Plop… plop…
As two successive splashes echoed out, the vast battlefield at sea seemed as if someone had pressed a pause button—everything fell into sudden, absolute silence.
Even the Five Elders and the Four Emperors who had been locked in fierce combat halted in tacit agreement, all of them turning their gaze toward the source of the sound.
Amid the chaotic sea, strewn with shattered ice and blackened rock, a body slowly floated up to the surface—split cleanly into two.
Though cut in half, Akainu had not died instantly.
Yet the state he was in was even more unbearable to look at than death itself.
Blood streamed from his seven orifices, his eyes filled with savage unwillingness as they stared up at the sky.
His lips trembled as though he wished to say something, but with his body severed, not a single sound could escape.
And so, after struggling on for half a minute under the gaze of countless Marines and pirates alike, Akainu finally slackened—his mouth closing as his lifeless body floated atop the sea, eyes still open in death.
"Sakazuki…!!?"
High in the air, Aokiji, who had just sent Sanji flying once more, stood suspended as he stared blankly at the sea dyed red by Akainu's blood.
"T-This… how is this possible?!"
After the initial shock, everyone's eyes instinctively lifted upward again.
Standing directly above Akainu's corpse, Zoro's figure was bathed in a flash of white light before fully reverting to his original, ordinary form.
With the power of Mega Evolution and Pokémon-ization gone, the aura surrounding him weakened considerably.
And yet—at this very moment—
Not a single living being present dared to underestimate the bare-chested man wearing a dark green bandana.
The Fleet Admiral of the Marines, Akainu · Sakazuki, was dead…
A word both unfamiliar and absurd drifted through everyone's mind, making it all feel like an illusion—nothing seemed real.
Just what kind of monster-infested crew was the Straw Hat Pirates?!
Why did even a so-called "ordinary combatant" possess such terrifying strength?!
If a crew like this launched a full-scale assault on Marine Headquarters, how could they possibly be stopped?!
For a moment, despair spread across the faces of every Marine present.
The death of their Fleet Admiral made one thing painfully clear—
They had already lost this war.
"That useless trash!"
On the other side, the Five Elders' eyes all flashed with shock at Akainu's death.
But immediately after, Saint Saturn spat out a curse under his breath.
Akainu's death at a moment like this would undoubtedly deal a devastating blow to their side's morale.
"We must kill that man immediately!"
The same thought arose simultaneously in the minds of all Five Elders.
At that moment, Saint Warcury—who had been fighting Luffy—was the first to move.
The massive boar stomped on pitch-black flame clouds and, while everyone's attention was fixed on Akainu's corpse, charged straight toward Zoro at terrifying speed.
Those razor-sharp tusks left no doubt that they could skewer Zoro in a single strike.
Having already exited his powered-up form, even Zoro himself failed to react to Warcury's sudden ambush.
Just as everyone thought Zoro was about to be pierced through—
A figure suddenly appeared directly in Warcury's path.
"Attacking someone while they're vulnerable… isn't that a bit shameless?"
Red smiled faintly, pressing a palm loaded with Mega Mewtwo X against the massive boar's head—and actually stopped it with ease.
Even among the Five Elders, Warcury was known for his strength. But setting aside his immortality, his raw power only barely reached the level of a Marine Admiral.
Which went to show—
Becoming one of the Five Elders didn't actually require overwhelming strength.
Or rather, the power Imu could distribute to them came with inherent limitations.
"Red!"
Seeing Red standing in front of him, Zoro—who had been about to down a bottle of Super Potion—finally let out a sigh of relief.
He nodded at Red, then gulped down three Super Potions in one go, restoring a huge amount of stamina.
Hearing Zoro's call, Red chuckled lightly and praised him:
"Well done, Zoro."
"Even with Mega Evolution… taking down Akainu that fast…"
"Before long, you'll be able to do the same with your own strength alone."
"Heh~" Zoro grinned. "That's exactly what I think too!"
"You two—"
Whooooom!
A vast wave of Conqueror's Haki suddenly swept over Red and Zoro like a heavy hurricane.
Warcury, whose body was already as massive as a small mountain, began to swell violently once again.
Interrupted, Red turned his head with a sigh.
"Honestly… was there really a need to be this impatient?"
As he spoke, he waved his hand and summoned a Hyperspace Hole. Reaching inside, he grabbed a pure white figure and yanked it out.
It was Luffy, who had been watching from a distance.
Because Luffy's body was also enormous at the moment, being hauled out by the collar made the scene look absurd.
There was not a shred of Four Emperor dignity to be found.
"Eh~? Red?"
Dragged over out of nowhere, Luffy froze for a moment. Before he could ask what Red wanted, Red swung his arm and hurled him straight at Warcury, who was releasing Conqueror's Haki.
Smack!
Luffy's body splatted against Warcury's massive face like liquid, plastering itself over the boar's snout like a white facial mask.
A moment later, Luffy's dazed expression appeared on that "mask."
Red spoke calmly:
"It's about time, Luffy."
"Use the same method you used on Big Mom and send these 'noble' Five Elders on their way."
"A rare trip into outer space—perfectly suited for such distinguished gentlemen."
"Red, the way you talk is seriously annoying~"
Understanding Red's intent, Luffy shot him a knowing look before immediately complaining about his sarcastic tone.
But in the very next instant, he sprang into action.
Taking advantage of the fact that he was wrapped around Warcury's head, Luffy's body expanded like true liquid, rapidly swelling until it engulfed Warcury's entire form—
Including his Conqueror's Haki.
In the blink of an eye, Warcury seemed to vanish completely.
"What trick are you playing now?"
Warcury felt his vision go dark, confusion flashing through his mind.
Before he could struggle, violent shaking suddenly rippled through the surrounding space, instantly transmitting through his body.
Then Luffy's voice rang out from outside, beginning a countdown:
"Ten… nine… eight…"
"What is that?!"
Seeing Luffy transform into a massive sphere spewing flames downward, both Whitebeard and Kaido asked in unison, curiosity piqued.
After all, they had heard it clearly—
Straw Hat Luffy had used this very move to defeat Charlotte Linlin.
Any technique capable of harming Big Mom was something they definitely wanted to witness.
But as the countdown reached its end, shock instantly filled both Emperors' faces.
"…Three, two, one…"
"Straw Hat Airlines—"
"LAUNCH!!!"
BOOOOOOM!!!!!!
Blazing flames erupted violently from beneath Luffy.
If one were to study it carefully, the flames were coming from… Luffy's backside.
Clearly anticipating this, Red had already taken Zoro away from the launch zone during the countdown.
The scorching flames roasted the sea below, blasting a massive crater into the water.
Even Ace—who was fighting Marine Vice Admirals atop a battleship—stared in stunned silence at the scene.
That level of firepower… even he wouldn't last long against it.
Unconsciously, a line Red had once muttered like a mad dream surfaced in Ace's mind—
The Flame-Flame Fruit, XXXX.
BOOM!
Luffy, now resembling a round-headed spacecraft, didn't linger above the sea for long.
Propelled by the flames, he rocketed skyward with Warcury trapped inside, streaking toward the distant heavens before quickly vanishing from everyone's sight.
"W-Where are they going?"
Kaido asked blankly. "Are they taking a Five Elder to Sky Island?!"
"Sky Island?"
Red suddenly appeared beside Kaido, clicking his tongue.
When Kaido turned to look at him, Red raised a finger and pointed upward with a grin.
"Not Sky Island, Kaido-senpai!"
"Somewhere a bit higher than that."
"You guys…"
Seeing Red and Zoro appear out of nowhere, Kaido froze.
Ever since Akainu's death, his mind had been in a daze.
Though Kaido loved reckless, suicidal feats, that was more of a cultivated image—part performance, part persona.
In truth, Kaido was extremely sharp and full of cunning.
He knew that while he might hold an advantage over Akainu or Aokiji, he could never kill a Marine Fleet Admiral without taking a single scratch—
Like Zoro had just done.
Someone like that didn't seem like the type to serve under anyone.
Especially when—
Despite being that strong, Zoro didn't even hold the position of vice-captain in the Straw Hat Pirates?!
At that moment, the Straw Hat crew became even more mysterious in Kaido's eyes.
"What's going on?!"
At the same time, the other Five Elders—also stunned by Akainu's death and Luffy's absurd maneuver—shouted in alarm.
Soon, Warcury's voice echoed through the Five Elders' shared mental network:
"Something's wrong!"
"That Straw Hat Luffy… he can send people into outer space!!!"
"What?!"
The remaining four Five Elders froze in unison.
Meanwhile—
In the void of space beyond the pirate world, Luffy and Warcury stood facing each other amid the stars.
Just as Warcury wondered if the Straw Hats had left some hidden trap here, Luffy suddenly transformed again—becoming a cosmic missile that plunged straight back toward the blue planet below.
"No good! He's coming back!"
Realizing what was happening, Warcury shouted urgently through the mental network.
At the same moment, Red roared:
"Kaido-senpai! Whitebeard-senpai! Lend me a hand!"
"Let's restrain that spider Five Elder!!!"
A second ago, Red had still been calling them "distinguished" and "noble," but in the blink of an eye, his form shifted into Mega Mewtwo Y.
A vast, overwhelming psychic surge burst forth like a tidal wave, seizing Saint Saturn's body and locking him firmly in place.
Once again, the Five Elders' weakness was laid bare.
Among them, aside from the peerless swordsman Saint Nusjuro and the monstrously strong Warcury, Red had never truly regarded the other three as threats.
There was no other reason—
They were simply too weak!
Without their immortality, they wouldn't even stand a chance against top-tier commanders like King or Katakuri.
Now, Warcury had already been sent into outer space while they were still confused.
All that remained was to send Saturn—the only true body present, serving as their teleportation anchor—into space as well.
They didn't need to ensure he'd never return.
As long as he couldn't come back anytime soon—
This war would be firmly in the Straw Hat Pirates' grasp.
On the other side, though a beat slower, Whitebeard and Kaido moved the instant they heard Red's call.
The three of them acted together.
Saturn—whose actual combat ability was mediocre—was instantly subdued.
"Despicable insects!"
Seeing this, the remaining Five Elders would not allow things to proceed so smoothly.
They unleashed their attacks at Red and the others without hesitation.
After all, Saturn's immortality meant he wouldn't truly die.
"Whitebeard-senpai!"
Red shouted again.
Fully restored, Whitebeard displayed the majesty befitting the world's strongest man.
"Gurararara~ Leave it to me!"
With a hearty laugh, Whitebeard's arm swelled, massive muscles hardening like steel.
"Quake!!!"
Crack… crackle!!!
Whitebeard threw what looked like an ordinary punch.
But the very next second, the space before him shattered like glass, countless cracks spreading outward.
Those dense fractures formed a shield that completely blocked the other Five Elders' attacks.
"Gurararara~"
"That brat was right—giving you this kind of power is really a waste!"
Whitebeard laughed loudly.
And the power of his Devil Fruit didn't stop—instead, it intensified.
In an instant, terrifying shockwaves surged through space, not only obliterating the incoming attacks but also racing straight toward the Five Elders themselves.
BOOM!!!
With a thunderous explosion, the remaining three Five Elders were sent flying like kites with their strings cut.
"As expected of you, Whitebeard-senpai!"
Red's eyes shone as he praised him.
It had to be said—
Though Luffy's Nika powers were absurd and might even defeat Whitebeard in an actual fight—
This kind of overwhelming single-target destructive force was something the Straw Hats sorely lacked.
And the ones most likely to fill that gap weren't the Straw Hats currently fighting—
But Laboon and little Merry, who had barely participated in battle at all.
(End of Chapter)