"BOOM—!!!"
The heavy punch crashed down.
No tricks.
No techniques.
Just pure, overwhelming force.
That fist struck Luffy squarely on the head.
And at the same time—
Luffy's punch slammed directly into Blackbeard's face.
In that instant—
The ground within hundreds of meters collapsed inward.
A massive shockwave swept outward in a ring, erasing what little remained of the town.
Even the ruins—
Didn't survive.
They were shattered midair into the finest dust.
"AHHH—!!!"
At the far end of the street, Nami, Chopper, and Robin—
Even though they had retreated over a thousand meters—
Were still blown off their feet by the shockwave.
Wind mixed with sand and debris slammed into them like a barrage of bullets.
"Luffy—!!"
Chopper screamed in terror, clutching a broken flagpole as the wind howled.
His tears were instantly dried away.
At the center of the battlefield—
The dust cleared.
A gigantic crater—
Over a hundred meters wide—
Had formed.
Several meters deep.
The soil at its edges had even turned glass-like from the intense heat and friction.
And Luffy—
Like a burned-out meteor—
Had been smashed into the very bottom.
Buried.
Gone from sight.
"Ha… ha…"
Blackbeard stood at the edge of the crater.
His massive body rose and fell heavily.
A trace of blood trickled from his mouth.
That punch—
Though he had the upper hand—
Still carried the backlash of Luffy's Haki.
"Zehahahaha… this is what happens… when you provoke me!"
His eyes gleamed with twisted satisfaction.
"No matter how strong your body is—once your ability is nullified by the Dark-Dark Fruit, taking that punch from me… there's no way you're getting back up!"
"…Luffy… he'll be okay, right?"
Sanji stood beside Ronan.
For once, his usually steady hands trembled slightly.
The cigarette in his mouth had long gone out.
That punch—
Had made him clearly realize just how terrifying Blackbeard was.
"Relax."
Ronan's voice remained calm.
"Luffy right now… has achieved the Vajra Indestructible Body."
"Inner energy cultivation isn't like Devil Fruit abilities."
"The Vajra state is a complete reconstruction and elevation of the body itself."
"The Dark-Dark Fruit can strip away his rubber properties…"
"But it cannot take away the body he forged over months of brutal training and medicinal tempering."
"Every inch of that body…"
"…was built with his own blood and life force."
"And that's something no one can take from him."
Ronan then glanced toward the distance—
At Usopp, still facing off against Van Augur.
"Sanji, go support Usopp. Step in if necessary."
Sanji nodded, his gaze sharpening again.
"Leave it to me. I've had enough of that gun bastard."
In the next instant—
He vanished like a streak of fire.
Ronan turned to Zoro.
Zoro's aura had already reached its peak.
His hand gripped Sandai Kitetsu tightly.
The battle intent in his eyes was almost tangible.
"Zoro."
"It's our turn."
Ronan lifted his spear, stepping over the rubble with crisp sounds.
"Luffy already tested him for us."
"Now let's see for ourselves… what this 'Logia Dark-Dark Fruit' user is really made of."
Zoro flicked his blade, a cold arc flashing.
A wild grin spread across his face.
"Just what I wanted."
"I don't like ganging up on people…"
"But that bastard's stench…"
"Really makes me want to cut him a few more times."
He paused slightly.
"Though I wonder… will that stubborn idiot Luffy even let us take his opponent?"
Before the words even settled—
A thunderous sound erupted from the depths of the crater.
"BOOM—!!!"
Luffy shot up from underground—
Then slammed down onto the ruins opposite Blackbeard.
The dust cleared.
His figure—
Now back to his normal two-meter height—
Reappeared.
He had exited Gear Second.
"Ow, ow, ow, ow…"
Luffy grimaced, clutching his forehead where Blackbeard had hit him.
"That fat bastard… that really hurt! My head's gonna swell up!"
Blackbeard's smile froze.
Then—
It twisted into something almost absurd.
His eyes widened in disbelief.
He even took a step back.
"How… how is this possible?!"
He pointed at Luffy, his voice rising uncontrollably.
"I grabbed you with Black Hole!"
"At that moment, your Devil Fruit power should've been completely sealed!"
"That punch—coated in full-power Armament Haki—should've crushed even a Sea King!"
"How are you standing there like nothing happened?!"
As Blackbeard roared in confusion—
Ronan landed steadily at the edge of the crater.
"How is it impossible?"
He glanced at Luffy, who was still rubbing his head, his tone calm.
"Blackbeard… your understanding of 'power' is too narrow."
"Luffy right now…"
"…is a Vajra Indestructible Rubber Man."
"What nonsense!!"
Blackbeard roared like a trapped beast.
His tooth-missing grin twisted grotesquely.
That failed punch—
Had shattered his arrogance.
"I don't care who you are… or what kind of freak power this is!"
"Today—everything will be devoured by my darkness!!"
He completely lost control.
Throwing his arms wide—
Laughing madly—
His hair whipping like snakes in the storm.
"Gurgle… gurgle…"
A black tide—
Thick like tar—
Spread from beneath his feet.
That wasn't shadow.
That was pure nothingness.
Darkness—
Like a starving ancient beast—
Swallowed everything.
Rubble.
Ruins.
Even the light itself.
The sky dimmed.
Not like sunset—
But as if true darkness—
Had descended.
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