The sudden appearance of Ryoma instantly drew the attention of the Marines, the Rocks Pirates, and even the Roger Pirates, all of whom quickly realized that this newcomer was a fourth, unknown force.
Within moments, dozens of fighters rushed toward him, brandishing weapons of every kind.
Ryoma's expression didn't change.
"No matter."
His eyes flared open, and a crimson light swirled within them — the Mangekyō Sharingan.
"Susanoo."
An overwhelming surge of chakra erupted into the sky. In an instant, it took form — a towering, blue armored warrior, its divine figure radiating raw power.
"W-What is that!?"
The pirates and marines froze, terror creeping up their spines. Before this godlike presence, their instincts screamed the truth — this was not something they could fight.
Some turned to flee, but Ryoma would grant them no such mercy.
With a thunderous movement, Susanoo's massive arm lifted high. The Totsuka Blade it held shimmered with a blue brilliance capable of splitting heaven and earth.
The blade fell.
A gale ripped across the battlefield. The air distorted, the ground split apart, and shockwaves surged outward like crashing waves. Entire ranks of pirates and marines were blown away — crushed, scattered, erased.
The next few swings of Susanoo's blade cleaved through the earth itself. Azure sword energy crisscrossed the field, cutting down all in its path. Within seconds, the once-crowded battlefield was reduced to rubble and corpses.
"Monster!" someone screamed.
Dozens of naval cannons swiveled as one, aiming directly at Ryoma's glowing figure.
"Fire!"
Dozens of shells exploded forth, streaking through the air before slamming into Susanoo's ethereal armor. For a moment, the impact made the massive construct tremble.
But the explosions that followed only flattened the shells against its surface, warping their shape before they were crushed and detonated.
When the smoke finally cleared, Ryoma still stood there, untouched. The ground around him was cracked and scorched, but not even a speck of dust marked his robes.
Far off in the distance, Charlotte Linlin (Big Mom), Edward Newgate (Whitebeard), and Shiki (the Golden Lion) silently watched the carnage unfold, curiosity flashing in their eyes.
"Who is that man?" Big Mom muttered.
"Judging from how he descended from the sky, he's no ordinary pirate," Shiki said, his eyes narrowing.
"Could he be a Devil Fruit user?"
But Whitebeard shook his head.
"Impossible. The sea rejects all those who've eaten the Fruit. If he truly came out of the sea like that, he isn't one of them."
If he wasn't a Devil Fruit user — and clearly wasn't relying on Haki — then what exactly was that power?
No one had the answer.
Whitebeard tightened his grip on his naginata, a glint sparking in his eyes.
"Newgate," Shiki said cautiously, "this isn't like you."
Whitebeard chuckled, his deep voice rumbling like distant thunder.
"Hahaha… maybe. But that man's power — I can't just stand by and watch."
A dangerous gleam flickered in his gaze as he strode forward, the battlefield trembling beneath his feet.
Watching from afar, Silvers Rayleigh of the Roger Pirates narrowed his eyes, the easygoing glint in them hardening into sharp alertness.
Before this, they had calculated that Whitebeard and Golden Lion wouldn't follow Rocks into a chaotic battle. Their plan had relied on that assumption.
If Whitebeard and the others had joined the fight now, the situation would have changed completely.
Their captain was already struggling against Rocks D. Xebec and Garp together — even then, the odds were barely even.
If Whitebeard joined in, this entire operation would collapse.
However, when Rayleigh saw that Whitebeard was merely walking toward the mysterious young man instead of joining the fray, he couldn't help but let out a quiet sigh of relief.
Tap… tap… tap…
Each heavy step of Whitebeard's echoed like thunder. Even without lifting a hand, his very presence carried immense pressure — a living god of war standing tall upon the battlefield.
Facing Ryoma, his Haoshoku Haki — Conqueror's Haki — spread out like a storm.
Those nearby instinctively trembled as the overwhelming aura weighed upon their souls. Some even felt their consciousness blur; if Whitebeard released his full strength, they would have fainted instantly.
"Young man," Whitebeard said, his deep voice carrying like a quake across the ruined ground, "your strength is impressive."
But Ryoma's expression didn't waver. He stood calm and composed, unbothered by the crushing pressure radiating from the Emperor before him.
That calmness made Whitebeard's interest grow even more.
Just as Whitebeard was studying him, Ryoma was studying Whitebeard in turn.
Unlike the ordinary pirates scattered across the field, this man stood out immediately — towering, broad-shouldered, with a crescent-shaped white mustache and the bearing of a true king.
In this world, only Edward Newgate fit that description.
When Ryoma had summoned his Susanoo, he had already sensed several powerful presences watching him.
Even if he wasn't entirely sure of the situation on this battlefield, Whitebeard's approach made his intent clear — he wanted a fight.
Ryoma's Mangekyō Sharingan spun, its kaleidoscopic tomoe rotating as he analyzed the strange energies surrounding Whitebeard.
One of them distorted the very space around him — that must be the power of the Gura Gura no Mi, the Tremor-Tremor Fruit.
The other radiated like concentrated spiritual energy — the force known as Haki.
In this world, Haki was said to be the hidden potential of all living beings — an innate willpower that transcended the physical. It resembled "killing intent," something primal and instinctive, yet invisible to the five senses.
Few could ever awaken it.
According to Ryoma's understanding, if Chakra in his world was born from the merging of physical and spiritual energy through the power of the Divine Tree, then Haki was its spiritual counterpart — the manifestation of one's will made real.
Having carefully memorized the rhythm and flow of Whitebeard's Haki, Ryoma raised a hand and beckoned lightly.
"So, you came all this way to fight me?"
A faint smile curved his lips. "What are you waiting for?"
Whitebeard's grin widened.
"Refreshing!"
There was no need for more words.
With a booming laugh, Whitebeard raised his massive naginata, Cong Yunche. A blinding white halo shimmered along the blade as it began to hum with raw energy.
"Haah!"
The ground trembled as he swung. The air itself screamed.
Crack!
The sound of shattering glass echoed through the battlefield as space fractured like a mirror.
From those cracks, destructive force surged outward — the terrifying power of the Tremor-Tremor Fruit unleashed.
Ryoma felt the oncoming pressure. His Sharingan spun again, its scarlet hue deepening to a haunting violet.
Faint ripples spread from his pupils — like waves distorting the world itself.
In the next instant, an invisible force erupted outward from Ryoma, expanding in all directions.
"Shinra Tensei."
The air itself distorted. A wave of repulsive energy rippled from his position, visible to the naked eye like a shimmering barrier tearing through space as it rushed forward.
BOOOOM!!!
The two colossal forces collided — Whitebeard's quake and Ryoma's repulsion.
The resulting impact roared like a thousand thunders clashing at once, shaking heaven and earth.
For more than ten seconds, the sound of destruction echoed across the battlefield, a storm of dust and debris sweeping over everything. When the thunderous roar finally faded, silence fell — heavy and tense.
The ground between Ryoma and Whitebeard had shattered completely. Massive cracks split open beneath their feet, spreading outward in both directions until they vanished into the horizon.
Even the sky itself seemed to respond to their clash — clouds were torn apart by the shockwave, revealing a gaping rift of clear blue in the heavens. It was as though the world itself had been divided in two by the force of their powers.
Far away, Rocks D. Xebec, Gol D. Roger, and Monkey D. Garp turned their heads toward the source of the explosion. A flicker of astonishment crossed their faces.
After releasing their Haki, the three could sense it clearly — Whitebeard was personally engaging the mysterious young man. And that stranger… had met him head-on with power equal to his own.
Rocks' lips curled into a sharp grin as he narrowed his eyes.
"It seems things are getting more and more interesting."
...
TN:
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