"What… what kind of monster is this?!"
Despair rippled through the pirates like a wave.
Just moments ago, they believed Redfield and Byrnndi Wald could stand a chance.
But now?
Everything had changed.
"Is this really necessary?" one pirate whispered, trembling. "To fight us… he didn't even need to use his strongest ability?!"
With a single swing from the Prestige Susanoo, the earth split apart—deep, jagged fissures tore the battlefield in half. The slash carved a trench so vast, it seemed to stretch to the horizon.
Byrnndi Wald turned instinctively—his Devil Fruit-enhanced senses kicking in just in time.
A blade larger than a battleship and sharper than any weapon forged by mortal hands slashed toward him. He barely managed to dodge, flickering into the air like an afterimage.
A split-second delay, and that strike would have cut him clean in half.
And that... was only one swing.
Even with the combined might of Redfield and Byrnndi Wald, the monstrous construct of Susanoo loomed over them like a titan. It wasn't just massive—it was divine.
Ayr's power had redefined the upper limit of what they believed was possible.
"Dammit," a pirate choked, "if it's just Redfield and Byrnndi Wald left fighting Ayr… then this battle is already lost!"
They had been hopeful—when the two legendary pirates first joined forces, it seemed like victory was possible.
But that hope was crushed the moment Prestige Susanoo descended onto the field.
And even more terrifying—
This still wasn't Ayr's full power.
Elsewhere on the battlefield, the resurrected Rocks D. Xebec was clashing with Captain John and others.
But none of them could compare to what was now standing in front of Redfield and Byrnndi Wald.
Wald's face twitched as he tried to stay composed. "Tch... to think he still had this up his sleeve."
"Don't let your guard down!" Redfield barked. "You would've been split in half if I hadn't warned you!"
Wald scowled but said nothing.
He had pushed his body with the Momo Momo no Mi, multiplying his speed by thirty times, yet even that had barely saved him.
The ground was still trembling from Ayr's attack, the oppressive energy thick enough to suffocate.
Their souls—no, their very essence—shivered beneath the might of Susanoo.
"You… you weren't even using your strongest technique before?!" Wald growled, eyes wide with disbelief.
"Of course not," Ayr said coolly. "I wanted to see if you were worth using it on."
Redfield clenched his fists. His pride refused to allow fear, but his instincts screamed at him to flee.
That strike had nearly obliterated the entire country of DeRosta.
If Redfield had been even slightly closer, he'd have been vaporized—just like the pirates who'd stood too near the blast.
He took a deep breath, steeling his nerves, though sweat beaded down his back.
"Wald!" he hissed. "Focus! At this point, if we waste time arguing, we'll both die!"
Ayr hovered above, standing tall atop Susanoo's forehead, eyes filled with calm contempt.
From afar, pirates could only tremble in silence.
"Look at that thing… It's wrapped in blue chakra armor over the Nine Tails—it's like he's fused two gods together!"
"Is that even possible?! What the hell is that ability?!"
"I-It's not over yet!" Wald roared defiantly, forcing himself to remain upright. "Is this… is this your strongest form, Ayr?!"
The Susanoo-clad Nine Tails roared in response, shaking the heavens.
Even Wald, as prideful as he was, had to bite his tongue.
"Just that one swing… nearly split a nation in half."
"He made Rocks D. Xebec submit to him… that's how powerful this monster is," another pirate whispered in dread.
"Redfield! Snap out of it!" Wald growled, noticing the brief pause in his partner. "Even if we can't win, don't give him the satisfaction of seeing us scared!"
"I wasn't dazed!" Redfield snapped back, but the quiver in his voice betrayed him.
Byrnndi Wald turned away, unwilling to acknowledge that they were both afraid.
"Is this really the man hailed as the strongest pirate alive…?" one pirate asked, collapsing to his knees. "Even Rocks wouldn't want to fight this thing."
Even Wald's signature bravado was gone. Though he mocked Redfield, he couldn't stop the slight twitch at the corner of his mouth.
This was no ordinary battle—it was annihilation.
Ayr's strike had shattered the battlefield, killed hundreds in its wake, and yet, he remained unmoved. As if none of it required effort.
"Do you still think… we can win?" Redfield muttered grimly, glancing at Wald.
The silence said everything.
"…We're all going to die here."
The nearby pirates heard those words and fell into stunned silence.
Thousands watched the scene unfold, unable to speak or breathe.
For so long, they had believed in the myth of Byrnndi Wald's unstoppable power, in the legend of the Red Earl's unmatched speed and precision.
But now?
That belief was unraveling with every second that Ayr stood above them.
Redfield suddenly shouted, "GET OUT OF THE WAY, BYRNNDI WALD!"
Wald blinked in confusion—just as another swing from Susanoo cleaved a new trench across the earth, mere meters from his feet.
The energy blast from that strike vaporized dozens of pirates in the distance.
The two commanders barely dodged again.
"This… this is godlike power…" Wald muttered.
Redfield ground his teeth. "And now you finally see it, Wald. We're not fighting a man…"
"We're fighting a force of nature."
{🥳 The Fanfic is now fully completed! 🎉
You can access 300+ advance chapters right now on Patreon—available for subscription or purchase! ✨
👉 patreon.com/Oreski
🥰 Your support keeps me motivated and eager to create even more amazing stories! 💖}