"Boom... Boom!!!"
The night was torn apart by the sound of impact. Of the three Tier 3 fighters present, only the Empress had been fully prepared, her legs moving in a blur as she kicked the massive boulders into rubble before they could reach her. Ace and Luffy, however, were caught off guard by the sudden escalation of the World Destroyer's power. The mountain-sized stones slammed into them with the force of a tidal wave, sending both brothers hurtling backward into the dense forests of Nine Snake Island, snapping trees like twigs until they finally came to a halt.
But even the Empress's defense came at a cost.
"Luffy!" she cried out, her focus wavering for a split second as she turned toward the forest in concern.
Byrndy World—known to some as Bandy Wapol—was already upon her. He had no intention of showing mercy to the Pirate Empress.
"Momo: 100x Speed!"
With his speed amplified a hundredfold by his Devil Fruit, World appeared instantly at her side. His fist, hardened by dark Armament Haki, struck her with devastating force. Despite her quick reflexes, the blow sent Hancock flying, her body rolling through the dirt as she coughed up a spray of blood, her previous injuries only worsening.
"Sister!" Sandersonia and Marigold screamed in unison.
Luffy clawed his way out of the rubble, his pupils constricting as he watched Hancock crash through the undergrowth. Beside him, Fire Fist Ace had already erupted into a pillar of flame, soaring back toward World's ship with a roar of fury.
"Fire Fist!" Ace yelled, unleashing a torrent of scorching fire that completely engulfed the massive Viking-like pirate.
The flames roared, but as the smoke cleared, Ace froze in disbelief. World stood unmoved, his entire body coated in a glossy layer of Armament Haki that shimmered under the moonlight. He stared at Ace with eyes as cold as the abyss. Panicking, Ace pushed his Logia abilities to their limit, increasing the heat of his flames, but World remained unfazed.
"Weak. You're far too weak, son of Roger," World sneered, his voice dripping with contempt. "Did you think eating a Logia fruit made you invincible in the New World?"
Before Ace could respond, World vanished.
"Where did he go?!" Ace grit his teeth, desperately reaching out with his Observation Haki to sense his opponent's presence.
There was nothing—until an iron fist materialized behind him.
"Momo: Ten Times Speed!"
"Boom!"
The strike caught Ace squarely in the back, forcing the air from his lungs as he spat blood and was sent spiraling toward the ground.
"Ace!" Luffy's eyes turned bloodshot, his rage reaching a breaking point. He bit into his thumb, blowing air into his bones to activate his current trump card.
"Gear Three! Gum-Gum Giant Pistol!"
His arm expanded to the size of a giant's, the tip of his fist darkening with a thin, fledgling coating of Armament Haki. He swung the massive limb toward World with everything he had.
World merely frowned. "How many times do I have to say it? You are simply too weak!"
World's own Armament Haki surged, covering his entire frame. "Momo: Fifty Times Speed!"
In a flash of movement that looked like teleportation, World appeared directly in front of the massive rubber fist and countered with a punch of his own. The collision made the very foundations of the island vibrate. Luffy let out an agonizing howl as his meager Haki shattered instantly; his arm deflated like a punctured balloon, and he was sent flying into the distance.
Standing victorious over the three Tier 3 fighters, World showed no joy, only a chilling boredom. He turned his back on the carnage and walked toward the center of his island-ship.
"Boring. Bring out the cannons!" he commanded.
A massive dome on the ship retracted, revealing a colossal cannon muzzle aimed directly at the heart of Nine Snake Island. "Let this island and its history be erased!"
Horror struck everyone watching. The two Snake sisters stared in wide-eyed shock, and Hancock, leaning on Luffy as they emerged from the trees, turned pale. Even Ace struggled to rise, desperate to stop the impending destruction.
Suddenly, a strange gurgling sound rose from the surrounding sea. The surface of the water bulged upward as if a mountain were rising from the depths. World paused, his attention drawn to the surging ocean. Ace, Luffy, and Elder Nyon watched in stunned silence as the water fell away like a waterfall, revealing three gargantuan Sea Kings.
The creatures were so massive they obscured the moonlight, casting World's entire island into deep shadow. While Sea Kings were common in the Calm Belt, these felt different—disciplined and purposeful. A hatch opened on the head of the central Sea King, and two dark figures stepped out into the night.
"Oh, it looks like we arrived just in time!" a voice rang out—a voice that made Ace's blood run cold.
"Who's there?!" World demanded.
As the moonlight hit the figures, Elder Nyon's voice trembled with fear. "That... those are members of the Beasts Pirates!"
Ace and Luffy's faces darkened as they recognized the newcomers. World remained puzzled, but his subordinates behind him were already shaking with terror.
Just then, another voice, calm and melodic, drifted from the shoreline of Nine Snake Island. "It's certainly lively tonight. Ace, Luffy, why aren't you training? I didn't think you'd be the types to go looking for trouble. But if World is here, why is the Beasts crew showing up?"
Everyone turned toward the coast. Emerging from the surf, soaking wet and shirtless, was a white-haired man holding a small bottle of sake.
High atop the giant Sea Beast Weapons, Jack the Drought frowned deeply at the newcomer. "Dark King Rayleigh!"
Beside him, Eneru's eyes sparkled with interest. "Oh? Is this the Dark King that Big Brother Kaido mentioned? One of the Pirate King's legends?"
The tension on Nine Snake Island reached a fever pitch as Tier 5 legends and Tier 4 commanders converged on the same spot. Jack shook his head, his tone solemn as he addressed the impulsive Eneru.
"Don't forget Kaido's orders. That man is not someone we provoke right now. We have only one goal this time."
Jack looked down at the assembled fighters, his voice carrying over the waves. "The Beasts Pirates have no interest in Nine Snake Island. Our only target is Bandy Wapol."
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