Ten enormous warships sailed across the surging sea. The decks, which should have been bustling with activity as they bombarded Enies Lobby, were now utterly silent.
One Marine after another knelt or slumped to the ground. Without exception, they stared blankly upward in despair.
The aura of destruction carried by that pitch-black meteor left them breathless. They had already given up any thought of resisting it.
Although they had changed formation and begun to spread out in advance, thanks to Vice Admiral Gion's warning, but...
This was no longer a question of whether the meteor would hit them. The moment it came crashing down, the ensuing violent impact, terrifying heat and wind pressure, and tsunami-like waves...
Could easily destroy the warships. They didn't have the strength of those monstrous vice admirals, and had almost no chance of surviving an impact like this.
Above them, the five vice admirals, led by Momousagi, stood in the air with Geppo, their expressions grave.
They were utterly powerless against a move like this. The only thing they could do was flee the danger zone, but...
Looking down at the warships below, they knew that if they left, the elite Marines aboard the ten ships would have to face this world-shattering impact head-on.
The fate of everyone except the ten rear admirals and two hundred-plus elite captains was obvious.
"Should we retreat?"
Momonga glanced around at the others. "My Haki is almost depleted. I imagine it's the same for all of you."
For a moment, even the five vice admirals didn't know what to do. They had to choose between protecting themselves and giving their lives to uphold the justice they believed in.
It wasn't an easy choice. If there were a chance they could stop the meteor, they would follow the call of justice