"Yes, Vice Admiral!"
The elite marines of Headquarters roared in unison, their voices rolling like thunder, echoing across the entire shore.
The murderous atmosphere made the pirates' faces turn deathly pale in an instant.
Boom!
A boulder shattered as Sofia flew out of the dust and smoke. Clutching the wound on her shoulder, she glared at Nao, her eyes full of fury and disbelief as she roared:
"Are you insane?! Bastard! I signed the Warlord of the Sea treaty with the World Government—how dare you lay hands on me? Aren't you afraid your masters will find out and make you pay for this?"
Nao looked at her curiously, then gave a gentle smile.
"Thanks for your concern, but…"
"I don't believe they'll ever find out."
Huh?
What did that mean?
Sofia froze, then suddenly recalled what Nao had said earlier. Her pupils constricted sharply, and her expression changed dramatically—This guy was actually serious? He intended to silence everyone, including herself?
How could such a person exist… striking with cruelty and ruthlessness to such an extent. Could this still even be called a Marine?!
Even she, after being humiliated by the G-5 branch, hadn't gone so far as to kill that Vice Admiral Molly!
But she had no time to dwell on it. At that moment, the Marines below had already charged in with furious shouts, beginning their slaughter. Her pirates instantly fell into a dire disadvantage.
Up above, Nao expressionlessly raised his finger once more.
Buzz!
The air around his fingertip suddenly trembled. Brilliant azure arcs of lightning roared forth like a dragon of thunder, surging straight toward her.
"Again?"
Feeling the terrifying destructive power within that thunder, Sofia dared not be careless. She clenched her teeth, crossed her arms before her chest, and poured all her strength into unleashing her strongest defensive skill.
"Bubble: Endless Barrier!"
Sizzle—!
Steam rose in torrents. Light and shadow flashed rapidly before her eyes as, in an instant, countless bubbles intertwined and condensed into a massive protective barrier—layer upon layer, like an impenetrable crystal wall of transparent glass.
Crackle!
Lightning collided with the bubble-wall, deafening explosions ringing out again and again. The outer layers corroded under the electric onslaught, but with Sofia's control, new bubbles constantly grew to patch the gaps.
For a moment, the clash was at a stalemate.
"So you blocked it? Interesting ability…"
Nao's eyes glimmered as he studied the crystalline barrier, his tone utterly unconcerned.
"Then what if I add just a little more power…"
Buzz!
The lightning from his fingertip abruptly thickened. Its former pale blue glow deepened, turning into a dense, solid purple light.
Compared to before, the destructive power had more than doubled.
Sofia felt a terrifying, mountain-flood-like force crashing towards her, making it hard to breathe, as if she were suffocating. She simply lacked the strength to maintain the bubble wall any longer.
Boom!
With a resounding crash, her shield shattered. Sofia spat a mouthful of blood, her body blasted into the ground by the lightning. Struggling to rise, she stared up at the figure wreathed in thunder, eyes full of disbelief.
How could this be?!
This was her strongest defense. Since entering the New World, it had tormented countless pirates with bounties in the hundreds of millions, none of whom could even scratch it.
Yet this man had broken it with a casual flick of his finger—without even seeming to try.
"Stop looking down on me, damn bastard…"
Sofia spat out two bloodied teeth. Her face twisted into a demonic snarl as she suddenly shot skyward again. With a guttural, feral roar, endless bubbles gushed from her body.
"Heeheehee! Don't think something like that is enough to defeat me!"
Thick layers of Armament Haki coiled around the bubbles. At once, the same chilling sight appeared again—the clouds darkened, and beneath them a massive black hand of dread slowly condensed into being.
The G-5 Marines, who were fighting alongside the Headquarters elites, noticed the sudden change in the sky. Their faces paled. The Rear Admiral adjutant's pupils shrank as he looked up and shouted in alarm:
"Careful, Mr. Nao! That's her trump card! Vice Admiral Molly was defeated by this very move!"
Are you only warning me now?
It's too late!
Sofia controlled the massive black arm, clenching it into a fist and smashing it down at Nao below. Seeing that he made no move to dodge, still standing calmly in midair, her eyes gleamed with joy.
This Hand of the Gods contained her full power—its destructive might was an entire level greater than when she'd struck at Molly earlier! If he didn't evade in time…
Even if he survived, he would at least be gravely wounded. She could seize the chance to rally a counterattack and slowly turn the tide back in her favor!
Boom!
With a heavy crash, the massive black fist slammed directly onto Nao's head.
And then—
The smile that had just begun to curve Sofia's lips froze in place. The savage defiance in her eyes drained away, replaced by shock, disbelief, and even a touch of confusion.
Because—
At this very moment, Nao, who had taken the strike square on, still floated steadily in midair. He hadn't even swayed, as if nothing had happened at all.
Instead, cracks began to spread across the surface of the massive black hand, splintering quickly like fractured porcelain.
Moments later, before countless stunned eyes, the entire arm shattered with a loud crack, dissolving into drifting bubbles scattered on the wind.
"Was that supposed to be a massage, Auntie Sofia?"
Looking down at the speechless woman below, Nao sighed.
"Unfortunately, the strength isn't quite enough. I think... let me show you how it's done instead..."
Before his words even fell—
Rumble!
Thunder roared across the heavens.
Before the horrified gazes of countless pirates, the black clouds split apart. From within them emerged a vast hand of lightning, glowing with pure azure, its fingers curling into a fist as it smashed downward!
Boom!
Everywhere it passed, endless arcs of lightning spread, and the air itself vibrated and roared. Sofia screamed, her body instantly dispersing into bubbles as she fled desperately toward the forest.
But against lightning, her speed was laughably slow.
BOOM!
A tremendous explosive sound resounded through the night sky. In that instant, not only the distant forest, but also most of the shore shook violently, as if the end of the world had arrived.
Countless birds startled from the forest, but before they could fly high, they fell like raindrops amidst the terrifying shockwave stirred up by the lightning, crying out as they plummeted to the ground.
At the very center of the impact—
The giant hand of lightning seized Sofia, its crackling lightning forcing her back into human form.
"No—no, please!"
"Spare me, Lord Nao!!"
She shrieked and struggled in terror, but it was useless. Her body was crushed tighter and tighter, blood streaming from her eyes, ears, nose, and mouth…
Until at last—
Pop!
Like the biggest and most dazzling bubble bursting at sunset, Sofia's body exploded, scattering into a rain of blood that mingled with the flashing arcs of lightning, raining down over the forest.