The sky had been clear, blue, and bright with sunlight, but in an instant, it seemed to be covered by an enormous black curtain.
Dark clouds surged in from every direction like thick ink, spreading wildly across the horizon. They squeezed and crashed into one another, devouring the last traces of light at a shocking speed.
In the blink of an eye, daytime was wiped away by an invisible hand, and the entire world plunged into pitch-black night.
"Is it going to rain?"
A young, innocent voice rang out.
It was a child's question.
He raised his head and looked curiously at his mother with a pair of clear, innocent eyes.
But before his mother could answer, her face had already turned deathly pale from the sudden change before her. She hugged the child tightly in her arms, her grip so strong it almost seemed as though she wanted to press him into her own body, as if that were the only way she could give him even a little sense of safety.
Ron noticed something was wrong immediately.
He snapped his head up, his sharp gaze piercing through the darkness and locking onto the churning clouds above.
His pupils suddenly narrowed, and a trace of gravity and vigilance flashed through his eyes.
"All forces, enter highest battle readiness! This is not natural weather!"
His voice was loud and firm, echoing through the silent night sky like a great bell, making everyone understand just how serious the situation had become.
Following his command, a terrifying energy began gathering silently within the clouds.
That energy rolled and surged like a raging tide, slowly forming an invisible pressure that made it hard to breathe.
Streaks of dark-red lightning moved through the clouds like hideous giant pythons, twisting and weaving through the darkness.
At times, they coiled and writhed. At other times, they exploded violently, bursting with blinding light and deafening thunder.
The air was filled with the sharp smell of ozone, mixed with some ancient, mysterious scent of blood that made people's skin crawl.
Sensing that powerful and dangerous energy fluctuation, the capital's protective barrier activated on its own.
The originally transparent light screen instantly became dazzling, flashing with dense energy patterns.
Yet in the face of such terrifying power, even the barrier began to release a strained hum, as though it might shatter and collapse at any moment.
"Uranus…"
Ron gripped the ring in his hand tightly, the mysterious light from it shining between his fingers. His knuckles turned pale from the force.
His lips trembled slightly as he murmured that name, a complicated light flashing in his eyes.
"Imu, you finally couldn't sit still anymore?"
As everyone held their breath and stared tensely upward, the energy in the sky continued to gather and compress, finally reaching its limit.
Deep within the endless darkness, a gigantic blood-red vortex slowly appeared.
It was like an abyssal beast opening its bloody maw, greedily devouring everything around it.
At the center of the vortex, a huge eye slowly opened.
The eye was deep and cold, as if it contained endless wisdom and power.
Within its pupil, the entire Eternal Divine Kingdom was reflected with perfect clarity, every detail visible.
"Ants."
An ancient, majestic voice thundered between heaven and earth.
It seemed to have crossed the long river of time, carrying an arrogant disdain from high above.
Every syllable struck people's hearts like a heavy hammer.
"Accept divine punishment."
"This heavenly power…"
Marco's eyes widened.
The blue flames burning around him flickered violently without his control, rising and falling as they reflected the shock and unease in his heart.
His throat moved, and he struggled to force out the words.
"Could this be the strongest legendary Ancient Weapon—Uranus?!"
The twin swords in Vista's hands slipped free because of the trembling in his arms and fell to the ground with a clang.
This famous swordsman, who had fought countless battles, now spoke in a hoarse, shaking voice.
"You've got to be kidding me… This power is far beyond common sense!"
His eyes were filled with fear, and his body trembled slightly despite himself.
On the other side of the sky, clouds as dark as ink churned violently, as though stirred by an invisible hand.
Within that suffocating, oppressive atmosphere, Kaido had already transformed into a majestic blue dragon, his enormous body coiling high above the clouds.
Every one of his scales shone with an icy light, as if countless sharp blades had been embedded into his body, ready to tear everything before him apart.
Yet for the first time, uncertainty appeared in his dragon eyes.
That sharp, confident gaze of his actually wavered slightly.
He lowered his head a little and muttered toward the world below,
"Those Marine weaklings who usually look so useless… were hiding a trump card this terrifying?"
As anger surged inside him, his dragon whiskers whipped violently with the force of his emotions, thrashing like willow branches in a storm.
Each strand seemed to carry his raging fury. Every movement stirred up powerful gusts, scattering the nearby clouds in every direction.
His voice carried shock and unwillingness he could not fully hide.
"A power this monstrous… Even at my peak, I might not be able to stand against it…"
Not far away, the scene beside Big Mom was just as striking.
Her thundercloud Zeus and sun Prometheus, those two unique manifestations of her power, were already trembling in fear before this unimaginable might. They curled tightly into small balls, their usual arrogance gone without a trace.
Big Mom herself had turned pale as well.
Her hands gripped the railing of the Queen Mama Chanter so tightly that her knuckles turned bluish white.
Her lips trembled as she kept muttering,
"Mamamama… This kind of world-destroying power is too terrifying! Even the giant king of Elbaf, famous for his strength, would probably have to bow his head willingly if he stood here!"
While everyone was still drowning in shock and fear, a figure suddenly appeared atop Pluton's bridge like a ghost.
It was Ron.
He wore a long black robe, and the robe whipped wildly in the raging energy storm, snapping like a flag in violent wind.