The air itself seemed to split as Vista's sword strike released its payload. Two cross-shaped slashes, reinforced by Haki and resembling crimson lasers, tore through the sky. Rosen stood motionless, his gaze casual and dismissive. He didn't even flinch as the devastating waves hurtled straight for him.
Bang.
A single gunshot rang out, sharp and distinct.
A bullet, glowing with an eerie purple light, shot from behind Rosen. It moved at a speed that defied physics, trailing a visible vortex of air. It intercepted the cross-shaped slashes perfectly.
Normally, a bullet against a Grand Line swordsman's slash would be obliterated instantly. But this was different.
BOOM!
Upon impact, the bullet detonated, releasing ring-shaped shockwaves. A deafening roar followed as Vista's slashing wave shattered in mid-air, transforming into a violent shockwave that rippled across the harbor waters.
"How?" a Whitebeard Pirate gasped. "Just a bullet?"
"It shattered Vista's slash?"
The deck of the Moby Dick fell into stunned silence. Within the Whitebeard Pirates, Vista's swordsmanship was second to none. For a mere bullet to shatter his attack was unthinkable.
"Armament Haki?" someone muttered.
"It's not just Haki coating," Marco said, his eyes narrowing. He tracked the trajectory with his Observation Haki. "That speed... it's unreal."
All eyes shifted to the Marine standing behind Rosen. He wore a Justice Cloak and held a revolver, a peculiar, almost capybara-like face adorned with a calm smile. Under normal circumstances, the pirates might have mocked such a demeanor, but the gravity of that shot silenced any ridicule.
"That's Gake," Marco whispered, recognizing the man. "He has the Devil Fruit."
"The Paramecia-type Momo-Momo Fruit," Marco finished his thought. "The fruit of the former World Destroyer, Bondy Waldo. It seems Rosen didn't let that power go to waste."
Gake stepped forward, his smile never wavering. "I understand the fear Admiral Rosen's presence instills. But in this war, let's leave the clash of Conquerors to the top tiers. As for us..."
He leveled his revolver. "We'll handle the rest."
Vista stared at the pufferfish-faced Marine. He didn't recognize the face, but he recognized the potential. "You're Kake. Rosen's classmate from the academy."
Kake's smile widened. "To be remembered by the Flower Sword himself... I must be making a name for myself."
Vista scoffed, though internally he respected the man's power. "Don't get ahead of yourself. The only reason I know you is because you're Rosen's classmate. That's the only 'fame' you have."
"Is that so?" Kake's eyes hardened. "Then let me help you remember my skill."
"Don't get careless, Vista," Marco warned, his tone grave. "He may be a rookie, but he's one of Rosen's two classmates. And he holds the Momo-Momo Fruit. He's a serious threat."
A shadow of unease fell over Marco. Rosen hadn't even moved. The three Admirals were standing by. And yet, a rookie had effortlessly blocked one of the Whitebeard Pirates' top commanders. The power balance was shifting dangerously.
Sensing the mounting pressure, Jozu made his move. He leaped from the ship, slamming his fist into the harbor floor. With a roar, he tore a chunk of earth the size of a small mountain from the ground. Black lightning crackled over it as he infused it with peak Armament Haki.
"Take this!" Jozu hurled the massive boulder like a meteorite aimed directly at Rosen.
If Rosen unleashed his Conqueror's Haki unchecked, the thousands of pirates would fall instantly. Jozu had to stop him.
The Whitebeard Pirates tensed. If Jozu's attack failed, they were prepared to unleash a storm of Haki bullets and slashes to overwhelm the Marines through sheer numbers.
CRACK!
Suddenly, the sky split open.
A series of thunderous roars echoed from above. The clouds above the bay churned violently. A blinding white light, brighter than the sun, flooded the sky and sea.
Then, from the torn clouds, a pair of massive claws made entirely of lightning emerged.
"What is that?!"
"A thunder beast?"
"Is that a Kirin?!"
A beast made of pure, white lightning descended, hovering above the battlefield. Its roar shook the very air.
"Is that... Devil Fruit power?" The pirates were terrified.
Even Admiral Borsalino looked up, his sunglasses glinting. "Oh? I've always wondered about Gion's ability. To think it was that Devil Fruit."
Kuzan, leaning casually against the air, cracked a smile. "Ara ara. Impressive."
Standing atop a Marine battleship, Vice Admiral Gion raised a single hand. Lightning danced around her fingers, coalescing into the massive beast.
"The Logia-type Rumble-Rumble Fruit," Sakazuki muttered, his voice low. For a rare moment, the stoic Fleet Admiral's expression softened. He looked at the new generation of Marines—Kake with his Momo-Momo Fruit, Gion with her Rumble-Rumble Fruit.
They had grown strong. Strong enough to hold the line against the Whitebeard Pirates' top brass.
BOOM!
Jozu's massive Haki-infused boulder finally reached Rosen. But before it could crush him, a blur of motion intercepted it.
Rosen had moved.
He stood in the air, one hand holding the boulder—a mountain-sized mass—completely motionless. The impact hadn't even made him flinch. The ground beneath him cracked from the sheer pressure, but Rosen's expression remained cold.
"Your strength is commendable, Jozu," Rosen said, his voice cutting through the chaos. "But it is meaningless against me."
With a flick of his wrist, Rosen tossed the boulder aside as if it were a pebble. It crashed into the ocean, sending up a tsunami of water.
Rosen looked down at the Whitebeard Pirates. His eyes glowed with the intense black sheen of Armament Haki.
"Now," he declared, his voice echoing across the battlefield. "It is time to end this."
He inhaled, and the atmosphere around him distorted. A visible shockwave began to expand from his body—the terrifying aura of Conqueror's Haki.
"Get ready!" Marco shouted, his wings flaring. "If we don't stop him now, we're finished!"
The Whitebeard Pirates gritted their teeth, weapons raised, Haki flaring. They knew that if that shockwave hit them, the battle would be over before it truly began.
But Rosen wasn't aiming to just incapacitate them.
"Arms-Arms Fruit..." Rosen murmured.
SHING.
A sound like a blade being drawn echoed in the minds of everyone present. Surrounding Rosen, space seemed to tear open. From the void, thousands of glowing cherry blossom petals materialized. They weren't flowers, but thousands of tiny, razor-sharp blades, shimmering with bloodlust.
"Senbonzakura."
The cherry blossoms swirled around Rosen, creating a storm of death that dwarfed the scale of even the most powerful attacks seen so far. The petals glowed with a mix of purple Haki and the iridescent shimmer of the Rumble-Rumble Fruit's lightning, fused together by Rosen's mastery of his power.
"This isn't just Haki," Gake muttered, watching in awe. "He's manifesting..."
"Zanpakutō," Kake finished, a bead of sweat falling down his temple. "He's already mastered manifesting multiple blades?"
Vista gripped his sword tighter. He could feel the pressure from the thousands of petals. Each one carried the force of a cannon blast. This wasn't a fight; it was a massacre waiting to happen.
"Vista!" Marco yelled. "We need to break his focus!"
"I know!" Vista roared. He spun his sword, gathering all his Haki. "I'll cut through that flower storm!"
"Rose Garden!" Vista unleashed a flurry of slashes, a technique that had cut through steel and stone alike.
But as his slashes met the sea of cherry blossoms, they simply vanished. The petals absorbed the force, swirling violently before reforming into a massive wave of blades.
Rosen looked at Vista with eyes that held no malice, only the cold certainty of judgment.
"You cannot cut nothingness, Vista," Rosen said. "And you cannot defeat justice."
With a wave of his hand, the thousand blades surged forward.
"Scatter."
The Whitebeard Pirates watched in horror as the storm of blades descended upon them. The air filled with the sound of steel and the gasps of men.
It was the beginning of the end.##
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