As Longinus's final words faded, the grand hall fell into a deathly silence.
The nobles of the four kingdoms trembled inwardly.
To believe wholeheartedly that one would never lose—
to live without ever allowing fear to surface—
What an unshakable conviction.
Rear Admiral Adergin and the Marines felt their spirits quake as well.
So this is why Major Longinus is so strong…
To believe that justice never fails…
Cobra, who had been drowning in grief and shock, suddenly saw light.
"Is that it…?
I was too weak—
I knew things were wrong, yet never summoned the courage to stop them."
"I admired Major Longinus's strength…
but never tried to understand the source of that strength.
And so I could only stand as a powerless loser."
One of the Alabastan nobles beside him whispered fiercely:
"Prince Cobra!
If you admire Major Longinus so much, then wipe your tears and stand!
Fight without fear—just as he does!"
Felix blinked—then burst into manic laughter.
"Hahahaha!
You Marine brat really is delusional.
There is NO such thing as someone who never loses."
"If you believe you'll always win,
then I'll shatter that pathetic fantasy myself!"
He flexed his hand.
A massive scythe—wreathed in shadow and malice—materialized in his grip.
"Your strongest Marine is currently helpless.
Even if you're immune to my fear, you're just a Marine Major."
He raised the scythe high.
"Let me TEACH you what fear truly means!"
"SCREAM!
WAIL!
AND DIE TREMBLING!"
Felix swung the three-meter scythe with mad delight.
Longinus… didn't move.
He simply stood there, letting the monstrous blade crash down upon him.
The marble floor exploded like shattering glass, cracks racing across the entire hall.
Dust and debris shot upward as nobles screamed and pirates cackled.
But Felix's grin froze.
He felt it.
An immovable, monstrous force had halted the scythe.
Not merely stopped—it was locked in place.
He couldn't even pull it back.
Dust settled.
Silence drowned the hall.
Longinus stood firm, one hand raised over his head, casually gripping the scythe's lethal edge.
It was like an ant wrestling an elephant—
except no pirate could laugh.
Their captain's face was red, veins bulging as he pulled with all his strength.
The scythe—his "Death Reaper"—did not budge.
Longinus's voice was calm, almost instructional.
"Just as you said to Rear Admiral Adergin—
when a Devil Fruit user's ability is restrained,
what strength remains?"
Felix trembled.
"That's impossible…
My Death Reaper Scythe carries the fear of countless victims!
Even a giant couldn't block it so lightly!"
"You—
you can't be just a Marine Major—
WHO ARE YOU!?"
Behind Longinus, Adergin rubbed his forehead awkwardly.
"Honestly, I'm starting to believe you really did act on pure luck.
If you'd investigated properly, you'd know—
I'm not the strongest Marine here."
Felix blinked.
"You… you mean—"
Adergin shrugged.
"Felix, you're supposedly a seasoned pirate.
Have you really not learned yet?"
"Highest bounty doesn't always mean strongest."
He coughed.
"Ahem—wrong phrasing.
Highest rank doesn't mean strongest."
Felix nearly vomited blood.
He glared at the mangled remains of the Alabastan king.
"That old bastard… LIED TO ME!"
Adergin sighed.
"You can't blame him.
He knew as little as you.
He just assumed I was the strongest."
Felix opened his mouth to curse—but too late.
Longinus flicked his wrist.
The scythe's blade jerked upward—catapulting Felix into the air.
Longinus vanished.
He reappeared before Felix midair, right leg raised high.
Then—
BOOM.
Felix barely reacted in time, transforming his scythe into a black armored shell around himself.
But it was useless.
The nobles' fear of Felix had evaporated—
and without their fear to fuel it,
the armor was thin as mist.
Longinus's kick crashed down like a lightning bolt.
Felix cratered into the floor.
The impact made the entire palace tremble, columns cracking, walls buckling.
Panicked royals ran for their lives as the structure began to collapse.
Moments later—
the palace imploded, reduced to rubble and dust.
No one mourned the building.
All eyes locked anxiously on the ruins.
Longinus stood atop the debris, Kenbunshoku Haki sweeping outward.
He sensed Felix beneath instantly.
The rubble burst open—
a tattered shadow lunged upward with a desperate roar.
Longinus didn't even blink.
His leg whipped out horizontally—
Felix bounced across the ground like a skipping stone before slamming to a stop.
Yet, astonishingly, Felix stood.
He brushed dust off himself as if nothing had happened.
"What… what terrifying awareness.
Even after that collapse, you still detected my ambush and countered so fast…"
A few nobles gaped.
Adergin frowned.
"This is bad…
I thought his power was fading, but he's actually getting stronger?"
Longinus observed calmly.
"Your martial arts are still weak.
But your physical strength has increased severalfold."
Felix scoffed.
"Sharp-tongued brat."
But he didn't try to deny it.
Adergin muttered:
"Why is he stronger?
Our fear is fading—shouldn't that weaken him?"
Felix let out a crazed laugh, ripping off his mask.
His pale face twisted between fear and mania.
"You fools really don't understand Devil Fruits!
Fear makes me stronger—
that goes for my fear too!"
"If YOU no longer fear ME—
then I will fear YOU!"
His bloodshot eyes locked onto Longinus, trembling, ecstatic, deranged.
"The GREATER my fear…"
"—the STRONGER I become!"
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