Harbingers of a Collapsing World Order
Such a brutal and overwhelming battle severely impacted the understanding of every powerful figure on the sea.
The old-era dominance of the Four Emperors proved utterly fragile in the face of a single Uchiha squad.
High in the clouds, Kizaru hovered among golden particles, his usual lazy and playful demeanor completely gone. He raised his hand to push up his slipped sunglasses, and his usually indifferent and relaxed eyes suddenly contracted sharply, filled with solemnity and horror.
Twelve people.
With just twelve Uchiha clan members, ten Night Owl Guard elites, and two Elder, they directly defeated the Four Emperors pirate crew, which possessed two Devil Fruit, had a deep foundation, and a large number of executives.
This unreasonable and overwhelming force completely shattered Kizaru's long-held understanding of the naval combat system.
Countless long-buried memories surged uncontrollably at this moment, piling up in his heart.
The scene of my first encounter with the Uchiha Clan on Origin Island five years ago is as clear as yesterday.
At that time, the Uchiha, which had just emerged into the world, only had Uchiha Natsu and Uchiha Fugaku as their top combatants. Their strength was barely at the threshold of becoming Admiral-Yonko Level, and they had not yet developed the unstoppable suppressive power they possess today.
The navy's lineup in that battle was truly impressive.
With Admiral Kizaru and Momousagi in command, plus five elite Vice Admiral joining forces to encircle and annihilate them, their combat power is absolutely overwhelming.
Although the battle ended in naval defeat with heavy casualties among ordinary marines and a complete collapse of formation, all high-ranking combatants were almost unharmed, suffering only minor physical exhaustion.
Back then, the Uchiha Clan had to exhaust all their trump cards and overdraw their ultimate combat power just to barely escape the Navy's encirclement. But in just a few years, everything changed dramatically.
The Summit War was a watershed moment marking the complete rise of the Uchiha Clan.
They joined forces with Whitebeard to make a powerful entry into the fray, directly confronting the entire Marine Headquarters and sweeping across the Marineford battlefield, unstoppable.
It was at that time that Uchiha Natsu's strength underwent a terrifying qualitative change, completely breaking free from the shackles of the Admiral-Yonko Level and ascending to the pinnacle of the world.
Veteran Fleet Admiral Steel Bone Kong, a veteran who fought his entire life and stood at the pinnacle of the navy, ultimately fell to Natsu's blade;
The Celestial Dragons' most powerful force, the God's Knights Gunko immense Scepter and unparalleled strength, also perished at his hands.
Kizaru still vividly remembers the desperate situation at Marineford, where he, Akainu, Sengoku were all trapped and on the verge of death.
If it weren't for Saint Imu, the Void Throne, personally descending to stop them, the three top-tier naval leaders would have already perished along with their headquarters.
The final showdown between Xia Yin and Yi Mu shattered the structure of the world.
The earth-shattering battle tore apart the ocean and shattered the heavens and earth, ultimately erasing Marineford, which had stood for a thousand years and symbolized the absolute authority of the navy, from the world map.
Since then, the strength of the Uchiha Clan has increased at an unbelievable speed, completely breaking away from the combat power framework of the old era.
The new generation of clansmen grew rapidly and their talents exploded. The Asura Overlord Madara Uchiha appeared and ascended to the world. To this day, a small team of twelve people has crushed an entire Four Emperors force.
Scenes flashed and overlapped in Kizaru's mind, a heavy sense of oppression gripping his heart.
He was perfectly clear in his mind: the balance of this sea had long since been silently and completely overturned.
The old order has become a mere formality.
High in the distance, Shanks, the Red-Haired Shanks, stood still in the wind, his long crimson hair flying wildly.
The face that was once calm and composed, with a firm grasp on the game of the times, was now covered with a heavy sense of solemnity.
He clenched his fists tightly around the hilt of the Gryphon sword, his knuckles turning white, his eyes filled with confusion and apprehension.
Having traversed the seas for decades, he has witnessed the rise and fall of countless heroes and the changing of power, and has long since developed the ability to predict the situation and understand the general trend.
However, the speed at which the Uchiha Clan rose to power completely exceeded his understanding and predictions; it was ruthless, swift, and unsolvable.
Shanks felt an extreme sense of crisis.
Based on this trend, even if the World Government integrates the power of all Affiliated Nation, mobilizes the entire Navy, and unites all the world's top powers, it will probably be difficult to restrain the increasingly terrifying Uchiha Clan in less than three years.
What's even more chilling is the pinnacle of the Uchiha Clan — Uchiha Natsu.
After the Summit War, he disappeared from public view and did not make a public appearance for several years.
No one knew the incredible level of strength he had reached after years of lying low.
This unknown, supreme power is the heaviest and most terrifying sword hanging over the entire world.
Ben Beckman stood silently at the bow of the Red-Haired Pirates.
The cigarette between his fingers had long since burned out, and hot ash fell onto the back of his hand, but he was completely unaware, his gaze fixed on the distant deserted island.
As the top strategist of the ocean, he saw things more clearly than anyone else.
The destruction of the Blackbeard Pirates was not simply the fall of Admiral-Yonko Level, but a signal of the complete collapse of the old era's hegemonic system.
From this day forward, the world order will no longer be dominated by the three-way balance of power between the Navy, the Four Emperors, and the World Government, but by the Uchiha Clan, which has quietly risen to power and now firmly holds sway over everything in the world.
A silent panic completely permeated his mind.
Within the naval camp, the plant vines that had been wrapped around Ryokugyu completely retracted, and his usual lazy and playful smile vanished.
His emerald green eyes were deep and cold, fixed on the direction of the deserted island, filled with caution and apprehension.
Previously, he still harbored a glimmer of hope, intending to seize an opportunity to test the strength of the new generation of Uchiha.
After witnessing firsthand the Night Owl Guard's fluid and terrifying combat prowess, overwhelming the Four Emperors' officers, he completely extinguished all such thoughts.
The Uchiha's foundation, Dōjutsu, coordinated attacks, and individual burst damage have reached a point that inspires despair.
Even Marine Admiral would only get burned if provoked rashly.
He turned his head to look at the silent and solemn Kizaru beside him, and understood.
This colleague, who was used to slacking off and being relaxed, was now enveloped by an extreme sense of crisis, and all traces of his usual carefree attitude had vanished.
At the two ends of the vast sea, a striking double-line contrast is formed.
On the deserted island, the dust of war has settled.
The rocks were charred black, and the beach was a mess; the lingering heat still baked the entire beach.
The members of the Uchiha Night Owl Guard performed their duties in an orderly manner, demonstrating the composure and discipline of top-tier experts.
A portion of the team members took to the air to patrol and maintain full vigilance, preventing Blackbeard from returning or launching a surprise attack.
The rest of the group steadily tidied up the battle, gathering and guarding the completely sealed Doc Q, the Stronger Zhuangzhuang, and Lafitte, who was imprisoned by Genjutsu magic, sealing them off layer by layer to eliminate any potential dangers.
Rin and Chunwu led the new generation of Uchiha clan members to regroup. Everyone was covered in gunpowder and slightly tired, but no one relaxed.
Experiencing firsthand the overwhelming power of top-tier combatants and witnessing the Night Owl Guard elders unleash Amaterasu, Susanoo, and the Forbidden Technique Flame Roar Sword, this new generation of clansmen has undergone a transformation in their vision, mindset, and will, with their eyes becoming increasingly sharp and resolute.