The wet breeze clung to my skin, like spilled cologne after a fight. Down below, Marineford burned - fierce as a still exploding at dusk. Perona drifted beside me, pale and thin like mist before dawn. "They're just roasting him," she murmured, voice heavy with sorrow turned up loud. Shyarly's tail lashed the edge of the clouds, her scales glinting under dull, sooty light. "Roast means flavor; this? Pure butchery, sweetie."
Then Shanks' boat came down like a wobbly angel - huge blimps tugged by cords, his crew streaks of red through the haze. The rebels from Dragon spilled out of secret passages, scrambling like bugs when you stomp their hill. My bad, honestly. Letting Lucci know about Punk Hazard? Dumbest smart move since Tony Stark tried selling war as safety.
The clash turned Ace's showdown into a street scuffle. Garp swung hard, Shanks slashed fast - crash - the noise rolled over water like storm drums. The air stank of burnt sky and old grudges. Shanks grinned, wild and loud. "Still mad 'cause I sparked that boy's fire, geezer?" Garp roared back, shaking broken walls. "You shoved sails into his skull!" Each hit cracked marble floors; each block sent tremors down iron hulls. Heroes clashing? Nah - more like continents grinding teeth.
Luffy stumbled forward, chains swinging behind him. Hancock grabbed his arm so he wouldn't crash down. She shot Lucci a look that could burn stone. Rayleigh stepped up, blade out - "Take it easy, kid. Your time's coming," Lucci's suit had torn fabric, red streaking across jagged prints as his leopard form took hold. Yet even then, he grinned like it was nothing. "Leaving so soon, pirate?" Luffy clenched hard - bones near popping. He wouldn't break... not now. But his shaky inhale? That brought back old wounds. Memories of palms pressing down on silence.
Above, Doflamingo's threads snapped through air like blades. "Fufufu… do dull good guys always come out on top?" Mid-lunge, he sliced off a rebel's limb. Beside him, Akainu's molten punch was in sync with Mihawk's steel strike - one strange team-up. Shyarly snarled, skin rippling with raised bumps. "Is that fire-headed idiot still upright?" Perona drifted closer, ghost fingers squirming around her. "Should I choke him full of gloom instead?"
"No."
A sudden burst sent Sengoku's gold-skinned figure rocketing up - straight toward Shanks. The top officer roared, his tone sharp as a blade: "No more stalling!" Twisting fast, Shanks flared Gryphon into glowing crimson just before the massive hand slammed down. The impact boomed across Marineford, smashing the stand to splinters. Jaw tight, Shank lurched backward, soles grinding rock into dust. "Your timing sucks, old man!" he growled, streaks of blood mixing with sweat. Sengoku stared hard, gaze icy. "This ends now."
Akainu jumped at the chance. Magma blasted toward Luffy - who still hung limp in Hancock's grip. "This is justice," he growled, his flaming punch ballooning like a tiny star. Rayleigh dashed forward, yet Mihawk's sword cut him off halfway. "You're staying put, old king." Rayleigh's fingers tightened on his saber. "Hate how sharp you are, Marauder!" Nearby, Lucci flickered as a panther, slashing for Luffy's neck. Hancock shrieked into the chaos - "Keep away from him!" - her pink energy bolt shooting out sluggish, mistimed.
Shanks knew what was next. Twisting fast, he swung Gryphon mid-air - not to attack but block Akainu's strike - yet Sengoku hit him from the side. Bones cracked under pressure. He stumbled, blood blooming across his once-clean shirt. "Too busy watching?" roared Sengoku. Then Garp exploded forward, charging the Fleet Admiral, punches flying like heavy shells. "You lowlife, Sengoku!" they crashed together hard enough to rattle the floating land below. Ghosts around Perona screamed, swirling wild like panicked flocks. "Do something, Cassian!" yelled Perona. Sharply, Shyarly lashed her tail; scale scraped stone-cloud loud. "That leopard guy - he's moving in."
Lucci's claws sparkled, close to Luffy's neck. Suddenly - smack. A stretchy flip-flop slammed his chin. There was Sanji, smoke hanging loose, clothes clean even in the mess. "Mind your etiquette, agent. Ladies go first." Hancock then zapped Lucci straight in the gut with her pink blast. Stone crawled over his chest. He locked in place, caught snarling - frozen like a twisted figure carved from fury.
Above, Mihawk's sword shook near Rayleigh's. "Feelings dull your cut," Mihawk said low. Rayleigh just smirked, showing every tooth. "Weird. Figured that's why yours got famous." Their strike flung glowing bits down - right onto Akainu's burning hand, hanging above Luffy. Zoro stepped in fast; his three blades slammed into the fiery mass, screaming on contact. "Move," he growled, arms locked tight. "You're blocking the view." Where metal hit fire, mist snapped and popped.
Shanks staggered, clutching his side. Blood trickled through his grip, staining the sword's handle red. Just then, a dark shape cut in - Dragon blocking Sengoku's glowing punch. "Your Justice reaches this far and no further." he said. A blast of air ripped out from their clash, flinging admirals off balance like trash in a gust. Garp roared, charging at Sengoku's blind spot - only for Tsuru's wraps to snag his foot mid-step. "Enough!" she snapped. "Snap out of it already!" Years behind every move. History tangled in each blow.
Down in the rubble, Lucci's stone-like form split open. Hancock's freezing trick always failed against CP0 strength. Chunks of rock dropped when his leopard snout twitched hard. "Tough idiot," Sanji muttered, lighting a fresh smoke. Zoro's blades sparked near Akainu's molten flow. "Hey, chef! Bother the fire dude!" Sanji blinked slow. "So I ruin my jacket? You go bug him." Same old act.
Above, Dragon's wind blast slammed into Sengoku's glowing hand - both titans locked in the sky. Garp writhed in Tsuru's grip, muscles straining. "Let go, you old hawk! I've got a need to smash off that afro head!" Blood dripped from Shanks' lip onto Gryphon's blade, his laugh wild. "Is that all you've got, top dog? Felt like a tap." Sengoku scowled. "Try this one." The gold flared hotter.
Beneath, Lucci burst from his rock cage, chunks of granite flying every which way. Instead of meeting force with force, Sanji struck mid-leap - the leopard's charge ended with a snap as ribs broke beneath shiny loafers. "No meal tonight, stripes," he muttered. Hancock yanked Luffy aside just before Rayleigh blocked another furious strike from Mihawk. "You haven't lost your edge, birdbrain," Rayleigh gasped, perspiration soaking into his scruff. The sword sang through air. "Funny… you're still soft at heart."
High above, Dragon's gusts slammed into Sengoku's glowing hands - like a storm pounding stone. Garp tore free from Tsuru's grip, rags spiraling down like lost kites. "Move aside, Tsuru!" he roared, charging Sengoku, knuckles tight with old rage. "Your protecting the wrong legacy!" The clash shook the floating land, splitting the mist beneath our hull.
Lucci charged once more - quicker, wilder. Sanji's heel clashed with his talons, sparking bright. "Annoying little bug," Sanji snarled, fabric of his jacket scorched from flying lava bits. Zoro's swords shrieked as they hit Akainu's burning knuckles. "Quit yapping, just cut already, flamebrain!" Akainu stared them down, rage hotter than his own fire. "Little shits!" A wave of molten rock blasted forward, making Zoro stumble rearward. Mist puffed up when metal kissed inferno heat.
Above the chaos, a beam of golden light sliced through the haze. Kizaru landed between Dragon and Sengoku, hands tucked in his coat, looking lazy like a napping feline. "What a pain~," he murmured, tone dripping with fake tiredness. One leg lashed forward - blinding fast - but Dragon leapt back, cape flaring behind him. "Aren't rebels supposed to hide while I handle sneaky stuff?" His grin stayed fixed, yet his gaze felt icy. Pure deadly focus.
The ground groaned. Out of the cracked square shot Green Bull, like a stubborn plant cracking asphalt, thick vines whipping toward Shanks like ropes off a battleship. "Pirates? Just pests!" he bellowed, roses sprouting wild from his spiky armor. Shanks blocked fast, Gryphon clashing with wriggling tendrils, yet roots coiled round his feet - jerking him down hard. The veteran slammed headfirst into debris. "Crazy gardener!" Garp growled, wiping dirt, hands shaking.
Above, the sky turned black. No storm - space bent like broken glass. Fujitora drifted down, blade out, sightless face locked on Dragon, calm but sharp. "Fighting back's a burden," he muttered. The ship under Dragon groaned, metal twisting from invisible pressure. His wind coat ripped as it battled the weight, his feet hitting warped iron sheets. Kizaru's beam skimmed Dragon's head - "Way behind, rebel~" - eyes darting side to side. Air pushing up while light cuts through. Neither one gaining ground.
Beneath, Green Bull's coils snagged Shanks' feet, spikes driving in hard. "Flowers for a fallen ruler!" yelled the Admiral, blossoms spinning like grim rain. Shanks roared back, sword blazing crimson as it sliced the creepers - yet blood poured fast, staining the waves below. Garp hauled himself up, chunks of stone clinging to his jacket, while Tsuru's bandages slithered close again. "Stubborn witch!" he growled, punching wild. Same old allies. Same worn-out warzone.
Ahead, Fujitora's pull yanked Dragon down hard - metal screeching like it was breaking apart. Kizaru's beam sliced close, just shy of hitting bone. "Hah, almost," he smirked - but flinched at the backlash. A burst of air rocketed up, shattering the force pinning him. The sightless officer wobbled, grip trembling on steel. "Not bad," Fujitora muttered, red dripping from his nostril. Dragon rose slow, fabric twisting like live thunderclouds. "You can't call this justice when you don't see a thing.".
Down by the water, Green Bull's spiky tendrils twisted tight around Shanks' forearm. "Hold still, little rat!" roared the Admiral, red blooms flaring as spikes drove into skin. Grinning through pain, Shanks felt blood mix with sweat, clinging to his brow. "Prickly stuff? Cute." In a flash, Gryphon sliced - clink - the ropes dropped loose, severed clean. Still, he couldn't move that arm; nerves ripped apart. Garp charged in, hammering blows like falling logs. "You're wreckin' my turf!" His strike smashed the flower-plated guard, blossoms flying like broken glass.
Above the chaos, Sabo swung hard - pipe smashing Lucci's jaw to the side. "Back off of my brother!" he growled, energy blazing like lightning along the metal. Koala kicked fast - one strike after another, spinning through the air, forcing the CP0 crew backward. "Go, Luffy!" she yelled. Not fire - not tricks - just pure anger built on endless training. The iron pipe clashed with clawed hands, showering sparks into the smoke. "You should've rot in that prison," Lucci spat, blood running down his chin. Sabo smirked, sharp and cold. "Locks work only on animals."
Luffy tripped, his eyes going wide.
"Sabo? But Ace mentioned - "
"Soon!" He yanked Luffy forward, while Koala blocked the path, her sharp kicks cracking rock. "Backup strategy - Revolutionaries' move!" She ducked sideways as hot magma shot past. Akainu roared, arm glowing red with fire - but Sabo twisted back, swinging his pole hard into the officer's forearm. Metal screamed against flame. "Run, Luffy! Move!" Heat crackled where power met inferno.
Luffy dropped into Rayleigh's waiting hand, the grizzled fighter smashing through CP0 agents. Freedom tasted like seawater and iron. Just five strides. After that, the darkness shivered.
Five paces toward Rayleigh's hand. Five more to the sea breeze and open sky. But then the plaza's shade began twisting, thick like oil under a blazing midday heat. From it stepped Teach - Blackbeard - grinning so hard his cheeks looked ready to tear. "Zeha ha ha!" His laugh cut sharp through battle noise. "Running off already, Straw Hat?" Shadows pooled beneath him, swallowing loose cannonfire without a trace. His crew slipped from the dark just behind - Burgess cracking his fingers, Doc Q's gangly frame on a horse-like build puffing toxic fumes, Shiryu gripping a crimson-bladed steel. Smelled like soaked dirt and rotgut booze.
Luffy froze. Not scared - just knowing. That place. His brother. The burning punch. The battle that broke everything. His fingers tightened, bones showing under skin, mouth shut tight enough to echo miles up into the clouds. Wind wobbled near him, invisible force buzzing like storm-charged air. Teach's grin widened.
"Remembering things, kid?" Luffy sucked in breath - sharp, rough, like it hurt. Then Zoro moved, steel slicing air, Sanji kicking hard where Teach stood. "Skipper," Zoro rumbled, gaze locked on Shiryu. "We've got trouble." Smoke curled from Sanji's cigarette - he aimed it at Burgess. "Huge jerks. Piss me off." Luffy paused. The rage dipped down, quiet now but still hot. Just a nod. "Right. Keep the rest busy." He stared straight into Teach's face. "This guy? He's mine."
Chaos broke loose. Usopp's pop greens burst into spiky vines, snaring Burgess tight. Meanwhile, Franky fired his beam, cutting right through Doc Q's toxic mist. Over there, Robin sprouted arms from broken stone, yanking Van Augur's gun upward. At the same time, Nami swung her clima-tact, calling down sharp hail onto Lafitte's wings. Jinbei lunged ahead, his watery punches slamming into Avalo Pizarro's rocky frame. "Guard the Captain!" cried Brook, music shrieking while frost spread across Shiryu's dark blade. The crew charged together - chaos roaring like a storm, trapping Blackbeard's gang in its grip.
Luffy stayed calm. He breathed in, catching the sharp sting of ozone mixed with blood. Teach's dark forms twisted nearby, hungry and icy. "You still scared, Straw Hat?" Teach mocked, popping his neck. Luffy squinted - not scared, just thinking hard. Going Gear 4, Steam blasted out from his limbs as his body tensed like a wound spring. "Ace's fire," he muttered, quiet but firm, "never went out." Then he shot forward - crack - a red-hot punch blazing.
Teach met it head-on - just a hollow void, dead quiet yet huge, like silence got sucked into nothing.
For a sec, things balanced out. Luffy's will surged, punches slamming like heavy shells - while Bounce Man zipped past Blackbeard's huge frame. The dark captain staggered, mouth spraying red, shadowy shapes twitching near his back. A spark lit up the Straw Hat crew's faces.
Then Teach smiled.
"Yami Yami no Mi," he barked, smashing his knuckles down into broken ground. Under Luffy, the dirt collapsed under sudden weight. His flight stopped - just like that. Teach's quake-charged punch hammered his side, loud as splitting peaks. A snap rang out. Luffy hit the debris hard, form vanishing in a puff of grit.
Teach wouldn't let up, not even for a second. Closing in fast, each stride made the ground shudder beneath them. Shadows swallowed Luffy whole, trapping him tight - like a bug stuck in glass. Quake punches rained down hard and steady, raw power with zero restraint. A left hook smashed Luffy's jaw. Then a right punch slammed into his cheekbone. Blood sprayed out, blending with crumbled rock. His arms trembled while blocking - yet every shockwave tore through, snapping bones apart.
Gear Fourth's steam sputtered low, fading out slow.
Teach hunched forward, his breath reeking of rum and rot. "Straw Hat, you see... a Yonko stands before ya." he growled, knuckles buzzing with crushing force. One fruit gives him shadow's bite, another shakes the earth itself. His smile ripped open, gums slick, teeth stained crimson. "You? Nah… you're only stretchy"
Luffy coughed up blood, his right eye completely closed. Teach lifted his foot - dark energy twisting across the sole - and pointed it straight at Luffy's head. Mission finished.
Everything froze.
Akainu's molten arm stopped swinging, stuck against Aokiji's ice block. Not far off, Sengoku's glowing hand floated close to Dragon's swirling strike. Kizaru's bright beam? That also locked in place - light just hanging there. The whole fight zone went quiet, like some twisted art piece where rage took a break. All that moved was the low buzz from Teach's shadow - a soft, greedy sound hinting at total wipeout.
After that, the heavens let out a shriek.
It didn't sound like thunder. Not gunfire either, nor any blast of power you'd recognize. The sky split open, torn by some huge force breaking from the clouds above Marineford. Light vanished. Dark shapes swallowed the square below. Just for a breath, everyone froze - thieves, soldiers, rebels - all staring upward. Even Blackbeard stumbled mid-step.
Then impact.
A crash - not some gentle touchdown. The square cracked apart. Huge stone blocks, each as long as a battleship, flew upward like scattered cards. Waves of force tore through everything, knocking soldiers and raiders flat, even tossing high-ranking officers off balance. Thick dust rolled out, heavy as smoke from an erupting mountain. From within that haze, a shape formed - towering twenty-five feet high, lying half-buried in a pit still shimmering with warmth.
Quiet stung worse than the explosion. Teach's shoe dangled, left behind, above Luffy's crushed form.
I got up slow, dirt sliding off my back like old soot. But then my hands hit broken stone, jagged edges biting skin while I grabbed the false hammer. The weapon hummed tight in my palm - wild energy surging through it, sharp with a smell like burnt wires and dark candy.
Faces showed up in the haze - stunned, pale, hardly believing. Sengoku's light wavered. The dragon's breeze died out. Akainu's lava cooled into glowing coals.
They all knew.
The guy that colored Mariejois in red.
The devil who tore through the skies.
Doomsday.