The punch never struck anything solid. Instead, a dazzling halo of dark gold burst open in midair.
Violent lightning and blood energy mingled wildly within him. Before the curtain of poison, Lorne's body swelled rapidly, transforming in an instant into an enormous dragon ten thousand meters long, covered in dark-gold scales!
"Roar-!"
The ten-thousand-meter Divine Dragon raised his head and roared amid the thick clouds. His terrifying cry tore through the sky, its sound waves becoming a near-solid golden gale that slammed down toward the sea.
The waters across the entire area churned violently. Twenty heavily armored Marine battleships rocked under the savage blast of air, their hulls creaking beneath the strain.
"Th-that's a Divine Dragon?!" On the flagship's bridge, Vice Admiral Strawberry went deathly pale. Both hands clamped down on the wooden railing before him, his nails almost digging into the wood.
"Impossible! Kaido of the Beasts is already dead! How can there still be a Mythical Zoan dragon with this form on the seas?!" Vice Admiral Dalmatian stared up at the dragon's body blotting out the sky. His pupils contracted sharply, and beads of cold sweat formed on his forehead.
"Vice Admiral! Our naval guns have reached their maximum elevation! We can't lock onto a target ten thousand meters in the air!" A messenger stumbled onto the deck, his voice filled with uncontrollable terror.
Damn it! That bastard isn't just a Devil Fruit User! Haki on this scale defies all reason! Strawberry screamed inwardly, his earlier arrogance and certainty of victory completely gone.
"All ships, shift to defensive formation immediately! Bring up every antiaircraft gun! Hurry!" Dalmatian drew the saber at his waist and roared with all his strength toward the gun decks.
"Reporting, sir! The keel of starboard warship number three cracked under that sonic impact! It's