"To become your enemy is truly against my wishes. I suppose I have failed to live up to the hospitality you once showed me," Issho said with a slow shake of his head, his cane sword shifting in his grip.
Rumble... Rumble...
Chunks of meteorite that had been suspended in mid-air suddenly lost the support of his gravity. They plummeted into the sea one after another, sending massive walls of water crashing upward.
"None of that matters now. Since you chose the Marines, our positions have been clearly divided," Aeridar replied, his gaze cold and indifferent to the apology. "But it would be rude not to return the favor! You gifted us a meteorite; let me send something back to you!"
Aeridar didn't care for small talk. He raised a hand and threw a punch. The terrifying concussive force traveled through the air, riding the wake of his fist.
Vrummm—
The air shrieked as a massive, circular shockwave erupted, surging forward like a collapsing mountain range.
"Impact Wave!"
"Agh—!"
"No! Such a violent shockwave... this is insane!"
"We're doomed! Admiral Issho! The warship is going to be blown apart!"
Before the shockwave even reached them, many Marines felt a suffocating pressure. Terror welled up in their hearts, and more than a few found themselves screaming in sheer panic.
"I hear it... such a powerful 'sound.' Truly exaggerated," Issho remarked, his expression turning solemn. He gripped his cane sword tightly in a reverse hold. An invisible purple aura coalesced around the blade, wrapping it in a potent gravitational field that made the very air feel heavy.
"Gravity Blade: Raging Tiger!"
In the next instant, Issho swung.
Wooo—!
The purple flow of gravity tore through the air with a ghostly wail, slamming directly into the oncoming shockwave.
BOOM—!
For a heartbeat, the massive circular shockwave seemed pinned against the sky. The world was momentarily drained of color, cloaked in monochrome as space itself began to warp. The air twisted, the sea distorted, and everything seemed to fall into a fractured dimension.
KABOOM—!
The distortion reached its limit and detonated as if the atmosphere itself had exploded. A hurricane-like gale erupted outward. The wind whipped the sea into waves hundreds of meters high; pirate ships and Marine vessels alike tossed violently, looking like tiny rowboats on the verge of capsizing.
Nearby, Unzan Port bore the brunt of the storm. Ships were flipped like toys, and countless crates of cargo and unlucky bystanders were swept into the sky.
"Dammit!"
On the shore, Backan hunched over, one hand clawing into the stone pavement while the other shielded his eyes. He struggled against the gale, barely managing to keep his footing. Around him, subordinates, spectators, and reporters were either lucky enough to find a handhold or were being hauled into the air by the wind. Those even less fortunate were slammed into walls at high speeds, resulting in countless injuries and deaths.
Finally, the gale subsided, leaving the port in utter shambles.
"Bastards!"
Witnessing the devastation at the port, Aeridar was livid. To be cornered at his own front door by the Marines was bad enough, but this? If he didn't teach them a lesson, they'd never learn who they were dealing with!
Pop~
A slight ripple appeared in the air, and Aeridar vanished instantly.
"It seems things have escalated. Truly... Hm?"
Issho, sensing the chaos at Unzan Port through his exceptional Observation Haki, wore a look of awkward regret. But a split second later, he felt a presence behind him. He spun around, swinging his blade in a backhand strike.
CLANG—!
A blackened fist collided with the gleaming cane sword with the sharp ring of metal on metal. The resulting shockwave cracked the deck beneath them.
"Who is that?"
"So fast! I couldn't even see a shadow!"
"Hiss… It's 'Golden Ring' Aeridar!"
The surrounding Marine officers were forced back several steps by the pressure, staring in horror at the figure before them.
"What a powerful fist," Issho praised, looking forward with his sightless eyes. "You are truly a man worthy of the empire you've built. To think you could block this!"
"Stop lying. I've known how strong you were for a long time," Aeridar snorted. No one becomes a Marine Admiral without being able to trade blows.
In the hierarchy of power, Admirals and Yonko are in the same top-tier bracket. While a Yonko might be a hair stronger, the gap is never so wide that an Admiral can be brushed aside. After all, Akainu took a direct beating from Whitebeard and still had the stamina to hunt Luffy, fighting off the likes of Marco, Vista, Crocodile, and Ivankov simultaneously.
"Aeridar! You won't spill Marine blood on this deck!" Vice Admiral Bastille roared, charging forward with his massive, famous blade, Shark Cutter.
Whish—!
The blade whistled through the air, aimed squarely at Aeridar's waist. But in a flash, Gilbert Arlan intercepted him, stepping firmly onto the flat of the Shark Cutter.
CLANG—!
A circle of wind erupted. Arlan's right leg, hardened to a pitch-black sheen with Armament Haki, pinned the giant blade down effortlessly.
"I didn't give you permission to touch my Captain, Vice Admiral Bastille," Arlan said coldly, staring the 'Shark Cutter' down.
"Arlan...!" Bastille's heart sank. Another troublesome monster.
"The Chris Pirates truly are full of talent," Issho sighed, almost regretfully.
Suddenly, Aeridar felt his body grow heavy. It was as if every cell, every organ, was laden with lead.
"The gravity has increased!" Aeridar frowned. The thick wooden deck beneath him began to groan and splinter under the artificial weight. He knew Issho was holding back to avoid sinking his own ship; otherwise, the gravity would have crushed a hole straight through to the seabed.
"Shinra Tensei!"
Aeridar let out a low shout, releasing a massive circular repulsive force.
THOOM—!
In an instant, everyone within ten meters was blown back, including Issho and Arlan.
"Such a strong impact!" Issho skidded back several paces, his internal energy slightly ruffled.
"Hey! You hit me too!" Arlan flipped in mid-air, landing safely in the center of the deck.
With Issho pushed back, the crushing gravity vanished. Aeridar cracked his neck, feeling the lightness return. He suddenly reached out and flicked his finger.
"Impact Gun!"
Pop~
The air rippled as a sharp "air bullet" shrieked forward. Issho tilted his head, letting it pass. Behind him, the ship's railing exploded into splinters, leaving a gaping hole.