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The light curtain scene continued to rapidly switch between several battlefields, vividly displaying the chaos and ferocity of this "Pirate Fest."
On the ground battlefield, Admiral Fujitora had personally arrived!
The duel between Zoro and Fujitora had already transcended the realm of ordinary swordsmen.
Though Fujitora's eyes remained tightly closed, his Observation Haki had been cultivated to the pinnacle. Paired with that seemingly ordinary staff-sword, every swing carried the weight of a thousand tons, as if it could tear the earth apart.
Zoro's three blades danced under the immense pressure, constantly seeking openings where Fujitora's swordsmanship and ability combined. The battle was exceptionally intense and deadlocked.
Suddenly, Fujitora slightly raised his head as if "looking" toward the sky. He sheathed his staff-sword, then abruptly swung it upward!
"Gravity Blade: Fierce Tiger!"
An invisible, terrifying gravitational field shot straight into the clouds!
Immediately after, under countless horrified gazes, a massive meteor engulfed in roaring flames—its size comparable to a small island—came crashing down toward the battlefield below!
Even before the meteor arrived, the destructive pressure and scorching heat had already chilled everyone's hearts to the bone!
"This guy… is he a monster?!"
Even Bartolomeo's barriers seemed somewhat pale in comparison.
"Nine Mountains and Eight Seas form one world!"
"Gather a thousand realms into a small thousand worlds; the three vehicles connect, nothing cannot be cut!"
"Three Sword Style: Secret Technique: One Great: Three Thousand: Great Thousand: World!!!"
At the critical moment, Zoro's eyes erupted with resolute light!
He poured every ounce of his Haki and sword intent into his three blades. His body transformed into a green streak that tore through the heavens, charging upward against the meteor's descending trajectory with unyielding determination!
"Slash!!!"
A brilliantly radiant, circular slash flashed through the air!
That enormous meteor was actually cleaved clean in half by Zoro's all-out secret technique! The cut was mirror-smooth!
However, the bisected meteor did not vanish. Still carrying tremendous kinetic energy and shattered flames, it broke into countless fragments of varying sizes, raining down like a meteor shower!
In particular, several of the largest pieces were heading straight toward the area where the Straw Hat crew and many pirates were gathered!
"Not good!" Zoro, exhausted, was falling and could no longer stop them.
At this life-or-death moment, a cold, aloof slash imbued with supreme sharpness—like moonlight slicing through the night—suddenly erupted from a lone small raft far out at sea!
The slash was not particularly grand, but it was precise and condensed to the extreme, carrying the will to "cut through anything"!
It arrived first despite moving second, streaking through the air. Wherever it passed, those meteor fragments—capable of massive destruction—were sliced like tofu under the sharpest scalpel!
They instantly turned into even finer, harmless dust that scattered with the wind!
The one who acted was none other than the "World's Strongest Swordsman," "Hawk-Eyes" Dracule Mihawk!
He remained as unruffled as ever, simply sheathing Black Blade: Yoru, as though he had merely casually brushed off a speck of dust.
His appearance served as a silent declaration—this chaos had even drawn in one of the top Warlords of the Sea.
On the other side, Sanji's decision!
Taking advantage of the brief window while Zoro held off Fujitora and Hawk-Eyes resolved the crisis, Sanji, Robin, and the others pieced together the full picture of the incident from Bartolomeo and Robin's intelligence.
Sanji took a deep drag from his cigarette, slowly exhaling. His gaze turned exceptionally sharp and calm.
With Luffy and Zoro absent, as one of the Straw Hat crew's core combatants and strategists, he had to shoulder the burden of command.
"Listen up,"
Sanji's voice was steady: "Chopper, Brook—you two find a way back up immediately. Locate Luffy, tell him everything that's happened here, and… about the gathering."
"Yes, Sanji!"
Chopper immediately shifted forms, preparing to climb or search for a path.
Brook nodded as well: "Yohohoho, leave it to us!"
"Robin, you're with me."
Sanji's deployment was clear and decisive, showcasing his reliability and leadership in critical moments.
Even in the most chaotic situation, the Straw Hat crew could still divide tasks and fulfill their roles seamlessly.
Main battlefield: Bullet's domination and Luffy's eruption!
The view shifted back to the main battlefield between Bullet and the Supernovas.
The situation remained one-sided domination.
Kid, Law, Hawkins, Drake, Apoo, Bonney… every top figure of the Worst Generation was already covered in wounds, gasping for breath. Some had even collapsed from exhaustion, no longer able to fight.
Their attacks—whether Devil Fruit powers or Haki-infused slashes—felt like mere tickles to Bullet.
"Madman… this guy is a complete and utter madman!"
Kid knelt on one knee, multiple fractures across his body. Looking at Bullet still standing like a demon god with barely diminished aura, he gritted his teeth and growled.
He had never encountered such a despair-inducing gap in strength.
Bullet surveyed the "hopes of the new era" lying scattered across the ground. A cold curve tugged at his lips as he declared: "See that? This is… the absolute strength that surpasses everything—the strength one must possess if they dare to dream of becoming 'Pirate King'!"
Those words struck like the final straw, deeply piercing a certain figure who had been curled up in the rubble, quietly gathering his last reserves of power.
"Pirate King… absolute strength…"
The rubble exploded! Amid the dust, a blood-soaked figure rose slowly, radiating an aura far more violent and condensed than before.
It was Monkey D. Luffy!
His eyes were bloodshot, blood still dripping from his mouth, but the flames in his gaze burned more fiercely than ever!
"Since you… also aim to become Pirate King…"
Luffy's voice was hoarse yet carried an unquestionable resolve. He took a deep breath; inside his body, it was as if a steam engine began roaring!
"Then I… absolutely cannot lose to you!!!"
"Gear Fourth: Snake Man!!!"
"Shhh!!"
A massive surge of white steam erupted from every pore across Luffy's body!
His physique did not balloon excessively like Boundman; instead, it became leaner, more slender. His skin took on a dark red hue, covered in snake-scale-like patterns of Armament Haki!
Most striking were his arms and neck, wrapped in python-like, high-speed rotating flows of Haki, making his attack trajectories extremely unpredictable!
"Oh?"
For the first time, Bullet showed a hint of genuine seriousness. He raised an eyebrow: "Pushing full Haki and Devil Fruit power to this level… interesting.
But this state won't last long, will it?"
Bullet instantly saw through the enormous stamina and Haki drain of Gear Fourth Snake Man—it was a life-risking burst form.
Even so, the battle intent in his eyes flared brighter. An opponent like this deserved him taking things a bit more seriously!
"Cut the crap! Rubber Rubber… King Cobra!!!"
Luffy wasted no words. The extreme speed and bizarre attack style granted by Snake Man activated instantly!
His fist did not strike in a straight line but twisted like a striking viper, tracing completely unpredictable curved paths through the air. From an utterly inconceivable angle, it suddenly smashed toward Bullet's face!
Faster than Gear Second, more variable than Gear Third, and with undiminished power!
"Bang!"
This time, Bullet actually failed to fully evade!
Or rather, he had underestimated the sheer unpredictability and suddenness of Snake Man's attacks!
He raised his hand to block; the fist grazed his arm, sparking and bringing a slight sting!
Though it caused no real damage, it was the first attack since the fight began that had truly "reached" him!
"What?!"
Kid and the others widened their eyes. The changes and pressure brought by Luffy's new form far exceeded their previous understanding.
"Interesting!"
Bullet laughed instead of getting angry and stepped forward to meet him. "Then let me have some real fun!"
The two figures once again blurred into streaks of light clashing together!
This time, the intensity of the battle surged dramatically! Luffy's Snake Man attacks were elusive and ghostly—appearing one moment, vanishing the next. Combined with high-speed movement and prediction, he actually managed to trade blows evenly with Bullet for a time!
He even occasionally forced Bullet into brief moments of disarray, requiring him to respond more seriously!
And in God Valley, the surprise and teasing began…
"Hey, Garp!"
Sengoku pointed at the dark-red Haki-wreathed, sharp-eyed Luffy on the light curtain, turning to Garp with astonishment: "Look quick! Your grandson right now… looks exactly like that kid Dragon!"
At Sengoku's reminder, Zephyr and Tsuru also looked closely and couldn't help nodding.
"Really does!"
Staff Officer Tsuru smiled: "I never noticed it usually, but in this form—that stubborn look in his eyes and that aura—it's like they were carved from the same mold."
Zephyr stroked his chin: "Especially that all-or-nothing drive to see his beliefs through to the end… like father, like son."
No kidding!
In his normal state, Luffy's bright smile and carefree personality resembled Garp more.
But when entering Gear Fourth Snake Man's extreme combat state—that resolute brow, the sharp and stubborn gaze, and the powerful oppressive aura bursting from silence!
He bore an astonishing resemblance to his father, Monkey D. Dragon—the future leader of the Revolutionary Army, always shrouded in mystery and authority!
"Hahahahaha!"
Hearing his old friend's teasing, Garp didn't feel the least bit offended. Instead, he laughed heartily, slapping his thigh proudly:
"Isn't that obvious… Dragon's my son, Luffy's my grandson! Who else would he take after?!
Look! How strong my grandson is! He's even temporarily suppressing that Bullet guy! As expected of my grandson!"
Garp laughed joyfully, eyes brimming with pride, seemingly forgetting entirely that Luffy was a "pirate" and ignoring the grim faces of the Five Elders opposite him.
To him, what mattered most was the strength and tenacity his grandson displayed.
In the light curtain above, the fierce battle between Snake Man Luffy and the monstrous Bullet continued, with the outcome still far from decided.
"But this straw hat kid's form is surprisingly impressive. The combination of Haki and Devil Fruit power is quite eye-opening, though there are still far too many flaws!"
Zephyr, as an Armament Haki expert, instantly saw through the secrets of Luffy's Gear Fourth—the fusion of Haki and ability truly enhanced strength,
but the drawbacks had also increased!
"Still, for the kid to reach this level in just two years—he's definitely a genius!"
At that moment, a voice from the pirate side picked up on Zephyr's words. The speaker was none other than Silvers Rayleigh—Luffy's future master.
Seeing Luffy wield Haki so masterfully, Rayleigh genuinely felt happy at this moment!
However, unlike them, when the Five Elders saw Luffy in Snake Man form and the steam swirling around his hands, all of their faces turned icy cold!
It was as though they had recalled something ominous!
...