Yasopp followed closely behind, jaw slack and throat dry, swallowing hard before speaking in disbelief.
"That's right, Shanks! Are you kidding me? There are actually five more people in this world as strong as Garp? No... you said they might even be stronger than him!" Yasopp's voice trembled, his face filled with shock.
Benn Beckman, always calm, frowned slightly. "Even if they're strong, their power should only be comparable to Garp's, right?" His eyes searched Shanks' expression for a hint of humor.
But Shanks only smiled bitterly, shaking his head. His gaze swept over his crew before settling on the horizon. "Do I look like I'm joking?" he replied quietly.
A heavy silence fell over the Red-Haired Pirates. The only sound was the faint hum of the ship's rigging in the wind.
After a long pause, Benn finally broke the silence. "Then... even Ashveil probably can't win. Were his words earlier meant just to boost the morale of the Whitebeard Pirates?" he asked, genuine disbelief flickering in his tone.
Shanks exhaled slowly and shook his head again. "It's hard to say. Ashveil's strength isn't as simple as when I last crossed blades with him. In this war... if he weren't here, the Marines' victory would be absolute."
He paused, his eyes narrowing as he stared at the distant live broadcast. "But with Ashveil on the field, their chances drop to seventy percent."
"As for what he said—that he alone would face the entire United Army—it's just morale. No one could take on that many monsters alone and survive. If he really does fight them all himself, the Marines will still win, one hundred percent."
His tone was grim and final. The entire crew fell silent again, the weight of his words sinking in. Their eyes all turned toward the transponder screen, unwilling to miss a single moment of the historic battle unfolding.
Even the Revolutionary Army was watching intently.
"I told you, Dragon!" Ivankov exclaimed, his heavy makeup trembling with each word. "Ashveil is no ordinary man! He destroyed Marineford single-handedly during the last war!"
Dragon's expression was calm but his voice carried a note of unease. "His aura truly fits that of an emperor... but the Gorosei are not opponents to underestimate."
As the leader of the Revolutionaries, Dragon wanted Ashveil to triumph. The world needed someone strong enough to shatter the Celestial Dragons' iron grip.
Sabo stepped forward, his eyes locked on the image of Ashveil standing tall amid chaos. "He's about my age," Sabo murmured, "but the heights he's reached... not even the old monsters could match it."
He clenched his fist slightly, awe flashing in his gaze. "I used to think my strength was impressive for my age. But compared to him, I'm nothing. There's always someone stronger… always a sky beyond the sky."
Around him, the Revolutionary officers nodded in silent agreement, their eyes fixed on the screen.
---
On the battlefield, Sengoku's expression hardened. He clenched his fists and shouted, "Everyone, stand back! I'll handle Ashveil myself!"
A radiant yellow light burst forth from his body, blinding those nearby. In an instant, the Fleet Admiral had transformed into his fearsome Great Buddha form, towering above the battlefield.
Even Sengoku, a veteran of countless wars, didn't dare underestimate Ashveil. He immediately unleashed his full power.
"Buddha's Shockwave!"
A brilliant surge of golden energy tore through the air, splitting the heavens as it roared toward Ashveil. The very atmosphere rippled under the pressure, a glowing line of destruction shooting straight ahead.
A deafening boom followed.
The shockwave struck the Moby Dick with incredible force, shaking the colossal ship to its core. Yet, not a single plank splintered. Ashveil stood firm at the bow, his Conqueror's Haki swirling like an invisible storm, shielding the ship completely.
When the light faded, Sengoku's attack had done nothing. Not even Ashveil's coat fluttered from the impact.
Sengoku's brows furrowed. His most powerful strike had been shrugged off as if it were nothing.
Far behind him, the Gorosei watched calmly, their voices cold and steady.
"Garp. Kong. The Shichibukai. Attack together," one of them commanded.
In an instant, several figures vanished from sight, their speeds tearing the air.
"Iron Fist... Garp!"
"Bone Dragon... Break!"
Both legends struck simultaneously, their fists colliding with Ashveil's shimmering barrier. The air trembled, shockwaves expanding outward like waves in a storm.
Shiryu of the Rain, Catarina Devon, Wolf, Avalo Pizarro, and the rest of the government's forces joined the assault. Explosions burst one after another, filling the sky with thunder and flame.
Whitebeard Jr. roared from above, his enormous blade descending. "And me! I'll be the one to defeat you, Ashveil!"
His strike, imbued with Armament Haki rivaling his father's, smashed into the barrier. The Haoshoku-infused defense wavered, shattering into fragments of dark lightning. The blade halted just five centimeters from Ashveil's chest.
"This guy… he's even stronger than before!" Kong shouted, sweat glistening on his forehead. "With so many of us attacking together, and still… we can't break his defense!"
He could feel it—the fear. The realization that this man's growth was monstrous, almost unnatural. If he wasn't stopped now, the age of the World Government would end.
At that moment, Kaido, Big Mom, and the Admirals all turned toward Ashveil. Without hesitation, they charged.
"Descent of the Three Worlds! Path to Naraka!" Kaido bellowed, his beast form surrounded by streaks of black lightning as he brought his club down with earth-shattering force.
Charlotte Linlin—Big Mom—landed heavily on the barrier, her blade Napoleon slicing down again and again, each blow fueled by her thunderous rage.
The barrier cracked, shattering under the combined power of two Yonko.
"Don't get careless, Linlin!" Kaido roared. "His skin is still coated in Conqueror's Haki! He's not open yet!"
The Admirals moved next.
Kizaru shot upward, light bending around him as he formed a blinding column. "Yasakani no Magatama!" A storm of golden light bullets transformed into a radiant pillar, screaming toward Ashveil.
Aokiji's breath turned the air into frost as countless spears of ice followed the beam.
Tokikake and Fujitora combined their slashes, splitting the sky in two, while Aramaki lunged forward, his body wrapped in Armament Haki shaped like a charging bull.
The attack converged on Ashveil.
Whitebeard reacted instantly. "Not while I'm still breathing!"
Murakumogiri gleamed with tremor light as it collided with Aramaki's attack. The bull-shaped Sakura Flow shattered into fragments of Haoshoku that scattered like sparks.
Marco swooped in right after. His azure flames wrapped around Kizaru's beam, detonating it midair in a flash of gold and blue.
When the light dimmed, Marco descended, blood trickling from his lip before healing in an instant. "You're not laying a finger...