Chapter 39: When the Sky Could No Longer Hold
Yamato and Big Mom's aerial battle raged high above the sea, thunderclouds swirling violently beneath their feet. Nimbus carried Yamato with fluid precision, forming and reforming under her command as if it were an extension of her will.
Each clash between her kanabo and Napoleon sent shockwaves rippling across the ocean below. Ships groaned under the pressure while lightning split the heavens again and again.
Yamato fought freely, a fierce grin etched across her face. Training with Ren and rebuilding Wano had refined her haki further than ever before. Her movements were sharper, her timing precise, her will unshakable.
"You've gotten faster!" Big Mom roared, swinging Napoleon in a wide arc infused with Conqueror's Haki.
Yamato vanished from sight at the last instant, dodging using advanced Future Sight. "Too slow!" she shouted, appearing at Big Mom's flank.
Her kanabo came down with crushing force. The impact sent Big Mom skidding backward midair. Blood spilled from Linlin's mouth as she steadied herself with a furious laugh.
"Mamamama! That stung, girl!"
Yamato's eyes burned with intensity. "I'm not done yet!"
Her haki now carried traces of Internal Destruction, something she had awakened fully during brutal battles against King, Jack, Who's Who, and Queen. Every strike now bypassed surface defenses and attacked from within.
But Big Mom was still a monster among monsters.
"That's not enough to take me down!" Linlin roared, summoning Zeus and sending arcs of lightning spiraling outward.
Yamato braced herself. "Then I'll hit harder!"
Below them, Ren observed calmly from his own Nimbus. The Big Mom fleet remained motionless, their commanders silent. They understood clearly—this was not a battlefield where interference would be tolerated.
Ren's gaze slowly shifted upward. High above the clouds, a familiar airship hovered.
Morgan's flying balloon floated safely at a distance, camera clicking rapidly.
Ren smiled faintly and ascended toward him. "Yo, Morgan. How's it going?"
Morgan stiffened, feathers puffing nervously. "Ahhh! It's Mr. Ren! I was just taking pictures—pure journalism!"
Ren laughed. "Relax. Just call me Ren. I actually came to ask for your Den Den Mushi number. I'm an Emperor now. I might have news for you."
Morgan's eyes gleamed greedily. "Kuhahaha! I never expected you to be so easy to get along with! So what's the news?"
Ren leaned casually against the edge of the balloon. "Nothing much. I was planning to move Fishman Island."
Morgan nearly dropped his camera. "MOVE Fishman Island?!"
"Don't publish it yet," Ren added calmly.
"Kuhahaha! You can trust me!" Morgan flapped excitedly. "By the way… do you have any connection to Amazon Lily?"
Ren tilted his head slightly. "Yeah. Hancock's my friend. Why?"
Morgan hesitated. "While you were fighting Kaido… the Marines sent Sakazuki to capture her. But… Sakazuki is missing now. The Marines are trying to find him."
The temperature in the sky shifted instantly.
Ren's eyes narrowed, and his Conqueror's Haki leaked uncontrollably for a brief moment. The sky cracked apart above them from his pressure alone.
"They dared?"
Morgan panicked. "Wait! Amazon Lily is fine! No signs of battle!"
Ren exhaled slowly, reigning in his aura. The sky stitched itself back together.
"Well," Ren said calmly again, "be ready. Once I move Fishman Island, you'll have news that shakes the sea."
Morgan trembled with excitement. "Kuhahaha! I'll be waiting!"
Ren gestured toward the battle below. "Capture Yamato's fight. Spread it. If you have any problem, call me."
Morgan nearly teared up. "Big Brother Ren! From now on, you're my big brother! Just call me anytime!"
They both laughed before Ren descended back toward the battlefield.
Yamato had sensed the sudden surge of his haki earlier and briefly worried. But now, seeing him laughing casually with Morgan, she relaxed.
"Don't get distracted!" Big Mom roared, slamming Zeus forward in a thunderous charge.
Yamato smirked. "I was just stretching."
She shifted forms, entering her Beast-Human state. Her hair grew wilder, horns sharper, and an icy aura radiated outward.
Her next strike carried chilling energy that frosted the very air. "Narikabura Arrow!"
Big Mom met it head-on, haki exploding between them. The clash froze the surrounding clouds momentarily before shattering them into mist.
The battle continued relentlessly. Hours passed. Then half a day. Then nearly a full day. Neither showed signs of stopping.
Just as Ren returned to his Nimbus, his senses sharpened. Another fleet approached from the distance.
He smiled faintly. "Another guest."
He turned to Morgan one last time. "Looks like I'll be greeting someone else. You keep doing your work."
"That's Whitebeard!" Morgan shouted. "Be careful!"
Ren chuckled. "I always am."
He created a hair clone to monitor Big Mom's fleet and turned toward Yamato.
"Hey, Yamato. Focus on your battle. Don't worry about me."
She didn't look away from Linlin. "Fine. Be careful, Ren."
"You too."
Ren flew toward the approaching ships.
Standing at the bow was Edward Newgate himself, Whitebeard in his prime—massive, imposing, and smiling.
"Yo," Ren called out with a smirk. "What's the strongest man in the world doing here?"
"Gurarararara!" Whitebeard laughed heartily. "You've got guts and a tongue, brat!"
His Conqueror's Haki flared outward violently.
Ren answered in kind. Their Haki collided midair, crackling like two colliding storms. Neither yielded an inch.
"Gurarararara! To reach this level at nineteen… you really are monsters!"
Ren grinned. "You're not bad yourself. So why did you come here?"
Whitebeard rested his naginata on his shoulder. "Just wanted to test the new Emperor."
Ren plucked a strand of hair. It elongated instantly into a black staff crackling with infused Conqueror's Haki and Internal Destruction.
"Well," Ren replied, smiling, "the best way to test someone is by fighting, right?"
"Gurararara! Come then, brat!"
Ren swung his staff downward. Whitebeard countered with his naginata, both weapons coated in advanced Conqueror's Haki.
The collision split the sky once more.
This was not the aging Whitebeard of Marineford. This was Newgate in his prime—unstoppable and overwhelming.
Ren laughed mid-clash. "Come on!"
Whitebeard grinned fiercely. "Don't regret it!"
Their weapons collided again, shockwaves distorting the sea itself.
Meanwhile, Yamato and Big Mom continued tearing apart the heavens on the opposite side of the battlefield.
Morgan's camera flashed endlessly, capturing every sky-splitting moment.
And far beyond the horizon, another massive ship approaching—bearing the flag of Loki of Elbaf.
The sea trembled as three Emperors clashed near Wano's shores.
And this was only the beginning.