Kaguya stood floating high in the sky, and the moment she appeared in the world, a vast amount of chakra erupted from her body. The sheer pressure released into the surroundings was enough to make the air feel heavier. After sensing that terrifying presence, the onlookers were horrified. Madara was already unimaginably powerful, yet this woman seems to exude even greater pressure than him. She is likely even stronger.
The atmosphere itself appeared to tremble under her presence.
Kaguya's crystal-clear Byakugan shifted and locked directly onto Shanks, who was now being protected by the Uzumaki siblings as they stood in front of him like an unbreakable wall. The moment the Uzumaki siblings noticed Kaguya looking in their direction, all of them instinctively prepared for combat. Without hesitation, they immediately entered their strongest forms.
We know exactly what kind of enemy stands before us, they thought in unison.
Yoko immediately entered his Kurama form. Fox ears emerged from his head, his crimson-red hair turned completely white, and even his clothing transformed into elegant white garments similar to Kurama's demon form from Yu Yu Hakusho. A powerful aura surrounded him as chakra flowed through his entire body.
On the other side, Mereoleona entered her strongest state, Hellfire Incarnate. Flames engulfed her figure, but it was more accurate to say that she herself had become fire. Her body seemed to merge with the inferno surrounding her, and the heat radiating from her distorted the air around her.
Erza immediately equipped her strongest armor, Armadura Fairy. The magnificent armor covered her body as chakra surged around her.
Beside her stood Benimaru. Black flames spread across his sword while draconic scales gleamed across portions of his skin. The scales appeared like dark patches running along his arms, reflecting faint light as flames flickered around him. The air crackled with heat and power. Even the space around him seemed to distort slightly under the pressure of his transformed state.
Todoroki entered his Phosphorus form, perfectly combining both his ice and fire abilities. White flames and chilling frost coexisted around him in a strange balance.
Gildarts stood nearby, releasing immense chakra pressure. The ground beneath him cracked and shattered from the effects of his Crash Magic. Massive chunks of earth broke apart and floated upward into the sky as though gravity itself had lost control around him.
Antares stood in his humanoid draconic form. Sharp dragon horns extended from his head, while his entire body was covered in dragon scales that reflected the surrounding light like polished armor.
Guy stood with his World Sword in hand. A dark black aura continuously poured from his body, spreading outward like an endless shadow.
Renji had already released his Bankai, his spiritual pressure rising steadily as he prepared for battle.
Makima stood calmly among her devils. In her hands was a powerful pair of daggers created by Angel after sacrificing all the chakra he had absorbed from the battlefield of the Land of Sea. An ominous aura continuously leaked from the weapons, causing even the surrounding air to feel unsettling. She had specifically prepared these daggers for one purpose alone—to possess the ability to damage Kaguya.
The combined presence of all the Uzumaki siblings caused the battlefield to tremble.
One after another, they stood in front of Shanks.
Watching this scene, a smile slowly appeared on Shanks's face.
The same smile appeared on the faces of the Uzumaki siblings.
Years ago, it was Onii-san who stood in front of us like this, they remembered.
When danger came, he was always the one standing between them and death. He had protected them from mortal threats, from countless enemies, and from every disaster they faced. Like an unbreakable shield, he had always stood before them, never allowing harm to reach them as long as he could still stand.
Back then, we were the ones being protected. Now things are different. We have grown stronger. We have grown up. And now it is our turn.
Without saying a single word, every one of them stood firmly before Shanks, protecting him from the greatest threat they had ever faced.
Finally, Mereoleona moved.
Boom!
The ground beneath her feet instantly charred and melted from the overwhelming heat she was releasing. Molten cracks spread in every direction as her figure shot forward. She moved at an incredible speed, approaching the speed of light itself, and appeared directly in front of Kaguya almost instantly.
Without hesitation, she threw a full-strength punch.
The surrounding air exploded from the force.
Kaguya remained calm. Her expression did not change in the slightest as she raised her hand and used Eighty Gods Vacuum Attack.
Immediately, multiple chakra-formed fists materialized around her. They moved at terrifying speed, meeting Mereoleona's attack head-on. One after another, the chakra fists slammed into Mereoleona from different directions.
Boom! Boom! Boom!
Each impact sounded like a cannon blast.
Mereoleona's body was sent flying backward through the sky.
However, she stabilized herself almost instantly.
A fierce grin appeared on her face.
"Not bad!"
The flames around her intensified.
Immediately, she activated Calidus Brachium.
Boom! Boom! Boom!
Multiple explosions echoed throughout the battlefield.
Fire beams suddenly emerged from thin air.
From above.
From below.
From the left.
From the right.
From every possible direction.
A complete three-hundred-and-sixty-degree bombardment descended upon Kaguya.
The countless beams of fire continuously struck her position, causing massive explosions one after another. The sky itself seemed to become a sea of flames as the attacks relentlessly hammered her location.
The bombardment continued for several moments before finally stopping.
Smoke covered the entire area.
Everyone watched carefully.
Then the smoke slowly dispersed.
Kaguya appeared once again.
Completely unharmed.
Not even a single burn mark could be seen on her body.
Even her clothes remained untouched.
And honestly, it was exactly what should have been expected. After all, Kaguya possessed complete control over an entire volcanic dimension. She could exist within oceans of magma and endless volcanic landscapes without suffering any damage whatsoever. Heat resistance on that level was naturally beyond imagination. The current temperature of Mereoleona's flames simply was not enough to harm her.
However, during the continuous bombardment of Calidus Brachium, Kaguya had noticed something.
Her Byakugan had carefully observed Mereoleona's condition.
The longer she fights, the hotter her flames become, Kaguya noted. And not by a small amount. The increase is exponential. With every passing second, the temperature continues rising higher and higher. At the current rate, if the battle drags on long enough, there will eventually come a point where her flames will become hot enough to actually injure me.
For the first time, Kaguya acknowledged Mereoleona as a potential threat.
At that moment, Todoroki had already arrived near Kaguya.
While Kaguya's attention was partially focused on Mereoleona, Todoroki immediately launched his attack.
A massive wave of fire erupted forward.
The flames instantly engulfed Kaguya.
At the same time, overwhelming ice spread through the battlefield.
The combination of fire and ice surged outward with devastating force.
Within moments, Kaguya was completely frozen.
A gigantic mountain of ice formed in the sky.
Towering glaciers expanded outward.
Countless layers of ice sealed her completely within the center.
For a brief moment, the battlefield became silent.
Then—
Crack.
A small fracture appeared.
The next moment, countless cracks spread throughout the gigantic frozen mountain.
Boom!
The entire structure shattered apart.
Massive chunks of ice exploded in every direction.
Kaguya emerged from the center once again.
Unharmed.
Not even a scratch could be seen on her body.
And once again, it was exactly as expected. Kaguya controlled an entire frozen dimension—a world filled with endless glaciers, icy mountains, frozen valleys, and colossal ice canyons. Compared to the temperatures she could casually endure, Todoroki's attack was simply insufficient. The attack had looked impressive, but it was nowhere near enough to truly affect her.
At that moment, Renji made his move.
Using Shunpo, his figure vanished.
A shockwave appeared where he had been standing.
The next instant, he appeared directly in front of Kaguya.
Without wasting even a fraction of a second, Renji unleashed one of his strongest attacks.
"Snake Fang Cannon!"
A gigantic spectral snake jaw materialized.
The attack was mostly invisible to ordinary observers due to its nature as a soul-based attack.
The enormous phantom jaws lunged forward and immediatelybit into Kaguya.
For the first time during the battle, a soul-targeting attack had landed directly on her.
Renji's eyes narrowed.
I expect damage, he thought tensely. I expect some visible reaction. Anything!
Yet the result was far less than he had hoped.
Kaguya only frowned slightly.
A small feeling of discomfort is spreading through my soul as the attack connects, Kaguya thought, but that is all. The damage is minimal.
Still, it had accomplished something.
It annoyed her.
And that alone was enough.
The moment her soul was struck, anger flashed through Kaguya's eyes.
Her expression darkened.
Immediately, she activated her All-Killing Ash Bones technique.
A killing intent powerful enough to freeze the hearts of the onlookers erupted from her body.
Then she disappeared.
Almost instantly, Kaguya appeared directly in front of Renji.
One of her Ash Bones was already aimed toward him.
The distance between them was practically nonexistent.
Renji's pupils shrank.
His instincts screamed at him.
If that Ash Bone touches me even once... I will die.
Renji had fallen into mortal danger.