"The first one?" Kaito smiled faintly, utterly unconcerned. "Then I'm honored."
"I once thought of keeping you as a pet," Im said coldly. "But a disobedient dog has no value. You should die."
The moment her words fell, Im vanished.
There was no warning, no buildup. Her figure disappeared like a forced displacement, leaving only a golden afterimage shimmering briefly under the sunlight.
Kaito's eyes opened and closed.
The Rinnegan activated silently.
At the same time, the Seventh Gate of the Eight Gates burst open. A scarlet heatwave exploded from his body as his foot slammed into the ground, leaving a deep imprint behind. His body shot forward like a black streak tearing through the air.
Im's pale hand formed a fist, extending forward with slow, elegant precision.
Kaito's expression turned solemn. Through the Rinnegan, he could clearly perceive the destructive force condensed within that seemingly delicate strike.
The air split apart.
Space itself felt frozen.
The pressure alone was enough to instantly crush a Rear Admiral.
Kaito did not hold back. The Seventh Gate surged fully, muscles tightening, veins bulging. His fist roared forward like a falling meteor, twisting the surrounding space as it met hers head on.
Boom!
The explosion thundered across Marineford, numbing the scalps of everyone present.
The ground beneath them collapsed instantly, expanding outward in a radius of over a kilometer, forming a massive crater like the mouth of an abyss. Web-like cracks spread wildly, tearing through the entirety of Marineford.
A storm of destruction erupted, sweeping outward like a natural disaster.
Even the spectators on both sides were forced back more than a hundred meters by the shockwaves.
"So this is the foundation of the World Government," Whitebeard said gravely. "Even in my prime, I wouldn't have matched her."
"She must be the World Government's ultimate trump card," Dragon said in a low voice. "Uranus."
"Uranus," Redfield repeated thoughtfully. "That name hasn't surfaced in a long time. If that's true, then it makes sense. Still, the captain fighting her evenly… perhaps we'll finally see his full strength."
As the violent air currents slowly dissipated, two figures became visible at the bottom of the crater.
They remained locked in their punching stances, unmoving.
"Not bad," Im said calmly. "You endured my casual strike. You're strong enough to force the World Government to mobilize everything."
"Likewise," Kaito replied evenly. "I never expected someone like you to exist in this world. A woman, no less. I hope you'll let me go all out."
The exchange left the Five Elders visibly shaken.
No one understood Im's strength better than they did.
Secret records described Admirals as insignificant ants before her, capable of being wiped out with a single motion. Over the years, every encounter had proven that description accurate.
Yet now, someone had blocked her punch without suffering any damage.
The realization unsettled them deeply.
At the same time, a sense of relief surfaced. If they had come without informing Im, they would have been completely annihilated by Kaito alone.
As their thoughts raced, two streaks of light burst upward from the crater, stopping midair.
Redfield smiled and glanced at the others. "Alright everyone, let's begin. Finish early and celebrate back home."
"Hmph. Whether Kaito's ambition succeeds depends on this battle," someone muttered.
Aokiji exhaled cold air, slammed his palm into the ground, and shouted, "Ice Age!"
A deafening crack echoed as ice surged outward, spreading endlessly. In moments, the massive crescent-shaped harbor froze solid, transforming into a world of white.
"Fighting outside works for me," Saint Saturn said calmly. "This is Marine Headquarters. Rebuilding it would be expensive."
"Enough talk!" Saint Peter snapped, charging forward first.
"So impatient," Redfield said lightly. His red umbrella swayed as his figure vanished and reappeared before Saint Peter like a ghost. A blood-red aura surged as countless bats formed around him.
"Kong, you're mine," Whitebeard laughed heartily, appearing before Kong with his naginata in hand.
One by one, the high-ranking fighters found their opponents.
King faced king.
General faced general.
A battle that would decide the fate of the entire sea erupted.
"Oh? It's already started?" Kaito said, sensing the chaos below.
A figure appeared beside him. Without instruction, the shadow clone descended instantly.
"A clone?" Im said coldly. "Just as the Five muttons reported. A wielder of multiple abilities."
Her voice sharpened.
"But tricks like this mean nothing to me. I'll use you to warm up. After sitting for centuries, my body has grown stiff."
In the next instant, her aura exploded.
It was like a black storm crashing down from the heavens, far more violent than before. Space turned viscous, as if submerged in mud, and overwhelming pressure surged toward Kaito.
"This isn't Conqueror's Haki," someone murmured. "It's pure presence. Terrifying."
Kaito's own aura erupted in response.
Cold.
Killing.
Blood-soaked.
It clashed violently with Im's power.
Hum!
Everything within a thousand meters of the sky above was crushed into nothingness. Only clear blue sky and the rising sun remained.
Below, fighters on both sides faltered as the pressure bore down on them.
"What's happening?" Issho muttered, frowning. "This pressure exceeds even my Gravity Fruit."
His Observation Haki traced the source.
Silence followed.
"Are the captain and that woman even human?" the thought surfaced unbidden.
"Tch! Even their fight is affecting us," Bullet growled at his opponent.
Boom! Boom!
Suddenly, massive roots burst from the shattered ground, growing wildly like living serpents.
"These are…" Issho narrowed his eyes. "The captain?"
The dark brown vines shot forward, flexible and relentless, rushing toward the World Government's forces.
"Dodge them!" Saint Saturn shouted urgently. "They drain physical strength and will completely incapacitate you!"
It was too late.
An Admiral and several Vice Admiral-level fighters in black were caught instantly. The vines wrapped around them layer by layer, draining their strength in seconds and rendering them helpless.
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