Of course—
Contempt was contempt, and arrogance was arrogance.
After all, the opponent was a rising star powerful enough to kill Crocodile, a notorious pirate who even the Yonko Shanks himself had taken notice of.
Even the claim of "resurrection" surrounded him like a myth—there was no shame in being cautious.
Even if…the price of that caution meant his subordinates would be gravely injured.
So be it.
"If a moment's hesitation lets the criminal escape, how could I ever—guh!"
Vice Admiral Onigumo was still trying to preach his ideals to the pierced naval officer before him when—
—A cluster of starlight flared behind his back, taking shape into another Ren!
Invisibility + Arcane Ring: Presence Suppression!
"Don't you think you're celebrating a bit too early?"
A mocking voice came from behind. In that fleeting second, Ren's blade—Cursed Blade: Thousand Edge—pierced through flesh, unleashing a terrifying technique.
"Two of him?! How is that possible!?"
Onigumo's Observation Haki finally caught up, sensing the second figure—and his face went pale.
He had clearly impaled the man! How could there be another?!
"Thousand Edge—Break!"
Ren No.2 twisted the blade's hilt, and the purple-black Haki infused into the fragments surged.
Under the control of his Qi, countless blade shards exploded outward in a circular storm, drilling through every inch of Onigumo's skin!
Blood sprayed in a crimson fountain as the Vice Admiral's body was torn apart from within.
If not for his mastery of the Six Powers secret—Life Return, which allowed him to control every muscle and organ in his body—that strike alone would have killed him instantly.
Even so, Onigumo was left heavily wounded. He had no choice but to reinforce his body with a thick layer of advanced Armament Haki.
BOOM—!
A crack of purple lightning split the air behind Ren. The shattered Thousand Edge reformed and merged into the Spear of Thunder, becoming a raging thunder-blade.
Sixth Form—Thundercrash Rampage!
The ground beneath Ren's feet shattered. A spiderweb of cracks spread dozens of meters out as violet lightning arcs burst forth like fireworks, lashing into Onigumo's body again and again.
Sparks flew—his Justice coat was instantly reduced to shreds.
But his advanced Haki still barely held.
Using that momentum, Onigumo flung away the impaled officer, as though to throw a distraction.
But his opponent saw through it in an instant!
Third Form—Gathering Thunder!
The thunder-wreathed blade raised a storm of blinding light—not a single swing, but a thousand splintering shards forming a Thunderstorm of Blades!
Each fragment now acted as a blade of its own.
Divine Wrath—Myriad Bolts!
Thousands of thunder swords rained down, fusing into the storm of blades.
And then—BOOM!
The roar of thunder consumed the world.
Azure blades laced with lightning tore through the air, interweaving endlessly as they hunted the fleeing Vice Admiral like a tightening web.
Every strike left scorched marks across his body, blackening his skin in branching waves of electricity.
Within seconds, the entire area—hundreds of meters around—was drowned in lightning and slashing energy. It was like a volcanic eruption, unstoppable and absolute.
"This swordsmanship…"
Onigumo's scalp tingled as he stabilized his damaged organs with Life Return,coating his body with as much Haki as he could muster.
But no barrier could completely block those endless blade fragments!
Then, in a single instant, the sea of lightning converged—collapsing inward, gathering upon the thunder-etched magic blade.
A beam of condensed lightning formed; the Spear of Thunder shifted—becoming a sheath.
Ren slid the reforged blade into it, lightning sparks being forced into the compressed scabbard.
First Form—Thunderclap and Flash!
Crack!
His thumb flicked the tsuba—the blade burst free, becoming a streak of pure light!
A flash of blue-violet thunder shot forward,stretching into a flying slash.
It was brute force—no tricks, no mercy!
Fifth Form—Thermal Realm Thunder!
Ren twisted his waist, bringing the blade upward in a blazing arc.
A wave of lightning-charged sword energy exploded upward, slicing through Onigumo's body in an instant.
Clang!
The Vice Admiral crossed his six blackened blades before his chest, but they shattered upon impact.
He gritted his teeth, pouring all his will into maintaining Life Return to keep his organs from failing.
But—it was too late!
Shing!
The flash of blue light cut through the air like a pair of scissors, cleaving through buildings and earth alike.
Everything along its path melted under searing heat and thunder,and a trench hundreds of meters long split the ground apart.
From above, the streets of Mock Town now bore a single, perfect line—a scar that divided nearly a third of the town.
The slashing wave carved a bottomless fissure into the island,its end vanishing into the dark horizon.
Within mere seconds, the stored energy turned kinetic—the entire island trembled.
BOOM!
A deafening explosion followed—air itself detonated from the heat of lightning. A fire dragon traced the scar of destruction,and at its end, Onigumo was hurled into a building.
He crashed through the wall, vomiting pink blood.
Pale-faced, he used Life Return to check his internal damage.
Bones fractured—not fatal. But his organs and heart were shredded by the blow.
That was his limit. If nothing changed, he would die here.
CRACK!
A lightning bolt struck the ground. Ren stepped out from its blinding glow, eyes cold and merciless.
Spear of Thunder—Teleportation Trait!
"It seems your story ends here. A Vice Admiral of the Marine Headquarters… is nothing special after all."
Ren gripped the spear as six radiant wings spread wide behind him. Above, the clouds churned with writhing serpents of lightning; below, arcs of electricity danced across the ruined earth.
At that moment—he stood as the very incarnation of thunder.
BOOM!
Almost simultaneously, an explosion of fire erupted from the harbor!
At the docks, Nojiko, bathed in flames, raised her arm. The inferno from the battleships surged back toward her palm, gathering into a colossal fireball.
She hurled it toward the navy vessel—and it burst apart in a blinding eruption!
Screams echoed as molten steel ran like lava; a third of the warship disintegrated instantly.
Countless marines leapt into the boiling sea, joining the floating corpses of roasted fish.
Behind them, Vivi swept across the port as a roaring Sandstorm, engulfing the officers attempting to flee.
Under the leaden sky, Jaya had become a scene straight from hell.
And the lord of that hell—the Demon Lord himself—still watched Vice Admiral Onigumo coldly.
"D-Damn it… don't think you've won!"
The Vice Admiral forced himself to stand, glaring at the figure before him—divine in form, demonic in nature.
"You're nothing but a pirate. No matter how glorious you look, you can't hide the filth in your soul! The Navy never bows to evil! Now come—show me your strength!"
Despite his shattered body and imminent death, Onigumo's aura didn't waver. His face twisted in defiance, eyes sharp with conviction.
*"I will uphold Absolute Justice! I won't let you grow any further! It's terrifying—how much stronger you've become in such a short time. That clone, the invisibility—it's beyond reason.
If I let you live, the future will be doomed! Even if I die here, I'll hold you down until he arrives…When he does, your fate will be sealed!"*
At that thought, his mind grew unnaturally clear.
Onigumo's body swelled, muscles tearing through his uniform. He had redirected his Life Return not to healing—but to enhancement.
He had given up on survival,ready to fight to the bitter end.
"You really don't know when to give up."
Ren's expression was faintly amused. At this point, it might just turn into a battle of endurance.
But for his kind of power, that made no difference.
Golden-red patterns glowed across his skin as he strode forward, gripping the restored Cursed Blade: Thousand Edge tightly.
"As you wish!"
He stepped—then vanished in a thunderclap!
Both men moved at once—Ren using Thunder Breathing: First Form – Burst Step, and Onigumo using Soru of the Six Powers.
Spider-Sense screamed in Ren's mind, warning him of mortal danger.
His foundation was still shallow; even with all his cunning, traps, and power-ups—facing a Vice Admiral head-on was still perilous.
But that was exactly what he wanted.
Schemes couldn't replace strength forever. In this world, raw power ruled.
At that moment, guided by Spider-Sense, Ren instinctively entered the state he'd trained for—
His world became transparent.
Observation Haki—Beginner Stage!
He saw the trajectory of Onigumo's dual blades instantly. Seeing wasn't the same as dodging, though—he could only shift slightly before the black blades pierced through his ribs, nearly impaling him completely!
His Armament Haki faltered before the Vice Admiral's superior mastery.
"You're too naïve!"
Onigumo rasped, eyes gleaming with madness.
How foolish—to charge head-on into death!
"Haki against Haki—there's still a gap! Your Haki can't compare—gh!"
Before he could finish, Ren seized both blades lodged in his body.
Lightning flashed in his eyes, reflecting the fury of the heavens.
Divine Wrath—Thunder Punishment!
BOOM—!
A pillar of divine lightning crashed down from the clouds!
(End of Chapter)