The Lingering Force of a Single Punch
Heaven and earth shattered.
The aftershocks of that hundredfold Iron Fist had not yet completely dissipated, and the deafening echoes still reverberated over Mary Geoise.
The air was burned to a blinding white, and huge vacuum holes were torn in the clouds.
High in the sky, lightning danced wildly in the collapsing air pressure, seemingly mourning this ultimate collision.
Even Warship thousands of kilometers away were tossed about by the hurricane whipped up by the horizontal Shockwave.
The waves were violently crashed into towering walls of water, and the naval soldiers stood frozen on the deck.
At that moment, the world seemed to stand still.
Imu's figure disappeared.
There was no blood, no remains, only scattered fragments of shadow.
That symbol of divine authority and eternity seemed to have been reduced to conceptual dust, crumbling little by little between light and wind, ultimately turning into nothingness.
Everyone looked up at the sky, where light and darkness intertwined beneath the torn clouds.
They seemed to witness the moment when God fell.
At this moment, the battle seemed to have been decided.
"Roar--Ahhh!!"
Suddenly, a roar came from the ground!
Luffy's body swelled up, enveloped in golden-red flames, his "Dragon-Man Form" intertwined and merged with Conqueror's Haki.
Zoro stood beside him, his three swords clashing in unison, their sword intent surging like ocean waves.
Two Conqueror's Haki intertwined around them, transforming into a visible spiral of energy.
"Overlord - Dragon's Roar Cut--!"
They leaped up at the same time!
Fist and blade clashed, the heavens and earth Quake-Split, and the two roared, pouring all their will into this single strike—
The spiral beam of light shot straight into the sky, piercing through the heavens. The proud figure of Saint Shepherd Ju Peter was instantly swallowed up. Before he could react, his body disintegrated into powder in the light.
"--Bang!!"
The shockwave swept across the sky like a raging torrent, hurling large amounts of rubble and debris into the air.
When the light fades, only ashes remain, drifting in the wind.
"Hmph, you old fool."
Zoro snorted coldly, the tip of his blade flicking away the blood.
Luffy was panting heavily, his forehead glistening with sweat and tears.
"Roy... is still alive, right?"
--On the other side of the sky.
"Great Flame Commandment - Explosive Flame Lotus--!"
Ace crossed his arms, his body becoming the core of the raging flames, which seemed to be crackling with black and red lightning.
In that instant, the entire sky was engulfed by a sea of fire, and the heatwave swept across thousands of miles.
Saint Mars roared madly, his body twisted by the intense heat, his regenerative power suppressed, and fear appeared on his face for the first time.
"You think that the flames of a mere mortal can burn away a god?!"
He roared and raised his hand, holy energy coalescing into a giant shield—
But the next second, a crimson arc of light cleaved the flames!
"Blood Moon Frostbite Slash--!"
Kuina leaped out of the sea of fire, her black hair flying, her red blade slicing through the night sky, intertwining with Ace's Explosive Flame Lotus!
"Bang--!"
Flames and blood mingled as Saint Mars's body shattered amidst the flames and flashes of blades, his remains crashing to the ground and transforming into a burning crater.
Ace gasped for breath, flames dancing on his shoulder. Kuina slowly sheathed her sword, the red light on the Blood Blade gradually dimming.
The sky is on fire.
The ground is collapsing.
"--boom!!"
The heavens trembled, a blazing pillar of light ripped through the clouds, Phoenix Zephyr, enveloped in Blue Flames, burst forth from the dust, its wings unfurling to create a raging storm.
He roared, his wings flapping with the "Flame of Life," and his fist transformed into a fiery comet, hurtling straight forward!
"Bang bang--!"
Shanks swung his sword to meet the attack, the blade stained with blood, and his Conqueror's Haki surged like a surging tide.
The two energy fields exploded in mid-air, shaking the entire Battlefield.
Shanks' cloak had turned to ashes. He gasped for breath and looked up at the sky, which was still crackling with lightning.
Blood trickled down the corner of his mouth, but his eyes showed no anger; instead, they held a complex light of shock and admiration.
"That guy... did he really defeat a god?!"
"Gah--Ahhh!!"
Saint Shamrock's three-headed hellhound roared and pounced, its body bound by black chains of curses and flames, tearing through the void.
Amidst Thunderclap and flashes of light, Enel's figure appeared.
He was completely enveloped in dark Armament Haki, with lightning forming armor around his limbs. His eyes were arrogant, and a familiar cold smile played on his lips.
"All Thunder Returns as One!!"
He raised his Trident high, its gold blazing brightly in the lightning.
"Bang--!"
As lightning struck, Mamaragan converged into a gigantic Thunder Dragon, tearing the three-headed dog of the region into countless pieces.
Saint Shamrock's face contorted in fury; before he could even unleash his roar, Enel's Trident had already transformed into an Inazuma, descending from the sky.
"Boom!"
The Golden Trident was driven deep into the ground, piercing through his body.
Lightning flashed, and flames engulfed the wreckage.
Enel looked down at the mangled body of the nailed saint, a cold smile playing on his lips, "Even gods are afraid of thunder, huh?"
He stretched out his hand, arcs of electricity dancing on his fingertips, his eyes arrogant and wild.
In the shadows of the jungle, the Saint Garling was panting when he was pierced by a beam of golden light that appeared in an instant.
"Oh dear~ You're too slow~"
Kizaru's figure slowly appeared, his Ama no Murakumo flashing with a cold golden light, pressed against the opponent's throat.
"You can't even catch up with light, yet you dare to call yourself a god?"
He tilted his head, his tone lazy yet carrying a deadly edge.
Saint Garling's eyes widened, but he couldn't utter a single word.
Further away--
Akainu's magma and Sabo's fire element exploded in the same direction, and figures flew through the flames.
The remnants of the Holy Knights —those beings whom the Celestial Dragons called the "Shield of God."
At this moment, the divine authority had long since vanished, leaving only fear and despair.
The Okama King and Crows flanked the Battlefield, turning it into a scorching Purgatory.
They looked up at the sky, their eyes no longer filled with faith, but only with fear.
They are looking for--
Their "King".
But the sky was empty.
Only endless shards of light and shattered shadows floated in the wind, as if the god had been completely shattered.
High in the air, Garp maintained his punching stance.
His shirt was ripped, his granite-like muscles exposed to the howling wind, and the lingering red-gold embers on his fists still flickered.
"Ha ha..."
His breathing was heavy, his chest heaving violently; that Iron Fist, Doubling, had almost exhausted all the strength he had ever possessed.
His shoulders trembled slightly, and his body almost fell.
Just then, a hand reached out.
Roy's figure appeared in the distorted space, and he gently patted Garp's shoulder.
With Flash light, the chaotic energy within Garp's body slowly calmed down, and a small portion of his fatigue was instantly drawn away, dissipating as a faint aura.
"Call--"
Garp's breathing gradually calmed down, and he struggled to lift his head, looking at the empty space in front of him.
"Roy... He...?"
Roy did not answer immediately.
The wind swirled around him, and the light patterns in the space flickered erratically.
He looked up, his eyes reflecting the slightly distorted shadow.
Even with the blinding light, that aura emanating from nothingness still stirred.
"I'm afraid... it's not over yet, sir."