High in the sky.
Shiki's long golden hair fluttered wildly in the fierce wind.
He hovered among the clouds, gazing down at the battlefield below that had become a living hell, his eyes as cold as steel.
"Jihahaha..."
He suddenly burst into laughter, yet the sound was filled with violent killing intent.
"That brat Akainu... he's got some skill after all!"
Slowly, he drew the twin blades that had replaced his legs and accompanied him through countless battles—Oto and Kogarashi.
The sharp edges reflected a blinding cold light under the sun, as if thirsting for the baptism of blood.
"But..."
Shiki's grin abruptly vanished, a terrifying aura erupting like a tsunami.
"Trying to destroy my... Ron's Eternal Divine Kingdom? You're a hundred years too early!"
Before his words faded, he swung his legs downward with explosive force!
"Lion's Secret Art: Thousand Slash Valley!"
SLASH-SLASH-SLASH!
Thousands of brilliant golden air-slashes poured down like a torrential storm, enveloping the entire Naval fleet in the sea below!
Amid the chaotic battlefield, the roars of the strong and the clashing of weapons echoed to the heavens.
The Navy's ambition and the Pirates' pride collided violently in this moment!
...
The Sixth Layer.
Ron stood at the core of the island, his gaze fixed intently on the fleet below, the blade of White Moon reflecting the flames of war.
His eyes were as cold as the abyss, his killing intent so dense it seemed tangible.
"Akainu... you're seeking death."
He slowly raised his long blade, the patterns on its surface glowing with a crimson light like blood vessels.
"Since you want a fight..."
"Then I'll show you—"
"What true 'Divine Punishment' really means!"
The sky above the Eternal Divine Kingdom was stained blood-red by cannon fire.
The Navy's warships, like steel behemoths, blockaded the entire sea.
Akainu stood on the flagship's deck, his magma-fused right arm dripping with scorching lava, his icy gaze fixed on the island's center.
"The Eternal Divine Kingdom will fall today!"
The moment his words fell, a figure appeared silently at the heart of the battlefield.
Ron.
He held White Moon, its blade crystalline as snow, yet radiating a suffocating killing intent.
His eyes were as cold as the abyss, as if looking down upon a swarm of ants.
"Is that so, Akainu? A defeated general dares to speak of destroying my Kingdom?"
His voice was not loud, yet it thundered in everyone's ears like a sudden clap of judgment!
The next instant—
Ron slowly raised White Moon, its tip pointing toward the heavens.
"White Moon Style: Heavenly Severance."
WHOOSH—!!!
A blade of light of extreme brilliance, like a cascading galaxy, instantly pierced through heaven and earth!
The radiance was so dazzling that everyone instinctively shut their eyes.
When they opened them again—
SILENCE.
Then...
"BOOM—!!!"
Every Naval warship across the frontal sea was cleanly split in two!
Staggering Marines plummeted directly into the ocean!
The steel giants were sliced apart as if they were fragile paper, the cuts smooth as mirrors.
There wasn't even time for explosions—the terrifying slash had utterly annihilated the structural integrity of the fleet!
Akainu's pupils contracted sharply!
"Wha...?!"
He jerked his head up, only to see the blade light continuing unabated, shooting straight into the sky and cleaving a ten-thousand-meter-long fissure through the clouds!
With a single slash, the blockade was obliterated!
The sea fell into dead silence.
Surviving Vice Admirals like Momonga and Onigumo, who had retreated to the ships, stared blankly at the scene before them.
Their warships, their rookies, even their pride—all turned to dust under that one slash!
"This... this can't be..."
Onigumo's lips trembled, his grip on his sword nearly faltering.
Doflamingo stood in the distance, his eyes wide behind his sunglasses, yet the corners of his mouth uncontrollably curled upward.
"Fufufu... Is this... Ron's true power?!"
Douglas Bullet burst into maniacal laughter, his fist smashing a nearby boulder to pieces.
"Hahaha! Well done! This is worthy of me... worthy of having me as a bodyguard!"
"Hey, hey... You've got to be kidding me?"
A pirate with a ferocious expression dropped his musket with a clatter, his jaw nearly dislocated as he stared dumbfounded at the wreckage of warships slowly sinking into the sea.
The entire battlefield suddenly fell into an eerie silence.
The pirates who had been roaring with battle cries moments ago now seemed to have their throats clamped shut, their mouths agape but unable to utter a sound.
Several pirates who had been charging forward for revenge stumbled and fell due to their sudden halt, yet lacked even the strength to stand back up.
"What... was that..."
An old pirate wearing an eyepatch trembled as he removed it to rub his eye.
He had experienced countless battles in the New World but had never witnessed such a terrifying scene.
Dozens of warships, tens of thousands of elite Marines, all annihilated in an instant...
BOOM!
It wasn't until the first bisected warship exploded in a chain reaction that the deafening blast snapped everyone back to reality.
The scorching shockwave, carrying seawater, slapped against their faces, yet it couldn't extinguish the shock in their hearts.
"Hey... did you see that? That light was..."
"I saw it... It was like a dream..."
"Is this... the power of the Divine Kingdom's Ruler?"
A few young pirates huddled together, trembling uncontrollably.
Some began frantically slapping their own faces, trying to confirm this wasn't an illusion.
More simply dropped to their knees, kowtowing in worship toward Ron's direction.
"A God... This is the power of a God!"
"We're actually fighting such a monster?"
"No... We're his subordinates now..."
"Subordinates my ass, we're just insignificant ants here for a trade."
A middle-aged man wearing a captain's hat suddenly burst into hysterical laughter, tears streaming down his face.
He recalled how he had once foolishly dreamed of challenging a Yonko crew, only now realizing how ridiculous that idea had been.
"Hey! Look at the sky!" someone suddenly screamed.
Everyone looked up to see the split clouds unable to close.
Sunlight poured through the fissure to illuminate Ron standing with his blade.
The White Moon in his hand gleamed with a cold light, like a divine sword of judgment.
At this moment, a single thought rose in every pirate's heart:
This war... is over.
Shiki hovered high in the air, his eyes sparkling with excitement.
"Jihahaha! That slash... even I have to acknowledge it!"
Ron slowly sheathed his blade.
CLICK.
The edge of White Moon remained unstained by even a single drop of blood.
His cold gaze fell upon Akainu, who was standing on the only piece of the flagship still floating.
Ron's voice was like the icy depths of the underworld, "Now, it's your turn."
Akainu's pupils contracted to pinpricks.
That blade light that had severed heaven and sea infinitely magnified in his vision, as if time itself had frozen in that moment.
RUMBLE...
Deafening explosions erupted from all directions, scorching shockwaves churning up colossal waves as the entire sea trembled.
The flagship debris beneath Akainu's feet rocked violently.
His magma fist instinctively clenched, scalding lava droplets splattering onto the deck and leaving charred marks.
"That power..."
Akainu gritted his teeth, his face twisting in a mix of rage and disbelief.
"RON!!!"