"Are you sure?"
Madara asked for confirmation. A battle wouldn't stop for no reason—he was certain something had changed with Is, which was why he pressed the question.
"Yeah, I'm fine. It's just that… I think I suddenly awakened a new kind of power."
Is replied with a hint of teasing in his tone.
But it wasn't entirely a joke—he really had advanced and gained new strength.
…
After confirming that Is was fine, Madara gripped his scythe and charged forward.
Is tightened his hold on his blade. It was already coated in Armament Haki, but now—
red flames instantly wrapped around it.
The next moment, he dashed forward as well, leaving behind streaks of crimson afterimages.
"Ha!"
"Boom!"
The scythe and blade collided.
The ground beneath them shattered instantly from the impact.
Madara frowned slightly.
Not long ago, Is wouldn't have been able to withstand a strike like this—
but now, he could take it head-on.
Madara withdrew his weapon—
then slashed again.
Withdraw—slash!
"Bang!"
"Bang!"
"Bang!"
With every clash, the ground beneath Is's feet crumbled further, his body sinking slightly under the pressure.
But at the moment Madara pulled back again—
Is seized the opening.
The flames on his blade surged violently—
and he swung.
A crimson slash tore through the air toward Madara.
Madara's expression shifted. In an instant, he transitioned from offense to defense.
Is didn't stop.
The moment Madara switched stances—
Is began unleashing a relentless barrage.
One crimson slash after another shot forward, forcing Madara farther and farther back.
…
"Whoosh!"
As the distance widened—
Is's entire body ignited in red flames.
The fire gathered rapidly above him—
condensing into a massive sphere.
The temperature surged yet again.
Objects near him ignited instantly.
Though it seemed like a long buildup—
it took only a few seconds.
"Flame Emperor!"
With a shout—
the enormous fireball shot forward at incredible speed.
…
Madara's pupils reflected the incoming blaze.
At that moment—
the tomoe in his eyes began to spin.
His Sharingan evolved—
into the Eternal Mangekyō Sharingan.
"BOOM!!!"
The fireball struck Madara's position—
triggering a massive explosion.
Red light filled the sky.
The shockwave devoured everything around it.
…
Even the floating boat in the sky—
where Tatsumaki and the others stood—
was pushed back by the blast.
Thankfully, Tatsumaki quickly reinforced her psychic control, stabilizing the vessel.
…
"Whoooooosh—"
Thick smoke spread across the battlefield.
A gust of wind passed—
and the smoke gradually thinned.
…
Soon—
a massive blue giant appeared.
It was—
Susanoo.
Not its complete form—
but its fourth stage.
Madara stood atop its forehead, arms crossed over his chest, gazing down at Is.
…
Is looked up at Susanoo without much surprise.
He had expected this.
"A giant, huh…"
"I can make one too."
As he spoke—
the ground beneath him turned into paper.
The area spread rapidly.
Then—
the paper rose and gathered together—
forming a massive humanoid figure.
A paper giant—
took shape.
"Ha!"
Standing atop its head, Is let out a low shout.
Red flames engulfed the construct—
forming armor around its body.
The blazing red armor made it look imposing and majestic.
…
With a swing of its arm—
paper surged from the ground again—
forming a massive spear.
The spear was first coated in Armament Haki—
then engulfed in red flames.
…
"…So it's turned into a battle between giants now?"
Acnologia said, stunned.
"Truly impressive… I didn't expect both Is and Madara to possess such techniques," Yoriichi remarked.
"I've seen Madara use this before…"
"But Is… this is my first time. And in such a short time, he's grown much stronger," Tatsumaki added.
…
"Who do you think will win?"
Yoriichi asked with interest.
Acnologia leaned against the railing, already certain of the outcome.
"Is isn't the same as before."
"So I'd say… this fight won't have a winner."
"And you, Tatsumaki?"
"I don't want to agree with him…"
"But he's right."
"This battle won't have a decisive outcome—unless something unexpected happens."
…
Yoriichi paused.
Both of them had said a lot—
yet somehow avoided giving a direct answer.
"…Forget it."
He smiled faintly and dropped the topic.
…
Meanwhile—
at Marine Headquarters—
Fleet Admiral Kong and Sengoku returned with their forces.
Ever since the battle between Roger and Shiki—
the Rocks Pirates had gone quiet.
…
"Sengoku! You've got some nerve—going after the Rocks Pirates without telling me!"
The moment Garp heard they had returned, he rushed to the harbor.
"Garp? What are you doing here?"
Sengoku looked surprised. It wasn't like Garp to come greet returning ships.
"Don't change the subject!"
"You actually left me behind at Headquarters and went after the Rocks Pirates yourselves!"
Garp said bluntly.
Sengoku laughed.
"You were on a mission at the time, weren't you? That's why I didn't call you."
"If you didn't want me there, just say it."
"You know me—if I knew you were going after the Rocks Pirates, I'd have dropped everything and gone."
Garp shot back.
Sengoku smirked, then shifted the topic.
"I heard from the Fleet Admiral…"
"that you recently volunteered to escort a Celestial Dragon?"
"That's surprising, Garp."
"As far as I remember, you avoid dealing with them unless absolutely necessary."
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