In the dead of night, the lookouts at the Town entrance had long since grown lax and fallen asleep.
"…"
The pale figure advanced slowly toward the Town. Just as he was about to step inside, a crisp, rhythmic sound echoed from the darkness ahead.
Thump, thump, thump…
The tapping grew closer, steady and deliberate, until it stopped at the Town entrance.
"Sir, what brings you to this Town so late at night?"
A short-haired man stood in the narrow entrance, eyes tightly closed, an X-shaped scar etched across his forehead. He wore a purple kimono beneath a Marine Justice coat, wooden clogs tapping lightly against the stone. Both hands rested on the hilt of his sword as he blocked the path like an immovable guardian.
Marine Admiral Fujitora Issho.
"And…"
Fujitora's grip tightened on Shodai Kitetsu, his expression solemn as his eyes slowly opened. Pale white pupils fixed upon the figure before him, an aura like a bottomless abyss pressing down on his senses.
"…are you human, or a ghost?"
The overwhelming stench of decay and death radiating from the stranger made Fujitora's chest feel heavy.
Judging by that presence alone, this man should have been dead for centuries.
"I have found you."
The pale man tilted his head, sniffing faintly, a warped grin tugging at his lips.
"One of the blasphemers who destroyed the idol. Heh… heh…"
He extended a dripping, corpse-white hand toward Fujitora's position.
"I smell a Devil Fruit on you. We are alike, cursed souls who consumed what mortals were never meant to touch."
His voice rasped like dry bones scraping together.
"It is a pity. Your fate was sealed the moment you did."
Crack!
Without hesitation, Fujitora drew his blade in a flash.
"Gravity Blade, Crushing Pressure!"
The sword sang as it left its sheath, striking the space ahead of him.
Boom!
The ground in front of Fujitora collapsed violently, as if smashed by an invisible hammer.
Creak, creak…
The earth groaned under unbearable force. Plants, stone, and soil were compressed into dust.
"…?"
Fujitora's brow furrowed as he sensed something wrong.
The crushed dust did not settle.
Instead, it spread rapidly across the ground, corroding everything it touched.
"What is this…"
"Sharp perception, and quick reactions."
The pale man nodded faintly.
"But it is meaningless. When the Disaster of Plague touches the ground, it becomes the Disaster of Fissure."
"Disaster of Fissure?"
Fujitora's expression changed instantly.
Crack, crack…
The earth beneath his feet split apart, fractures racing outward like veins. In moments, a massive canyon tore open, threatening to swallow the entire area.
"Gravity Blade, Flying Bird Dust!"
Yakuza Kasen flashed again.
This time, gravity reversed.
Rumble, rumble, rumble…
The shattered ground roared as it surged upward, chunks of earth and stone breaking free and floating into the sky. Dust clouds formed in midair as the fissures lost their destructive momentum.
Crack, crack…
The violent tremors jolted the distant Town awake.
"Woof woof woof!"
"Woooo woooo!"
Torches flared to life. Dogs barked, people shouted, children cried.
"What's happening?!"
"The ground shook just now, was that an earthquake?!"
"Look, the ground… it's floating!"
"How can rubble fly into the sky?!"
"What in the world is happening?!"
"Everyone, stay calm!"
Marine voices rang out as soldiers moved quickly.
"This is Admiral Fujitora engaging an enemy. He will protect you!"
The Marines, already warned earlier, blocked the residents who tried to rush outside.
"Do not leave your homes. Stay inside. Everything will be over soon!"
"…"
Fujitora exhaled slowly.
"That was close. The Town behind me nearly got dragged into this."
Under the moonlight, shattered earth hovered across the sky, an awe-inspiring and terrifying sight.
He raised his head, white eyes fixed on the floating terrain above him, now freed from its spreading fissures.
"What kind of ability can split the ground so easily…"
"And force it to rise into the sky?"
Above him, the pale man floated upside down under distorted gravity, calmly stepping on a fragment of earth as if it were solid ground.
"You are a Paramecia user of the Gravity-Gravity Fruit."
His lifeless eyes swept across the scene.
Fujitora tightened his grip.
"Who are you, and why are you attacking me?"
"You have committed blasphemy."
The pale man's shriveled blue eyes glowed faintly.
"Just as I once did. You do not understand that divine authority is something humans were never meant to touch."
"Do you think you have subdued me?"
His voice dropped lower.
"The power of Disaster is not so easily erased. Despair is my gift."
"…!"
A sharp warning flared in Fujitora's mind.
From the distant sea, violent winds suddenly howled.
Woooo… woooo…
The air twisted as multiple sea winds converged, merging into a colossal hurricane that linked sea and sky within moments.
"This is…"
Fujitora's eyes narrowed.
"Oh my God, a tornado!"
The Town's residents stared in horror as the massive storm rapidly expanded.
"Get back, now!"
The Marines shouted urgently.
"Close all doors and windows! Hide inside your homes, do not come out!"
Families scrambled indoors, barricading doors, sealing windows, clutching one another in fear.
"Mama, I'm scared…"
"It's alright, Papa and Mama are here."
"The Sea God will protect us…"
Inside their homes, they could only pray that the storm would spare them.
"…"
Fujitora lowered himself slightly, eyes closed, one hand resting on Shodai Kitetsu as he faced the roaring hurricane.
"What kind of Devil Fruit can command earthquakes and summon such storms…"
Purple energy gathered along his blade, gravity bending and warping around it.
He drew and swung in one fluid motion, his voice calm yet resolute.
"Gravity Blade, Fierce Tiger!"
===
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