"It... it hurts so much!!!"
Above the sky, facing the terrifying lightning that struck down, Luffy sensed that this move would be incredibly difficult to handle. He immediately entered Gear Five and flew up into the sky.
He wanted to reach out and grab the lightning to protect everyone. He had done this before when he fought Big Mom, grabbing Zeus's lightning with his bare hands. Moreover, his body was made of rubber and was completely non-conductive, which made him even more confident.
But at this moment, the instant he reached out and touched the blue lightning, he immediately felt that something was wrong.
"Ah..."
A scream of agony emanated from his body. Visibly, Luffy was completely enveloped by the dense bolts of blue lightning, which felt like countless fine needles piercing deep into his flesh.
"This is bad!!!"
Red Hair Shanks reacted the fastest. He immediately drew his famous sword, Gryphon, coating it in his swirling red Conqueror's Haki, and leaped towards the sky. He wanted to rescue Luffy and sever the blue lightning.
Instantly, the red lightning from his Haki and Kaido's blue lightning collided.
"Break for me!"
Shanks actually managed to sever Kaido's blue lightning, saving Luffy from the attack.
"Luffy, are you alright?"
"It... it hurts so much!!!"
An unprecedented pain spread throughout Luffy's entire body. He could not understand why it hurt this much. He was made of rubber, so he should not be afraid of lightning. What was with this intense pain?
However, before the two could find an answer, the anomaly occurring in the sky made their eyes widen.
Above the firmament, the blue lightning that had been severed by Shanks did not disappear. Instead, after a brief pause, it exploded outward like a massive firework display.
The lightning transformed into countless tiny bolts and rained down, enveloping the entire Straw Hat Grand Fleet.
"Boom!!!"
At this moment, the sea area where the entire Straw Hat Grand Fleet was located seemed to have fallen into a literal lightning hell. Terrifying screams echoed in everyone's ears.
When Luffy and Shanks looked down, their pupils contracted and their expressions changed drastically. Ship after ship belonging to the allied pirates exploded under the immense power of the lightning. The entire sea turned into bursts of exploding fire.
After the lightning faded, the sea was already filled with the wreckage of various ships and members of the Straw Hat Grand Fleet struggling to climb out of the water. Only a few ships, protected by the strongest individuals on board, managed to escape damage.
"What... what kind of destructive power is this!!!"
Everyone who witnessed this scene was filled with absolute terror. Just one strike had destroyed hundreds of pirate ships. This kind of power was comparable to a legendary Ancient Weapon.
And just then, Kaido's cold voice rang out across the battlefield.
"Since you are here, do not think about leaving. Kill them all for me!!!"
"Oh!!!"
Loud cheers erupted from the Beasts Pirates' side. Looking down at the members of the Straw Hat Grand Fleet who had lost their means of escape, the enemy forces surrounded the allied fleet.
This decisive battle, which would determine the fate of the future world, truly began.
"Charge!!!"
"Kill them all!!!"
"Fire the cannons! Destroy them for me!!!"
Shouts of fighting and killing began to echo across the sea one after another. Cannonballs poured down from the Beasts Pirates' side toward the helpless Straw Hat Grand Fleet. The Beasts Pirates began to encircle the fleet completely as the flames of war burned across the entire sea.
"Since they are here, do not give them any chance. Queen, Jack, move out!"
"Yes, Brother Kaido!!!"
As the two top officers issued their commands, the roars of dragons began to echo in the sky, and the Beasts Pirates' airborne unit appeared. From each giant dragon, burning cannonballs were dropped onto the ships below.
In the far rear of the Straw Hat Pirates, massive Sea Kings also appeared, completely blocking their retreat. Instantly, the entire sea was engulfed in explosions and flames.
The faces of the Straw Hat Grand Fleet members changed drastically as the flames flickered on their faces. Those were their trusted comrades losing their lives in this heavy bombardment.
However, the truly strong individuals remained calm. They understood that it was time for them to act.
"Sand Bullet!"
"Phoenix Flame!"
"Snipe!!!"
"Three-Sword Style!"
"Kick Skill!"
"Fishman Karate!"
"Buggy Bomb!"
"Slash!"
"Mero Mero Mellow!"
"Dragon Claw!"
"Two-Sword Style!"
"ROOM!!!"
As the strong individuals launched their counterattacks, various Devil Fruit abilities, Haki, and powerful swordsmanship appeared. In an instant, the Beasts Pirates' offensive was completely curbed.
This was only natural. Every one of these strong individuals possessed strength that far surpassed the Shinuchi of the Beasts Pirates. Whether they were Gifters or Shinuchi, at most they only possessed the power of an Artificial Devil Fruit, so how could they compare to these elite fighters?
But what came next was entirely different.
A powerful, crushing aura swept across the sea toward the Straw Hat Grand Fleet. Everyone looked out and saw the highest-ranking officers of the Beasts Pirates approaching.
It was the thirteen captains of the Oni Squad and the captain of the God's Guard. However, they looked completely different from when they first met.
The ancient Zoan-type Devil Fruit users had a black flame cloud burning behind them. The Paramecia-type Devil Fruit users, on the other hand, had a white flame cloud burning behind them.
"Hey, hey, are you kidding me?"
Seeing this scene, how could anyone present not understand what was happening? This was the phenomenon of Devil Fruit Awakening. In other words, they were about to face fourteen monsters who had successfully awakened their Devil Fruits.
Everyone knew that anyone capable of awakening a Devil Fruit ability was a monster among monsters. Perhaps they could not compare to the top-tier powerhouses of the world, but reaching the level of a former Shichibukai was certainly not a problem for them.
In an instant, these fourteen individuals launched a fierce attack toward the Straw Hat Grand Fleet. One by one, they leaped into the sky and activated their awakened Devil Fruit abilities.
Like an untamed zoo, powerful animals appeared one after another, each looking incredibly ferocious. The Paramecia-type users also activated their abilities, beginning to drastically alter and influence the surrounding environment.
There were no superfluous words spoken. The Straw Hat Grand Fleet immediately moved to counter them.
The Nine Red Scabbards, Trafalgar Law, Roronoa Zoro, and Sanji all took action. They understood their roles perfectly, knowing they needed to intercept these threats so the others could focus on the main targets.
Sir Crocodile, Boa Hancock, Jinbe, Marco, Yasopp, and the four Revolutionary Army commanders also saw their respective opponents.
Behind the captains of the Oni Squad were the Tobi Roppo of the Beasts Pirates, Perospero of the Big Mom Pirates, the Sweet Commanders, the brothers Oven and Daifuku, and Donquixote Doflamingo.
Individual battlefields opened up one after another as everyone chose their own enemies to fight.
Shanks, Dracule Mihawk, and Loki—these three individuals who possessed power on par with the Four Emperors—also felt themselves being locked onto by an intense aura.
Looking out across the battlefield, they saw their opponents approaching. It was King the Conflagration, Lead Performer Jack, and Lightning Disaster Enel of the Beasts Pirates.
Shanks did not rush to join the battle. Instead, he turned around to speak to the three young men standing beside him.
"Luffy, Ace, Sabo, I have heard your stories. This world is standing on the most critical edge right now. Unless Kaido is completely defeated, this war will never have a true victor. And on this battlefield, only you three can defeat Kaido. Believe in the power of Sun God Nika, and believe in your bonds. That will awaken a powerful strength within you."