"Is that how it's going to be?"
Ryuuto knew it wouldn't be easy to make Garp back down today.
"Then I have no choice but to use my final move!" Ryuuto muttered to himself, his expression turning grim as he scanned his surroundings.
"Do I really have to use it?" He clenched his fist, unable to make up his mind.
Garp was already rolling up his sleeves and walking toward him. The surrounding Marines watched with anticipation, confident that Vice Admiral Garp would capture Ryuuto and live up to his title as a Hero of the Marines.
The citizens of Alabasta, however, watched with worry.
"Damn Marines! Why are they trying to arrest Captain Ryuuto?"
"Exactly! We never would have made it this far without him!"
"Bastards!"
The people of Alabasta couldn't understand why the Marines were targeting their savior, and many began to shout curses at them. This was especially true for the warriors who had followed Ryuuto all the way from Alumarna. If not for their fear of the Marines' power, they would have charged in already.
"Captain, can you beat that old man?" Nami asked him carefully.
"It's fine. Just be ready to retreat," Ryuuto said, giving Nami a reassuring look.
"Then let's do this!"
I've come too far to fall here, before I've even reached my peak. With his resolve hardened, Ryuuto let out a sharp cry.
The lightning in his hands surged, instantly transforming into a blinding beam of light that shot toward the heavens.
"Come! Thunder of Annihilation! Let me see your power!"
This was Ryuuto's ultimate technique. It would use his own Lightning Arts to summon an apocalyptic bolt from the sky—an indiscriminate attack, an invincible force that would obliterate everything in its path.
As the beam of light vanished into the sky, an invisible pressure descended from above. It was formless and intangible, yet it felt like the weight of a mountain crashing down, making it difficult for everyone to breathe.
Ryuuto let out a heavy breath. Before he could even properly register the pressure of his own technique, a fatal sense of crisis washed over him. He whipped his head around to look at Garp.
Garp had already stomped his feet and was lunging forward, his fist wreathed in Conqueror's Haki. His normally dark fist was now a deep crimson, crackling with arcs of scarlet lightning that hissed with a terrifying, heart-pounding sound.
It was clear Garp was now taking Ryuuto seriously, even using Haki infusion.
"Look out!" Crocus shouted.
Seeing Garp's attack, Crocus was reminded of a time long ago, in God Valley. He had seen that same fist, that invincible iron fist.
But it was too late.
Everyone had also failed to notice the sky above, where a colossal thundercloud had formed, blotting out the sun. It was a deep, unsettling violet, its edges churning with wild, silver serpents of electricity. At the center of the cloud, a massive, slowly rotating vortex was taking shape, as deep and cold as a demon's eye, gazing down upon the world.
The air instantly thickened as if turning to sludge, making every breath a struggle.
"This is bad! The atmospheric pressure is dropping!" Nami was the first to sense the anomaly. Looking up, she saw the thundercloud radiating an aura of absolute destruction.
"What in the world is that?!" Nami's heart seized with terror at the sight.
Ryuuto and Garp felt it at the same moment. Garp was shaken by the destructive presence, but his priority was to defeat Ryuuto. His Haki-infused fist was already inches from Ryuuto's face.
"Ryuuto, accept the judgment of justice!" Garp roared.
Three, two...
Ryuuto counted down silently in his mind, making no move to defend himself against the unstoppable punch.
Had he given up? Countless questions flashed through Garp's mind.
"Run!"
The instant Garp's fist connected with his face, Ryuuto grabbed Nami, hurled her away, and yelled at Crocus and the others.
"One..."
Before the word even left his lips, a dark violet bolt of lightning descended from the heavens. It struck Ryuuto and Garp at the same time.
BOOM!
The violet lightning was majestic and vast, yet it carried an endless aura of destruction. It roared like a beast from antiquity as it fell from the storm cloud, carving a massive scar of light across the sky and bathing the world in a purple glow.
The bolt slammed into Ryuuto and Garp. First came the immense impact, followed by an overwhelming tide of destructive energy that invaded their bodies. In an instant, their hair stood on end and their bodies were charred black, emitting the smell of burnt flesh.
That was only the external damage. Inside them, the destructive energy was relentlessly tearing apart their life force.
Garp's Haki-infused punch immediately lost all its power. His fist was now pressed harmlessly against Ryuuto's face. Both men stood frozen in place, struggling to combat the destructive energy ravaging their insides.
"[Charge]!" Ryuuto activated his skill the moment the lightning hit.
The invincible destructive energy began to course through Ryuuto's body like lightning itself. Garp, on the other hand, was desperately using his Haki to fight off the invading force.
Huff...
After the energy had circulated twice, Ryuuto felt he could move again. He exhaled sharply, kicked Garp away, and leaped a great distance back.
The Thunder of Annihilation hadn't just struck the two of them. It had also shattered a corner of the royal palace and generated a massive shockwave. Fortunately, Ryuuto had thrown Nami clear just in time to avoid the direct hit.
Crocus, Vivi, Cobra, and Igaram were further away and only caught the shockwave, which sent them flying. They crashed from the palace roof and landed near a wall, blood trickling from the corners of their mouths.
Feeling the destructive energy still flowing within him, Ryuuto coughed heavily, spitting out a mouthful of blood. He was clearly injured.
"How careless," he thought, mentally reviewing his actions. "I actually tried to tank the Thunder of Annihilation with [Charge]. If I'd known it was this powerful, I should have used Three Thousand Flashes to dodge. Garp was already on top of me; he would have been hit no matter what."
"What was that?"
"That was terrifying!"
"I felt like I was going to die!"
The surrounding Marines and citizens had been knocked off their feet by the shockwave. They stared in horror, still reeling from the terrible power of the lightning.
"What terrifying lightning," Smoker, Hina, and Tashigi said, a lingering fear in their voices.
Ryuuto pulled a yellow talisman from his system inventory and swallowed it whole. A gentle stream of energy was born within him, flowing through his body and mending his injuries.
As he felt his wounds beginning to heal, Ryuuto turned his gaze back to Garp.
"As expected of the Hero, Garp!"