"No!! Captain Ryuuto!" Princess Shirahoshi cried out in disbelief, her hands flying to her mouth in horror.
"How can this be!!"
Neptune's face went deathly pale.
"Ryuuto!!" Hancock screamed, stomping hard on the ground and launching herself toward the sky.
"Captain!!" Nami and Vivi were overcome with anxiety.
But it was too late.
The thick pillar of purple energy, crackling with immense power, slammed directly into Ryuuto, smashing him down onto the surface of the ocean. It didn't end there. The explosive energy vaporized the seawater, blasting Ryuuto straight into the depths of the seabed.
"No!!"
Hancock's heart-wrenching cry echoed from the sky.
It all happened in an instant. By the time Hancock reached the ocean's surface, Ryuuto and the purple energy pillar had both vanished beneath the waves.
Voom!!
Having accomplished its task, the massive pentagram formation in the sky shattered, disappearing as if it had never been there. A gust of wind blew past, and even the dark clouds scattered.
"We... we survived?"
"We're saved!!"
"That power was terrifying!"
Countless ordinary citizens of Fish-Man Island celebrated their survival from the horrifying attack.
"Captain Ryuuto saved us!"
"It's all thanks to Captain Ryuuto!"
They had witnessed the fierce battle between Ryuuto and the pillar of purple energy. They understood that without him, not a single one of them would have survived.
"Ryuuto!!" Hancock cried out in despair. Ignoring her own fear of the sea, she plunged headfirst into the water.
Glug, glug, glug...
Instantly, seawater flooded into Hancock's mouth.
"Captain!!"
Nami, Vivi, and Jean Bart shouted toward the spot where Ryuuto had disappeared, their faces etched with sorrow.
Just then, Crocus leaped into the air and dove into the sea, followed closely by Neptune and Prince Fukaboshi.
"Why did this happen! Why!!"
"Captain Ryuuto!!"
Tears welled up in Princess Shirahoshi's eyes. She clenched her fists and stared furiously at the sky, her voice a sharp accusation.
A powerful ripple of energy emanated from her body.
As Shirahoshi's emotions reached their peak...
A deep rumbling sound began to echo from the seabed, as if some ancient being was slowly awakening. The commotion grew louder and louder, and soon, massive waves began to form on the surface.
Minute by minute, the waves didn't subside but instead grew more terrifying, shaking even Fish-Man Island itself.
"What's happening on the seabed? Why are there such violent tremors?"
"Such huge waves!!"
"Look out, everyone grab onto a building!"
"Be careful!"
A wave tens of meters high crashed down. Although Fish-Man Island was protected by its double-layered bubble, it was still pushed a considerable distance. The entire island shook violently, and no one could keep their balance.
At the same time, a similar scene was unfolding all over the world.
Continents trembled and oceans churned, creating a scene of global devastation.
In an unknown sea in the New World, Umit stood on the deck of a grain transport ship, a massive fleet stretching out behind him. Before him, monstrous waves roared.
"Boss, I don't know why, but these terrifying waves appeared out of nowhere!" Glade shouted over the sound of the ocean, leaping from a large ship behind him to land beside Umit.
"The sea is enraged," Umit said softly, his sharp gaze piercing through the water as if to see the very bottom of the ocean.
"Abyss Current Suppression!!"
Glancing back and seeing that a good deal of grain had already fallen into the sea, Umit roared and unleashed two streams of blue water that shot into the ocean. As the blue currents began to move, the raging waves seemed to be suppressed, and the waters around the fleet quickly calmed.
"The boss made his move!"
"As expected of the boss!"
Cheers erupted from the ships.
Meanwhile, a shocking event was taking place in Wano Country.
Crack!!
As the seabed shook violently, a crisp sound echoed from the massive mountain range surrounding Wano. A huge fissure had formed at its base. The waves relentlessly battered the coast, causing the crack to widen. It was clear that, in time, this fissure would eventually cause the entire mountain to collapse.
Unfortunately, for the common people of Wano who couldn't even afford food, this meant nothing. Their only concerns were grain and survival.
Onigashima was in the midst of a celebration...
On the coast of an island in Totto Land, Cracker was lazily sunbathing. But unexpectedly, under a clear sky, a monstrous wave rose up and soaked him to the bone before he could react.
"What is going on? I've never seen waves this big!" Cracker exclaimed, wiping the seawater from his face in shock.
On another island in Totto Land, Smoothie was sitting on the deck of a pirate ship. She soon realized something was wrong as massive waves suddenly appeared on the sea.
"Quickly, get these ships into the docks!" Smoothie immediately commanded her subordinates. Only in the docks could the pirate ships withstand this awesome power of nature.
"What an unpleasant aura."
In her sleep, Big Mom seemed to sense something unsettling. She mumbled, shifted her position, and fell back asleep.
Elsewhere in the New World, the Red Hair Pirates were having a much rougher time. They were sailing on a wide expanse of sea when the waves hit, forcing them to frantically turn the helm to dodge one massive swell after another.
"Isn't this a spring island? Why has the climate suddenly become so strange?" asked Beckman, the crew's true captain, with a hint of confusion.
"A demon has awakened!" Shanks's brow was furrowed, his entire body soaked by seawater. His expression was grim. "The world is about to face a great crisis! I've seen the future!"
"A demon?"
The cigarette at the corner of Beckman's mouth flickered as he spoke, his tone filled with doubt.
Beyond the New World, the islands of the East Blue were also experiencing earthquakes and tsunamis. In Cocoyasi Village, Genzo was organizing everyone on the high ground in the center of the village, where they would be least affected by the tsunami.
"Nojiko, are you alright?" Genzo asked with concern. Nojiko had a cut on her face from a fall, and it was bleeding steadily.
"I'm fine!" Nojiko replied, though she was still worried about her tangerine grove.
Near a deserted island on the Grand Line, Darola and his crew, flying a black dragon flag, were desperately steering their ship forward.
"Captain Darola, bad news! The bottom of the ship has hit a reef! There's a hole, and water is flooding the cabins!" a man with a scarred face and a bandana reported loudly.
"Ignore it for now! Our only goal is to reach that island!" Darola commanded with a wave of his hand.
He no longer resembled his former merchant-like self. He had become incredibly muscular, his upper body clad only in a black shirt that revealed a web of crisscrossing scars. With the crew's united effort, they finally managed to reach the deserted island just before their ship sank.
"Phew... We made it!"
"One step closer to seeing Captain Ryuuto!" Darola thought to himself as he looked at his exhausted crewmates.
In the Holy Land of Mary Geoise, Imu once again entered the Empty Throne room. Seated on the throne, Imu's figure was trembling faintly. Countless shadows swirled around them, letting out guttural roars.
"It has awakened."
Three simple words left Imu's lips, yet they carried an overwhelming sense of dread.
Returning to an hour earlier, after triggering this chain of events, Princess Shirahoshi had collapsed from exhaustion.
Strangely enough...
With Shirahoshi's collapse, the faint rumbling from the seabed quickly faded.
"Hah..." On the surface of the ocean, Crocus burst out from a massive wave, dragging Hancock with his right hand. As a Devil Fruit user, Hancock had quickly lost her strength and fallen unconscious after entering the water. She had not only failed to save Ryuuto but had nearly drowned herself. Fortunately, Crocus had followed her in time to pull her out.
Crocus handed Hancock over to Nami and Vivi before diving back into the sea to continue the search for Ryuuto.
Time slowly passed.
Crocus had already surfaced several times for air, but each time, he came up without any sign of Ryuuto.
Splash...
A short while later, Prince Fukaboshi also emerged from the water. He slowly shook his head, clearly having found nothing.
"I couldn't find him," Fukaboshi said disappointedly to the expectant faces around him. "But Father is still searching. He will definitely find him!" With that, he leaped onto Fish-Man Island, gathered the Royal Guards, and dove back into the sea. At this moment, finding Ryuuto was his greatest mission. They carried the hopes of all of Fish-Man Island, as well as Nami and the others.
Minute by minute, the monstrous waves began to shrink, and after three long hours, the sea finally became calm. Fish-Man Island stabilized, but its residents all stared out at the ocean's surface. From time to time, more fish-men would dive into the water to help with the search.
Again and again, fish-men would surface... but each time, they could only offer Hancock and Nami a shake of the head.
Meanwhile, in a trench deep on the seabed, an unconscious Ryuuto lay quietly. A trickle of blood had escaped the corner of his mouth; the pentagram formation had clearly inflicted severe damage.
Fortunately, the power of lightning still lingered around his body. The remaining golden sparks enveloped him completely, not only protecting him from deep-sea creatures but also providing him with oxygen to survive.
Not far away, Neptune was searching diligently.
ROAR!!
But before Neptune could reach the trench, a roar echoed through the water, and Mohmoo charged over.
Mohmoo was completely transformed. Its skin had turned entirely black, and upon closer inspection, one could see it was composed of intricate flame-like patterns. Black flame patterns. Its mouth had grown longer, resembling that of a dragon, and was filled with razor-sharp teeth. The two spiraling horns on its head had become thicker and sharper.
In addition to these changes, Mohmoo's front limbs had evolved into two powerful dragon claws.
If Mohmoo and Kaido stood side by side, it would be impossible to tell which one was the true user of the Zoan-type Fish-Fish Fruit, Model: Azure Dragon.
Mohmoo's body had also grown to an incredible 1000 meters in length.
ROAR!!
Mohmoo let out an anxious cry. It had found the invincible Ryuuto lying on the seabed, his life uncertain. This was unbearable. Mohmoo instantly rushed to Ryuuto's side, and with a powerful flick of its thick tail, it knocked Ryuuto's body into the water. Then, it surged forward, letting Ryuuto land squarely on its back.
With that done, Mohmoo immediately accelerated toward the surface.
On its way up, Neptune and the others saw Mohmoo and Ryuuto on its back. Relieved, they followed it toward the surface.
Mohmoo's speed was incredible. In just a few moments, it burst out of the ocean with Ryuuto.
ROAR!!
With a dragon's roar that shook the sky, Mohmoo's colossal form appeared before Hancock and Nami.
"Mohmoo? Is that... It's the captain on its back!!" Nami shouted with excitement, drawing the attention of everyone nearby.
Whoosh!!
Hancock moved even faster. Before Nami had even finished speaking, she was already on Mohmoo's back.
Miraculously, as soon as he was out of the water, the golden lightning around Ryuuto automatically receded, disappearing back into his body.
"Ryuuto, wake up!!" Hancock shook him, trying to rouse him. But Ryuuto's injuries were too severe, and he had completely exhausted his stamina. There was no way he would wake up so easily.
Seeing this, Hancock had no choice but to carry him back to Fish-Man Island. By now, Neptune and Prince Fukaboshi had also returned. They immediately gathered around, looking at Ryuuto with concern.
"Captain Ryuuto, please wake up!" Neptune and the surrounding fish-men called out to him.
"Hancock, let me have a look."
At a time like this, it was up to the Tenglong Pirates' doctor. Crocus gently pushed through the crowd, speaking as he knelt beside Ryuuto.
"Crocus, hurry, how is the captain?" Vivi asked anxiously.
"His injuries are severe, and his internal condition is very bad," Crocus said, his expression grave after a brief examination. "He will likely need a long time to recover."