A Chase Through the Sky

The sea surface exploded!

Thunder and tremors roared at the same time, like two mad dragons tearing open heaven and earth—

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

Every member of the pirate crew froze in disbelief.

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

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

A 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???"

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

But the next second, the lookout suddenly realized something. His whole body shuddered as he pointed frantically to the other side.

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

"Zephyr! That's Zephyr—!!!"

The pirates' faces collectively turned green, and the nerves that had just relaxed snapped taut again.

"W-we're doomed!!!"

Just as the entire ship fell into terror, a lazy yet overwhelmingly oppressive voice cut through the air. "What's all this noise..."

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

The pirates saw the newcomer as if they had found a lifeline. "Lady Stussy!!!"

Accompanied by the elegant, light clicks of high heels, a woman with seductive curves and a dangerously enchanting aura stepped out of the first mate's quarters.

Her golden hair fell in soft curls, her legs were long and slender, and a poisonous smile rested on her lips—

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

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

Golden curls slipped past her ears. She raised her eyes toward the distant direction where lightning and tremors had vanished together, then gave a soft snort.

"That late-blooming idiot... he rushed over without saying a word."

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

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

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

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

She waved 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 'No-Kill'!"

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

"Ooooooh—!!!"

Listening to those foolish yet sincere cheers, Stussy showed a disdainful and dangerous smile from the corner of her mouth.

Her red lips parted slightly. "But—"

She lightly licked her pointed canine. "The Rocks Pirates have no room for soft persimmons..."

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

"I'll drag every last one of you into the laboratory~"

The pirates: "...???"

The morale they had just regained nearly leaked away from fright.

Amid that bizarre atmosphere—

Boom—!!!

The Navy warship crashed toward them like a giant beast!

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

With a thunderous crash, the iron bridge fell, and the two massive vessels forcibly locked together in an instant!

"Kill—!!!"

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

Blades clashed! Gunpowder exploded!

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

Stussy had intended to watch elegantly from the sidelines, but when she saw Zephyr walking straight toward her with his arms wrapped in terrifying Armament Haki, his heavy steps cracking the deck beneath him, her smile immediately froze.

Her brows twitched slightly, revealing a flicker of dangerous instinct.

"...Huh?"

Alarm bells blared in her mind. Zephyr's presence, his eyes, and that completely undisguised killing intent were utterly different from before.

Using the motion of adjusting her satin gloves at her side, she quietly placed her palm over the ornamental gemstone brooch at her waist.

Her nail lightly pressed 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 urgent vertical slits.

"Vice Admiral Zephyr," she said, raising her face again with that sickly sweet smile restored, "being so aggressive toward a lady is rather ungentlemanly, you know~"

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

Behind that smoke, however, her eyes had gone completely cold as she swiftly scanned every patch of terrain and every opening she could use to maneuver.

The next moment, the deafening clash of steel shook the heavens and earth, and the battlefield fully erupted across the sea!

Meanwhile, high above the sky, the storm churned.

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

Ahead, Rock had become a flashing streak of lightning zigzagging through the sky, electric arcs trailing behind him;

Behind him, Newgate's mountain-like body shattered the air beneath his feet. Using tremors as his engine, he surged forward with explosive force. Every step blasted a deep crater into the sea below.

"Whoosh whoosh whoosh whoosh—!!!"

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

The air was scorched through, while lightning wove itself into a vast net of countless threads!

"Gurararara!!!"

Whitebeard was so excited that every muscle in his body trembled. He stomped hard, and two shockwaves burst outward.

Legs-Shaking Air: Forced Propulsion!

Murakumogiri was instantly coated in pitch-black Armament Haki, while a blinding white tremor membrane emerged over 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 tremor membrane, they were all shattered into countless motes of light, as though smashed apart by an invisible hammer!

Rock's pupils shrank. The air twisted from the tremors, forcing his lightning trail to veer upward.

But Whitebeard only grew more excited as he fought, 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 of light. 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, horrifying black fissure!

Rock's figure flickered, instantly dissolving into lightning.

Boom—!!!

The spot where he had been was shaken into dust, while the entire layer of clouds above was sliced cleanly in half!

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

The two of them blasted their way through the sky, the sound of their long-range attacks colliding and shaking heaven and sea.

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

Lightning flared in his eyes as a thought crossed his mind. Here!!!

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

Whitebeard also sensed Rock's intention. The air behind him shattered like a mirror, tremors exploding backward in layer after layer!

Tremor: Air Push!!!

Boom—!!!

The atmosphere exploded, and shockwaves pushed Whitebeard like rocket exhaust, sending his massive body streaking across the sky at a speed utterly unfitting his size as he charged toward the island!

Then came a blow like a meteor striking the earth!

Thud—!!!

Whitebeard landed with both feet, and the entire barren island seemed to have been struck by a giant beast. The ground split into a web of cracks, whole stretches of forest toppled, and sand and boulders shot into the sky, forming a massive mushroom cloud of dust!

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

"...Here he comes."

He held Murakumogiri across his body, the tremor membrane around the blade flashing with white light!

"Haah!!!"

He swung horizontally with all his might!

The tremor slash was like divine punishment splitting the air, cutting the sky-filling dust cloud in half in an instant!

The instant the dust cloud split apart—

Bang—!!!

A dazzling streak of lightning burst from the mist, like the spear of the Thunder God stabbing toward Whitebeard's heart!

Lightning gathered around Rock's right hand, forming a spear-like point that illuminated the earth. "Newgate!!!"

Whitebeard's pupils contracted, but he grinned wildly like a beast. "Come on!!!"

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

Their fists collided at the center of the barren island!

Boom—!!!

Thunder exploded!

The atmosphere shattered!

A shockwave erupted from the point of impact between their fists, as if overturning the entire world—

Every tree within several hundred meters of the island's center was blown away;

Rocks were uprooted, the sea rolled backward for hundreds of meters, and the deafening explosion sounded like a roar from the earth's core!

Dust churned as violent winds swept backward.

At the center of a world that seemed on the verge of collapse, the two figures were both forced back, the ground beneath their feet instantly shattering several meters deep!

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

Whitebeard bared his teeth and roared, his laughter shattering the air.

"Gurararara! Brat!"

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