Aerial Pursuit

The sea surface exploded!

Thunder and vibrations roared at once, like two savage dragons tearing apart heaven and earth—

Rock became a streak of platinum lightning, while Newgate charged atop shockwaves vibrating through the air. The two figures surged wildly in the same direction!

Every member of the pirate crew was dumbfounded.

Until—

"Why did the captain fly off with that lightning?!!"

The lookout clutched his head and screamed, his cracking voice shooting into the heavens.

The pirate beside him collapsed to the deck in terror, his face full of relief at surviving. "L-Lucky they aren't fighting at sea... Otherwise, would we even survive???"

"Exactly! If those two really started fighting on the ocean, wouldn't they flip the whole sea over?!"

But the next second, the lookout suddenly realized something. His entire body shuddered as he pointed tremblingly in another direction.

"Did you forget there's someone else?!!"

"Zephyr! That's Zephyr—!!!"

All the pirates turned green, their newly relaxed nerves snapping taut in an instant.

"W-We're doomed!!!"

Just as the entire ship fell into panic, a lazy yet oppressive voice cut through the air. "What are you all making such a fuss about..."

"I only took a beauty nap, and you're trying to scare the ship into sinking?"

The pirates saw who it was and clung to her like a lifeline. "Lady Stussy!!!"

Accompanied by the elegant, light click of high heels, a woman with seductive curves and a bewitching yet dangerous aura emerged from the first mate's cabin.

Her golden hair curled slightly, her legs were long and slender, and a poisonous smile rested on her lips—

It was none other than Buckingham Stussy, an officer of the Rocks Pirates!!!

Stussy lazily stretched, her curves swaying beneath the sunlight as she let out a languid yawn.

Golden curls slipped from beside her ears. She looked toward the distant direction where lightning and vibrations had intertwined and vanished, then gave a soft snort.

"That late-blooming idiot... He charged over without saying a word."

Then she turned, her gaze locking onto the other side—

At the bow of the warship, a burly purple-haired man stood at the very front. His presence was like an iron wall pressing down upon sea and sky, and even the ocean wind seemed stained purple-black with killing intent.

Stussy's lips curled up, her smile as dangerous as a blooming mandrake. "Prepare for battle."

"What is there to fear from a mere Zephyr?"

She flicked her slender fingers, her tone icy. "Even if you lose, he won't kill you~"

The pirates instantly came to their senses, strange yet relieved smiles appearing on their faces. "R-Right... Zephyr is known as 'the one who doesn't kill'!"

"Hahaha! Then there's nothing to fear!!!"

"Ooooooh—!!!"

Listening to those foolish yet sincere cheers, Stussy wore a disdainful and dangerous smile on the side of her face.

Her red lips parted slightly. "But—"

She gently licked her sharp canine tooth. "The Rocks Pirates have no room for soft targets..."

Her voice gradually lowered, becoming even more soul-stirring. "If you lose—"

"I'll take all of you to the laboratory~"

The pirates: "...???"

The morale they had just managed to raise nearly leaked away from fright.

Amid that bizarre atmosphere—

"Boom—!!!"

The Marine warship rammed into them like a colossal beast!

The sea wind seemed torn apart as cannon fire erupted between the two ships!

With a boom, the iron bridge crashed down, and the two massive vessels instantly locked together by force!

"Kill—!!!"

Warriors from both sides roared as they charged across the bridge and attacked each other!

Blades clashed! Gunpowder exploded!

Blood, fire, and furious cries instantly set the entire sea ablaze!

Stussy had intended to watch the battle elegantly, but when she saw Zephyr's arms wrapped in astonishing Armament Haki as he strode directly toward her with steps heavy enough to crack the deck, her smile immediately froze.

Her brow twitched, revealing a flicker of dangerous instinct.

"...Hm?"

Alarm bells rang wildly in her heart. Zephyr's aura, his gaze, and the utterly undisguised killing intent around him were completely different from before.

Using the motion of turning sideways to adjust her satin gloves, she quietly placed her palm over the decorative gemstone brooch at her waist.

Her nail pressed ever so lightly against a slightly raised spot on its back—

"Purururururu..."

Inside the brooch, a miniature Den Den Mushi disguised as a black pearl opened its eyes, its pupils narrowing into vertical slits that signaled an emergency.

"Vice Admiral Zephyr," she said, raising her face again with that sweetly cloying smile restored, "it's rather ungentlemanly to act so aggressively toward a lady~"

Smoke drifted from between her lips, spreading between them like both a cover and a brief veil.

But her eyes behind the smoke had turned completely cold, swiftly scanning every stretch of terrain and every gap that could be used to maneuver.

The next moment, the sound of steel crashing together shook the heavens, and the battlefield erupted across the entire sea!

Meanwhile, high above, the storm churned.

Thunder and vibrations became two giant dragons tearing through the sky, chasing and tearing at one another, leaving shredded black holes throughout the clouds.

Ahead, Rock became a flickering streak of lightning racing in all directions, electric arcs trailing behind him;

Behind him, Newgate's mountain-like body stomped through the air, using vibrations as an engine to propel himself forward. With every step, deep craters were blasted into the sea below.

"Whoosh, whoosh, whoosh—!!!"

Rock raised his hand, firing dozens of lightning arrows backward like spears of Heavenly Punishment pouring from the sky!

The air was burned through, lightning weaving into a vast web of countless threads!

"Gurararara!!!"

Whitebeard was so excited that every muscle in his body trembled. He stomped hard, and two waves of shock air exploded outward.

Legs-Shaking Air: Forced Propulsion!

Murakumogiri was instantly coated in pitch-black Armament Haki, while a dazzling white vibration film emerged around the blade.

"Break for me!!!"

"Crack, crack, crack, crack—!!!"

With a casual sweep of Murakumogiri, the atmosphere shattered into fragments.

The instant the lightning arrows touched the vibration film, they were all shaken apart into countless flecks of light, as though smashed by an invisible hammer!

Rock's pupils contracted. The air twisted from the vibrations, forcing his lightning trail upward.

But Whitebeard only grew more excited, his wild laughter exploding through the Cloud Sea. "Gurararara!! Why are you running, brat?! Come again!!!"

The next instant, a transparent Shockwave gathered at Murakumogiri's tip, compressed into an extreme white membrane as Armament Haki and the Tremor-Tremor Fruit fused perfectly.

"Tremor: Sky-Splitting Slash!!!"

"Pop—!!!"

Space seemed to be pried apart by an invisible giant hand, splitting open into a deep, terrifying black fissure!

Rock's figure flashed, instantly dissolving into lightning.

"Boom—!!!"

The spot where he had just stood was shaken into dust, while the entire layer of clouds in the sky was split neatly in two!

The Cloud Sea looked as though it had been cut by a blade, revealing a straight scar across the heavens.

The two continued bombarding the sky along their path, the sound of their long-range clashes shaking heaven and sea.

At last, amid the thunder and vibrations, Rock's wide-range Observation Haki caught sight of a small, deserted island.

Lightning blazed in his eyes as a thought flashed through his mind. Here!!!

The next instant, lightning tore through the sky like a comet and plunged straight toward the deserted island!

Whitebeard also sensed Rock's intention. The air behind him shattered like mirrors, and layers upon layers of vibrations exploded in reverse!

"Tremor: Air Push!!!"

"Boom—!!!"

The atmosphere exploded, and Shockwaves pushed Whitebeard like rocket exhaust, sending his enormous body hurtling across the sky at a speed completely disproportionate to his size as he charged toward the deserted island!

What followed was an impact like a meteor striking the ground!

"Thud—!!!"

Whitebeard's feet hit the ground, and the entire deserted island seemed to suffer the blow of a giant beast. The earth split into a spiderweb of cracks, forests collapsed in swathes, and sand and boulders shot into the sky, forming a massive mushroom-shaped column of smoke!

As the smoke rolled about, Whitebeard narrowed his eyes, his Observation Haki pressing down like a mountain.

"...He's here."

He held Murakumogiri horizontally, the vibration film around its blade flashing with white light!

"Hah!!!"

He slashed sideways!

The vibration slash was like divine punishment splitting the air, instantly cutting the dust-filled sky in half!

The moment the smoke and dust parted—

"Bang—!!!"

A dazzling streak of lightning burst from the haze, stabbing toward Whitebeard's heart like the spear of a thunder god!

Lightning condensed around Rock's right hand into a spear-like point, its radiance piercing through the earth. "Newgate!!!"

Whitebeard's pupils contracted, and he bared his teeth in wild laughter like a beast. "Come on!!!"

He clenched his left fist, and a transparent sphere of vibration instantly wrapped around it, visibly distorting the surrounding space!

Their fists collided at the center of the deserted island!

"Boom—!!!"

Thunder exploded!

The atmosphere shattered!

A shockwave erupted from where their fists met, as though it had overturned the entire world—

The forest across several hundred meters around the island's center was blown away entirely;

Rocks were uprooted, the sea rolled back for hundreds of meters, and the deafening blast sounded like a rumble rising from the center of the earth!

Smoke and dust churned as violent winds swept backward.

At the center of that nearly collapsing world, the two figures were each driven back, the ground beneath their feet instantly shattering several meters deep!

A wild smile hung on Rock's lips. "That's got some kick!!!"

Whitebeard threw back his head and roared, his laughter shattering the air:

"Gurararara! Brat!"

"Now that's more like it!!!"