Byrnndi World stood aboard the warship, his laughter echoing across the sea.
"It's not over yet! One hundred times cannonball—fire!"
Boom! Boom! Boom!
Consecutive blasts thundered as cannonballs, enlarged by the Momo Fruit, launched one after another.
"Oi, World, you bastard," Douglas Bullet growled with a crooked grin, licking his lips. "We haven't even made our move yet, and you're already hogging the spotlight!"
Crocodile exhaled a slow stream of smoke, eyes sharp. "So this is your ability, World?"
The massive cannonballs swelled like meteors, blotting out the sun as they descended toward Marineford. A full ten giant projectiles roared down, their shadows casting the battlefield in darkness.
On Marineford, panic swept through the ranks of Marines.
"C-cannonballs that size… there are ten of them!"
"How can we possibly defend against that?"
"If they land, Marineford will be reduced to rubble!"
"Are we supposed to run now?"
Their eyes widened in despair as they stared at the incoming barrage.
At the rear of the battlefield, Fleet Admiral Sengoku clenched his fists, white light gleaming against his glasses. Even Garp and Vice Admiral Tsuru bore grim expressions.
Thirty years ago, Byrnndi World had been unstoppable, annihilating pirates and government forces alike. None expected him to rise again for revenge.
"That bastard World is getting serious," Sengoku muttered coldly.
He raised his voice with a command that shook the battlefield. "Admirals—stop his attack!"
The Admirals' faces hardened as they launched into action.
Aokiji raised his arm, frost swirling around him. His body exuded chilling waves as his ice-arm shaped into a crystalline bird.
"Ice Age: Pheasant Beak."
With a cry that split the air, the ice phoenix soared skyward, freezing everything in its path, leaving even the atmosphere brittle in its wake.
Beside him, Kizaru's body gleamed with blinding light as he rose into the sky, arms spread wide.
"What troublesome fellows… Yasakani no Magatama."
Countless beams of golden energy condensed into light bullets, raining upward in a relentless barrage that hammered toward the cannonballs.
At the same time, Vice Admiral Tokikake stepped into the air with Moonwalk. His treasured blade gleamed red, releasing a crescent slash that spanned a hundred meters.
The attacks of the three converged, colliding with the More-enhanced cannonballs.
BOOOOOOM!
The sky erupted. Flames, light, and frost collided violently with the massive projectiles, detonating in a chain of catastrophic explosions. An energy storm spiraled outwards, sweeping across the battlefield.
Marines shielded their faces against the raging winds. Shards of flaming debris rained down upon Marineford, embedding into stone and steel.
At last, the combined might of the Admirals shattered World's attack.
On the warship, World stood panting, sweat trickling down his brow, but his defiance burned strong.
"These damn Marines… all their strongest are here, huh!"
His lips curled into a savage grin. "Good. The real battle starts now!"
Ashveil glanced at the freed prisoners beside him, noting the fire in their eyes. A faint smile touched his lips.
"It seems everyone's eager." His voice was calm, but his gaze gleamed dangerously.
"Then let the Marines taste despair."
Ashveil closed his eyes. The power of Conqueror's Haki surged from him like a living storm, wrapping around the warship.
In the next instant, the vessel shuddered—then lifted from the sea, rising into the air as if defying nature itself.
Gasps erupted across Marineford as Marines craned their necks upward.
"H-huh? That warship—it's flying!"
"How's that even possible?"
Even the Seven Warlords of the Sea paused in their own positions on the battlefield.
Gekko Moria's mouth hung open. "A warship… in the sky?!"
Doflamingo, Mihawk, and Boa Hancock raised their heads as well, gazes narrowing. None spoke, but unease flashed in their eyes.
From the rear, Sengoku's head snapped upward, his composure cracking.
"There's only one man alive capable of that—Golden Lion Shiki!"
His voice boomed across the command center. "Damn it! Has that monster also come to join this battle?!"
The thought chilled even Garp and Tsuru. If Shiki had allied with the Whitebeard Pirates, then Marineford's fall was almost inevitable.
Golden Lion Shiki—an uncrowned king, a pirate once feared as Roger's equal.
The warship in the sky drifted closer, its figures slowly coming into view. Marines below swallowed hard, dread rising in their throats.
Finally, the silhouettes standing on the vessel became clear.
Sengoku's eyes widened, a sharp intake of breath escaping him.
"Impossible… those are the Level Six prisoners from Impel Down!"
His heart pounded as he scanned their faces.
"But Shiki's not there…!"
His brows furrowed. "Then who…?"
Vice Admiral Tsuru's expression hardened as she spoke. "It's possible, Sengoku. Don't forget—Thorne Ashveil is among them."
"That boy…" Sengoku's fists tightened, fury twisting his face. "So he's the one who released them all!"
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