"Captain! Someone is flying toward the Sorbet Kingdom!!"
With her Glare-Glare Fruit, Viola had spotted a man standing atop a slab of rock, as large as several tables, soaring through the skies.
From her description, Souta Kiryuu immediately recognized the blind swordsman heading for Sorbet. It was none other than the future Marine admiral—Issho the Blind Monk, Fujitora.
"This guy… does he have no fear of death?"
Even Souta was taken aback by Issho's unshakable sense of justice. To dare fly alone into a kingdom sealed off by the Celestial Dragons themselves—it was nothing short of madness.
"Captain, who is he?"
Kuma's voice carried a trace of excitement. Anyone who drew Souta Kiryuu's attention like this could not be weak. With such an ally taking action, their chances against the Knights of God would rise dramatically.
"Blind warrior Issho," Souta explained with a faint frown. "A man of unwavering justice. A Paramecia user—Gravity Fruit. His strength is on par with a Marine admiral."
But a worry tugged at Souta's mind. If Issho moved too soon, would the Knights of God simply crush him before he could achieve anything?
Then again, perhaps it wasn't all bad. If Issho openly opposed the Celestial Dragons, he would never again be able to join the Marines through the conscription draft.
But what if… Issho was heading there to negotiate? To sacrifice his freedom, pledging himself to the Marines in exchange for the safety of the innocent?
That was the kind of thing a man like him might actually do.
"Tch… To hell with waiting! I'll be the one to ignite the flames of war!!"
Souta's eyes burned with resolve. Dragon, Kaido—hurry up and get here.
"Kuma, I'll draw the Knights' attention. You seize the chance to rescue the ones you know."
"Enel, activate the Ark Maxim's cloud system, then rain down electromagnetic cannon fire on them."
"Moria, unleash your zombies on the battlefield…"
···
Giving his crew their orders, Souta's body erupted into crimson light. His form expanded, stretching into the colossal shape of a blazing scarlet dragon, and he shot toward Sorbet.
Issho, today you'll be branded as an enemy of the Celestial Dragons. Tied to the Wild Dragon Crew. I'll make sure you never have a chance to wear a Marine uniform. If I cannot recruit you, then you'll remain a lone wanderer forever.
But one thing was certain—Souta had his eyes on Issho's Gravity Fruit bloodline factor. That power would be his, sooner or later.
The sudden appearance of the massive crimson dragon electrified the surrounding seas. Pirates and cutthroats on nearby islands leapt to their feet, eyes gleaming. Finally—someone had made the first move.
High above, Issho tilted his head toward the aura.
Such overwhelming force…
To maximize his presence, Souta fully unleashed his Divine Dragon Form. His body stretched over a kilometer long, Conqueror's Haki surging freely into the heavens.
The surge of power drew every eye—Saint Garin of the Knights of God, countless CP agents—all turned skyward in unison.
Thunderfire Breath!
Souta roared. A beam of fire, encircled by crackling rings of lightning, tore from his maw like a pillar connecting heaven and earth, crashing down upon the Knights of God below.
"So you've finally come, you filthy experiment!!"
Saint Garin did not flinch. With a swift motion, he drew his supreme-grade blade. A flash of irritation crossed his face as he stepped forward, unleashing a slash of immense sword energy that split the air and surged upward to meet the dragon's attack.
BOOM!!
The explosion rocked the earth. Shockwaves tore through the cathedral, leveling buildings like toys. The surrounding seas heaved with massive waves, tossing Marine battleships like leaves on a storm.
"In mere months, you've grown this strong… a lowly test subject stealing the power of the divine dragon!"
Saint Garin glared at the crimson titan, hatred etched across his face.
That Devil Fruit—the Azure Dragon Zoan—had once been a prize meant for him. Back at the God Valley incident, had it not been for the meddling Rocks Pirates, Garin would have claimed it as his rightful inheritance.
He, a true Celestial Dragon, was the one most worthy of becoming the dragon god's heir!
Souta's artificial Azure Dragon power, forged from Kaido's bloodline factor, was nothing but a cheap imitation.
Neither Kaido nor Souta deserved such majesty. Their very existence was an insult to the dragon's name.
Fury consumed Garin. Black-red lightning danced across his body, his aura no less terrifying than Shanks of the Red-Haired Pirates.
···
Aboard the Ark Maxim—
Absalom the Transparent Man phased into Capone Bege's fortress-body, cloaking the gangster's castle in invisibility. Alongside them were Kibakun, the Burst-Burst user, and Blueno of the Door-Door Fruit—members of the ghastly Mask Corps.
In a flash of paw-shaped energy, Kuma activated his Devil Fruit, vanishing with Bege in tow from the golden airship, reappearing near Sorbet's cathedral.
On the nearby islands, pirates, treasure hunters, and bounty killers erupted into chaos at the sight of Souta's dragon form. Laughing madly, they launched their own assaults, sailing directly at the Marine fleet.
With the Wild Dragon drawing attention, they had their chance.
If they could seize the Pluton blueprints or Pure Gold, their rise to power would be unstoppable. These were treasures even the Celestial Dragons craved.
"Zzzzap!!"
From the Ark Maxim, under Enel's command, a newly crafted electromagnetic cannon fired. A massive bolt of lightning-charged energy shot downward at the Knights of God.
"Is this some kind of weapon… or a Devil Fruit power?!"
Saint Forth and the others retaliated at once. Bullets infused with Haki, blades of sword aura, beams of Devil Fruit power—all clashed against Enel's cannon blast.
The impact unleashed blinding white light and a thunderous roar, shaking heaven and earth anew.
Amidst the chaos, Issho descended faster, heading straight for the civilians. His mission was clear: save the innocent.
Dark smoke from the Ark's cloud system billowed, shrouding the skies in shadow. The battlefield grew heavier, more suffocating.
"Issho!" Souta's voice thundered from above. "Go save them! Leave these wretches to me! The Celestial Dragons—these devils—shall be purged! We will return peace to the world!"
For a moment, Issho faltered, stunned by the dragon's conviction.
The Knights of God and CP agents, however, reacted instantly. To them, this blind intruder was clearly one of Souta's men.
"Kill him!"
Saint Garin's order rang out. To think the Wild Dragon Crew had already gained such a powerful commander—one whose aura rivaled even the Admirals, stronger than any single Knight of God.
This crew was growing too quickly. They could not be allowed to live.