The boiling sea gradually calmed.
Luffy, Godia, and Fujitora fell from the sky, landing heavily on the water.
"Luffy!!!"
Robin, both worried and excited, immediately ran toward him.
Sweat glistened along her fair neck—a sign that the intense battle had exhausted the intelligent beauty.
Yet the moment she saw Luffy, her energy instantly returned.
Unlike Robin, Luffy remained serious after landing. Together with Fujitora, he stared unblinkingly at the now-calm ocean surface.
Step… step… step…
Robin, approaching Luffy, sensed the unusual expression on his face and instantly felt his mood.
Her excited steps slowed, finally stopping a short distance away.
Luffy noticed the slight hesitation in Robin and gently waved her hand, signaling her to wait.
He then turned to Fujitora, his expression grave:
"Uncle Issho, can you feel it!?"
"Hmm…"
Fujitora's tone was low and serious, his face filled with disbelief.
His Observation Haki far surpassed Luffy's—strong enough to completely mask his presence from Luffy.
Just moments ago, Luffy had only sensed Godia, completely unaware that Fujitora had been trailing behind.
With such formidable Observation Haki, Fujitora stared at the sea without immediately answering, instead asking in astonishment:
"Luffy… what kind of monster did you two provoke!?"
"What do you mean?"
Luffy asked worriedly.
Through his senses, he could only vaguely detect the ancestor's presence—his aura had not vanished completely even after their attack.
But deep within the faraway sea, Luffy's Observation Haki could not discern the full situation.
Huff…
Fujitora sighed, as if releasing the heavy pressure in his chest, then continued in shock:
"That person… he must be a Devil Fruit user, right?"
"Yes."
Luffy answered quickly and concisely.
"But… why can he still use his Devil Fruit powers underwater!?"
"What did you say!?"
Luffy's expression instantly turned to shock and disbelief, his eyes wide as he stared at Fujitora.
Without waiting for a reply, Luffy leapt into the air!
Two streaks of fiery light erupted, forming two dragon-like trails in the sky!
Hearing Fujitora's revelation, Luffy was utterly stunned.
What kind of monster was this ancestor from 800 years ago!?
Luffy knew that some Devil Fruit users, like Kaido of the Four Emperors, could fight even in water.
But this… ancient ancestor had pushed it to the extreme!
Using a Devil Fruit underwater…
Indeed… worthy of the "D" clan's ancestor!
The "D" clan that shaped the world, with an invincible ancestor!
Thinking this way, Luffy was suddenly less surprised.
But then…
What kind of being could even oppose a monster of this level back then?
Celestial Dragons? Imu…?
Luffy, who had thought the Four Emperors were the peak of power, suddenly realized… strength is truly limitless!
...
High above the ocean, Luffy unleashed his Observation Haki, extending it deep into the ocean.
Deep beneath, tiny bubbles swirled around the ancestor.
The air stored in the water gathered and flowed into the ancestor's body.
Absorbing the tiny amounts of air, the ancestor's muscles—charred and burned beyond recognition—began to restore themselves!
"Luffy!"
Robin, slightly behind, spread her arms and flew toward him.
The others followed: Sanji rushing on air currents, Crocodile riding a sandwave, while those unable to fly clung to Godia, now in her tengu form, racing forward.
Luffy glanced back at the approaching allies, gritted his teeth, and spread both palms in the air.
He aimed at the figure deep below the sea.
Massive energy surged, concentrated waves of heat rippling outward, shaking the already turbulent sea!
"Luffy!!"
Godia, carrying everyone, saw the sweat on Luffy's forehead and shouted in alarm.
But the ancient monster below gave them no time.
Even a second's delay could let the ancestor fully recover!
Luffy focused all his remaining energy into his X Gloves.
The sheer force pressed down so heavily that the sky seemed burdened.
At this moment, Luffy had truly no power left to spare.
He could restore his energy later through Godia, so he went all-in.
The blazing fire energy instantly engulfed the ocean.
The wild flames pushed back everyone nearby.
BOOM!!!!
With Luffy's shout, a pressure wave capable of burning all of Arabasta erupted from his palms.
The extreme heat instantly vaporized the surface water, forming a narrow channel through the ocean.
The roaring flames pushed aside the water like a fleeing tide.
Any water not displaced was incinerated into nothingness.
The high-temperature fire shot straight to the ancestor below!
BOOM!
Above the ocean, a violent heatwave erupted, like an underwater inferno unleashed.
Beneath the surface, a blazing sphere of fire, like a miniature sun, began to rise.
"Luffy!!!"
"Luffy!!"
After releasing this final strike, Luffy, utterly drained, fell toward the sea.
Robin, seeing this, abandoned all caution.
Her wings folded, and she dove directly toward him.
A crushing fatigue swept over her, but she forced her body to move, swimming determinedly toward Luffy.
She grabbed Luffy's gauntlets, pulled him into her arms, and finally allowed herself a relieved smile.
Exhausted, she clung to him, sinking into the depths.
...
Pfft…
Ha! Ha! Ha!
Zoro suddenly emerged from the water, gasping for fresh air.
With a heave, he threw the unconscious Robin and Luffy upward.
Brook, perched on Godia, caught them safely.
But as Sanji was about to join, a massive force erupted from deep below.
The calm sea suddenly bulged.
BOOM!!!
A crisp, sharp sound.
The ancestor, in full view of everyone, shot straight out of the ocean.
His entire body was stripped to terrifying blackened bones, no flesh left intact.
The charred bones, held together by remnants of muscle, barely maintained his structure.
The only part left untouched—his Achilles tendon on the soles of his feet, subconsciously protected from the flames.
Huff… huff…
The ancestor, half-skeletal and panting, used that tiny tendon to propel himself out of the sea at maximum speed.
"Damn it!!!"
Zoro, still in the water, shouted furiously.
The ancestor, now above, activated his awakened Air Devil Fruit powers!
Sanji had no time to lift Zoro out—he ignited his flames and charged the ancestor directly!
They could not let him recover!
They were all nearing their limits.
If the ancestor fully restored himself, death would be their only outcome.
...
"Diable Jambe!"
Sanji's flaming leg shot toward the ancestor.
BOOM!!!
The collision unleashed a wave of pressure, crashing the sea into circular waves.
Zoro, caught in the surge, was thrown into the water.
Sanji's eyes widened in horror as he clenched his teeth, staring at the ancestor's leg—half-restored, mangled, and colliding with his own.
At that moment…
He knew they had lost.
On the sea, aside from Zoro, all of them were Devil Fruit users—none had the sea-combat ability to contend.
And even Luffy's strongest attack had failed to crush this terrifying man!
Sanji could not fathom how they could possibly defeat him.
Despair filled him, weakening his own strength slightly.
...
Yet!
As Sanji prepared to abandon hope and retreat with everyone, a voice rang from the coast:
"Don't give up, Sanji!!!"
Thud! Thud! Thud!
Merry's feet struck the air repeatedly, generating explosive bursts as she used Moonwalk to rush toward them.
Upside-down, held by Merry by the ankles, Usopp shouted:
"Keep him occupied!!!"
"Buy me some time!!!"
"Usopp!?"
Seeing Usopp arrive on the battlefield, Sanji's despair turned into a spark of hope.
His fighting spirit reignited instantly.
He charged at the ancestor with reckless determination.
For a moment, fire, energy, and pressure filled the sky.
Brook, atop Godia, raised his Dragon Cannon.
Blue projectiles imbued with chilling power shot at the ancestor, freezing the surrounding air and slowing his recovery.
Fujitora, sensing the sudden surge of spirit and action from them, raised his sword:
"Though I do not fully understand your intentions, since you act so… let me contribute a fraction of my strength as well!!!"
From Fujitora's blade, waves of strange purple energy surged.
The power of the Gravity Fruit struck the ancestor, briefly paralyzing him.
In that instant!
Usopp seized the opportunity, fully drawing his giant slingshot, Kabuto.
His eyes glowed a mysterious cyan-blue.
Upside-down, he steadied himself and shouted at the ancestor