Thunder Descends

A superstorm.

It had truly arrived.

The boundary between sky and sea was torn apart.

The Flying Fleet, which had formed a perfect three-dimensional blockade high above, lost all order in the raging currents.

The wind was no longer a backdrop. It was judgment.

"Hold formation—!!!"

"The wind's reversed!!!"

"Port wing's out of control—!!!"

Before the warning had even faded—

Boom—!!!

Two flying warships slammed together under a violent crosswind.

Their hulls burst apart in midair, broken keels hurled into the sky.

The pirates on deck had no time to finish screaming before they were flung into the churning waves.

Thunderbolts struck one after another.

Towering waves surged skyward.

Dozens of massive warships, huge and easy to hit, became natural targets for the storm's force.

Hurricanes overturned them.

Turbulent currents tore at them.

Lightning pierced straight through them.

Splinters, flames, and wreckage scattered through the downpour.

In just a few minutes—

Most of the Flying Fleet sank beneath the sea.

The Oro Jackson was another story.

Though battered, its hull riddled with cracks and its deck caved in at several points,

its smaller size and sturdy construction gave it an edge.

With Gaban, a master navigator, leading them, the crew identified the eye of the storm almost the instant the wind pressure shifted.

"Turn starboard and catch the wind—!!!"

"Go with the current! Get out of the high-pressure zone—!!!"

Gaban roared as he held the wheel steady.

Sambel leaped into the sea, using his Fish-Man strength to correct the stern's course.

The Oro Jackson stopped fighting the turbulent currents and let the storm carry it.

Like a silver fish swimming against the waves, it darted through the storm. While the Flying Fleet was in chaos—

It returned fire!

"Fire—!!!"

Boom—!!!

A warship spinning out of control took a direct