The figure of the Lord God flew backwards like a cannonball, crashing through countless layers of ice, finally turning into lightning to remove the last bit of impact, barely stabilizing himself.
Snap!
Thunder condensed, and Enel reappeared.
He panted slightly, holding his golden rod, staring at the tall figure in the distance. The arrogance and disdain in his eyes had turned into deep fear.
Something's wrong.
Something is very wrong!
Since coming to the Blue Sea, this was the first time he suffered such a heavy loss in a head-on confrontation!
The man before him... this Qinghai native... was far more terrifying than he imagined!
To maintain the dignity of God, he must go all-out from the start!
Then, he must use that move—
"Inazuma!"
A fierce look flashed in his eyes. He raised his right arm high, the sky was suddenly covered in dark clouds, lightning surged.
Crack!!!
Thunder like a blue torrent struck down from the sky, engulfing the area where Bear was.
This was an indiscriminate, destructive wide-area attack.
Even the Marines on both wings attacking Tokushima's giant rock were caught in it.
"Ah!!"
"Get out of the way!"
Screams rang out. Dozens of Marines nearby were instantly engulfed. Half of them convulsed and collapsed. The rest were turned into charred corpses.
Smoker, who was fighting a Vice Admiral, was also within range.
His expression changed slightly. He dispersed into smoke just in time, then reformed after a moment. Biting his cigar, he turned toward the thunder's origin, brows tightly furrowed.
"This guy... he's ruthless, even toward his own people..."
Smoker muttered.
The Vice Admiral, Mozambia, roared furiously:
"Enel! You bastard! Do you know what you're doing?! Do you want the World Government to strip you of your Shichibukai status?!"
After all, Shichibukai were pirates.
They couldn't be trusted.
Enel ignored him, even tugged impatiently at his earlobe, not sparing a glance.
Thunder, lightning, rain or dew—all are the grace of God!
Since it's divine grace, why should he care about the lives of mortals?
As for the position of Shichibukai, he never cared, nor did he plan to stay in the Blue Sea forever.
Once he gathered enough gold and found the best shipwright in that place called Water City...
He would realize his dream.
Infinite Land.
A land worthy of God!
As for now—
In his eyes, there was no one else. Only that towering figure, unmoving in the lightning storm.
"You didn't dodge this time?"
Enel squinted, watching for a while. His confidence gradually returned, and he laughed:
"Why didn't you bounce it back?"
"Hey! Say something, mortal! This isn't even the ultimate skill of this God. If you fall now, I'll be disappointed!"
As if responding to his taunt—
The tall figure finally moved.
"It's useless."
Bear's voice came from within the thunder, calm as always.
"Huh?"
Under Enel's stunned gaze, he stepped out of the lightning storm, surrounded by crackling electricity—but completely unharmed.
Even the glasses on the bridge of his nose were untouched.
"A man who can control lightning... very rare. I once knew someone like that. In both power and faith, he was probably the strongest in the world."
Bear looked down at Enel, a little nostalgic:
"Compared to him, your fruit's ability isn't bad... but it's only the fruit. It's loud, but just for show. As for power... it doesn't seem to even need my Armament Haki to block it."
He didn't even need Haki.
The blood of the Bakani tribe gave him a powerful body—enough to resist most of it.
"..." Enel's face darkened, forehead veins bulging.
Just for show?
And he claimed his divine power came entirely from the fruit?
This heretic from Qinghai... How dare he! How dare he!!
Enel was about to shout back.
At that moment, Bear's figure suddenly vanished.
"Behind!"
Enel sharply turned with his Mantra (Observation Haki), only to see Bear already up close—his giant palm slamming down with terrifying force.
"Pressure Cannon. Continuous Fire."
Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang!
Five shockwaves exploded at nearly the same time, more than doubling the previous Pressure Cannon's power, making them almost undodgeable.
But this time, Enel snorted coldly and turned into lightning, vanishing in a flash.
"Foolish mortal! You think the same trick works twice on a god?!"
His voice echoed from all directions. Flashes of lightning danced around Bear, so fast even Observation Haki could barely track them.
What a nuisance.
Bear frowned slightly.
To him, Enel had many flaws. Aside from his strong Observation Haki—so strong even Bear was impressed—the rest... physique, strength, will, Armament Haki, and combat experience were all mediocre.
However—
He had a good fruit.
"Thunder Metallurgy: One Hundred Million Volts!"
Enel suddenly appeared behind Bear. The golden rod melted in the high-voltage lightning and reshaped into a sharp trident, stabbing at Bear's back.
"Got you!"
A fierce light flashed in Enel's eyes. Lightning burst violently from the trident.
But just as it was about to strike—
"Bear Paw Attack."
Calm as ever, Bear didn't even turn around. His right hand suddenly slapped backward at an unnatural angle, his paw pad accurately pressing against the trident's tip.
Buzz!!
A powerful shockwave burst out spherically. Enel felt an unstoppable force, and the trident bent instantly!
He was sent flying again, crashing deep into the ice.
"Ugh!"
In the ice cave, Enel spat out blood. His golden trident was snapped in half.
Horrified, he realized: his elemental form didn't fully negate this impact—his internal organs had been shaken badly.
"What... is this strange ability...?"
He struggled to stand, when suddenly—
Whoosh! A sound broke the air.
Looking up, Bear was falling from the sky. A massive shadow loomed over him.
"Pressure Cannon: 300 Consecutive Strikes."
Bear spoke lowly, slapping his palms rapidly, faster than the eye could follow. Countless transparent paw-shaped shockwaves poured down like a storm!
BOOM BOOM BOOM BOOM!
Explosions rang across the frozen field.
Unfortunately...
Enel transformed into lightning, slipping through all the shockwaves.
Bear quietly watched the lightning in the sky.
He expected this. It was the concern he had earlier.
If Enel chose to counterattack, he could seize the moment and deal heavy damage.
But if Enel grew fearful and stopped resisting—just relying on Observation Haki and lightning speed to dodge...
Even Bear couldn't finish him off quickly.
But that didn't matter.
He already had the upper hand. If things kept going this way, the accumulation of damage would eventually break through.
And he had plenty of patience.
Outside of Bear and Smoker, the other Fallen cadres were also fighting fiercely all over the ice field.
Jack faced Doberman—and quickly took the upper hand, nearly suffocating him.
He didn't fully transform into a mammoth, instead staying in a half-beast state.
—That so-called "hybrid" form.
His already huge body now stood over ten meters tall. The long trunk hung like a third blade from his mouth.
It seemed useless at first glance, but in fact, it could both defend the face and deliver surprise attacks. It was quite effective.
The reason he didn't go full mammoth...
Was because of Shano's teaching.
For Zoan fruit users—especially bulky ones—transforming into their full beast form during high-intensity battles was the dumbest choice.
"A truly strong person must learn to use their fruit power flexibly—not be dominated by it!"
"The mammoth form has immense power and defense—but its speed drops significantly. Against a nimble opponent, you'll become a sitting duck!"
"At that time, switching to hybrid form is the right move—balancing power and speed! That's how even Kaido fights, right?"
The voice of the boss Shano still seemed to echo in his ears.
Jack agreed deeply with this.
Fighting on this kind of icy battlefield—how could you not use your head and just turn into a full mammoth?
It was too easy to slip and fall into the sea… He had suffered before and had a psychological shadow about it.
Boom!
Jack's black and hard giant fist slammed into Doberman's saber, causing the blade to vibrate and even show signs of bending and distortion.
Jack fought more and more easily. He even had the spare energy to recall Shano's teachings, testing them one by one and integrating them into real combat.
Doberman, on the other hand, was the opposite.
At first, he could still keep up in the exchange. But as time passed, his sword arm began to falter.
His body too.
His knuckles were cracked and bleeding, blood dripping along the handle onto the ice. His consciousness was beginning to blur.
He could only keep standing by sheer willpower.
At this moment, a loud and sharp shout suddenly rang out:
"Hold on, Doberman! I'm here to help you!"
Jack turned his head.
A Vice Admiral wearing the cloak of justice was charging toward him.
He was tall and strong, holding a cigar. He appeared to be wearing a dog-headed hat—but upon closer look—
He was actually a Zoan-type user maintaining a half-beast form, just like Jack.
Dalmessia, it seemed?
Jack licked his tusks and became excited.
He'd heard about him from Smoker. When Smoker wasn't aboard, this guy followed Akainu and once besieged them.
He even managed to push Big Sis Kuina into a disadvantage.
Though both were Vice Admirals, according to Shano—
"The difference between Vice Admirals is sometimes bigger than the difference between humans and pigs."
This guy was clearly an experienced veteran—not easy to deal with.
But…
He came just in time!
Fighting two seasoned Vice Admirals at once—now that's interesting!
"Trying to take me down, two-on-one?"
Jack laughed wildly, then suddenly stomped on the ice. His ten-meter-tall body burst forth with shocking speed, instantly closing the distance.
His fists, wrapped in black Armament Haki, slammed toward both of them at the same time!
"—Who do you think I am!"
——
Northwest corner of the ice field.
Two figures crossed rapidly like flashes of light, and the clashing sound of blades echoed continuously.
The duel between Kuina and Gion (Momousagi), the two great swordswomen, had reached a white-hot stage.
Both were agile and swift.
Kuina relied on her "Step Forward Slash" to constantly adjust her body, making her sword attacks come like waves—each one faster and heavier than the last, leaving no breathing room;
Gion's own physical skills were also extremely refined. Her mastery of Shave and Moonwalk had reached the pinnacle.
Plus, her swordsmanship experience was much greater than Kuina's. She kept up with the rhythm with ease and moved with grace.
"Hey, if I remember correctly, you're not a Devil Fruit user, right?"
Gion grew more curious as they fought and smiled:
"A pure swordswoman who can control the wind? This kind of swordsmanship is unheard of—can you teach me?"
"Afraid not. Our dojo's tuition is very expensive."
Kuina sneered, tapped her toes on the ice, and her figure blurred.
In the next moment, she appeared directly above Gion, her wrist twisting—the slash turned into a direct thrust aimed at Gion's forehead!
Chi chi!
Before the blade fell, a sharp sword aura howled in the air.
Clang!
But Gion seemed to anticipate it. She raised Kinpira in a backhanded block. As sparks flew, her blade spun sharply, using the force to throw Kuina upward—and then—
"Senbonzakura!"
Kinpira swept upward, and its sword aura suddenly changed. Countless thin slashes filled the air like fluttering cherry blossoms, covering the sky above Kuina!
What bizarre swordsmanship!
Kuina's pupils shrank. She rapidly swung her Wado Ichimonji, the blade stirring the air into a flowing wind wall in front of her.
"Wind Barrier!"
Ding ding ding ding—!
The fine sword slashes crashed into the wind wall with crisp metallic sounds. Sparks flew—most of the slashes were swallowed up.
However—
A few sharp sword auras snuck in from the sides, above, and below, leaving faint cuts on Kuina's sleeve and cheek.
"Tch..."
Kuina frowned, glanced at the blood, then refocused as she twisted in midair and landed steadily.
This woman…
Said she had never seen wind-controlling swordsmanship—yet her own style was even weirder!
She's not easy to deal with.
Up until now, Kuina had gradually realized that the Admiral Candidate in front of her had deep and unfathomable strength, almost no flaws.
Even compared to Tea Pig (Chaton), the pressure was greater.
If it had been the old her, she wouldn't have lasted this long.
But now—
Kuina narrowed her eyes.
Four days ago, on the way to Dressrosa.
Lord Shano had found her on the second floor's dojo, and inserted a ball of glowing energy into her body.
According to Shano, it was a mysterious power he had found by chance—greatly beneficial to physical improvement.
It really worked.
Kuina felt her strength and stamina suddenly increase. Her previous physical weakness had been completely resolved.
Now, she was confident she could fight the Navy's top swordswoman to the end!
——
Marine Headquarters, Marineford.
In the office under the plaque "Justice Rules the World," the atmosphere was so tense it could drip water.
The goat didn't feel it and was chewing a top-secret document lazily.
Sengoku stood in front, hands behind his back, pacing without a word. His face was anxious.
"How long has the battle been going?"
He suddenly stopped and turned to ask.
"Marshal, over five hours now!"
The adjutant stood at attention. "From the field reports… the overall outcome hasn't changed. It's still a stalemate."
"Five hours! And they still haven't gained the upper hand?!"
Sengoku's face darkened.
This ambush plan was Kizaru's idea after detecting unusual activity. Sengoku had approved it after much deliberation.
That's how seriously they took the Fallen.
They were now treated like the Four Emperors. Even Admirals couldn't engage them without approval.
Akainu and Aokiji were both on critical missions and couldn't be moved.
So Sengoku never expected to capture Shano—only to use this window when the Fallen hadn't yet established solid footing in the New World to cripple their core power.
In the New World, trying to arrest someone on the level of the Four Emperors?
That goal was too ambitious and unrealistic.
Akainu had already failed once—Sengoku wouldn't repeat it.
But even crippling the Fallen wasn't easy.
One Admiral alone wasn't enough.
But add in a candidate Admiral, a Shichibukai with Logia powers, and several elite Vice Admirals?
Sengoku believed it would be more than enough.
Kizaru would stall Shano. The Vice Admirals and Enel would pressure the Fallen's other cadres.
Gion was the breakthrough point.
Though Kuina was the Fallen's vice-captain, she was still a level below the Four Emperors' right-hands.
She could hold Gion off briefly, like she held Chaton off in Sabaody.
But if the fight dragged on—there was no way she could beat Gion.
Once Gion won, she could intervene elsewhere and turn the tide decisively.
But now—
Reports from the front slapped him in the face.
Still not enough?
Had they underestimated the Fallen's growth… again?
"..."
Sengoku's face darkened like storm clouds.
He walked to the window, staring at the crescent-shaped harbor.
After a moment of silence:
"Call Garp. If he's already at G-1 branch, have him deploy immediately!"
"Yes, Marshal!"
The adjutant saluted and rushed out.
Sengoku didn't move—still staring at the sea.
Transferring Garp to the New World had always been his contingency plan.
He didn't want to use it. Doing so could alert the other Emperors.
To him, Garp—this crusty old man who always took leave and acted unreliable—was about to retire.
But to the Emperors?
Garp was still more feared than any of the three Admirals.
Letting him go deep into the New World could cause major backlash.
But now...
The war had stalled. The original plan was falling apart.
So there was no need to hesitate.
Dressrosa was a key location designated by the World Government.
It was strategically crucial to the Navy's New World advancement.
It must be secured.
That was the absolute command from the Holy Land.
Not even the Fallen... not even that brat Shano could defy it!
If you dare meddle in other people's business—
Then pay the price.
Otherwise, what would happen to the Navy's face?
And his?
——
Bang!
A fist covered in black and red lightning slammed into the Ame-no-Kurokumo sword.
The sword let out a final cry before shattering into golden particles.
The fist enlarged in his vision. Kizaru's pupils shrank. Just as he was about to turn into light—
The fist unclenched—and grabbed the white Justice cloak behind him!
"You know, I've never really understood it."
Shano grinned, his arm muscles bulging, Haki exploding once again.
"You Navy guys love wearing these capes to look cool—but when fighting someone on your level, do you have to wear it?"
"It's ugly!"
Boom!
Before Kizaru could respond, he felt a sharp pain in his neck—
Then his whole body was flung like a ragdoll, screaming through the air with a sonic boom.
Boom!
Boom!
BOOM!
With his waist as the pivot, Shano swung the Admiral around like a meteor hammer—over and over, in both directions!
Sometimes in midair, sometimes crashing into ice—after hundreds of spins—
He finally had enough.
And kicked Kizaru straight into the massive rock of Dressrosa.
BOOM——!!!
Boulders flew, dust exploded.
"Cough, cough…"
Kizaru crawled out of the stone wall, coughing hard.
His hair was a mess. His signature brown sunglasses were gone. His body was covered in bruises and blood.
He reformed his sword—Ame-no-Kurokumo—and held it tightly.
Then looked up toward the sky.
Whoosh—
The tall black-haired boy fell from the sky, stepping down on Moonwalk. His hair flowed wildly in the Haki-laced wind.
His right hand slowly opened.
The torn-up Justice cloak floated to the ground in front of Kizaru.
"Hey, old man…"
Their eyes met.
Shano looked down with a mocking grin:
"I swung you around like a meteor hammer all this time and you still don't react?"
"We've only been fighting from noon to night—just a few hours, right?"
"What's wrong—can't keep up with my attack rhythm anymore?"