As the dense beams of light struck his body, an intense, stabbing pain suddenly surged through him. Luffy's expression changed abruptly, and he was violently hurled backward by the overwhelming force.
Suspended in midair, he steadied himself, a look of confusion crossing his face as he glanced toward Kizaru in bewilderment.
Why had this weird old man suddenly become so much stronger?
The light-based attacks just now possessed terrifying destructive power.
If he had taken them head-on in his Gear Fourth state, he would have undoubtedly suffered severe injuries. He might not even have lasted long enough to awaken Gear Fifth before collapsing on this battlefield.
Countless questions swirled in his mind, but with Ace's life hanging by a thread, Luffy had no time to dwell on them.
He shook his head vigorously, pushing aside all distractions, and refocused his gaze on the execution platform. With a powerful leap, he shot straight into the sky.
In his awakened state, his fighting style was bizarre and defied logic. As long as he willed it, he could accomplish things others could scarcely imagine.
He reached out and firmly grasped the soft, floating clouds above.
The pliable mist stretched and contorted under his control, transforming into a massive elastic slingshot—a colossal cloud-based catapult!
"Gomu-Gomu White Rocket!"
With a sharp cry, Luffy shot forward like a meteor, becoming a blur as he charged toward the execution platform at astonishing speed.
His velocity now surpassed the limits of a Vice Admiral's Observation Haki, allowing him to traverse vast stretches of the battlefield in an instant.
Yet, before Kizaru, who commanded the speed of light, this incredible swiftness still fell short.
A flash of golden light streaked past, and Kizaru instantly intercepted Luffy once more, raising his hand to materialize a slender, sharp sword of light.
"Ama-no-Murakumo Sword."
The sharp blade of light slashed downward. Luffy immediately retreated, his rubber fist coated in Conqueror's Haki smashing forward. The hardened knuckles collided violently with the sword of light.
A metallic clang erupted as two top-tier forces clashed, locked in a stalemate with neither gaining the upper hand.
Just as Luffy and Kizaru were locked in their fierce struggle, an unexpected variable suddenly descended from above.
High in the distant sky, Marco the Phoenix spread his wings, precisely seizing a figure with one hand before hurling them forcefully down toward the battlefield below.
The person thrown down was none other than Buggy.
Below the execution platform, Akainu watched Buggy's descent with cold eyes, dark-red magma slowly flowing across his body, his gaze filled with disdain.
Even after his enhancements, Buggy's strength had improved significantly, but in Akainu's eyes, he remained insignificant.
Compared to Luffy in Gear Fifth, Buggy posed a negligible threat, utterly incapable of interfering in the battles between top-tier fighters, let alone influencing the final outcome of the Summit War.
What further confirmed Akainu's assessment was Buggy's spirit.
His spirit was that of a clown—such a man could never become one of the world's strongest.
Even though he deemed Buggy unworthy of fear, Akainu remained vigilant. His expression cold and stern, he intended to eliminate Buggy swiftly before moving to support Kizaru.
Now that Kizaru was finally taking things seriously, he couldn't afford to fall behind!
With a low, rumbling voice, he roared:
"Meteor Volcano!"
With both arms raised high, endless magma surged violently into the sky, transforming into countless giant molten rock fists. Carrying terrifying high temperatures and impact, they blotted out the heavens as they rained down toward Buggy.
Faced with such a terrifying magma assault, Buggy wore an expression of sheer terror, his limbs flailing wildly as a heart-rending scream echoed across the battlefield:
"Ahhh, this is too terrifying!
Marco, you bastard, pull me back right now! I don't want to be burned to charcoal by magma!"
His wretched appearance, panicked demeanor, and utterly un-heroic wailing all fell into Akainu's eyes.
Seeing this, the last trace of vigilance in Akainu's heart completely vanished.
It seemed Buggy was merely a pawn forced onto the battlefield by Marco, a mere cannon fodder incapable of causing any waves.
The sky-filling molten rock fists drew ever closer, the scorching heat already washing over him. The shadow of death instantly enveloped Buggy.
Just as everyone believed Buggy would surely perish in the sea of fire, the terror and panic on his face abruptly receded like a tide.
That comical, life-fearing demeanor vanished without a trace, replaced by a wild, icy smile.
Unnoticed by all, a dark red robe had quietly draped itself over Buggy's form, its wide hem flapping fiercely in the wind.
Beneath the robe, his body suddenly swelled and stretched, violently expanding to nearly five meters tall. His burly and robust physique carried a heavy, oppressive pressure that bore down on all who watched him.
The Buggy of this moment bore no resemblance to his usual sleazy and comical self. He now radiated the imposing aura of a true powerhouse.
He slowly raised his head, his gaze coldly fixing on Akainu not far away. His tone was arrogant to the extreme, laced with undisguised mockery:
"Akainu, in the end, you are still far too arrogant.
Never underestimate anyone with your shallow perspective. Today, let your Uncle Buggy teach you this lesson properly!"
As his words fell, Buggy reached down and grasped the hilt of a plain, unremarkable ordinary longsword at his waist.
The seemingly ordinary blade, the moment he gripped it, was suddenly enveloped in a thick, pitch-black halo.
No one had anticipated that this clown, who had long presented himself as comical, had quietly awakened the King's exclusive Conqueror's Haki and could skillfully employ Conqueror's Haki Infusion in battle.
Black-red Conqueror's Haki Lightning tightly sheathed the entire blade, perfectly merging with his Split-Split Power.
The two forces overlapped and amplified each other, giving rise to a unique and terrifying power.
Buggy's eyes sharpened. His arm swung violently, the blade cutting horizontally through the air!
"Divine Departure: Split-Split Great World!"
A crimson slash shot through the air. It held no dazzling light, no violent commotion, yet it contained the power to tear and split all things.
The countless oncoming molten rock fists, the instant they touched this special Divine Departure slash, instantly lost all their force.
The high-temperature magma disintegrated, the hard molten rock splitting layer by layer. Whether flame or rock, all were deconstructed into fine powder by the Split-Split Power, dissipating into the air.
The devastating offensive of Meteor Volcano was neutralized in an instant.
After shattering the sky full of magma, this terrifying flying slash, condensed with Conqueror's Haki and Devil Fruit ability, did not lose momentum. It tore through the sky, howling directly toward Akainu, whose expression had drastically changed!
Witnessing this scene, Akainu, who had originally worn an expression of utter indifference, underwent a drastic change in his demeanor.
His pupils contracted sharply, and an expression of disbelief once again surfaced on his usually stern and cold face.
Just a moment ago, he had been looking down on Buggy.
The next second, this man who had long presented himself as a comical clown on the seas unleashed a terrifying slash capable of effortlessly tearing apart his own attack.
That slash was not much weaker than the bizarre power of Luffy's Gear Fifth, and the force that could split everything apart was equally deeply moving!
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