"Kamehameha!"
The Eternal Meteor descended with catastrophic force. Whitebeard roared, his half-cliff-covering pressure shield rising from the ground and shattering the air within a ten-thousand-meter radius. The sheer energy carved a massive chasm in the sky, and a colossal mushroom cloud slowly ascended. Halos of energy appeared one by one, then three, then six, expanding around the epicenter of destruction.
The world itself seemed to tremble, falling into chaos before being reborn. The atmosphere pushed outward horizontally as returning tsunamis collided with resistance, swelling and spreading in waves. Ace and the others were swept off their feet, blown away by the tremendous force.
"What… what's happening? An earthquake?"
"All the islands are shaking."
"A tsunami! Everyone, run!"
"The seas… everything is shaking!"
Wherever the colossal waves and storm clouds reached, everything was obliterated. The devastation rippled across the New World. Earthquakes, tsunamis, volcanic eruptions—entire islands vanished, lives extinguished without count.
Ace and the other Whitebeard Pirates flew through the storm, their faces twisted in anger and horror. Lava rivers surged across fractured rocks, while Whitebeard himself lay partially buried, half his body reduced to shattered remains. Opposite him, Lucien stood balanced on one leg, his form grotesque and skeletal. Half of his face had been torn away, internal organs and brain matter dripping freely, yet his expression carried the same ruthless joy.
Steam rose around him, threads of energy spreading outward. One of his severed hands had pierced Whitebeard's body, demon blood flowing through the wound continuously. His regeneration had slowed under the strain, yet Whitebeard's fate was already sealed—not death, but transformation into a Demon under Lucien's command. He would not allow such a powerful ally to fall idle.
"Damn it! What have you done to Pops?!"
"Bastard!" Ace's eyes burned crimson as he appeared before Lucien, throwing a punch that pierced the skeletal chest effortlessly.
"I'll kill you!"
The other captains crashed down from the sky. Jozu stomped onto Lucien's head, mud splattering, crushing it into the ground. Lucien's faint breath barely registered, yet a sinister satisfaction gleamed from his single, amethyst eye.
"Whoosh whoosh~"
Eight black thorns shot outward from Lucien, aiming for Jozu and the other captains. Their speed, however, was too slow; Vista sliced them into pieces effortlessly.
"Boom~"
Lucien's fragmented body slammed against the mountain. Blood gushed freely as he slid to the ground, his remaining eye fixed on the furious Jozu. Though mouthless, his expression radiated joy.
"Kill him," Izo growled, fury in his eyes.
But just then, Kuma descended from above the abyss, releasing the book in his hands. Figures of incredible power fell like rain, encircling Lucien and shielding him. The battlefield suddenly became suffocating.
"Kaido… King… Queen… Katakuri… Cracker… Smoothie… Doflamingo… Kuma…"
Marco and the others' faces shifted in alarm as the newly arrived allies materialized, an ominous premonition clawing at their hearts.
"ROOM~"
A surgical dome appeared as Law, Mansherry, and Kuma began treating Lucien. Vista stood beside Ace, dual swords drawn, watching Kaido with his club and Katakuri's group holding tridents. Reality was cruel; the attackers were being controlled.
Ace's expression darkened as he watched his comrade's body heal under manipulation. Lucien's potential was terrifying, even more than Ace had imagined.
Boom~ The ground exploded beneath them. Kaido surged forward, lightning crackling across the wolf tooth club. Simultaneously, Katakuri, Cracker, King, and Doflamingo all charged, each seeking a target, having restrained their full strength for too long.
"Damn it!"
The bottom of the abyss erupted in chaos. The battle entered a white-hot frenzy.
Ten minutes later, Lucien returned from the brink of death once more. Energy surged violently through his body, and he released every ounce of ki. White flames spread rapidly, lightning struck, and the ground trembled under his feet. His near-death power had awakened fully.
Now, if Lucien faced Whitebeard, he could dominate him. Already, he stood at the pinnacle of the world, just beneath the ceiling of existence.
"Haha~"
Suspended in midair, Lucien laughed, his hands clenched as explosive power radiated from him, hurricane-force winds blowing across the battlefield.
Looking down at Jozu, who was locked in combat with Cracker, Lucien struck from a distance. The air roared as a ten-thousand-meter Rankyaku tore forward like bamboo, unstoppable. Cracker recoiled immediately. Jozu, wrapped in Armament Haki, collided with the strike, a deep crack forming on his diamond-like chest. Lava and rock erupted around him.
Whoosh whoosh~
Sonic booms erupted as Lucien flicked his fingers, forming flying Finger Pistols that struck like missiles, explosions igniting the air.
His power was immense.
Marco, engaged with King, was caught off-guard as eight black-red thorns pierced his body like a cage. Lucien's crystalline right hand gripped his neck effortlessly, infusing him with demon blood that transformed him violently. The demon blood's potency rivaled Katakuri's and King's.
Leaving an afterimage behind, Lucien reappeared a thousand meters away. A single motion of his right hand unleashed a ten-thousand-meter divine dragon, striking Ace at point-blank range.
Ace couldn't dodge. Engaged with Kaido's club, he didn't anticipate Lucien's sudden attack.
"Puff!"
Ace's body erupted in flames, scattering violently. A red light flashed in Lucien's eye as he reappeared thirty meters away, where a golden-red flame had just coalesced. Ace, pale and drenched in sweat, barely survived. His Logia form saved him from instant death.
Before he could recover, a chilling pain shot from his tailbone to the crown of his head. A bloody hand gripped his beating heart. A horrifying suction drained his life force in an instant.
"Impossible…"
Blood poured from Ace's nose and mouth. His flesh shriveled to bone in three breaths, then erupted into ashes.
Lucien's expression darkened. His soul-powered right hand had seized Ace's spirit, fear and terror reflected within it. Ace struggled, but could not escape. The hand engulfed him, dragging his consciousness into oblivion.
"Ah!!!"
The scream ended abruptly.
With Ace eliminated, Lucien hovered three feet above the ground beside Whitebeard, whose body was still regenerating. A smile curled on his lips.
Whitebeard's life had been preserved—Lucien had not yet poured excessive demon blood into him. Now the infusion was perfect. Black thorns pierced the recovering body, demon blood pouring in like a torrential downpour.
Lucien extended his index finger, poking Whitebeard's forehead, manipulating his memories and thoughts.
Half an hour later, it was over. All sixteen division commanders of the Whitebeard Pirates, including Whitebeard himself, had been subdued. Only Ace was gone, utterly annihilated, leaving no trace behind.
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