Hearing the powerful forces of the Divine Knight Order charging straight toward him, Issho—better known as the blind swordsman—suddenly realized he might have been tricked by Souta Kiryuu's words.
He didn't know Souta Kiryuu personally, and he certainly wasn't part of Kiryuu's crew.
"Everyone, listen! I'm only here to save people! I'm not one of Kiryuu's—"
Before he could even finish, a sniper round wreathed in Armament Haki tore through the air, cutting him off mid-sentence.
Issho reacted instantly, drawing his blade, coating it in his own Haki, and slicing the deadly bullet in half before it reached him.
"Blind fool! You think you can come here alone and rescue people? You're walking straight to your death!"
Fos Saint snarled, showing no interest in the pleas of a "lowly commoner." To him, anyone who dared set foot on this island, already under the Tenryuubito's blockade, was guilty—and guilty men deserved only one thing: eradication.
Today, their priority was clear. Capture Souta Kiryuu. Find Vegapunk's whereabouts. Kill anyone who stood in their way.
"As expected of the Celestial Dragons… always tyrannical."
Issho sighed, his calm voice masking the tension in his body. He could only respond in kind. His Gravity Fruit ability surged to life, pulling at the world around him. Rubble and shattered masonry rose into the air under his command, creating a shield between him and the onslaught.
At the same time, he used the floating debris to lift several wounded civilians, preparing to spirit them away from the battlefield.
"That's… the Gravity Fruit?!"
The Divine Knight Order members immediately recognized the power. It was on par with Bartholomew Kuma's Paw-Paw Fruit—a top-tier Paramecia ability worthy of the Celestial Dragons' attention.
"He must be killed. Once the Gravity Fruit user dies, the power will be reborn."
A masked knight's eyes gleamed with greed. He didn't care if it cost him the sea's embrace. The chance to wield such a force was worth becoming a landlocked devil.
"Another self-righteous 'hero' who wants to save the vermin," spat Zambaron V. Kanaiver Saint.
He drew a slender, razor-edged rapier and sneered wickedly. Charging toward the crying civilians, he fully intended to force Issho into battle by targeting the weak. Kanaiver relished fighting enemies consumed by ideals of justice.
"Hmph! Did you all forget about me?!"
'One Hundred Million Volts—Heavenly Thunder!'
Enel, furious at being ignored while the knights focused solely on the blind swordsman, raised his arm. A colossal spear of lightning lanced down from the sky.
"Heeheehee! First time fighting Celestial Dragons, too."
'Shadow Mage!'
Gecko Moria split off a black shadow clone, sending it forward to clash with one of the Divine Knights.
"You few think you're enough to stop us?"
Fos Saint and Kanaiver Saint grinned cruelly, leading the rest of the Divine Knights in a full assault on Issho.
One knight, clad in a black jacket, roared as his body twisted grotesquely, transforming into a white-boned ram-headed demon. He hefted a massive obsidian scythe across his shoulders and slashed upward.
A colossal crescent of black energy collided head-on with Enel's thunder spear, exploding in a blinding storm of light and sound.
"Fall, insect!!"
The ram-headed demon's hollow eye sockets burned with eerie green fire. His gaze locked on Enel with venomous disdain.
This was Topman Gust Saint—a Celestial Dragon who had consumed a Mythical Zoan Fruit. His strength rivaled Karasu, the Northern Army commander of the Revolutionary Army.
"So, Moria still isn't dead? And now he's joined Kiryuu's crew? Pathetic."
A woman's voice cut in.
A striking beauty with long black hair leapt into the fray. Her face bore a disturbing resemblance to Charlos' sister, Shalria, but her strength eclipsed Shalria's a thousandfold. A single domineering kick shattered Moria's shadow clone with contemptuous ease.
She was one of the rare female elites of the Divine Knight Order—and one of Garlin Saint's most trusted.
"So strong…"
Even Moria had to admit, the pressure radiating from her was immense. Could a Celestial Dragon truly master Haki to this extent? He almost couldn't believe it.
"Damn it…"
Issho's expression darkened. With so many powerful enemies closing in alongside the CP agents, he realized saving the civilians was nearly impossible. He could barely protect himself.
Just then, a fierce gale swept across the battlefield.
A swarm of black crows descended from the skies, crashing into the ranks of the Divine Knights and CP operatives.
"Add us to the fight—will that be enough? Today, we'll show you: revolution is everywhere!"
'Great Gale of Eight Extremes!'
A torrent of storm winds howled toward Fos Saint and Kanaiver Saint, laced with razor-sharp wind blades gleaming like metal.
"Revolutionaries!!"
The Divine Knights immediately grew serious. They unleashed counterattacks, scattering the crows and wind blades.
"Where the hell are the Marines?!" Fos Saint cursed. How had the Revolutionary Army bypassed the entire naval blockade to strike here directly?
"Ugly ram-headed monster, let's finish this!"
The crows condensed into the form of Karasu himself. His eyes blazed with hatred as he faced Gust Saint. He would never forget how this demon had slaughtered countless innocents before his very eyes.
"Coal-crow Karasu… still hiding your mouth behind your precious Logia powers?" Gust Saint sneered, his bony face creaking with laughter. "I've already carved that smug face once before. Natural powers mean nothing before a Mythical Zoan!"
Every ability chosen for the Divine Knights was among the most formidable in existence.
"Caw… caw…"
Karasu gave a low growl, releasing another wave of shadowy crows that swirled around Gust Saint. Hundreds of them attacked in unison, filling the air with black wings.
"Pathetic!"
With a mocking roar, Gust Saint swung his obsidian scythe, cleaving into the flock and charging straight toward Karasu's true body.
But suddenly, the ground heaved like ocean waves.
From below erupted a giant, dwarf-like titan over ten meters tall, wielding a massive trident. With a single thrust, he impaled Gust Saint and slammed him into the earth.
"Boom!"
The ram-headed demon coughed up blood, the impact shaking the battlefield.
"Karasu! Don't bother thanking me," said Morley, the jovial Western Army commander and Push-Push Fruit user. His lips curled into a teasing grin, and he even winked playfully at Karasu.
"Cry no longer, my people! For your families, for your homeland—raise your weapons and fight!!"
From above, Belo Betty unfurled a massive crimson flag, her voice ringing with fervor. The power of her Cheer-Cheer Fruit spread across the land.
Wounded civilians, once sobbing in despair, stood tall. Eyes burned with fury. Strength surged within them.
Even a fragile young girl now radiated the aura of a pirate worth fifty million berries.
The tide of battle had shifted.