"As expected, we have to fight with everything we've got. At least a few heads have to come back, or who knows how those old geezers will judge me? Heavenly Dragon's Blade, lend me your power to judge the world!" Ramirez raised his cleaver, and a crimson liquid surged from within the blade, seeping into his body along his arm.
In an instant, his body was wrapped in blood. A swing of his cleaver cut through a stone, which then froze in midair, as if time itself had stopped.
"Has he really become a Devil Fruit user? That's impossible…" Enel murmured, shocked.
"Who cares? Just kill him," Rosen replied.
At that moment, a signal flare exploded in the sky. Rosen and the others paused—it was the signal to set sail.
"Let's go. Business comes first." Rosen didn't know what had changed with Ramirez, but suspected it was some desperate special ability. Taking him down quickly would be even harder now, and fighting a battle maniac brought no benefit—just wasted time.
"Thunder Barrage!" Enel slammed his staff to the ground. Seven or eight small lightning orbs, each about ten meters in diameter, descended from the sky, cutting off any possible pursuit.
"Rumble user… troublesome. You escaped…" Ramirez's face twisted with frustration. Despite the cost he paid, he hadn't caught a single one.
Even he would be paralyzed or injured if he tried to endure the falling orbs; dodging them allowed Rosen's group to flee.
"No matter. I'll keep pursuing you! A month is enough." Ramirez didn't give up, even against such strong opponents. Next time, he'd bring Marines along. Though weak, they could still distract a few officers, giving him a chance to handle the rest.
"There doesn't seem to be anyone like him among the known Marine commanders," Hathaway mused as they raced ahead.
"Secret World Government operative, likely," Rosen reflected. "His use of blood seems similar to yours, though his is in the weapon."
Enhancing abilities or evolving them through blood, accelerating healing, boosting strength—similar to Hathaway's blood-boiling method, though executed differently.
"So you think he might be an experimental subject?"
"Maybe, but the key is that blade. At the final moment, its power seems transferable to his body. If true, the World Government's experiments are massive." Rosen was particularly concerned with this.
Feeding Devil Fruits to inanimate objects had precedents, some successful. If the power could then transfer to the wielder, it would overcome typical Devil Fruit weaknesses—or at least contain them within the weapon. Even so, the concept of borrowing a Devil Fruit's power without the usual drawbacks was astounding.
Judging by previous experiments, such an upgrade seemed plausible, which made Rosen wary of the World Government and Marine Headquarters' ambitions. This might belong to a specialized force. He resolved to investigate Marine experiments when possible—he couldn't let the World Government hold such overwhelming technological advantages unchecked.
"Set sail!"
"Now? I just heard a tsunami alarm from the Sabaody Archipelago!" MR.5 said, worried as they boarded.
Ulti and Law hadn't stayed to fight with Rosen—not for lack of strength, but compared to Daz Bones, they were weaker. Some forces were also left to support Nico Robin against the Marines. Surprisingly, the World Government hadn't deployed any soldiers here, avoiding further delays.
The tsunami confirmed the war had begun. It was time to sail, even through the approaching waves.
"Keep moving! Don't wait for the tsunami to pass." Rosen's group had no time. Whitebeard's strength was extraordinary; a single punch could trigger a tsunami affecting nearby islands. Truly catastrophic.
"All right," MR.5 said, obeying their leader without hesitation.
"You're crazy! A tsunami is coming, and you're still setting sail?" Law protested. Even the strongest could perish against such a force, especially with so many Devil Fruit users on board.
Rosen calmly replied, "Whitebeard is strong, but if we can't handle even the aftermath of his attacks, why go to Marine Headquarters?"
"His attack's aftermath caused this tsunami? Impossible!" Law and Ulti were shocked. Even the strongest humans shouldn't generate a tsunami from residual power—it defied reason.
Soon, massive waves dozens of meters high crashed like titanic beasts. Even warships could be destroyed without expert navigators.
"Shadow of the Sword Demon!"
"Thunder Barrage!"
"Annihilation Sand Bullets!"
Sword slashes, lightning assaults, and massive sand strikes combined, obliterating the approaching waves. A colossal whirlpool formed, but the ship passed safely through.
"The tsunami… neutralized?!" Though not fully, the feat was astonishing. Exploding seawater created a torrential downpour.
"If this hit an island, it would be flattened," Ulti gasped. Their combined attack power was terrifying.
Heading to Marine Headquarters weren't just Rosen's group; the Straw Hats and Sabo's allies were on a commandeered Marine ship, and the Blackbeard Pirates had begun their next plan after chaos in Impel Down.
Unbeknownst to Magellan, many prisoners on Level Six had escaped amid the confusion.
The summit war had fully erupted. Whitebeard's devastating punch had begun the chaos; Aokiji froze the resulting tsunami, creating an icy battlefield within the bay.
The scale of power terrified journalists observing from afar. Destruction on such a level made even powerful onlookers feel powerless, and even participating officers could think of fleeing.
The destructive potential of Devil Fruits like Gura Gura no Mi, Phoenix Zoan, Diamond, and others, alongside Marine disaster-level powers like magma, light, and ice, created a battlefield resembling hell. Allied attacks could even endanger comrades; proximity to battles could be lethal.
The island echoed with explosions, screams, and chaos, showing journalists the brutal reality of war. Casualties rose rapidly, highlighting the fragility of life in such a conflict.
"Impossible! That was Rear Admiral Moshi! He alone destroyed three pirate ships, and he just lost to a single pirate?!" one journalist panicked.
"Colonel Deco also fell!"
"This is the Whitebeard Pirates… terrifying!"
Even Rosen's group approaching from the coast would soon witness the unprecedented battle, destined to be deeply shaken.
Yet the approach wasn't smooth.
"Unexpected. Marine Headquarters placed defenses along the coastal city behind us. Not many, but surprising. Though reasonable in hindsight," Rosen noted as their ship neared and the few Marines fired.
They were quickly handled, as most defenses had shifted to the front bay battlefield after the outbreak. The remaining forces were only precautionary, in case Whitebeard's fleet attempted a rear assault.
(End of Chapter)
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