But still—
most of the Marines were nervous.
They knew very well that the opponent they were about to face was countless times stronger than anything they had encountered before!
It sounded as if Kronos were merely the new master of the sea.
But in truth, his background had already surpassed that of the other Four Emperors.
Fifth Emperor?
Wrong.
Among the Four Emperors, he was the strongest!
The defeat of the Whitebeard Pirates was the best proof.
Even the world's strongest man, leading his entire crew, couldn't defeat Kronos.
That alone was enough to prove just how terrifying Kronos and his forces really were.
"I wonder if the Kamui Pirates have already noticed our presence?"
One Vice Admiral spoke nervously, cold sweat running down his face. His heart was filled with panic.
It wasn't just the Marine soldiers and Vice Admirals. Even those who represented the Marine's highest combat power were uneasy at this moment.
"Even Akainu was defeated," Aokiji muttered with a frown. "I really don't know how many monsters like Uchiha Madara haven't even taken action yet…"
"It doesn't matter," another voice answered. "All we can do is take one step at a time, right? As Mr. Garp said—there's no way back. We can only keep moving forward. If we take even a single step back, we'll fall from a ten-thousand-meter cliff… and we'll never climb back up again."
Kizaru let out a rare sigh of admiration.
At that very moment—
the Marines advancing toward Hachinosu (Honeycomb Island) were unaware that an unprecedented crisis was drawing ever closer.
Before long, when the fleet was only three hundred meters from the island, a lone figure appeared at the front port.
The figure was a woman with beautiful short golden hair. In her hand gleamed a massive sword that radiated dazzling light, and her aura had reached its peak.
An overwhelming wave of sword intent burst forth from her body, silently pressing down on everyone.
When a swordsman reaches a certain level, their sword intent itself becomes like Conqueror's Haki. And there was no doubt—this elegant, heroic blonde woman was a true great swordsman.
On the ships, several Marines peering through binoculars suddenly recognized her, and they gasped.
"I-It's Artoria! That's Artoria!"
Everyone's expression changed.
What?!
Artoria?!
Wasn't she the great swordsman who had nearly split Marineford in two with a single strike?
Kizaru and Aokiji exchanged uneasy glances.
Their battle-hardened instincts screamed a single truth: what was about to happen was beyond imagination—and it could cost them their lives.
And they were right. Something enormous was coming.
"Sword of Promised Victory!"
Artoria's voice rang out as the blade in her hand erupted with blinding light. A terrifying beam surged forth, descending from the heavens with the power to destroy everything in its path.
That one strike seemed capable of splitting the sky and cutting the sea itself.
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[Naruto: I Don't Want Recognition]
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