On this unknown, isolated island—before the rest of the world could even realize it—the two strongest forces of the present age had already begun their clash.
"Ha ha ha ha!"
Bullet roared with laughter, his fists wrapped in both Armament and Conqueror's Haki, swinging like a storm of meteors as he unleashed them toward the Iron Fist, Garp.
But when it came to fists, who could ever surpass Garp?
Even without Conqueror's Haki, his Armament alone—tempered through countless battles—exploded with earth-shaking might!
His punches were faster, heavier, and sharper than Bullet's. Though he struck second, he landed first, forcing Bullet to stumble backward.
"Heat Breath!!"
As Bullet and Garp exchanged blows, Kaido drew in a deep breath and unleashed a torrent of flame upon Fleet Admiral Sengoku below.
In an instant, dazzling golden light erupted—Sengoku transformed into a towering golden Buddha. With a single counter-swipe of his palm, a massive shockwave surged forth, colliding head-on with Kaido's flames.
"Kaido's daughter! Ian's fiancée! Such a sinful existence has no place on these seas!"
Akainu roared, his blazing right fist hurling forward. "Great Magma Eruption!"
"Hahaha! My relationship with Ian—so many people already know?"
Yamato laughed cheerfully, more amused by the revelation than the threat.
She leapt into the air, iron club swinging down.
Trailing a streak of blinding white lightning, the club smashed the massive magma fist to pieces.
Fragments of molten rock scattered, only to freeze instantly into ice.
Not far away, Hancock glared furiously at Akainu. What nonsense was this bastard spouting?
If not for Kizaru blocking her path, she would have already kicked that magma fool into rubble herself!
I am Ian's fiancée!
"Oh? Speed is weight, isn't it?"
A sudden flash of piercing light erupted before her—Kizaru had flickered into place in an instant, his right leg gleaming as it swept across.
Hancock lowered her brows, her voice cold. "Stay out of my way."
Her body spun, her long right leg cloaked in twin layers of Haki, lashing out.
BOOM!!
The collision of Haki sent a storm of black lightning tearing through the air, shockwaves ripping outward.
"Wha—?!"
Kizaru's eyes widened in disbelief. "Impossible! Such overwhelming Haki?!"
How could this woman possess such monstrous strength?
With Armament alone, she might not have been his equal. But with Conqueror's infusion, she could now match him blow for blow!
But how could she have mastered Conqueror's infusion so quickly?
Having one unreasonable monster like Ian was already too much for the world to bear!
BOOM!!
A thunderous roar erupted nearby.
Kizaru instinctively turned his head, just in time to see Yamato's iron club collide with Akainu's magma-coated fist.
Haki clashed violently, neither side giving an inch!
That brat Yamato had already mastered the advanced form of Conqueror's Haki!
What kind of joke was this?! Both of these girls had grown far too strong!
Another man shared the same disbelief.
Hawkeye Mihawk felt equally shaken.
Back in the East Blue, he had spent a fair amount of time with Ian and his companions, and he had at least some understanding of Yamato and Hancock.
That was why he now found it so utterly unbelievable.
How long had it even been? And already, these two girls were nearly catching up to him in strength!
Where was the justice in that?
But Mihawk had no time to dwell on Yamato and the others, because the foe standing before him was equally outrageous.
From the edge of the man's blade, thick, jet-black lightning surged upward, as though it were demonic energy rising from the pits of hell itself.
"Are you ready to die?"
The voice was cold and merciless—the Supreme Commander of the God's Knights, Figarland Garling.
"Come then!"
Mihawk's battle spirit blazed.
It was fights like these—against overwhelming strength—that made life worth living.
While their battle erupted in full force, elsewhere on the battlefield—
"What a lunatic…"
Kong, the Commander-in-Chief of the entire World Government's army, pressed a hand against his aching chest and silently clenched his fists.
His eyes locked on the young man standing defiantly at the center of their encirclement—Ian.
He wasn't even a man yet, merely a seventeen-year-old boy.
And yet, the arrogance and unrestrained pride radiating from him were unlike anything Kong had ever seen before.
A madman.
There was no other word to describe Ian.
Here stood the supreme commander of the World Government army, the highest authority of CP0, a vice-commander of the God's Knights, and even the gathered Gorosei.
Facing such overwhelming power alone, and still exuding this much arrogance—what else could Ian be but a lunatic?
But in a way, it was a blessing.
It was precisely this arrogance of his that had given them the chance to end everything here.
As long as they could eliminate this boy—
"Die, Sword Grave! An insect like you dares defy the gods?!"
The vice-commander of the God's Knights was the first to strike.
His body swelled in an instant, morphing into a towering bull-headed monster.
Gripping a colossal double-bladed axe, he swung it down toward Ian with murderous force.
Zoan-type, Bull-Bull Fruit—Mythical Beast: Minotaur Form!
Ian was secretly astonished.
The Celestial Dragons truly were extravagant beyond compare. It was one thing for the Five Elders, but even the higher members of the God's Knight all possessed powerful Devil Fruit abilities.
The Minotaur's battle axe cleaved Ian in half in an instant.
Even the lingering force of the strike, when it hit the ground, split the surface of the lonely island with a massive chasm.
But then—
"Minotaur?"
A casual, mocking voice came from the side.
The Minotaur turned his head in shock.
Flames gathered nearby, and soon reformed into Ian's figure.
"Haki really doesn't work on him, huh?"
Saturn, who had transformed into a giant spider, spoke in a low voice.
What a completely unreasonable and disgusting ability.
"Hmph! No matter. I'll handle this!"
The Minotaur sneered, stamping his hooves heavily against the ground. "Insect, I'll show you the power that belongs to a god!"
"Oh?"
Ian raised an eyebrow, curious. What kind of ability could this guy display?
Rumble!!
The ground suddenly surged upward.
Walls sprouted from the earth like roots, rising higher and higher until they blocked out the sky.
"Hm?"
Ian glanced around in surprise. In just a few seconds, he had been sealed within a strange space. It seemed to be a corridor, with turns stretching both forward and back.
"A labyrinth?"
Ian arched his brow.
With the name Minotaur, of course a labyrinth would come to mind.
He instinctively spread his Observation Haki.
But something strange happened—the Haki couldn't extend outward. Or rather, it couldn't penetrate the walls. He could only sense the auras immediately around him.
Now this was impressive.
So this ability actually created a special labyrinth?
Ian casually smashed the wall beside him with a punch.
Yet in the next second, the wall instantly regenerated.
"Once you enter my labyrinth, don't even think about leaving!"
From the wall behind him, the Minotaur suddenly emerged, swinging his massive axe down to split Ian's body in two once again.
"Hahahaha! Everything within this labyrinth bends to my command!"
The surrounding walls began to shift rapidly, the ceiling above twisting and distorting as well. The Minotaur had already vanished without a trace.
**********
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