The tranquility of the White-White Sea was completely shattered.
The once holy and weightless Angel Island had become an execution ground ravaged by lightning.
Above the heavens, the Ark Maxim loomed like a greedy golden beast, spewing out thick, pitch-black clouds of despair.
Those clouds churned and gathered, blotting out the sunlight. More than that, they acted like a massive battery, frantically absorbing electrical charge from the atmosphere.
"BOOOOM—!!!"
A pillar of lightning, thick as a tree trunk, tore through the sky and vaporized an intricately crafted cloud structure in an instant.
The so-called "processed clouds," once thought durable, melted like snow under the scorching sun when faced with divine lightning.
Screams, cries, and thunder intertwined.
The air was filled with the sharp scent of ozone and the stench of burning.
"Ronan, Zoro, Sanji! Stop the lightning—save as many people as you can!"
Luffy stood at the edge of the collapsing dock, gripping his straw hat so tightly his fingers turned pale.
His expression had never been this serious.
His voice carried unquestionable authority.
"Usopp, Nami, Chopper, Robin—rescue the injured!"
Then Luffy looked up.
At the golden ark hidden within the clouds.
The ground beneath his feet shattered.
"I'm going to bring that ship down!!"
Before the words even finished—
He was gone.
A red streak tore across the sky.
Driven by explosive inner energy—
Luffy skimmed over the cloud sea, leaving a long white trail as he shot straight toward Upper Yard—Apayado.
As Luffy disappeared into the distance—
Ronan and the others moved instantly.
Angel Island's main street had fallen into chaos.
Terrified people ran blindly, dragging their families through a storm of descending lightning.
"Father, hurry!"
In a corner of the street, Conis pulled desperately at her elderly father, Pagaya.
But above them—
A black thundercloud had already locked onto them.
Enel's Mantra was claiming lives.
"BOOOOM—!!!"
A thicker, brighter bolt of lightning roared down.
The speed distorted the air itself.
Conis could feel the sting of static against her skin.
She shut her eyes in despair—
Clutching her father tightly.
But—
The destruction never came.
Slowly, trembling—
She opened her eyes.
A tall figure stood before them.
Like an immovable tower.
Ronan.
He lowered his stance, rooted like iron.
"Xingyi—Crushing Spear!"
With a thunderous shout—
Vajra Inner Energy surged through his arms into the spear.
The dark shaft shimmered with a faint golden glow.
He thrust upward.
A violent shockwave burst from the spear tip—
Colliding head-on with the descending lightning.
Pure force.
Compressed energy.
Driven by overwhelming strength—
The lightning—
Was torn apart.
Shattered.
Reduced to harmless sparks that scattered into the air.
"Thank you… sir…"
"Thank you for saving us…"
"My name is Conis…"
She stared at Ronan in shock, her voice trembling.
"Conis, right? No time to explain."
Ronan stood upright, his gaze sweeping the chaos around him.
"Take your father."
"Gather everyone to this plaza—now."
"I can block lightning in a limited area."
"If people scatter, I can't protect them!"
Conis snapped out of it and nodded hard.
She understood.
This man—
Was their only chance.
"Everyone! Over here! To the plaza!"
Under the desperate cries of Conis and Pagaya—
The panicked Skypieans began to gather.
Ronan stood at the center of the plaza.
Observation Haki fully unleashed.
He sensed every violent pulse of the thunderclouds above.
"BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!"
Lightning rained down relentlessly.
Each strike capable of leveling a mansion.
Ronan moved like a phantom.
Each sweep of his spear—
Each strike—
Was accompanied by a deep explosion of inner force.
Every bolt—
Intercepted.
Destroyed midair.
A sanctuary—
Carved out beneath the storm.
Soon—
A loud commotion came from the far side of the plaza.
"Move! Get inside!"
"As long as you're here, you won't die!!"
Sanji burst in—
Covered in dust.
His legs burned with heat from high-speed movement.
Behind him—
A large group of rescued civilians followed.
"Sanji, nice work!"
Ronan shattered another bolt and called out.
"Ronan, this place is reaching capacity!"
Sanji stopped, lighting a cigarette, breathing heavily.
Nearby—
Chopper, with Nami assisting, treated the wounded using emergency supplies.
The scene was chaotic—
But within Ronan's lightning-free zone—
Stability had returned.
Ronan scanned the crowd.
Then frowned.
"Sanji… where's Zoro?"
"Wasn't he with you?"
Sanji exhaled slowly.
His expression turned… complicated.
"We split up for less than three minutes…"
"And I lost him."
He rubbed his forehead.
"When I last saw him, he said he was going to cut down that golden ship…"
"Then he turned around…"
"And ran in the opposite direction. Toward the southern coast."
Ronan's grip tightened.
A vein popped on his forehead.
"That idiot… can he really get lost at a time like this?!"
"Right now he's probably yelling at some crooked tree asking where he is."
Sanji sighed.
"Forget it."
"We hold this place."
"Until Luffy brings down that lightning freak."
Above—
The Ark Maxim hummed ominously.
Even larger storm clouds gathered over Upper Yard.
Ronan stood firm, spear in hand.
His gaze fixed on the distant jungle.
There—
Luffy's presence—
Was rising.
Violently.
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