BOOM!!!!!!
The two enormous lava palms slammed together, and magma erupted with a deafening roar.
Endless magma gushed outward, briefly forming a small island of molten rock.
Then it gradually sank, leaving nothing on the sea's surface but billowing clouds of steam.
The soldiers aboard the warship were all discussing what they had just witnessed, stunned and awestruck.
"Wow!!!"
"Did you see that!!!"
"Gasp!!!"
"That was incredible!!!"
"Those two giant lava palms were so powerful!!!"
"Vice Admiral Sakazuki!!!"
"He's back!!!"
Sakazuki leaped back aboard.
Ignoring their injuries, the soldiers all rose and looked at Sakazuki excitedly, their eyes filled with admiration.
He glanced over them and waved a hand, his deep voice ringing out:
"All right, go get your wounds bandaged."
"Get some rest."
The soldiers answered with soaring morale:
"Yes, sir!!!!!!"
Sakazuki then walked to the railing on the warship's uppermost deck and activated his power.
His arms turned into magma that billowed thick black smoke and spilled onto the deck. He raised both arms, aiming at a patch of sky.
"Meteor Volcano."
It was like launching rockets.
Countless lava fists shot diagonally upward from his arms, disappearing into the clouds.
Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang!...
Only after five minutes did he stop. The magma turned back into arms, and he walked into his room.
Deep beneath an unknown stretch of sea.
A hundred-meter-long serpent, its body scorched in numerous places, swam frantically forward.
More than a dozen women clung to the scales on its back.
The magma eruption had reduced most of the Kuja Pirates and their belongings to ash.
Only this giant serpent and the dozen or so people on its back had survived, fleeing desperately.
After fleeing an unknown distance, Eilinsna was just about to direct the serpent to the surface so everyone could breathe.
Hiss! Hiss! Hiss!...
The sound of water evaporating rang out, like water poured onto a hot iron.
Eilinsna looked around, her pupils contracting sharply as enormous Molten Rock Fists several meters across plunged into the sea.
Thick smoke and intense heat churned up countless bubbles and thunderous rumbles underwater, rapidly bringing the seawater to a boil.
The heat made the serpent writhe uneasily.
Eilinsna directed the serpent to surface. It had barely broken through, before anyone could take a breath-
BOOM!!!!!
Hiss-! Hiss-! Hiss-!...
An explosion rang out, followed by the hiss of magma eating into flesh.
The serpent's enormous head was struck by a Molten Rock Fist and exploded on impact.
Magma ate away at the serpent's flesh.
The serpent stopped moving altogether, its unease gone as it floated silently on the surface.
The survivors had no time to worry about losing their mount.
They all stared in terror at the world around them.
In the sky, blood-red clouds stretched as far as the eye could see.
Enormous Molten Rock Fists burst through the clouds and plunged into the sea, trailing thick black smoke like meteors heralding the apocalypse.
In the seawater.
Countless bubbles burst as the water churned restlessly, leaping and boiling.
The corpses of countless sea creatures floated to the surface, turning it into a vision of hell.
"That's...!!!!!"
"Run!"
"Hurry...!!!!"
BOOM!
Hiss-! Hiss-! Hiss-!...
An enormous magma fist fell from the sky and slammed into their midst.
The person who spotted it had only enough time to shout a warning before the magma fist struck and exploded, silencing them.
Knocked beneath the water, Eilinsna covered her entire body in Haki and swam upward.
"ROOOAR-!"
An ancient, primal cry echoed through the sea, tinged with panic.
The seawater grew even more turbulent, and a tremendous surge slammed into her.
Forcing herself to steady her body, Eilinsna stared in terror at the enormous shadow below and swam away.
But the shadow grew at an astonishing speed. In the blink of an eye, its body filled her entire field of vision.
Eilinsna watched the shadow surge toward her, her eyes filled with endless despair and unwillingness...
BOOM!!!!!!!!
A colossal Sea King the size of an island burst through the surface, its back scorched by magma in several places.
It sent successive waves hundreds of meters high crashing into the distance.
ROOOAR!!!!
Its ancient, primal cry was tinged with panic.
BOOM!!!!!!!!!!
Another earth-shattering crash rang out as the colossal figure plunged underwater and swam away...
Only after an unknown number of sunrises and sunsets did the cloudless stretch of sea finally lie calm.
The few seagulls that occasionally flew past seemed utterly at ease.
Only the countless thoroughly cooked sea creatures floating on the surface bore witness to the apocalyptic scene that had unfolded here not long before...
In the waters at the edge of the Calm Belt.
After several days of emergency repairs aboard the warship.
"Vice Admiral Sakazuki."
"Repairs to the engine room are complete."
The adjutant delivered his report to the figure ahead of him, clad in a coat emblazoned with the word "Justice."
Before you continue