Rumble, rumble, rumble...
At the foot of the Red Line, near the entrance to Mary Geoise, a fleet of Marine warships gathered in formation, desperately attempting to determine how to break through the strange barrier and enter the Holy Land to support the Celestial Dragons.
Splash...
Without warning, the sea trembled violently once again.
"Huh? What happened? Why are the fluctuations becoming even more violent?"
Vice Admiral Mole stepped out of the command room, his expression filled with alarm and suspicion. His sharp gaze settled upon the massive, impenetrable spherical barrier enveloping the sacred land.
"Could it be... that an intense battle has already broken out inside Mary Geoise?"
Mole frowned deeply, anxiety clawing at his chest, yet there was little he could do.
The Admirals were still en route.
The Marines had mobilized at full speed, through both air and sea, yet they still had not arrived in time.
With Admiral Kizaru missing and Admiral Cero, whose speed was second only to Kizaru, also gone, the Marines had completely lost their greatest advantage in rapid mobility.
As Mole sank deeper into thought, disaster struck.
BOOM!!!!!
An indescribable and overwhelming pressure erupted from within the rapidly expanding barrier.
Crack!
Before the Marines could react or raise any defenses, two catastrophic fractures split across the heavens.
SNAP!!!
Two terrifying waves of Conqueror's Haki surged outward like divine thunder, sweeping across the unsuspecting fleet without warning.
BOOM!!!
Silence.
The once-bustling fleet instantly descended into a deathly stillness.
...
...
Thud! Thud! Thud!
In a single instant, every Marine across the dozen warships collapsed unconscious onto the decks.
...
Even the Vice Admirals stationed within the fleet were not spared.
Across the entire sea, not a single person remained standing. Bodies lay scattered motionless across the ships, completely overwhelmed by the terrifying force of Haki.
Crack!
Crack!
The two immense Conqueror's Haki clashes collided and vanished in an instant, tearing apart the heavens while the residual force spread wildly in every direction.
...
The sheer intimidation of that Conqueror's Haki was horrifying.
As the final person still conscious, Mole's mind buzzed violently. His body trembled uncontrollably as he stared toward Mary Geoise.
Has the world's strongest being, God King Shirogai, finally made his move?
Something had gone terribly wrong...
In the end, even Mole could not resist the overwhelming pressure. His body collapsed heavily onto the deck, fear and unease still frozen in his wide-open eyes.
Could the World Government truly still prevail?
...
Rumble, rumble, rumble...!
The Conqueror's Haki of Evil Thought and Imu clashed violently across the heavens, dark and collapsing clouds twisting endlessly above.
Wherever the opposing forces of Haki swept through, the atmosphere itself was rewritten.
The sky darkened into an unnatural gloom, warped clouds splitting apart like shattered canyons carved by an earthquake, trembling endlessly without any sign of recovery.
As the Haki spread across the world, countless creatures suffered beneath its pressure.
Birds, beasts, and humans alike lost consciousness instantly.
Seabirds dropped from the skies into the ocean.
Fish floated belly-up upon the sea's surface after being overwhelmed.
Even several colossal Sea Kings succumbed to the terrifying pressure.
The violent collision of Conqueror's Haki unleashed countless streaks of black lightning, their thunderous roars echoing across nearly half the world before finally slowing.
Yet this did not mean the battle between the two monstrous Haki forces had ended.
Crack!
Sizzle!!
BOOM...
High above the sky, the two irreconcilable forces tore into one another, devouring and crushing each other until one side slowly began to disintegrate.
Crack!
The remnants of Haki lightning continued roaring through the heavens, explosions rumbling long after the clash itself had ended.
Even after the Haki dissipated, the fractures in the sky remained.
It looked like an omen of the world's destruction, leaving everyone who witnessed it pale with dread as they slowly recovered from the shock.
For those suddenly struck unconscious by the overwhelming Haki, the event felt no different from an inexplicable nightmare.
They did not know where it came from.
They only knew that terrifying aura had carved fear into their very souls.
...
Kingdom of Lulusia.
"What exactly happened in the capital...?"
King Seki, recently awakened by his guards, rubbed his aching head and looked toward the kneeling captain before him with confusion and fear.
Danka, captain of the Kingdom of Lulusia's guard, was an experienced warrior who had once defeated countless pirates.
"Danka, you're strong enough to contend with a Vice Admiral, yet even you suddenly fainted?"
"Your Majesty King Seki, something terrible has happened!"
Danka knelt on one knee, his face grim as he raised his head.
"I suspect an incredibly powerful wielder of Conqueror's Haki launched an attack on the capital!"
He swallowed hard, fear evident in his expression.
"And the strength of this enemy is at least..."
His throat tightened.
"At least on the level of a Yonko!"
King Seki shot to his feet, horror filling his face.
"A Yonko?! Why would a monster like that come to our kingdom? Aren't they afraid the Marines will intervene? Could you be mistaken?"
Sweat dripped down Danka's face.
"When that pressure descended, I couldn't resist in the slightest. I was instantly overwhelmed."
"My men have fought pirates possessing Conqueror's Haki before. At most, they felt dizzy or shaken."
"But the Haki from earlier..."
His voice trembled.
"I had absolutely no way to resist it."
Danka clenched his fists.
"Without question, it was a monster on the level of a Yonko! Your Majesty, we must immediately contact the Marines!"
"A Yonko! A Yonko has infiltrated our country?!"
King Seki trembled as panic overtook him.
"Quickly! Contact the Marines stationed in nearby waters through Den Den Mushi! A Yonko-level pirate entered our kingdom without anyone noticing. What are they planning?!"
"Do they want the king's head?!"
"Report! Your Majesty, something terrible has happened!!"
Before anyone could react, a soldier stumbled into the palace, nearly collapsing as he dropped to his knees in terror.
"Reports are coming from all across the country! Almost everyone suddenly collapsed unconscious!"
Danka abruptly stood, staring in disbelief.
"What?! The entire nation fainted?!"
His pupils trembled.
"The Kingdom of Lulusia spans thousands of square kilometers. How could someone's Haki possibly cover the entire country?!"
King Seki froze momentarily before relief suddenly spread across his face.
"Captain Danka, does this mean the enemy hasn't reached the capital yet? Maybe they only landed at the port? We still have time to notify the Marines and receive protection!"
"Yes... right..."
Danka's lips twitched as he stared at the king.
Idiot.
You think this is reassuring?
If anything, this makes it even worse.
At first, Danka believed the enemy had only targeted the capital with a Haki ambush.
But now it was obvious.
Whoever this person was had unleashed their Conqueror's Haki indiscriminately across the entire Kingdom of Lulusia.
"Monster... This is a real monster!"
Danka's body trembled violently.
Conqueror's Haki covering an entire nation spanning over six thousand square kilometers...
He had never heard of such a thing in his life.
Could even a Yonko accomplish this?
...
Danka silently stared at King Seki, who frantically struggled to contact the Marines through a Den Den Mushi.
He could not utter a single word.
Could ordinary Marines truly stand against a monster capable of covering an entire nation with Haki?
Impossible.
Then, a single thought surfaced in Danka's mind.
Escape.
He had to escape immediately.
Before that monster arrived.
This country was already doomed.