The sky was collapsing, the earth was splitting apart.
For everyone on Hachinosu, only that phrase was enough to describe what they were feeling.
Kalifa and Naomi watched helplessly as several pirates, driven by fear, chose to leap directly from the island's edge.
It's believed that anyone who has jumped into water knows that if the entry angle is wrong, the water's surface under the influence of high speed and gravity can become 'harder' than steel.
This is commonly known as 'hitting a steel plate'.
Therefore, for high dives, experienced people usually throw a few stones down first to break the water's surface tension and avoid this situation.
However, when the height is increased to one thousand meters, no amount of advance preparation can make it any less lethally dangerous.
Kalifa was well aware that ninety-nine percent of those people were doomed.
As a former agent who had mastered Geppo, she could have actually escaped on her own.
But after looking at the Emeralda, then at Naomi, she still chose not to do so.
Doing that would undoubtedly mean abandoning Naomi... Well, and also Cavendish, who had been sent over by Karin and was still unconscious.
She was unwilling, and it was impossible for her to abandon her companions.
"Hey! Stop looking around!"
Kalifa removed her glasses and tied her hair back.
Hearing the voice, Naomi turned her head, traces of fear still lingering in her eyes.
Kalifa didn't have time to wait for her to recover, and gave orders directly.
"If I remember correctly, you have the ability to breathe in the sea, right?"
"Right now, we can't participate in that kind of battle. If that's the case, we can't become a burden to the Captain either."
She didn't care that her words sounded like she was persuading the other party to give up on Karin.
Kalifa was a well-trained agent. The more dangerous the situation, the more she could remain calm.
Clearly, the abilities displayed by that Blackbeard far exceeded what was recorded by the former World Government.
It could be said that aside from Karin, no one present was qualified to fight him.
Even just watching the battle could get them caught up in it.
After understanding Kalifa's meaning, Naomi instinctively wanted to argue, but when her eyes fell on Karin in the sky, she immediately realized something.
That was right.
If they continued to stay here, not only would they easily get caught in Blackbeard's attacks, but they would also make Karin fight with one hand tied behind her back.
Having witnessed Karin's battles before, she knew very well how large-scale her captain's full-power fights could be.
Seeing Naomi look at her silently without refusing, Kalifa breathed a sigh of relief inside.
Honestly, she didn't want to waste time convincing her at this critical moment.
"Listen carefully. I'll be responsible for protecting the ship. You cooperate with me, using those explosive arrows of yours..."
She explained her plan.
"Okay, I understand."
After listening, Naomi nodded seriously, simultaneously drawing her bow and nocking an arrow.
Seeing this, Kalifa said no more. She directly spread her hands, unleashing the full power of the Awa Awa no Mi.
"Bubble Dream: Gold Bubble!"
The next moment, huge bubbles, layer upon layer, enveloped the Emeralda.
These bubbles seemed as fragile as dreams, but in reality, they possessed extreme resilience. Even multi-ton boulders falling on them would be stopped, then 'slide' off to the side.
They were remarkably similar to the resin bubbles of the Sabaody Archipelago.
Or rather, this was a new technique Kalifa had developed after observing the properties of those resin bubbles.
When the bubbles had overlapped to a certain thickness, Kalifa turned to Naomi and said,
"Now!"
Hearing this, Naomi released the bowstring. Several explosive arrows shot forth.
It must be said, her marksmanship was truly unique. Arrows fired simultaneously gradually separated into several different speeds mid-flight, each targeting a different position.
Because they drew inspiration from the resin bubbles' properties, the Gold Bubbles Kalifa created wouldn't break even if something passed through them from the inside. They had even overcome another weakness of other bubbles… water.
Bang bang bang bang...
A series of explosions sounded continuously. The blast waves from the explosions, increasing wave after wave, quickly surged back toward the front of the Emeralda.
The Emeralda had originally been placed by Karin at the edge of Hachinosu. Under the impact of this blast wave, it soon tilted toward the sea.
In the last moment before the ship descended, Kalifa stood at the bow, looking up at Karin in the sky from afar.
'Please return safely, Captain.'
Although she couldn't make out Karin's figure, she believed Karin would see them.
And indeed, she did.
Karin had actually been waiting for an opportunity to send everyone on the Emeralda away from this island. Otherwise, she wouldn't have been so restrained in dealing with Blackbeard.
As for the traps quietly spreading around her?
She had noticed them long ago.
Karin's first reaction to Kalifa's actions was surprise, followed by admiration.
'What a reliable woman.'
'Recruiting this crew member was definitely the right choice.'
Silently adding a few points to Kalifa in her mind, Karin watched the Emeralda fall from Hachinosu.
A height of one thousand meters sounded astonishing, but in reality, the descent took only about ten seconds… and that was accounting for resistance due to its size.
When the ship's hull hit the sea surface, the seawater violently impacted the Gold Bubbles, piercing through them layer by layer.
But thanks to the cushioning of so many bubble layers, the Emeralda didn't break apart immediately upon hitting the water.
After confirming the Emeralda had safely reached the sea, Karin finally turned her attention back to the fat black guy in front of her.
'You were pretty arrogant just now, weren't you?'
'I was waiting for my teammates to evacuate, so what were you waiting for?'
The next moment, Blackbeard showed Karin exactly what he had been waiting for.
"Time's up! Come down! Sea Monster: Great Swamp!"
The corner of Blackbeard's mouth curled up, revealing a gap-toothed smile. Simultaneously, his hand clenched tightly.
At the same time, the dark matter densely covering the sky transformed into a truly sky-covering curtain, pressing down from all directions.
'Let's see where you run now!'
Blackbeard grinned fiercely while his right hand began charging, his own Conqueror's Haki coiling around his arm.
That's right, Teach also possessed Conqueror's Haki, and not just limited to 'having' it.
Lafitte, Van Augur, and the others watched the black-red lightning flickering on their captain's hand, marveling inwardly.
'This is… Conqueror's Haki Infusion!'
'Captain is indeed the one who would truly become the King of the World!'
If the [Dark Vortex] spreading from the ground could be avoided through high mobility or flight, then the [Great Swamp] pressing down from all sides was truly unavoidable.
The gaps that once offered a glimmer of hope for survival were all sealed off as the dark matter moved, forming a black egg without a single crack.
Karin's diminished form was thus enveloped by the dark matter, seemingly with no escape.
"Ze ha ha ha! It takes someone like you to be worthy of becoming the stepping stone for my rise to the stage!"
Seeing victory within his grasp, Blackbeard's laughter grew even more arrogant, the Haki on his fist gradually solidifying.
He had already planned that after defeating Karin, he would use this little girl to coerce Naruto, and then kill this man who had stirred up the world.
On one hand, this would bring him unprecedented fame, and on the other hand, he could also avenge the grudge from nearly being killed back then.
He was a very vengeful guy.
Unfortunately, the next moment, Blackbeard's grating laughter came to an abrupt halt.
Golden light.
Blinding golden light, erupting alongside a surge of Conqueror's Haki completely opposite to Blackbeard's, directly tore apart the impenetrable black egg.
"Screech—"
The divine bird cried out. An even more majestic giant eagle than before fully spread its wings, transforming into a second sun in the sky.
Shiiing!
Within the range illuminated by the dazzling golden light, the supposedly lifeless dark matter instinctively began to retreat.
'Impossible!?'
Blackbeard's eyes were full of disbelief.
He had never imagined that while he was powering up by obtaining the Fuwa Fuwa no Mi, someone else was using an even more violent power-up.
Karin, having merged with the Pure Gold and fully mastered her awakened ability, was now formally revealing the true power of [Golden-Winged Garuda].
That was power belonging only to legends and myths, the power of a god.