"Or life?"
Roy made a grabbing motion in the air.
A large cloud of smoke-like energy overflowed from the top of Ryokugyu's head and was caught in Roy's palm.
Significant loss of lifespan.
The Ryokugyu's body began to age rapidly.
The once firm skin has become loose, drooping like leather that has been drained of moisture.
The full muscles atrophied rapidly, and the bone structure became clearly visible under the skin.
My hair started turning white from the roots, and then it fell out in large clumps.
Wrinkles appeared one after another on his face, his eyes were sunken, and his lips were chapped.
In just a few seconds, a spirited middle-aged man was transformed into a frail old man.
Roy released his grip, and Ryokugyu fell from mid-air like an empty shell, crashing to the ground and kicking up a cloud of dust.
He lay there, staring blankly at the night sky, his lips moving but no sound coming out.
His aged face was filled with disbelief—he couldn't understand why, despite absorbing so much life energy, he was still so vulnerable in front of Roy.
Everyone on the battlefield froze.
The Beasts Pirates ' henchmen erupted in deafening cheers.
Ulti jumped up excitedly, while Page One's hand gripping the hilt of his knife trembled slightly.
Queen, carrying the Gatling gun, grinned, revealing a mouthful of gold teeth.
A rare hint of awe appeared on Jack's rugged face.
A slight upturn of the corners of his mouth beneath the ashes mask.
Although he had long known that Roy's strength was not limited to swordsmanship, witnessing firsthand the power of the Dark-Dark Fruit and the Soul-Soul Fruit used in combination still secretly shocked him.
First, the Dark-Dark Fruit sealed Ryokugyu's abilities, then a mental attack shattered his consciousness, and finally, the Soul-Soul Fruit directly extracted his soul.
The three steps were completed in one smooth motion, leaving Ryokugyu no chance to resist.
Meanwhile, the navy fell into a deathly silence.
Sengoku crawled out of the ruins and stared in shock at the unrecognizable, aged body lying on the ground.
He had lived for so many years and seen countless Devil Fruit abilities, but none were quite like this—a technique that could directly extract a soul and age a Marine Admiral by decades in mere seconds.
He had only ever seen her before, in Charlotte Linlin's past.
"Damn it! The Hachinosu's resources are getting more and more terrifying!" Sengoku cursed inwardly.
Although Fujitora couldn't see, his Observation Haki clearly sensed the entire process of Ryokugyu's aura plummeting from its peak to its lowest point.
He gripped his cane tightly, and the gravitational field around him fluctuated violently.
For the first time, an uncontrollable rage appeared on that usually composed face.
Roy hovered in mid-air, toying with the ball of soul energy in his hand.
The Ryokugyu's soul slowly rotated in his palm, emitting a faint blue light.
His gaze shifted to the Sengoku, his tone as casual as if he were discussing what to have for dinner:
"So?"
Who's next?
Sengoku rose from the ruins, looking at the aged body on the ground, his expression extremely complex.
As the Navy's newest Admiral, Ryokugyu may have a flamboyant personality and his strength isn't top-tier among the Admiral, but he is still one of the Navy's top combat forces.
Being crippled by Roy in just a few seconds is a terrible feeling for anyone.
What weighed heavily on his mind was the current situation.
Garp is entangled with Kaido, and the outcome is uncertain in the short term.
Fujitora was surrounded and attacked by King and the Beasts Pirates' executives. Although he could hold on for the time being, defeat was only a matter of time.
Ryokugyu – that's out of the question.
And he himself was probably no match for Roy.
With Roy's appearance, it's uncertain whether the four Admiral- level combatants can even complete the World Government's mission or escape unscathed.
·······
Meanwhile, at the top of the Skull Palace, the fierce battle between Kaido and Garp continued.
Both of them were already covered in wounds.
Garp's naval uniform had long been burned to shreds by the dragon's breath, with only a few charred strips of cloth hanging from his upper body.
Blood trickled from the corner of his mouth, and there were several wounds on his chest, torn open by the dragon's claws.
But those iron fists remained as steady as two mountains.
Kaido better off.
The dragon scales in his human-beast form were shattered in many places, and Garp's iron fist left countless bruises and bloodstains on his body.
The deepest wounds are still bleeding, and although the healing process is progressing rapidly, the healing speed is noticeably slower than before.
The physical exertion was too great, which also reduced the body's recovery ability.
"Old man--"
Kaido. The Conqueror's Haki Inazuma on the Hassaikai was still crackling, but its density was much sparser than before.
Your fists are still as hard as they were back then.
But your health isn't what it used to be, is it?
"Stop talking nonsense."
Garp wiped the blood from the corner of his mouth, and readjusted his fists.
Even if I only have one hand left, I can still beat you to a pulp.
"Hehehe--Let's go!"
The two collided again.
The Hassaikai clashed head-on with the Iron Fist, and the Conqueror's Haki Inazuma exploded in mid-air, creating a burst of dark red light.
Both of them were knocked back several steps, and the stone slabs beneath their feet cracked inch by inch.
Just then, Kaido suddenly paused.
His Observation Haki detected an extremely faint energy fluctuation slowly rising from the deep pit beneath the roof.
The fluctuation was very weak, so weak that it was almost completely masked by the aftershocks of his battle with Garp.
But it does exist—and it's increasing at an extremely slow but steady pace.
"This is..."
Kaido's vertical pupils contracted slightly.
Meanwhile, Roy, who was confronting Sengoku in the square, also seemed to be drawn by something.
The black mist surrounding him began to pulsate involuntarily.
Could it be!?
Roy's telepathic communication precisely connected with Kaido's consciousness.
" Kaido, did you feel that fluctuation?"
"Hmm. That kid's aura... seems to have come back to life?"
"It's not just about coming back to life."
Roy's voice held a rare hint of anticipation.
His Gum-Gum Fruit is Awakening.
"Get Garp out of there. Don't let that old man interfere with Luffy's Awakening process."
Kaido grinned, a fierce glint in his eyes.
He suddenly forced Garp back with a blow, then took several steps back.
Garp was about to give chase when he saw Kaido slam the Hassaikai to the ground and burst into laughter.
"Hehehehe--you old man, your grandson isn't dead!"
Garp abruptly stopped in his tracks.
He stared at Kaido, his rage replaced by another emotion—a complex mix of a grandfather's worry and expectation for his grandson.
"What did you say?"
Don't you realize it yourself?
Kaido pointed to the deep pit beneath his feet.
"That little brat in the straw Straw Hat, his life force is returning."
Although it's slow, it is indeed recovering.
I have to admit, your grandson is indeed quite capable.
Garp closed his eyes, focusing his Observation Haki towards the deep pit.
A few seconds later, he suddenly opened his eyes, and an extremely complex expression appeared on his wrinkled face.
There was relief, worry, and something he couldn't quite explain himself.
"That kid... he's really still alive..."
Garp clenched his fists, then turned and charged toward the pit.
Kaido did not stop him.
Roy told Garp to go down and not interfere with Luffy's Awakening.
And to be honest, he was also very curious to see what kind of power that little brat in the straw Straw Hat could Awakening.
Sun God Nika, Joy Boy —just the names alone are enough to generate excitement.