Crack… crack…
Just as expected.
Only a few seconds after Zephyr was struck by the freezing beam, fine cracks suddenly spread across the lifelike ice sculpture encasing him.
The next instant—
Boom!
Countless shards of ice exploded outward, refracting brilliant, rainbow-colored light through the air.
Steam curled off Zephyr's body as he turned around, his eyes heavy as they locked onto Red.
Spatial transfer. Instant movement. Flight. And on top of that, the icy power he had just displayed…
To be honest, this was the first time Zephyr had ever encountered someone possessing so many different abilities.
Even if it was the power of a rare Mythical Zoan.
For a moment, even Zephyr—who had never been fond of Devil Fruit abilities—couldn't help but feel genuine admiration for Red's strength.
What he didn't know was—
Red wasn't a Devil Fruit user at all!!!
After several rounds of probing exchanges, both sides had already gained a clear grasp of each other's power.
And now—
This was the true showdown between Red and the former Marine Admiral!!!
Boom!!!
As if by silent agreement, Red suddenly beat his wings in the sky.
The agile wind answered his call, instantly transforming into countless razor-sharp wind blades that slashed downward toward Zephyr.
Zephyr raised the massive, heavy crusher in his hand, blocking the wind blades as he simultaneously stepped into the air using Moonwalk, ascending rapidly.
Aerial combat wasn't his specialty, but as a former Admiral, the Marines' Six Powers were second nature to him—engraved into his body through countless battles.
Both men entered a serious state in an instant, clashing above the ruins of the Tower of Justice.
Shattered ice crystals, chaotic wind blades, and ceaseless artillery fire filled the sky above the island.
…
…
Elsewhere—
Wave after wave of Marines poured across the Bridge of Hesitation like dumplings dropping into boiling water, surging madly into the inner reaches of Enies Lobby.
But what awaited them was the overwhelming counterattack of the Straw Hat Grand Fleet!
"Wahahahaha~! This is Boss Chopper's crucial moment—I'm not letting any of you through!"
Bartolomeo laughed wildly, tongue lolling out like a demon.
In the next moment, a black-purple wave of energy surged forward like a tidal flood, sweeping toward the Marines.
"Ah! What is this?!"
"Run!"
"Help!"
"Mom! I wanna go home!!!"
Dark Pulse—capable of assaulting the enemy's mind—instantly sent the newly landed Marines into panic.
Marines who once charged fearlessly in the name of justice were reduced to sobbing "kings of deserters," fleeing backward in tears under its influence.
The sight left the Marines disembarking behind them frozen in shock, utterly confused.
At the same time, a group of pirates with clownish appearances twisted their faces into savage grins, casting Pokémon moves like spellcasters and smashing into the Marine formation head-on.
Buggy, draped in a flamboyant cloak, crossed his arms like a warlord and roared with manic laughter.
"All of you, charge! Let the Marines taste the power of the Straw Hat Grand Fleet!!!"
"Men! Drag that damn Buggy Cannon over here!"
"Blow them to hell!!!"
Even against a Marine force led by Vice Admirals, the two captains of the Straw Hat Grand Fleet showed not a hint of fear.
One possessed formidable personal strength.
The other commanded a horde of equally formidable subordinates!
At Buggy's command, a gigantic cannon—its size rivaling a fortified turret—was hauled forward by several pirates with Fighting-type attributes.
One Buggy Bomb after another was stuffed into the barrel.
The next instant—
Boom!!!
Blazing fire engulfed the sea.
A Marine warship that had just approached the shore didn't even have time to deploy its troops before it was struck dead-on.
Thick black smoke swallowed the vessel, and under the power of the newly upgraded Buggy Bombs, the warship—veteran of countless seas—snapped in half and slowly sank beneath the waves.
At the top tier, Kizaru and Zephyr were tied down by Luffy, Red, and the others.
With power evenly matched, no clear victor could be seen in the short term.
But below that level, the battle was completely one-sided.
Nami, Robin, and Chopper practically monopolized the Marine command structure.
Even veteran Vice Admirals like Huo Shaoshan could only take a beating, utterly incapable of fighting back.
As for the rank-and-file soldiers—despite their overwhelming numbers—they were like sheep stumbling into a pack of wolves when faced with the Pokémon techniques wielded by the Buggy and Straw Hat pirates.
They had no chance to resist.
No matter whether Luffy's trio could ultimately defeat Admiral Kizaru, the victor of this battle had already been decided—
The Straw Hat crew!!!
…
…
"Reinforcements! We need reinforcements!!!"
Marine Headquarters.
Tsuru, who had been calculating the time and assuming Kizaru's group had already wrapped things up at Enies Lobby, answered a Den Den Mushi—
Only to be met with frantic cries for help.
Before the voice could finish, a thunderous explosion erupted from the Den Den Mushi.
The snail instantly went limp, falling back into an unconscious state.
"What happened?!"
Shock spread across Tsuru's face.
"Did something happen at Enies Lobby…?"
She murmured in disbelief, unconsciously crushing the documents on her desk.
Since temporarily taking over the Fleet Admiral's duties at Sengoku's request, she felt like her lifespan had been shortened by at least three years.
Unexpected crises kept erupting one after another—so many that even this seasoned veteran, who had once cornered Doflamingo repeatedly, felt overwhelmed.
After a brief struggle, Tsuru picked up the Den Den Mushi again and quickly dialed another number.
"Garp, your vacation is over!"
"Report to the temporary office at Marineford immediately!"
"What?! I've only been on leave for three days!" Garp's unruly roar came from the other end."Tsuru, you're starting to get just as annoying as that bastard Sengoku!"
"Enough nonsense!" Tsuru snapped. "This is an emergency. Kizaru and Zephyr… something may have happened to them!"
…
…
Boom!!!
"I… did it!!!"
A massive pitch-black hand slammed Vice Admiral Huo Shaoshan into the ground, leaving him unconscious.
In Monster Point, Chopper threw his arms wide and let out a muffled roar toward the chaotic sky.
The next moment—
His body rapidly shrank.
From a towering giant over ten meters tall, he reverted to his normal, half-human size.
Step—
After maintaining Monster Point for too long, Chopper staggered.
Just then, a figure carrying a faint violet fragrance appeared behind him and gently caught him in her arms.
"You did great, Chopper."
Following Red's instructions, Robin—who had been closely monitoring his condition—smiled softly.
She took out a Super Potion she had prepared in advance and fed it to him.
Under the miraculous effect of the Pokémon item, the fatigue vanished from Chopper's face at a visible speed.
In the blink of an eye, he opened his eyes and hopped out of Robin's embrace without hesitation.
"I did it!"
Back in his normal form, little Chopper raised his arms high, his face glowing with a childlike smile.
Nearly half a month of effort finally bore fruit.
Through continuous combat, he had at last mastered Monster Point!
Though he still couldn't compare to the others in sheer strength, he had finally gained a reliable path to rapid growth.
As long as he followed Red's plan—
Increasing the duration of Monster Point, familiarizing himself with the transformation's fluctuations, and eventually entering Monster Point without relying on the Rumble Ball—
One day, he would develop a power all his own!
Of that, Chopper was absolutely certain!!!
…
…
Boom!!!
With the final cannon blast, the last Marine warship was sunk by Buggy.
Thus—
Aside from Kizaru and Zephyr, not a single Marine who had come to reinforce Enies Lobby could still stand and fight!
More than a dozen Vice Admirals, scores of Rear and Commodore ranks, plus nearly fifteen thousand Marine soldiers including Enies Lobby personnel…
Such a force could easily wipe out a small nation.
And yet—
They were completely annihilated by just a handful of people from the Straw Hat crew!
Though still some distance from the level of a Yonko—
The Straw Hats had undeniably become the strongest force beneath them!
The proof was—
"Gum-Gum · Thunder Elephant Gun!!!"
"Three Sword Style Secret Technique · Dragon Flock · Return to the Nest!!!"
"Extreme · Demon God Wind Kick · Spicy Hotpot!!!"
Boom!!!
At the edge of the Bridge of Hesitation, Luffy, Zoro, and Sanji—now in Facade—unleashed terrifying auras that churned the heavens.
The sea roared and surged, as if beating drums for the battle!
After nearly half an hour of intense struggle, the trio seized their moment, forming a triangular encirclement that trapped Kizaru at the center.
"Damn it!"
Kizaru's expression changed sharply as his body began to elementalize.
But the next instant—
Boom!!!
Sanji, having anticipated his move, activated his ability, turning into a streak of blazing fire that slammed into Kizaru.
Exhausted from repeated use, the blow wasn't as powerful as expected—
But that was never Sanji's goal!
Step!
A pitch-black shoe coated in Armament Haki stomped into Kizaru's abdomen, forcibly knocking him out of his elemental state.
His only escape route was gone!
"GRAAAH—!!!"
In an instant—
A deafening dragon's roar resounded behind him.
Zoro stood wreathed in hellish aura, his three blades gleaming with Armament Haki.
Flames scorched the air. Lightning coiled around the swords.
Wind gathered at his sides, ice guiding his path—
Slash!!!
In complete silence, Zoro flashed past Kizaru.
The strike—woven from his understanding of swordsmanship and Pokémon energy—landed squarely.
Steel-type slashes tore open Kizaru's back, blood spraying through the air.
Before he could even register the wounds, elemental energies surged into his body through them, wreaking havoc.
Dark and Ghost-type energies invaded his mind, dulling his thoughts.
Zoro had truly given everything.
Like Sanji, he couldn't unleash another strike of this magnitude.
But it was enough.
Even with such "meager" strength, he had seriously injured the veteran Admiral.
Yet—
That was all.
Defeating Kizaru outright was still far beyond him.
As admirable as their efforts were, today's protagonist was never Zoro or Sanji!!!
"Well done, Zoro! Sanji!!!"
Boom!!!
In Gear Fourth, Luffy grinned fiercely, the flame patterns on his face blazing with dominance.
He thrust his arm skyward—
Toward the thundercloud Nami had formed earlier.
Though little lightning remained, it was the perfect womb for thunder!
Blue electricity erupted along Luffy's arm.
Tri Attack!
A move few ever cared about in games—
Now a cornerstone of Pokémon energy mastery for the Straw Hats!
Lightning exploded across his arm, amplified by the cloud.
Seizing the opening, Luffy expanded his arm into a giant form midair.
The next instant—
His fist burst from the thundercloud like a charging mammoth, crashing down with unstoppable lightning!!!
BOOM!!!
Already reeling, Kizaru had no time to react.
He was struck head-on by Luffy's thunderous punch!
"AAAAHHH—!!!"
With a feral roar, Luffy sent Kizaru flying—at a speed rivaling even his elemental form.
RUMBLE—!!!
The Bridge of Hesitation, Enies Lobby's last iconic structure, shattered in two.
Stone rained into the sea below.
And Kizaru's body—
Plunged straight into the ocean.
Silence followed.
"…Is it over?"
Zoro landed on the broken bridge, staring at the massive splash in disbelief.
Sanji lit a cigarette, took a slow drag, and exhaled.
"…It's over."
(End of Chapter)