Naval Headquarters — atop the battlefield.
The arrival of Fairy Tail had completely shifted the tides of war.
And at the very center of everyone's attention stood two figures locked in a clash of legend — Erza Scarlet and Dracule Mihawk.
"Warm-up…?!"
"Their last duel was just a warm-up?!"
"You're kidding! If that was just the warm-up, how terrifying is the real fight going to be?!"
Even the most hardened spectators stood frozen in disbelief, eyes wide with awe and dread.
"Show me then, Fairy Queen Erza," Mihawk said, his sharp eyes gleaming. "Let me see those famed sword techniques of yours."
Erza met his gaze, her voice calm but firm. "Very well. I'll show you."
She took a deep breath. "Requip: Armor of the Sky Wheel!"
Brilliant light burst forth, and in an instant, her appearance transformed.
The gleaming armor of the Sky Wheel enveloped her form — silver plates interlocking, wings unfurling, blades orbiting around her like a halo.
Dozens — no, hundreds — of enchanted swords floated around her, circling with divine radiance.
The spectators gasped, jaws dropping as the sky itself seemed to glitter.
"W-What is that…?!"
"The Fairy Queen—she's transformed!"
"So many swords! How is she controlling all of them?!"
For many, it was their first time witnessing Erza's Sky Wheel form, and the sight alone left them speechless.
"You fools, have you never read the reports?!" barked a Marine. "That's the Fairy Queen's signature form — the Sky Wheel Armor!"
"Hah, even the newspapers didn't do her justice. Seeing it in person is on a whole different level!"
"By the way, isn't she a Paramecia-type Sword-Fruit user? Who else could control that many blades at once?"
Amid the buzz of the crowd, the second round began.
"Sky Wheel — Dazzling Sword!"
Erza's voice rang clear. She waved her hands, and dozens of swords, each wrapped in Armament Haki, shot forward like streaks of light, converging on Mihawk from every direction.
Mihawk smiled faintly. "Interesting technique… but not enough."
With a flick of his wrists, he raised the supreme black blade Yoru, spinning it in a blur.
An invisible barrier of sword aura took shape around him — an impregnable defense.
Every incoming blade that struck was deflected effortlessly, ricocheting away with sparks of light.
If scattered attacks wouldn't work, then she would focus everything into one.
Erza's eyes narrowed.
The countless blades hovering in the air began to rotate, faster and faster, their formation shifting into a spiraling vortex.
They merged into a torrent of spinning steel that roared toward Mihawk.
But the world's greatest swordsman didn't flinch. He stepped forward with calm confidence.
Yoru flashed once — a single emerald-green slash tearing through the air.
The torrent of steel split apart down the middle, the shockwave ripping through the ground.
"One side commands countless swords with unmatched precision," whispered Marine Major Tashigi, eyes wide behind her glasses. "The other wields a single blade that cuts through all things… Both have reached the limits of swordsmanship."
Boom!
The ground exploded nearby, sending pirates flying through smoke and rubble.
"Don't lose focus, Tashigi!" barked Smoker, his cigar flaring.
"Yes, sir! My apologies, Captain Smoker!" she stammered, snapping to attention.
Back on the main battlefield, the clash between Mihawk and Erza only grew fiercer.
"It's not over yet!" Erza called, undaunted.
She waved her hands again, and the scattered blades realigned in the sky.
This time, they didn't move randomly — each sword connected to the next, threads of dark Haki flowing between them like chains of black lightning.
The blades merged, one after another, until they formed a single colossal sword — nearly a hundred meters long, glowing with the power of countless enchanted blades fused together.
"Sky Wheel — Grand Claymore!"
The massive sword descended with the force of a falling mountain, aimed straight at Mihawk.
Boom!
Rumble!
The battlefield shook violently.
Meanwhile, high above, Sugisawa Yuuto stood watching with calm, assessing eyes.
"Well then," he said quietly, "it seems it's about time we begin."
He turned slightly. "Shiki, remove the islands. With them hovering here, the Marines' commanders are too distracted. Let's make things more… interesting."
"Jiehahahaha! Understood!" roared Golden Lion Shiki, waving his hands.
The floating islands above the Marine Headquarters began to drift away, sunlight piercing through the clearing skies once more.
As the oppressive shadow lifted, Marshal Sengoku and the other Marines exhaled, the heavy weight on their hearts easing.
"Hahaha! Sengoku!" Shiki laughed loudly. "You should be thanking Guild Master Sugisawa Yuuto for his generosity!"
But Sengoku ignored the taunt.
In his towering golden Buddha form, his gaze locked onto Yuuto with fierce intensity.
"Half a year ago, you went to Egghead Island," Sengoku said in a deep, rumbling voice. "Did you make some kind of deal with Vegapunk?"
Yuuto nodded calmly. "That's right. Vegapunk works for me now. My being here today has… a little to do with him."
Sengoku's expression darkened. "What do you mean by that?"
Yuuto smiled faintly. "Vegapunk mentioned that some of his key research was taken from him by force. So, I came to retrieve it — on his behalf. After all, his inventions are also Fairy Tail's property."
"What?!" Sengoku's tone sharpened. "Are you talking about the Pacifistas? That's a Marine and Government-funded project — it belongs to us!"
Yuuto shook his head slowly. "No, no, no… I couldn't care less about those oversized tin soldiers. What I came for is something else — something I personally funded, designed, and supplied with rare materials."
Sengoku's brows furrowed. "What are you talking about? I've never heard of such a thing!"
His tone grew heavier, his golden form radiating tension. The idea that there was secret research even the Fleet Admiral didn't know about made his blood run cold.
Yuuto only smiled. "It's fine if you don't know. You will — soon enough."
He rolled his shoulders lightly. "Now then, let's stop wasting time. Shall we continue?"
The words had barely left his lips before Yuuto's figure blurred — vanishing from sight.
Sengoku's eyes widened. His instincts screamed.
He thrust out both hands, unleashing a blinding Buddha Shock Wave in front of him.
BOOM!
Thunder cracked across the headquarters.
"I've had enough of this!" roared Hero Garp, leaping into the fray. His iron-hard fists crashed forward, intercepting Yuuto mid-air and hurling him back through the air like a cannonball.
"Hah! Now it's getting interesting!" Yuuto laughed, eyes blazing with excitement.
He steadied himself in mid-air, ready to charge again — but before he could move, the sky itself split apart.
"Moon Slash!!!"
A colossal crescent of light carved down from above, illuminating the battlefield.
Every soldier, pirate, and mage froze, their gazes snapping upward.
Above them loomed an enormous airship, its shadow stretching over the sea.
At its mast fluttered a white flag — emblazoned with the unmistakable symbol of the World Government.
Descending from the ship came figures whose presence alone bent the air.
The Five Elders… and the Knights of God.
They had arrived.