The golden divine bird circled high in the air, while the hurricane beneath her swiftly cleared away the surrounding mist at her command.
Many people finally saw the chaotic situation around them.
Not all Marines and pirates were proficient in Observation Haki. Many among them had accidentally injured their comrades in the confusion of the smoke.
Now that the smoke had dissipated, with people practically face-to-face, the atmosphere became somewhat awkward.
Of course, most people still focused their attention upwards.
Was the newcomer friend or foe?
Before those below could ask, the answer quickly became apparent.
The golden divine bird turned into a streak of light and shot upwards. Then, with a flash of golden light, it became a small black dot, allowing the crowd to finally make out the outline of the Gale Breaker.
During the hurricane's clearing process, the Gale Breaker had already begun lowering its altitude.
Karin transformed back into her human form, which also gave many below a definitive piece of information.
-Kaido was very pleased. In his view, his crew was about to gain another fierce fighter.
"Naruto-san, it's ready."
Karin called out to Naruto at the ship's bow, then pulled Konohamaru back as he leaned most of his body over the railing, trying to see clearly what was happening below.
Of the four people present, this kid was the only one who couldn't fly.
Yet, he had the boldest heart of them all.
Naruto also grabbed Konohamaru's scarf, pulling him in front of him.
After this period of training and indulging in the One Piece World, Konohamaru's physique had grown rapidly.
Just like a certain pink-haired marine, he looked like a completely different person. The scarf that used to often drag on the ground now fit him perfectly.
However, his height of around 170 centimeters still fell short compared to Naruto's current stature.
"Konohamaru, I have a small task for you."
Naruto whispered something into Konohamaru's ear, after which the kid immediately showed a reluctant expression.
Yet, under the threat of a loving iron fist, Konohamaru obediently complied.
"Now we're probably in the 'spotlight', aren't we?"
After assigning Konohamaru his special task, Naruto turned to look at Sasuke and Karin.
In reality, saying 'spotlight' was a bit of an understatement.
At that moment, over a hundred thousand pairs of eyes on the battlefield below were fixed on them.
Gaze has weight.
Both Karin and Sasuke inevitably felt a hint of nervousness.
Perhaps only Naruto, who had once liberated slaves in Mary Geoise, was somewhat accustomed to it.
Naruto walked towards the ship's edge, his feet steadily treading on the air, while Gale Breaker continued its steady descent.
Now, most people's gazes shifted from the ship to that small point floating in mid-air.
"Flying in the sky..."
"Floating?"
Some of the older veterans or seasoned pirates immediately remembered [The Flying Pirate Admiral] Shiki the Golden Lion, whose death had been confirmed not long ago.
'Blond hair – check.'
'Loose orange clothing – also a match.'
'But wasn't that old guy already dead?'
"Fire!"
At that moment, a Marine Vice Admiral, perhaps overwhelmed by pressure or having received some signal, suddenly roared out, ordering the riflemen behind him to shoot at the unidentified humanoid figure.
The Marines below looked at each other, but ultimately, they could only obey their superior's command.
The effective range of their rifles was limited, especially when firing upwards, making it even shorter.
Clearly, their feeble lead bullets couldn't reach the figure in the sky.
However, their gunfire inadvertently prompted many others who didn't understand the situation to also fire at this intruder. Some even targeted the slowly descending Gale Breaker.
Hum-
A terrifying aura, intertwined with black lightning, suddenly spread downwards. A horrifying Conqueror's Haki enveloped the entire field.
In that moment, it was as if the sky was collapsing!
The lead bullets and cannonballs flying through the air seemed to collide with an 'impenetrable wall', forcibly detonating in mid-air.
The battlefield, once filled with furious roars, quickly fell silent.
'What... is that...'
A pirate gulped hard, yet he couldn't stop himself from sliding down to the ground, which even he found unbelievable.
He was no greenhorn rookie.
Everyone who had come here with the main force today was a skilled fighter who had survived in the New World. Many had even been fortunate enough to witness the Conqueror's Haki of an Emperor, but nothing as terrifying as this.
For many who lost consciousness, their last moment of awareness felt as if two suns had appeared in the sky.
The black solar disk seemed on the verge of annihilating everything on the ground in the next instant.
The pirates were having a hard time, but the Marines were in even worse shape.
Over a hundred thousand elite marines lost their ability to move. Some young officers also struggled to remain conscious. Only those leaders who had also experienced Conqueror's Haki had the right to remain standing.
Even so, they still felt a deep sense of trepidation. Some couldn't help but tremble, their hands gripping their weapons shaking involuntarily.
"That brat... it hasn't been that long."
Kizaru and Whitebeard momentarily broke apart, both briefly halting their confrontation due to the suddenly erupted aura.
It seemed Whitebeard was also astonished by Naruto's current level of Haki.
"What a fearsome guy... Uzumaki Naruto."
This time, there wasn't much jest in Kizaru's words.
'A Conqueror's Haki that could even affect me, covering such a vast range... this guy's strength had become even more unfathomable.'
"Hahaha! Uzumaki Naruto! I've been waiting for you!"
While Kaido was also surprised by this level of Haki, he was more excited about facing a powerful enemy.
The guy directly transformed into a dragon, swinging his tail as he prepared to soar upwards.
However, his movement was blocked by Aokiji.
"Absolute Zero: Ice Time-"
Aokiji, having entered a state of absolute zero, might have achieved what could be called [Awakening] for a Logia-type Devil Fruit. Every move he made could drain immense amounts of temperature.
The Devil Fruit he ate represented the natural phenomenon of 'freezing', not 'ice'.
So, completely different from those in the Ninja World who used Ice Release Ninjutsu, Aokiji's killing moves weren't about 'ice', but about 'freezing'.
His hands quickly turned deep blue as he grabbed Kaido's tail, forcibly yanking him back to the ground.
Don't underestimate the three Admirals.
Even without their Devil Fruits, based on physical combat or swordsmanship alone, they were still among the strongest in the Marines.
As Aokiji made contact, Kaido's body rapidly began to freeze. If he didn't break free in time, he risked being turned into an ice block mid-air.
"Our fight isn't over yet, Kaido."
Aokiji, with half his face turned to ice, actually said this with a smile. It felt like Aokiji in this state was more 'warm' than usual.
"Damn Marines! Get the hell away!"
Kaido roared fiercely, but he could only obediently spew Heat Breath to rapidly raise his own temperature, which made him feel even more stifled.
If there was anyone on the field whose anger surpassed Kaido's, it was Akainu.
"Great Sinner!!"
Akainu acted similarly to Kaido, but he was even more resolute.
Big Mom stared blankly as the Marine Admiral turned into a mass of magma and shot upwards. Even though his leg, unable to fully transform into an element in time, was struck by her sword, he didn't slow down in the slightest.
Compared to Kaido, Akainu's hatred for Naruto ran much deeper.
At that moment, the expressions on the grandfather and grandson pair on the execution platform were completely opposite.
Ace, bound by chains and forced to kneel, barely raised his head, his eyes shining with surprise and joy.
Garp, standing in front with his arms crossed, had a face as dark as water, his gaze unconsciously sweeping over certain people below.
He understood very well that the moment Naruto appeared, this war had already entered its next stage.