Fujitora had been too focused on the battlefield below.
He blamed himself.
The attack had come so close before he even noticed.
This wouldn't do.
He was no longer fighting alone—he was a Marine now. His comrades stood behind him.
Reversing his grip on the cane-sword, he channeled both Haki and the power of gravity into the blade.
It appeared plain and ordinary, but in that moment, the Supreme Grade Blade—one of the Twelve Supreme Grade Swords—"Yakuza Kasen," bared its fangs.
"Gravity Blade: Fierce Tiger!"
The slash of gravity surged forth, transforming into a roaring tiger that collided head-on with the incoming beam of light.
Boom!!
The clash of the slash and the cannon of light exploded in the sky, blossoming into the most brilliant firework.
The thunderous roar shook the sky, forcing those locked in battle below to glance upward.
"What?"
Green Bull shouted in disbelief. "Don't tell me… you've been hiding power like this?"
The strength behind that attack was no joke.
Yet the one who was even more surprised was Katakuri.
A beam cannon?
The Charlotte Family didn't possess such a weapon.
"What's going on?"
Big Mom turned her massive head toward the direction from which the light had come, her voice filled with conClank. "Who dares butt in, courting death like this?"
High in the sky, Fujitora extended his Observation Haki instantly.
Within the next heartbeat, his brows furrowed.
So strong.
Such strong presences.
And not just one!
"A ship?"
Though Fujitora could not see, his fellow Marines behind him could.
Far off on the horizon, well beyond the island—tens of kilometers away from the royal palace—a colossal ship was cutting rapidly through the sea toward them.
It was visible even from such a distance for one simple reason—its sheer size was overwhelming.
The massive figure, over five hundred meters long, moved across the sea like a floating fortress. Anyone who wasn't blind would find it impossible to ignore.
"Where did that ship come from?"
The Marine vice admirals looked on in conClank.
The ship had no sails, making it impossible to determine where it originated.
"Be careful!"
Fujitora's voice rang out in a stern warning, carrying a heavy sense of caution. "This must be an unforeseen situation we never anticipated!"
From the distant horizon, the massive metal ship cut through the waves, surging toward the coast.
"Hahahaha! This new ship is amazing!"
Yamato stood proudly at the bow, her voice full of excitement. "Can it really fire from this far away?"
"Because it isn't just ordinary ammunition."
Lounging lazily against the railing not far away was Kuzan, an eyepatch resting on his forehead. His drowsy eyes stared blankly at the distant sky.
After delivering Robin to Elbaf, he hadn't even had time to properly catch up with Saul before Ian summoned him over.
Seriously, even after leaving the Marines, could he still not escape this kind of exhausting work?
Still… this was without a doubt an incredible ship.
Even Kuzan couldn't help but admire it in his thoughts.
Its name was the Sun God.
A brand-new ship, recently built for Ian by the Beasts Pirates.
It abandoned sails entirely, powered instead by a revolutionary energy system. A massive propeller beneath the stern drove it forward at astonishing speeds.
Dozens of heavy cannons lined the deck, some loaded with traditional shells, while others were equipped with newly developed beam cannons.
But none of that was the true highlight.
The real secret lay in the ship's construction—every piece of it was forged from Queen's alloy.
The ship was not only built with extraordinary durability but also possessed remarkable self-repairing abilities.
Yet, on its very first voyage, Ian was not aboard.
"It's about to crash into the shore."
Kuzan raised a finger and pointed forward.
The ship was indeed nearing the coast, but from the looks of it, it had no intention of docking in the usual way. Instead, it was charging head-on, as if to smash directly into the land.
Even for a ship as sturdy as this, colliding at such high speed against the shoreline would surely end in disaster.
But—
"It's fine."
Black Maria walked up alongside Jack, her towering figure and alluring smile impossible to ignore. "Mr. Bullet has already begun to act."
No sooner had her words fallen than a surge of violet waves swept across the entire ship.
At the stern, on the bridge, Douglas Bullet activated his Clank-Clank Fruit ability.
"Hahahahaha!"
Bullet's wild laughter roared across the sea. "Watch closely, Ian! This is how this ship is meant to be used!"
Just a second ago, the ship was about to slam into the island's coast.
But in the very next instant, a colossal metallic giant leapt out from the sea.
Towering hundreds of meters tall, the giant brought down one foot upon the shore, and instantly a massive earthquake erupted. The coastline crumbled apart in the blink of an eye.
Trees and boulders were hurled skyward from the force of the impact.
And then—the giant began to run.
Despite its overwhelming size, the speed it displayed was like a thunderbolt.
The entire island trembled without pause. With every step it took, another earthquake rippled through the land.
As the giant drew closer, the Marines in the sky finally saw the massive insignia emblazoned across its chest.
It was—
"The Beast Pirates' flag!!"
A Marine vice admiral could no longer contain himself and shouted, "It's Douglas Bullet! The Beast Pirates are here!"
"What?"
Even Fujitora, blind as he was, was shaken.
The aura he had sensed was already overwhelming, but to discover it belonged to the Beast Pirates—
This was the worst possible outcome.
"Beast Pirates??"
The voices of the Marines naturally reached below.
The Charlotte family members and the two Marines were both stunned.
"No way…"
Green Bull immediately broke into a sweat. "Could it be… that Ian guy has come?"
Although he had never faced him in battle, from what his comrades and superiors said, he already knew that guy was a true monster beyond anything imaginable!
"Hahaha!!"
A wild, unrestrained laugh echoed from the giant's mouth.
Moments ago, it had been dozens of kilometers away, but in less than a minute, it had already approached the palace. Its enormous body clearly allowed it incredible speed.
"Who wants to be my opponent!!"
With the giant's roar, a violent surge of Conqueror's Haki crushed downward, instantly becoming a sweeping force that leveled everything on the ground.
"Primary target: the Road Poneglyph, Bullet!"
Above the giant's head, Jack shouted loudly, "Don't forget Brother Ian's orders!"
"Don't give me advice."
Bullet inside the giant snorted, but his enormous right hand still lunged toward Fujitora in the sky.
**********
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