Luffy had to admit, he had underestimated the skill Unicorn White Whale.
At first, he thought Unicorn White Whale (Ice) was just a standard impact-type attack. Nothing too powerful.
After all, future Marine Admiral Fujitora could casually pull down meteors from the sky.
The force of a meteor crashing into the earth was far greater than anything Laboon could produce, even at double his mass.
Yet, while a massive object falling from the sky might not be enough to scare top-tier powerhouses, the sheer scale and impact area of the White Whale's charge transformed quantity into quality in the most spectacular way.
Laboon's enormous size turned this skill into something much more than it seemed, the perfect finishing touch.
Luffy grabbed the battered Smoker, who had been knocked down from above, and tossed him onto Laboon's back.
"Laboon, send him into the small world first."
Back when the White Whale first hit the sea, Luffy sensed something was off and immediately had Laboon teleport Robin and Brook to safety.
He himself had ridden the waves, activating Laboon's Surf skill to race toward the disaster site.
"Move! Hurry!!! Get out of here!"
The Marine shouted frantically, lining both sides of the road and urging the townspeople near the port to evacuate.
Some, losing their patience, had even begun to curse at the crowd.
But despite the chaos, not a single Marine abandoned their post to flee with the townsfolk.
Even though they all knew that the emergency shelter could never withstand such a colossal tsunami, they stood firm in their duty.
They could not fall into disorder.
They were the final wall of protection for the people.
Even if it meant dying, they would die in front of the townsfolk.
That was the responsibility of a soldier.
The crowd panicked, murmuring, crying, and pushing…
Suddenly, a Marine soldier at the edge of the port pointed toward the tsunami, eyes wide with disbelief.
"Look! What is that?!"
"What!?"
But in the chaos of the evacuation, hardly anyone heard him.
Only a few, by chance, followed his pointing finger, and those few stood there in stunned silence.
Between Loguetown and the onrushing tsunami...
Luffy and Laboon skimmed the ocean's surface, riding the raging waves.
"Laboon, this disaster is our doing, let's be the ones to fix it!"
"Boooo~!"
Laboon let out a high-pitched cry in response, and immediately triggered Surf.
A massive wave nearly a hundred meters tall erupted beneath them, surging forward toward the oncoming tsunami.
Laboon and Luffy rode the crest, their overwhelming presence finally drawing the attention of the desperate crowd.
"What is that?!"
"Is that…?"
"It looks like a whale!!!"
"What's it trying to do?!"
"I think it's going to stop the tsunami!!"
The people, who had been fleeing in panic, stopped in their tracks, watching the massive whale, nearly as big as the tsunami itself, charge straight toward the incoming wave.
"Boooo!!!"
Laboon's cry rang out again, sharp, resonant, and somehow, strangely reassuring.
Even the Marines, busy erecting barricades against the wave, paused and turned to look skyward at the immense creature.
These usually stoic, hardened soldiers found themselves silently praying in their hearts.
"Laboon… break through it!"
"Boooo...!"
With a sudden flick of his massive tail, Laboon launched himself from the ocean in a miraculous leap.
Soaring into the sky, his enormous body seemed almost weightless.
Luffy stood at the center of Laboon's forehead, pressing his palms firmly against the skin. His eyes narrowed, and in that moment, his irises blazed, turning searing hot.
Conqueror's Haki erupted with full force.
Protecting is often far more difficult than destroying…
Luffy was confident he could withstand the tsunami himself, but he couldn't guarantee Loguetown would remain untouched.
This catastrophe had resulted from his own negligence.
So he had to stop it.
For the first time since upgrading the X-Glove, Luffy fully unleashed its potential.
His spiritual energy surged like a river, pouring endlessly into the X-Glove Ver.V.G.
Unlike the older version Ver.X, which capped input at 500 mental points, Ver.V.G had no limits.
The more Mental Power he channeled into it, the purer and fiercer the flame it would unleash, without end.
"Flame Armament: Transform into Kun!"
A roaring blaze burst forth across Laboon's body, sweeping from head to tail like a fiery tidal wave.
The deep crimson fire looked like divine flames from the heavens, evaporating all nearby moisture in an instant.
Even the tsunami itself hesitated, flinching beneath the oppressive heat.
Then suddenly, wings formed from fire erupted on either side of Laboon's immense body. Sacred, radiant, and searing hot, they shimmered with powerful energy.
It was as if a Sun God had descended to save the world from destruction.
"Is… is that a bird!?"
Those who had stopped running looked up in awe at the radiant, blazing figure in the sky.
The real sun had been blocked by the tidal wave.
But now, Laboon has become a new sun, illuminating the darkness over Loguetown, bringing light and hope to its people.
"No, it's a god!!!"
"Yes! A god!!! A true god has come to save us!!!"
"It must be divine! A miracle!!"
"We're saved!!!"
─────────🏴☠️─────────
Loguetown exploded, not with fear this time, but with exultation.
For reasons they couldn't explain, those caught in the blaze of Luffy's Conqueror's Haki began to look dazed, entranced, like devout worshippers.
They gazed up at Laboon, the Sun God reborn.
Thud…
Thud…
Thud…
One by one, the townspeople dropped to their knees, bowing toward the blazing figure in the sky.
Before long, nearly the entire town was kneeling, Marines, pirates, civilians, all with solemn expressions and prayerful voices, begging for divine protection.
"Hey! What's wrong with all of you?!"
At the harbor, Tashigi, still fretting over Captain Smoker, shouted in confusion.
Maybe it was her strong Mental Power as a swordswoman, or maybe because Luffy's Haki only brushed her faintly, but she wasn't overwhelmed like the others.
She recognized very clearly: that massive whale with a burning sun on its back… was carrying none other than the Warlord who'd attacked them just moments ago.
Brushing away the scent of scorched hair, she looked in disbelief at the crowd of Marines suddenly falling to their knees, worshipping the sky.
The tsunami drew ever closer.
And in the sky, the fiery form of the Kun-bird spread its wings.
With a single mighty flap, Laboon lifted his massive body fully into the air.
Wings spanning kilometers whipped up dazzling, rose-hued flames as they soared through the heavens.
"Boooo~!"
Laboon let out a cry that echoed through the sky, as crimson Gang Flame surged around him.
The sky turned fiery, each inch of space blazing like the heart of a living sun.
Then, the moment came, fire met waves.
Ssshhhh!!!
A massive burst of steam exploded as seawater instantly vaporized under the searing heat, drifting toward Loguetown with the momentum of the impact.
Thankfully, the people of this world were physically tough. Though many suffered burns, no one died.
Still, they remained prostrate, receiving the cleansing fire of the Sun God.
On the open ocean, waves of scorching flame clashed with the monstrous tsunami, neither side giving ground.
Above them, it was a battle of extremes:
On one side, an inferno shining with infinite light, a wall of scarlet fire.
On the other, a monstrous wave of destruction, dark, frigid, merciless.
Raging sea met Raging Flame.
Gradually, as Luffy poured in more and more spiritual power, the tsunami began to shrink.
800 meters…
500 meters…
200…
100…
Until finally, in the sky above, a second sun appeared.
Warm rays poured down again.
"Hah… Little lady, catch!"
A voice rang out from above, snapping Tashigi out of her trance.
Something fell toward the open space in front of her in a perfect arc, a person.
And then, the Sun God's flame vanished.
Luffy knelt on one knee atop Laboon's forehead, gasping for breath.
"Send me back, Laboon…"
With that, Luffy vanished into the small world.
He collapsed on the ground inside, eyes closed.
So much spiritual energy had drained him that he could barely see anymore.
If he had held on even a moment longer, he would've passed out on the spot.
In the sky above, Laboon spun, arched, and just before crashing into the sea, activated Surf again.
A giant wave caught his massive form, carrying him far away from Loguetown.
"So… this is the power of a Warlord…"
Tashigi watched the fading figure of the enormous whale, supporting the fallen Smoker.
She murmured softly.
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