Watching this, Queen felt a chill run down his spine.
"Kaiod-sama's down!"
"Idiot! He's just unconscious!"
King could still sense their life force, faint but steady.
But...
Did Kong, Sengoku, and Garp really die just like that?
No—
Far away on the shoreline, those three, battered and bloodied, were dragging themselves back toward the battlefield.
"...Tch. Still alive after that?"
Clicking his tongue in frustration, Doflamingo grabbed the two unconscious Yonko and shot into the sky.
"Fuffuffuffu! RETREAT!!!"
With their leaders gone, the Beast Pirates and Big Mom's forces immediately started pulling back.
The Navy, for a moment, didn't know whether to pursue or hold position.
...
The battle was over.
But in the skies above, the fight was only heating up!
BANG BANG BANG!
Aramaki was crashing back and forth between the trees, a small flower blooming from his shoulder at some unknown point.
His body was healing just enough to keep going—
Drawing Enel's attacks and wearing down his stamina.
Young punks like this… Aramaki had dealt with plenty before.
"Ahahaha! This feels great, Aramaki! You're getting more pathetic by the second!"
Enel flashed through the air, his golden staff slicing afterimages through the sky.
The thrill of beating someone else—
Instead of being the one beaten—
It was just too good!!!
But what he didn't notice was that a strange fragrance had begun to seep through the air.
...
At Upper Yard—
Aside from Lao G, Pica, Jora, and the others leading the retreat with Doflamingo's family—
The remaining Donquixote members had gathered to watch the battle unfold on their surveillance screens.
Seeing the scene in front of them, Trebol let out a long breath of relief.
Good thing Enel was keeping him busy—otherwise, Trebol honestly didn't know what he'd do.
"Don't worry, Trebol-sama. Vergo-sama is already on his way back."
Having just finished contacting Vergo, Tesoro sounded fully confident.
"Shirolololo! Looks like I can pop the champagne early! Tesoro, once we catch this guy, let me hand him over to the boss!"
Caesar, who'd come along just to watch the show, was already picturing the celebration.
Seriously?
This weakling dared to invade?
"Better leave this one to me!" Judge chimed in, eager to grab a piece of the action for himself.
"I've made some progress with the Mori Mori no Mi too!"
The newly-recovered Bone stepped forward, getting so excited that a carnivorous plant sprouted right out of his head.
(T/N: Trafalgar D. Bone)
"..."
Indigo, who had spent years researching plants, narrowed his eyes.
That flower on Aramaki's shoulder…
Why did it look so familiar?
Time passed—
Zzt!
On the monitor, Enel suddenly froze mid-swing, his staff missing wide.
Something wasn't right.
"I'm heading out there!"
Tesoro's eyes narrowed at the sudden shift, and he bolted toward the battlefield.
"Tesoro-sama! Watch out for the flower on Aramaki's shoulder!"
Indigo couldn't shake the bad feeling in his gut.
...
Back on the battlefield—
As things hit a boiling point, Enel flickered into the sky as a bolt of lightning.
But he felt the stiffness in his muscles growing worse.
His face darkened.
"What the hell is this?"
"Lahahaha! This… is my unbeatable power!"
Aramaki laughed, the swelling on his face vanishing in an instant.
With a wave of his hands, vines shot high into the air.
The surrounding flowers—
These were his greatest works, cultivated after traveling through countless islands ever since his earlier defeat.
Even the prison beasts would be paralyzed if they so much as sniffed this pollen!
"You punk brat! Time for electroshock therapy!"
Snarling, Enel unleashed a surge of thunder through his body, forcing his stiff muscles back into action.
But he wasn't done—
His golden staff shot up into the clouds, drawing the storm's lightning like a funnel.
Electricity began to pour down like water,
Enveloping Enel until he transformed into a glowing orb of pure lightning—
Fully entering his Thunder God state.
The vines that got close were instantly reduced to ash.
The orb began to contract,
And from within emerged a fearsome thunder avatar—
A towering figure wreathed in electricity.
The lightning in its right hand condensed into a blinding spear of plasma.
And then it struck.
"Thunderlight Fist!!!"
"Told you—
It won't work!!!"
With a roar, Aramaki summoned his own towering wooden giant, its massive fists wrapped in hardened Armament Haki and infused with flame-resistant material.
The wooden colossus absorbed most of the searing light and heat—
Then pushed forward, smashing into the insubstantial thunder avatar.
The battle had now turned into a brutal contest of sheer endurance.
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Fanfic is finished 527 chapters in total on p@treon/tambeerg