Buzz—
As soon as Gion's words fell, a violent aura erupted from beneath her feet, forming an energy storm that spread outward from her as the center, instantly engulfing the entire warship.
The next moment.
The fierce battles raging on the deck came to an abrupt halt.
Then, one after another, bodies began to collapse to the ground with loud thuds.
As figures fell one by one, the deck of the Brachiosaurus was soon left with only Queen, King, and a few other cadres of the Beasts Pirates still standing.
But it wasn't just the Beasts Pirates who were affected. Many Marine soldiers who had followed Gion onto the Brachiosaurus were also caught in the wave, their eyes wide open as they collapsed powerlessly to the ground, unconscious on the spot.
"Conqueror's Haki!"
Witnessing the visually overwhelming scene before him, even King couldn't help but suck in a sharp breath.
With his years of combat experience and insight, he could tell that Gion's Conqueror's Haki had just awakened. The reason for her awakening at this moment was undoubtedly the powerful will deep within her heart: "For the Fleet Admiral, none shall escape my blade!"
"Gion!"
At that moment, Kake, who had been battling Queen, suddenly leapt back and pointed at the unconscious Marine soldiers on the deck, shouting in frustration, "Why are you recklessly unleashing your Conqueror's Haki?! You even knocked out your own men!"
Standing amidst the aftermath of her unleashed Haki, Gion gripped Konpira tightly, her gaze fixed on King. The Admiral's coat on her shoulders fluttered wildly in the storm of Haki, and her long hair, previously tied up, now cascaded like a waterfall, dancing in the wind. She looked like a Valkyrie descending from the heavens.
"Apologies," Gion said, her tone calm yet resolute. "I just awakened it, so I'm not quite used to it yet."
Before her words had fully settled, Gion's figure suddenly vanished with a flash, leaving behind a ripple in the air.
The next moment, a dazzling slash of sword energy appeared out of nowhere in front of King.
"Too fast!"
King was startled, only realizing the attack was upon him when it was already too late.
In the instant he became aware, the blade's energy had already magnified infinitely in his pupils. The overwhelming slash engulfed him entirely, lifting him into the air.
Splat—
As King was flung skyward, a spray of blood burst forth from his chest.
Before he could react, Gion's figure appeared in his line of sight once again.
Swish-swish-swish—
Like a shadow, Gion moved with blinding speed, shifting through over a dozen positions in the blink of an eye. Each time her figure flashed, a radiant slash of sword energy followed, blooming in midair.
When she stopped moving after her rapid assault, more than ten slashes of brilliant energy surrounded King in the sky, enveloping him in a dazzling display.
The next second, the slashes converged, piercing King's body all at once.
Splat-splat-splat-splat—
A series of sickening sounds echoed as King's body was riddled with wounds, each one releasing a mist of blood. Suspended in midair, his body trembled violently as if struck by lightning, and with every tremor, another cloud of blood erupted.
"Argh—!"
Letting out an anguished roar, King finally succumbed, falling toward the sea in a free-fall, his body limp and lifeless.
Meanwhile, Gion returned to the deck, her blade still in hand. She made no effort to conceal her powerful aura, allowing her long hair to flow freely in the wind. Her peach blossom-shaped eyes glimmered with an undeniable air of dominance, as if she stood above all others.
At that moment, all the doubts and insecurities Gion had felt about her worthiness as an Admiral—doubts that had lingered since her promotion by Xayuki—vanished completely.
She was now certain: She deserved the title of Admiral!
Suddenly—
"Shave (Soru)—"
Just as King's body was about to crash into the sea, a cold voice rang out from a nearby warship.
The next moment, a figure stepped through the air and caught King's heavily injured body, retreating swiftly back to the deck of the warship.
"Hmm?"
Gion's sharp eyes narrowed slightly as she focused on the man who had saved King. Her voice turned icy as she called out, "Who's-Who!"
The man who had saved King was tall, wearing a red masked helmet and a matching red suit.
Who's-Who, a user of the Cat-Cat Fruit, Ancient Model: Saber-Toothed Tiger, with a bounty of 540 million Belly.
Formerly a CP9 intelligence officer under the World Government, he had been imprisoned seven years ago after losing the Gum-Gum Fruit to Shanks. After escaping from prison using his skills as a former agent, he formed the Who's-Who Pirates, which later joined the Beasts Pirates. His strength earned him a place among Kaido's elite Tobi Roppo (The Flying Six).
"Didn't expect someone to still remember me!"
Who's-Who grinned as he looked at Gion from afar. "I've always had my eye on the Lead Performer position, but if I let you kill King now, it'd be troublesome for all of us. So, Vice Admiral Momousagi—no, I should call you Admiral Gion now. My apologies, Admiral Gion, hahaha…"
Before Gion could respond, Who's-Who turned away decisively and shouted, "Retreat! All ships, retreat!"
At his command, the warship beneath him, along with several nearby pirate ships, immediately turned around and began their retreat.
"Who's-Who!"
Seeing Who's-Who dare to order a retreat, Queen, who was struggling against Kake and two other Vice Admirals, was furious. He roared at the fleeing ships, "How dare you, Who's-Who!"
Boom!
Before Queen's words could finish, a thunderous explosion echoed across the battlefield. A terrifying shockwave swept outward from several hundred meters away, forcing Queen, Kake, and the others to abandon their fight and retreat in disarray.
The source of the shockwave became clear as a figure hurtled through the air like a meteor, crashing onto the deck of a pirate ship near the Brachiosaurus.
It was none other than the Yonko, Kaido, who had been battling Sakazuki.
"Sakazuki!"
As soon as he landed, Kaido stood up, gripping his kanabo tightly. His roar of fury was accompanied by a surge of overwhelming Conqueror's Haki.
At the same time.
On the deck of the Akainu Fleet's flagship, violent flames of energy erupted, rising into the sky with an invisible, oppressive force that radiated scorching heat.
At the center of the storm stood Sakazuki, his domineering figure exuding an aura that was both divine and demonic, leaving an indelible impression on all who witnessed it.
"Strongest creature on land, sea, and air?"
A voice, cold and devoid of emotion, echoed across the battlefield.
From the heart of the energy storm, Sakazuki stepped forward, his molten fist radiating terrifying heat. He let out a disdainful snort.
"Hmph! Nothing more than that!"
With those words, Sakazuki launched his magma-coated fists into the sky at incredible speed, painting the entire sea red.
"Meteor Volcano!"
End of the first update today. More chapters to follow! ~~~~❃❃~~~~~~~~❃❃~~~~
The story isn't over...
🤔 Want to know what happens next to the characters?
🤫 Eager to explore the untold secrets of this world?
✍️ Ready to read more of my wildest stories?
✨patreon.com/GoldenLong