Liam Ross's eyes narrowed as his Observation Haki flared to life.
A flicker of intent a spark in the air and he moved.
With a burst of Soru, his figure vanished from sight. In the blink of an eye, he reappeared above the battlefield, suspended in the air opposite two figures who radiated overwhelming power: Admiral Aokiji, and the newly arrived Akainu.
"Well, well," Liam drawled, his tone lazy but laced with mockery. "Another big shot shows up. How exciting."
Akainu's glare burned hotter than the magma coiling around his fists. "The Navy does not tolerate defiance. Whoever you are, you'll face justice."
"Justice?" Liam let out a low, amused chuckle. "Funny hearing that from you, Akainu. You're the biggest joke in uniform."
"Enough!" Akainu roared, his rage breaking through his stoic facade.
The air distorted as molten magma surged from his right arm, blazing red like a river of fire. He thrust it forward with a snarl.
"Hellhound!"
The magma transformed into a fiery hound that lunged toward Liam with explosive speed.
Liam reacted instantly. "Iron Wall of Earth!"
Even though he hovered high above the ground, his Earth-Earth Fruit responded to his command. From the ground below, a massive wall of stone erupted skyward, rising more than ten meters in an instant, intercepting the incoming magma with a thunderous impact.
The magma hissed and sizzled, but the wall held firm.
Liam smirked. "My turn. Earth Sea Overturn!"
The terrain itself seemed to roar in response. The ground rippled and surged like waves in a stormy sea, rising into a colossal wall of soil and stone that came crashing toward the two admirals.
"Too slow."
Aokiji's voice was calm and cold. His body blurred upward with a Geppo step, landing gracefully above the surging waves of earth. His hands spread wide, and his breath crystallized the air.
"Ice Age."
In an instant, a wave of frost burst outward, freezing the towering wall of earth solid.
Akainu didn't miss the opening. "Great Eruption!"
From his magma-coated arm, a gigantic fist of molten rock slammed into the frozen wave.
"Boom!"
The explosion shattered the air. The frozen wall cracked and splintered like glass, raining shards of ice and stone.
Before the debris could settle, Liam thrust both hands forward.
"Earth Dragon Strike!"
Two dragons made of solid earth coiled into existence, their roars echoing through the battlefield as they hurtled toward Akainu.
"Ice Block: Pheasant Beak!"
Aokiji countered instantly, summoning a massive ice bird from his outstretched arm. It screeched toward Liam, but he'd already predicted the trajectory. With a subtle shift, he vanished from its path, the frozen wind brushing harmlessly past his coat.
Akainu wasn't as lucky. The twin earth dragons smashed into him, detonating with a deafening crack. Smoke and molten rock scattered across the air.
When the light cleared, Akainu emerged angry, scorched, and more furious than ever.
"Observation Haki?" Aokiji muttered, his frown deepening. He'd noticed how Liam dodged his attack without even looking. "A Logia user, proficient in the Navy's Six Powers, and skilled in both Armament and Observation Haki… This man's no ordinary opponent."
Akainu, meanwhile, looked down at his tattered coat, fury boiling over. "You'll pay for that!"
Liam's masked face tilted slightly. A hint of arrogance curled his lips.
He disappeared again, a whisper of speed in the air.
When he reappeared, it was right in front of Akainu. His right fist, wrapped in jet-black Haki, slammed forward.
Akainu met him head-on, magma gathering around his own fist.
The two blows collided.
"Bang!"
The sound split the sky. Liam's Armament Haki cut through the magma like a blade through water. Akainu's eyes widened too late. The blow connected with his jaw, sending his cap flying and his body hurtling downward like a meteor.
He crashed into the ground with an explosion that sent debris flying.
Even Aokiji was momentarily stunned.
Akainu one of the Navy's strongest had just been floored in a single punch.
His gaze on Liam grew sharper, filled with wariness. This wasn't just another rogue. Whoever this masked man was, he possessed the power of a Marine Admiral.
Above, Liam floated in silence, his heartbeat steady. Inside, though, a thrill of satisfaction burned through him.
That punch had felt good.
Still, he knew it wasn't enough. Against two Admirals, his power was stretched thin. Even now, his stamina was draining fast. A drawn-out fight would only end one way.
His eyes flicked toward the forest below, where young Robin was hiding terrified, trembling, but alive.
"Time to go."
With a soft whisper, Liam vanished again.
"Not good!" Aokiji exclaimed, launching himself forward in pursuit. But when he reached the forest, it was empty. No Liam. No Robin. Only silence.
He frowned, the echo of Saul's words ringing in his mind. "I hope you're right, old friend."
Turning away, Aokiji exhaled, rejoining Akainu among the ruins.
"Where are they?" Akainu barked, fury smoldering beneath his calm tone.
"Gone," Aokiji replied simply.
Akainu clenched his fists, veins bulging. "Damn it!"
He unleashed a torrent of magma, burning the nearby forest to ash.
"Whoever he is," Aokiji said quietly, "he wore a Navy uniform. That means he came with us. We can start from there."
Akainu's jaw tightened. "Fine. I'll have every ship searched. I don't care how long it takes we'll find him."
Under the authority of the Buster Call, Ohara was obliterated. Only Robin escaped, the island and the Tree of Knowledge swallowed by the sea.
After a thorough investigation, the Marines found the unconscious officer Liam had knocked out but no useful clues.
Furious and humiliated, Akainu finally ordered the fleet to withdraw.
…
Somewhere in the West Blue.
Step by step, Liam strode through the air, carrying Robin in one arm while using Geppo to travel above the clouds.
Then he suddenly froze mid-step.
"Oh, damn." He blinked. "I forgot to check in."
He glanced at the sun it was nearly noon.
"System," he muttered, "can I still do my morning sign-in?"
A cheerful electronic voice rang in his head.
"Congratulations, host! You missed your sign-in time and have received a Weekly Penalty Pack as compensation!"
Liam's face darkened instantly. "You've got to be kidding me…"
Missing a weekly reward because of one battle? That was pure robbery.
He sighed. "Fine. What about signing in outside Navy Headquarters? Can I do that?"
"The host can change the permanent sign-in area, but once changed, it cannot be reset for a month. Successfully changing the area grants a Monthly Reward Pack."
"So if I change it now, I lose this month's reward?"
"Congratulations! You are correct!"
Liam rolled his eyes. "You're the worst system ever."
Unless he somehow returned to Marineford before nightfall or accepted losing the month's bonus he was stuck.
For now, he just sighed, tightened his grip on Robin, and continued forward through the endless blue sky.
Back at Marineford, chaos erupted as the Admirals convened an emergency meeting.
The masked man who had bested Akainu and escaped their grasp…
was no ordinary Marine.
He was the storm brewing in silence
Liam Ross.