"Monster!"
Garp's eyes widened as he stared at the sky. The meteorite descending from above was beyond comprehension. Even from the ground, its sheer size radiated dread. Could something like this really be summoned by Vane?
How terrifying was this man's power?
"The power of despair…" Tsuru muttered with a heavy heart. They had barely managed to stall the monstrous heretic Golem, yet this—this was something else entirely.
No amount of calm could withstand the sight of that falling mass.
Only a handful of top-level fighters remained standing—Sengoku, Kong, Im's elite guards, and the last of the Five Elders. And none of them looked composed.
Above them, Im raised both hands toward the meteorite. Flames had begun licking around its edges, and steam hissed from its base. Red clouds boiled violently in the sky, surging around the meteorite like a furious sea. From those clouds extended ten colossal arms—giant constructs of cloud and Haki—grasping for the falling meteor.
Im had no choice. If she didn't stop it here, Mariejois, her throne, her so-called paradise, would be annihilated.
"Kaido, we're leaving," came Vane's voice from behind the Emperor.
Akainu was on one knee, his forehead dripping blood from Kaido's brutal strike moments earlier. He looked dazed—his body durable, but not unbreakable.
Even after clashing with Kaido, Akainu couldn't suppress him. Kaido had barely broken a sweat.
"Vane, you bastard!" Akainu growled as he saw Vane approaching.
"I'm not done yet!" Kaido roared.
"You want more fun? Watch the sky," Vane said as he dashed forward, closing the distance between himself and Akainu in an instant.
"It's just a defeated Admiral, Sakazuki. Barking like a mad dog doesn't suit you."
Before Akainu could respond, Vane drove a solid punch into his stomach.
This was no casual blow. It was raw, brutal strength—enhanced with Armament Haki. Already weakened from the earlier brawl, Akainu was sent flying without resistance. He crashed into the gates of Mariejois, reducing them to rubble. A falling support pillar followed, smashing down atop him.
"Kaido! We'll come again. That woman's on a different level."
In the sky, Im still held the meteorite suspended—but even now, it was clear how much strain it caused. Holding it was one thing; destroying a five-kilometer-wide rock? That was another matter entirely.
"She's the master of an ancient weapon… I get the feeling we've only seen a fraction of her true power," Vane muttered.
Kaido had shifted into his massive azure dragon form. Vane leapt onto his head without hesitation.
"Let's retreat for now. One of the Five Elders is down, four remain. Add Im's personal guards, some hidden monsters we haven't seen yet, and the full force of the Navy... too many. Just us two won't be enough."
"Right," Kaido grunted. "Not yet."
As Kaido soared past 500 meters in altitude, Vane looked down.
Half of Mariejois was in ruins.
From above, the destruction was obvious. Entire zones had collapsed. Near the center, the massive Kyūbi rampaged—firing tailed beast bombs like they were nothing. The heretic demon had yet to be brought down, and even Sengoku and the others struggled to contain it.
"Fire and meteor!" came a rage-filled cry.
Akainu had emerged again—bloodied, furious.
He raised both arms, lava pouring from his fists like erupting volcanoes. He hurled massive molten strikes toward the sky, aimed at Kaido.
Kaido responded immediately, opening his jaw and releasing four enormous lava-like blasts, mimicking Akainu's technique—but even larger.
The resulting clash was brief.
Kaido's projectile crushed Akainu's attack, pressing down like a mountain. It exploded on contact.
"Kid," Kaido sneered. To someone like him, Akainu was just another brat trying to act tough.
He rose even higher, leaving the battlefield behind.
Vane's eyes scanned Mariejois again.
Countless bodies lay scattered. Curiously, few belonged to Marines. The vast majority… were slaves.
Some were Celestial Dragons—those who hadn't fled in time.
"It's impossible to leave without casualties," Vane murmured. "And not everyone gets a chance to escape."
"Kaido, head that way."
He pointed east, where a massive group of slaves—bound, bruised, hopeless—were being herded by the Navy.
"You want to save them?" Kaido asked, clearly unimpressed.
"Yeah."
His tone was level. Calm.
Once, Vane had lived at the very bottom of the world. He knew what it meant to suffer. And while he wasn't a saint, he wasn't without empathy.
He didn't expect those slaves to be saints either.
But even if they were pirates or criminals—it didn't matter.
Many of them were just children, civilians, or the innocent victims of the World Government's insatiable greed. Real pirates often ended up in Impel Down. But slaves? They were anyone and everyone the Celestial Dragons fancied.
In this world, human trafficking wasn't just common—it was thriving.
There were profits to be made. Enough that people willingly discarded their humanity for it.
What's a conscience when Berries are involved?
To many… nothing at all.
___
Milestones
100 Power stones = 1 Bonus Chapter
200 Power stones = 3 Bonus Chapters
___
My patreon link : patreon.com/Zphyr_
Support me, thank you.