The moment the words fell, Whitebeard's body dissolved into a blinding torrent of lightning.
The dazzling arc of pure energy streaked across the sky, vanishing from sight in less than a heartbeat.
"Pops, wait for me!" a division commander with the Glint-Gint Fruit shouted, unwilling to be left behind.
His body instantly elementalized into a shimmering cascade of golden light particles, chasing after Whitebeard's disappearing figure with every ounce of his newfound speed.
Seeing this, the other new Logia users followed suit.
In that instant, the sky above the sacred island of Skypiea presented a surreal and breathtaking spectacle.
Countless bolts of raw, blue lightning intertwined with dense, swirling clusters of golden light, forming a dazzling, galaxy-like ribbon of radiance.
This "lightning galaxy," a testament to the crew's new power, traced a long, majestic arc across the night sky before finally disappearing over the distant horizon, leaving the island's inhabitants staring up in stunned, reverent silence.
....
Down below, in a quiet corner of the forest, Ace was intently training his Observation Haki.
He had just closed his eyes, a faint smirk on his lips as he deftly sidestepped the silent pounce of a fierce tiger from behind.
However, at that very moment, his eyes snapped open, and he looked up at the fading light in the sky.
"What's the old man up to now? A speed contest?" he huffed, a flash of competitive defiance gleaming in his eyes.
Though he was a Logia user, the sheer velocity of light and lightning was on another level, and it left him feeling unwilling to admit defeat.
"Don't get too cocky," he muttered under his breath
"My Flame-Flame Fruit isn't weak, either!"
No sooner had the words left his mouth than another tiger lunged at him.
With a swift, almost casual motion, Ace reacted, his fist connecting with the beast's skull and killing it in a single strike.
Then, with a snap of his fingers, he lit a bonfire and began preparing to roast his dinner.
"Next up," Ace said to the crackling flames, "Armament Haki."
*****
On Onigashima, the stronghold of the Beasts Pirates in Wano Country, Kaido lay sprawled across a wide, comfortable seat, his snores like the rumbling of a distant volcano.
The air was thick with the pungent, sweet aroma of spilled alcohol from the countless empty liquor barrels scattered around him.
A few low-ranking underlings stood nearby, eyeing the mess with a mixture of fear and duty.
"Let's not tidy up for now," one whispered, his eyes wide with the dread of waking the beast.
"We'll wait until Kaido-sama wakes up on his own."
"Right, right," another chimed in, his voice trembling slightly.
"I'd like to live a few more years."
They exchanged a terrified glance and turned to tiptoe out of the dangerous area.
But just as they took their first step, the entire fortress suddenly shook violently.
A deafening rumble filled the air, sending waves of pure panic through them.
"Oh no, what's happening?!" one cried out.
"An earthquake!" the other stammered.
As the two stood frozen in terror, a massive decorative boulder on the ceiling, loosened by the violent tremors, plummeted directly toward Kaido's sleeping head.
With a thunderous BOOM, the rock smashed squarely into his skull and shattered into a thousand pieces.
The scene left everyone stunned.
As the dust gradually settled, Kaido remained lying there, completely unharmed.
He didn't even flinch—only a faint white mark was left on his forehead from the impact.
The air instantly froze.
"Hmm?" Kaido groggily opened his eyes, his blurred vision catching sight of the two trembling underlings.
"What are you doing? Don't disturb my rest. Get lost!"
Drowsiness quickly overtook him again, and his thunderous snores resumed.
"Y-yes! We're leaving right now!" The two underlings scrambled to flee, one of them swearing he saw his long-dead great-grandmother beckoning to him in the instant Kaido's eyes had opened.
Outside, the alarm sirens of Onigashima had already begun to pierce the heavens.
There, hovering mid-air over the sea, was Whitebeard.
He gripped his Murakumogiri with one hand, faint arcs of lightning crackling beneath his feet.
Slowly, he retracted his other fist.
An entire mountain peak on the coast of Wano had been obliterated by that single punch moments ago, the tremor sending debris flying for miles.
His goal was simple: to announce his arrival.
Judging by the delayed reaction, it seemed the intended effect hadn't been fully achieved.
He would have to make some more noise.
"If one punch isn't enough," Whitebeard's voice boomed across the island.
"Then I'll just have to shake this place to its foundations!"
As he roared, an unprecedented aura erupted from his entire being.
A torrent of black-and-red Conqueror's Haki surged forth from his body, spreading outward like a violent tidal wave.
In the blink of an eye, the entire island of Onigashima was shrouded in this domineering force, the sky darkening as if night had abruptly fallen.
Wave after wave of indomitable will crashed against every structure and every soul, each impact as violent as a hurricane making landfall.
The entire island quaked violently, as though on the verge of complete annihilation.
And at the eye of this storm stood Whitebeard—an invincible, godlike figure, ready for war.
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