"That's a decent strike... but that's all!"
Iji sneered.
With a sharp hiss, gas erupted from the vents beneath his boots, launching him forward at breakneck speed. In a blur, he closed the distance between himself and Yara. Flames surged around his clenched fists once again.
"Die! Sparks: Double Spin!"
His fists rocketed forward like twin cannonballs, slamming into Yara's chest with devastating force.
With a thunderous boom, Yara was hurled backward, tearing a deep trench through the earth before skidding to a halt.
"Cough... cough..."
Blood spilled from his lips as he staggered to his feet, burns clearly visible across his chest.
"Captain!"
A marine cried out in alarm.
But before the soldiers could reach him, Germa's clone army launched their assault. Blades gleamed, gunfire erupted, and screams tore through the battlefield.
In an instant, the scene descended into chaos.
Explosions. Gunfire. Screams. The clashing of steel. The cries of the dying.
A brutal war scene unfolded.
Against Germa's fearless clone army—and the overwhelming power of the enhanced Vinsmoke brothers—Iji, Niji, and Yuji—the navy was steadily pushed back.
War brings only death.
In mere minutes, the earth was dyed red.
Only Judge and Reiju remained still.
Judge watched the carnage with a detached, ice-cold expression. His gaze never wavered.
Reiju, standing beside him, held a hint of pity in her eyes—though she masked it well.
"Reiju, why haven't you joined the fight?"
Judge asked calmly, not even looking her way.
She flinched slightly, then quickly recovered.
"Father, Iji and the others are more than enough. I have no desire to trample the weak."
Judge gave a short nod and said no more.
Reiju fell silent, unsure what her father truly thought, her gaze drifting across the battlefield. But then—Judge's brow suddenly furrowed.
Reiju noticed and turned her head.
Something was coming.
A figure tore across the sky at blinding speed, closing the distance in a flash!
As it neared, the shape came into view—masked in black and white, clad in simple white garb, a katana strapped to his side.
It was Yuno.
After soaring at full speed, Yuno had finally arrived.
He landed softly, his gaze sweeping across the battlefield—eyes narrowing.
"So brutal... As expected, the Navy is no match for the Vinsmoke family..."
He had predicted this outcome, but witnessing the lopsided slaughter still stirred something within him.
The navy simply couldn't compete. Especially not the outer sea branches. Only Grand Line bases had enough firepower to even dream of holding off Germa 66.
Still... Yuno couldn't help but feel admiration.
The P-5 base hadn't run. They had stood their ground.
His presence was overpowering, and his approach had not gone unnoticed.
"Something's wrong! Fall back!"
Though wounded, Yara wasn't down for good. His training and resilience as a martial artist had kept him from fatal damage.
Seeing the sudden arrival of an unknown figure in the chaos, Yara feared a flanking ambush. A two-sided assault would be disastrous.
He gave the order immediately.
The surviving marines fell back in formation, withdrawing with grim expressions.
Germa's forces paused as well, their eyes locked on the new arrival.
Yuno.
Clad in white, face hidden behind his mask, he said nothing.
He simply kept walking—straight toward the heart of the battlefield.
Toward Judge.
Iji's eyes narrowed.
"Who is that?"
Tension surged through the air as the mysterious warrior advanced in silence.
Step by step.
Each footfall reverberated through the blood-soaked ground.
"Trying to act mysterious, huh?"
Iji muttered, fists igniting once more.
Over on the battlefield, the hot-tempered Niji snorted coldly. With a sharp pivot of his foot, he dashed forward at breakneck speed and hurled a punch at the trickster.
"That blue outfit… this must be Vinsmoke Niji," Yuno muttered to himself, eyeing the blue-clad figure. But his reaction was instantaneous — in the blink of an eye, the sword at his waist flashed into his hand and he slashed forward.
"Swish!"
A brilliant arc of sword energy tore through the air and struck Niji directly. The powerful blow sent him flying backward.
However, it didn't pierce the battle suit completely — it only left a shallow gash on the armored surface!
Yuno tightened his grip on the blade, watching Niji crash to the ground, leaving a deep crater behind.
"Germa's battle suits really are tough," he muttered, "But… they can be cut through."
From the feedback of his sword strike, Yuno had confirmed it — hard, yes, but not invincible.
"You dare attack Germa?! Do you have a death wish?!"
Seeing his brother struck, a cold light flashed in Iji's eyes. In an instant, he vanished and reappeared mid-charge, fist wreathed in flame.
Boom!
The punch exploded forward, flames roaring as it barreled toward Yuno.
Yonji wasn't far behind, rushing in to flank the enemy.
"Little friend…" Yuno said calmly, raising his palm as pure white flames gathered, "...that's not how you use fire."
"Sokatsui!"
With a thunderous blast, the pale white flame surged forward, engulfing Iji completely and blasting him hundreds of meters back. He crashed into the ground with a bang, smashing open a massive pit.
At the same time, Niji — still recovering — attempted to exploit the opening in Yuno's attack, driving a punch toward him with a fierce grin.
"This guy won't dodge this!" Niji thought viciously.
But Yuno had been tracking his movements all along. He gave a faint smile, spun on his heel, and pointed a finger:
"Bakudo: Triple Burst."
In an instant, three radiant beams of light shot forth, locking onto Niji's body and pinning him midair.
"What… what is this?!" Niji was stunned, unable to comprehend the strange light.
"You're next."
Yuno followed up with a swing of his sword, unleashing a devastating wave of sword energy that smashed Niji away like a cannonball.
Crack!
The battle suit's surface fractured, and Niji was sent flying, his body skipping across the battlefield.
Three attacks. Three brothers. All defeated.
"What?!"
Gasps erupted across the battlefield. Shock registered on every face present.
Even Yara — who had personally battled Iji — stood frozen, mouth agape.
On the other side, Judge's expression darkened, his gaze sharpening. He hadn't expected this masked stranger to appear out of nowhere and take down three of his sons with such ease.
"That mask… could he be with the World Government?"
A cold gleam flickered in Judge's eyes as he silently reevaluated this mysterious opponent.