A black-red meteor tore across the sky.
Wherever it passed, the clouds were violently ripped apart, leaving a gap dozens of meters wide.
It was the figure of a person.
Marine Admiral "Qiongqi"—Kleist.
Kleist looked down at the sea below.
Target confirmed: Celestial Dragon Battleship "Divine Right."
He took a deep breath.
Adjusting his posture during the high-speed dive, he retracted his wings, transforming his entire body into a more condensed black-red streak.
The Great Grade Sword at his waist was the first to leave its sheath.
"Storm Nebula Split—!!"
With this fierce shout, violent air currents erupted around him. Black-red flames wrapped around sharp Sword Qi, forming a spiraling conical storm descending downward.
The target was Raiver Sky inside the ship's cabin.
Kleist's Observation Haki had already locked onto him!
In the luxurious lounge on the top floor of the giant battleship.
Raiver Sky stood up, hand on his sword.
The moment Kleist entered his Space Perception range, he had sensed it...
That violent, fierce, ancient beast-like aura.
"Marine Admiral 'Qiongqi'—Kleist."
Raiver knew quite a bit about this man.
The Rocks Pirates had detailed intelligence files on high-ranking Marines, with a lengthy section dedicated to Kleist.
The title "Qiongqi" originated from his Devil Fruit Ability—Zoan-type Mythical Beast Qiongqi Form.
But Kleist's strength went far beyond just his Devil Fruit Ability.
He was a Great Swordsman and a Martial Arts Master.
His Haki prowess was remarkable, especially excelling in Armament Haki Emission (Ryou) and Internal Destruction.
More importantly—Kleist's combat style was extremely brutal.
"Ding! Temporary Mission: Clash with a Marine Admiral!"
"Mission Content: Marine Admiral Qiongqi—Kleist has arrived. Engage him in direct combat!"
"Mission Reward: Top-tier Armament Haki!"
"Perfect."
Raiver Sky smirked coldly, gripping the Supreme Grade Sharp Blade "Black Dragon" at his waist, his fighting spirit soaring!
In a flicker, Raiver vanished from his spot.
The next second, he appeared 200 meters above the "Divine Right," directly facing the diving Kleist.
Their gazes collided in mid-air.
A flicker of surprise passed through Kleist's eyes.
He hadn't expected Raiver Sky to choose a head-on confrontation, nor had he anticipated the opponent pinpointing his attack trajectory so accurately.
But that surprise vanished in an instant, replaced by an even more intense fighting spirit.
Good.
This made things interesting.
"Clang—!!!!!"
The two blades clashed fiercely.
The moment Raiver's "Black Dragon" met Kleist's Great Grade Sword, time seemed to freeze for an instant.
Then, an explosion.
A thunderous roar.
The sound spread outward in visible ring-shaped sound waves. Wherever they passed, the sea surface was pressed into depressions, and the air twisted and deformed.
Sparks of Sword Qi scattered like shattered stars.
Each strand of Sword Qi contained enough sharpness to cut through steel.
They shot out in all directions, falling into the sea and blasting up water columns dozens of meters high.
Slicing through the sky, they shredded the clouds into fragments.
A chilling Sword Intent swept across the entire sea area like a storm.
Within a radius of several kilometers, all living beings instinctively felt fear.
Fish frantically dove deeper, while seabirds scattered in panic.
The moment the two terrifying auras clashed, the sea surface below collapsed with a thunderous roar.
Centered directly beneath the two combatants, a circular area of ocean over five hundred meters in diameter instantly sank dozens of meters, forming a massive bowl-shaped depression.
Waves battered against the Divine Right as the giant battleship rocked violently like a toy. Had it not been for its special stabilization devices, it would have already capsized.
Raiver Sky pressed his left hand downward—Space Barrier!
Hum—
A massive translucent spherical barrier not only enveloped and protected the Divine Right but also lifted it into the air.
He did this partly to shield the battleship from the shockwaves of the impending battle.
On the other hand, it was to prevent Kleist from suddenly charging into the giant ship and abducting the two Celestial Dragons.
In fact, just two minutes earlier, Kleist had received a top-secret order from the Five Elders:
If rescuing the two Celestial Dragons proved impossible, execute them on the spot.
They absolutely must not fall into the hands of the Rocks Pirates—otherwise, it would inevitably trigger world-shaking repercussions.
The Five Elders had already seen through the Rocks Pirates'... next move in kidnapping the Celestial Dragons.
Kleist's wings beat slowly, each flap generating powerful gusts of wind.
"Pirate Raiver Sky! Today, you have nowhere left to run," Kleist's voice was low. "Come with me to Impel Down and repent for the rest of your life."
During their brief exchange moments earlier, he had sensed that his opponent's strength might not be inferior to his own.
Especially the sharpness of his Sword Intent and slashes—they were even slightly keener than his own.
This stirred waves of astonishment in Kleist's heart.
He had been a Great Swordsman for thirty years.
Throughout the entire Navy, the only one who could rival him in swordsmanship was "Zhu Yan" Li Wusi, also a Great Swordsman.
But now, a young man who appeared to be just over twenty years old was actually surpassing him in swordsmanship?
Incredible.
Though they were mortal enemies, this young man before him had already attained such power.
If allowed to grow, he would inevitably become a threat even more dangerous than Rocks in the future!
This youth must not be allowed to live.
"Arrest me?" Raiver Sky chuckled lightly. "Then try."
He wasn't looking down on his opponent but was acting out of absolute confidence in his own strength.
Raiver Sky kicked off the air, his figure bursting forward.
The muscles in his legs contracted to their limit in an instant, then released like springs, creating visible ripples in the air beneath his feet.
His Supreme Grade Sharp Blade "Black Dragon" swept down through the air!
"Black Dragon Emerges from the Sea—!!"
Raiver Sky shouted in a low voice.
Before the words faded, a massive dragon head phantom materialized before the blade!
The dragon head was lifelike, with dark red flames burning in its eyes and dragon whiskers flowing in the air currents.
The Black Dragon opened its ferocious maw.
"ROAR—!!!"
The roar shook the seas and skies.
The dragon head phantom carried terrifying pressure as it tore through the air toward Kleist!
"Hmph."
Kleist snorted coldly, his eyes showing no retreat.
"Boy, today I'll make you understand what constitutes the Navy's highest combat power."
As he spoke, the aura around Kleist exploded violently!
His muscles bulged, veins protruding like coiling dragons, while cracking sounds emanated from his bones.
His power surged exponentially!
He gripped his sword with both hands.
Slash!
The slash transformed mid-air into the phantom of an extremely ferocious mythical beast—Qiongqi!
The beast's eyes were blood-red, its body wreathed in black and red flames.
It opened its bloody maw and charged headlong toward the dragon head!
Dragon and beast collided with tremendous force!
"BOOM—!!!"
The shockwaves from the collision erupted and swept outward like a hurricane.
Visible ring-shaped shockwaves radiated wildly from the point of impact, spreading in all directions.
Wherever the shockwaves passed, the sea surface was forcibly plowed open, massive waves were flattened, forming a temporary vacuum zone.
"The Marine Admiral lives up to his reputation."
"But this level... isn't enough."
Raiver Sky slowly spoke.
His tone carried both admiration and provocation.
"Hmph."
Kleist's gaze turned sharp, completely unmoved by the provocation.
"That was merely a warm-up." His wings flapped slowly as he stabilized his position in the air, "The real battle—begins now!"