"Do it!"
Before Sakazuki could finish reacting, someone had already moved.
It was Admiral Verglas.
Swish!
She appeared directly in front of Shirogai, as if space itself had folded beneath her. The pink sphere beneath her feet turned completely white.
"My apologies, Your Excellency, God King. Please come with me. Let us enter a perfect world together."
Her closed eyes snapped open, releasing a dazzling, hypnotic glow as she locked onto Shirogai.
"Morpheus's Dream."
"No good, Shirogai!"
Borsalino, who had remained nearby after being rescued, transformed into light and called out immediately.
"Don't look into her eyes. Get away from her. Her ability can…"
Boom!
A blazing magma projectile cut him off.
"Borsalino, you talk too much."
Akainu spoke coldly, his expression unmoved.
"Don't worry, Borsalino."
Shirogai's voice remained steady, almost amused.
"Everything is still within my expectations."
He met Verglas's gaze directly, without hesitation.
"It was you after all, Verglas."
A voice echoed in his mind.
[The user has been identified, Dream Dream Fruit. Ability allows full control over dreams and the creation of a personal dream world.]
Shirogai's smile deepened.
"The Dream Dream Fruit… interesting."
Through his God level comprehension, he understood the ability instantly.
A fruit capable of dragging even the strongest into a constructed reality.
"Dreams, huh…"
A faint glow, identical to Verglas's, began to shine within his eyes.
…
Verglas remained silent, as if she had anticipated this.
Layer upon layer of invisible energy spread outward.
One dream.
Two dreams.
Three dreams.
Multiple dream layers activated.
Without a word, she surrounded both of them in overlapping dream membranes, each one forming a separate world.
"So this is the dream energy you've stored."
Shirogai glanced around, studying the layered space with interest.
"You used everything just to deal with me."
From a distance, Aramaki stood atop a massive leaf formed by spreading vines, his expression tense.
"He learned her ability instantly…"
Sweat ran down his face.
"So the rumors were true. Then that means…"
His eyes narrowed.
"Does he already understand my Mori Mori no Mi as well?"
Each dream membrane contained its own world, shifting between pleasant illusions and absolute nightmares depending on Verglas's will.
Even if destroyed, each layer would explode, not physically, but mentally.
The impact struck directly at the spirit.
Strong individuals could resist, but at the cost of stamina and focus.
Weaker ones would have their minds shattered completely.
This ability was especially lethal against physically powerful opponents.
Yet those with strong bodies usually possessed strong wills as well.
Like Kaido, who endured countless executions without breaking.
Shirogai's gaze moved across the battlefield.
"So this is your strategy."
His eyes settled on the gathered Admirals.
"You want to trap me in the dream world, then kill me there."
He smiled faintly.
"If my spirit dies in the dream, my body dies in reality. A perfect method."
His attention shifted back to Akainu.
"So this is your plan to eliminate me."
Akainu's voice was heavy.
"That's right."
He stared directly at Shirogai.
"Even if you understand the ability, it won't matter."
"The Dream Dream Fruit requires long periods of sleep to build energy."
His tone grew firmer.
"And according to Verglas, you barely sleep."
"That is why you became the God King."
"But because of that, even if you copy her ability, you won't have the energy to use it properly."
"…Pfft."
Shirogai laughed.
A genuine, amused laugh.
"You really believe that?"
He shook his head slightly.
"You overlooked something."
"I created a clone using another Devil Fruit ability."
His smile sharpened.
"He embodies my laziness. All he does is sleep."
"He's been hidden in the sky, doing nothing but resting."
"So unfortunately for you…"
A glowing five-pointed star appeared in front of him.
"I've accumulated plenty of dream energy too."
"Come back, Laziness."
Swish!
The summoning array lit up the sky.
From afar, Kizaru narrowed his eyes.
"That formation…"
It resembled something he had seen before.
The light faded.
A small boy appeared midair, clutching a teddy bear, wearing pajamas.
Fast asleep.
"Hoo… hoo…"
He looked exactly like a younger version of Shirogai.
Akainu's expression changed instantly.
"That amount of dream energy…"
Even Verglas's eyes flickered slightly.
"Return for now. Your break is over."
Shirogai placed a hand on the boy's head.
The child vanished immediately.
In that instant, a vast surge of dream energy filled Shirogai's body.
"Now this is interesting."
A mysterious aura spread from him, blending seamlessly into every dream layer.
Because it was the same type of energy, the dream worlds did not reject it.
Verglas's gaze sharpened.
I can't let this continue.
Without hesitation, her eyes shone like a galaxy.
"Dream Realm, expand."
At the same moment, Shirogai's eyes glowed just as brightly.
"Dream Realm, expand."
Swish!
Their powers collided.
A massive wave of energy surged outward, spreading across the skies of Elbaf.
Everything within range was swallowed by the expanding dream.