"Woooosh… woooosh…"
The crashing of waves echoed endlessly.
Fenric sat calmly on a jagged rock by the sea, waiting for the Navy's arrival.
Not far from him stood Pluto Rayleigh, while Admiral Kizaru—hands shackled with seastone—sat under heavy guard. Kizaru's injuries had yet to heal, and his power was sealed.
As for the two Celestial Dragons, Fenric had hidden them in a secret location. When the time came, they would serve as his leverage, forcing the Navy to hesitate.
Cunning? Perhaps. But Fenric had no regrets. For the sake of his mission, nothing was off the table.
The three men were silent.
Fenric's eyes were closed, his posture relaxed, his expression calm. Outwardly, he looked composed, but he was under no illusions—what awaited him was a deadly storm.
The Navy Headquarters had sent its finest. Even for him, this battle would be dangerous.
The sea slowly grew quiet, as if nature itself held its breath.
It was the silence before the storm.
"They're here."
Rayleigh's sharp gaze pierced the horizon.
Fenric's eyes opened, a faint gleam flashing within them.
Moments later, the first warship appeared on the distant sea line, its massive sails bearing the Navy's insignia.
Then another.
And another.
Dozens. Hundreds.
A fleet beyond counting, closing in and fanning out, until the entire Sabaody Archipelago was encircled in a semicircle of steel.
The Navy's determination was clear—they had come to end Fenric.
"Mundo," Rayleigh said grimly, "the Navy means business this time."
Fenric gave a faint smile. "Mr. Rayleigh, you still have time to leave."
But the old man chuckled instead. "No. I want to witness a miracle."
"Hmph," Kizaru muttered bitterly. "According to this old man, a miracle will be hard to come by."
As they spoke, the lead warship approached the coast.
Fenric could make out several towering figures on the deck:
The Fleet Admiral, Akainu.
Admiral Fujitora.
The Navy's Hero, Garp.
And countless vice admirals, each a seasoned veteran.
Even Vice Admiral Momonga, whom Fenric had once defeated, stood among them.
Rayleigh's expression hardened. "They sent all this for you, Mundo. Even the Fleet Admiral himself. That's how seriously they take you."
Kizaru's eyes sharpened. "Mr. Rayleigh, you'd best leave. With this many powerhouses, staying here is suicide."
Rayleigh ignored him. His gaze lingered on Fenric, whose calm smile hadn't faltered. Clearly, Fenric was still hiding his true trump card.
And indeed he was. The Trident remained his greatest ace.
Fenric's eyes swept the fleet. He didn't see Kuzan among them, and relief flickered in his heart.
Of all the admirals, the one who posed the greatest threat to him was Aokiji. Without Aokiji present, the odds were far less dire.
—--
The warships drew up to the shore, their hulls towering like walls of steel.
Akainu's gaze fell on the bound Kizaru, and his voice dripped with scorn. "Borsalino… you've disgraced yourself."
Kizaru gave a wry smile. "Fleet Admiral Sakazuki, be careful with this man. You haven't seen him in ten years… this kid's grown into a monster."
Akainu snorted coldly and turned his glare toward Rayleigh and Fenric.
"Dark King Rayleigh," he barked. "Roger's relic. Instead of rotting in a hole, you crawl out just to die?"
His words were venomous.
But Rayleigh had lived too long to be provoked by petty insults. His eyes slid past Akainu to Garp.
"Garp," he said with a smirk. "It's only been twenty years, yet your Navy's Fleet Admiral's seat has fallen to such a brat. Has your Navy really no one left?"
Fenric chuckled quietly. Rayleigh's barbs had no filth, yet cut sharper than any of Akainu's growls.
Garp, however, only looked awkward.
"Hmph. Empty words before death," Akainu snapped.
At last, his eyes locked onto Fenric.
"Mundo! You've committed unforgivable crimes. Surrender now. Release Saint Rosward and Saint Shalria, and I'll leave you a whole corpse!"
Fenric rose slowly, a faint smile tugging at his lips. "Akainu, you've dragged so much trash here… are you trying to scare me to death?"
His gaze sharpened.
And then it came.
A blinding light surged from Fenric's eyes as an invisible wave erupted outward.
BOOOOM!
The overwhelming force of his Conqueror's Haki crashed across the Navy fleet.
Instantly, soldiers all across the decks collapsed, eyes rolling back, bodies hitting wood and sea alike.
Only the strongest—Akainu, Garp, Fujitora, and the high-ranking veterans—remained standing, their wills like iron.
"Conqueror's Haki…"
Akainu's face darkened. He had never mastered it himself, but he understood its terror. This was no mere intimidation—when unleashed with true might, it could damage a person's very spirit.
If he had known Fenric wielded such overwhelming Conqueror Haki, he would never have brought so many ordinary soldiers.
"What terrifying Conqueror Haki…" Fujitora's sightless face was grave. "Ten years ago, you were already remarkable, Mundo. Now, you've become something far greater."
"Mundo…"
Garp clenched his fists, his gaze heavy with conflict. Rage burned in his eyes, but behind it lingered sorrow.
Once, he had seen promise in Mundo. Once, he had even considered taking the boy as his disciple. But Mundo had betrayed the Navy, disguising himself to rise, only to turn his back and walk the path of a pirate.
That betrayal had cut Garp deeply.
Behind him, two young recruits quivered as they watched.
"Is… is this Senior Mundo? Just his gaze is enough to paralyze me!"
"C-Coby, are we really going to fight this kind of monster…?"
They weren't alone. Many of the lower-ranked marines, though still standing, trembled in fear.
Even Rayleigh let out a low whistle. "Mundo… you've surprised even me."
"Tsk, tsk," Kizaru muttered. "Terrifying, indeed. If you survive today, the seas will have a new Emperor—and your name will be carved into history."