The large-scale military mobilization of the World Government, the Navy, and the Hachinosu forces could not be kept secret.
Within two days, the entire ocean smelled of war.
Pirate crews in the New World closed their doors and hid in the harbors of various islands, afraid to come out, lest they accidentally stumble into the battlefield and become cannon fodder.
The first half of the Grand Line was fraught with danger, with the navy retreating on a large scale and the Revolutionary Army taking over strongholds everywhere.
Human locked themselves in their homes, and caravans suspended their routes.
Even the usually bustling Sabaody Archipelago is deserted now; shops are closed, amusement parks are shut down, and human traffickers have fled.
Only the World Government's Army remained, hastily constructing fortifications, setting up artillery emplacements, and erecting barbed wire; the entire island was shrouded in pre-war oppression.
Everyone knew that a major battle was about to begin.
However, Roy, the instigator of this great battle, was not at the port at this moment.
Instead, they went deep into the experimental base and stood in Vegapunk's laboratory.
Vegapunk squatted on the workbench, with the plain white porcelain bottle in front of him. Several robotic arms circled the bottle, and the indicator lights of various testing instruments flashed incessantly.
The screen was filled with a dense array of data, making it dizzying to look at.
"How about it?"
Roy spoke, breaking the silence in the laboratory.
Vegapunk slapped his thigh, turned around excitedly, his hair a mess like a bird's nest, his eyes flashing with an alarming light:
"Perfect! Absolutely perfect!"
He pointed to the porcelain vase, his voice filled with excitement.
"I checked it over a dozen times! It's pure energy, no residual consciousness, no hidden tricks, no imprints—just the purest, most primal divine power!"
Roy raised an eyebrow slightly:
"Sure?"
"100% certain!"
Vegapunk patted his chest,
"I used three methods to test it, and there was no mental fluctuation in this energy; it was just pure energy."
And also--"
He leaned closer, lowered his voice, and looked mysterious.
"This source material has an absurdly high compatibility with the Dark-Dark Fruit within you!"
They're a match made in heaven!
Absorb it, and your Dark-Dark Fruit will definitely reach a whole new level—I can't even imagine how high!
Roy, who had been anxious for so long, finally felt completely relieved.
He was genuinely worried that Davy Jones might have left some hidden tricks, and that he might be possessed halfway through absorbing the essence, which would be troublesome.
Now it seems I was overthinking things.
"Okay, I understand."
Roy reached out and picked up the porcelain bottle on the workbench. It was slightly cool to the touch, and he could feel the surging power inside even through the bottle—heavy, ancient, and imbued with the weight of the earth.
"This place isn't convenient, I'll go find somewhere else."
"Hey, watch out!"
Vegapunk quickly waved his hand.
"Don't get disturbed while absorbing energy; an energy overload is no joke!"
"Knew."
Roy nodded, turned and walked out of the laboratory.
We arrived at the edge of a cliff on Hachinosu.
This place is usually deserted, has a wide view, and is safe enough.
Roy stopped in the middle of the cliff and took a deep breath.
He looked down at the porcelain bottle in his hand, his fingers tightening slightly.
"Click."
The porcelain bottle shattered upon impact.
The next second, a thick cloud of black mist surged out from the fragments.
Unlike ordinary black mist, this cloud was shiny black, and seemed to have a life of its own, circling once in mid-air.
Then, as if finding its home, it "whooshed" in and frantically burrowed into Roy's body through his mouth, nose, and pores.
"Buzz--" Roy's whole body trembled.
The next second, his heart began to pound.
Thump!
A deep, resonant sound, like an ancient war drum, burst forth from his chest.
"Thump! Thump thump! Thump thump thump--!"
The heartbeat grew faster and louder, gradually becoming deafening from its initial low tone.
It was as if a giant drum was being struck loudly in the sky above Hachinosu.
"Thump-- Thump--!" The heavy heartbeat echoed throughout the entire island, clearly audible in every corner.
The port workers who were unloading cargo suddenly stopped what they were doing.
The soldiers who were boarding the ship paused and turned to look in the direction of the cliff.
Tesoro, who was checking the supplies, suddenly stopped using his abacus with a "click" and looked up sharply at the highest point in the center of the island.
In the training field, Yamato and Savi, who were sparring, simultaneously stopped, their expressions changed slightly, and they looked in the same direction.
Inside the central hall, Kaido was drinking from a wine bowl when his wrist suddenly jerked, spilling the wine without him noticing. He abruptly turned his head, his golden vertical pupils fixed on the direction of the cliff.
"This aura..."
Bullet stood up, his muscles tense, and the white tiger stripes unconsciously surfaced from beneath his skin.
Hawk Eyes jumped to his feet, his hand landing directly on the hilt of Black Blade Yoru. His eyes, sharp as knives, stared intently at the source of the sound.
At the harbor, Shanks was talking to Beckman when his smile vanished instantly. He turned sharply, his red hair billowing in the wind, his eyes filled with seriousness.
"What is this...?"
Luffy, who was gnawing on meat with his mouth full of grease, suddenly paused, tilted his head to listen, and scratched his head blankly.
"Hey? What's that sound? Thump thump thump, is someone playing drums?"
He didn't feel uncomfortable at all; he was just genuinely curious.
But it's different for others.
As Roy's heartbeat grew stronger and louder, thick, dark fog billowed out from the direction of the cliff.
The black mist was so thick it seemed to melt away, like flowing ink, slowly spreading outwards from the cliff face in all directions.
It flowed over the mountaintops, over the forests, and through the harbors, like a giant black curtain slowly covering the entire Hachinosu.
"What's this?!"
A soldier captain had just uttered a sentence when his expression suddenly changed.
"I... I can't use my Devil Fruit ability anymore!"
He raised his hand in terror, trying to activate his power, but the fruit's power, which was usually obedient, seemed to have sunk without a trace, showing no reaction whatsoever.
Similar exclamations arose one after another.
Mine won't work either!
"What happened? My abilities failed?!"
"Me too! I can't move!"
Whether they were ordinary soldiers or lower-ranking officers, all Devil Fruit User paled at this moment, discovering that their prized Devil Fruit abilities had instantly lost their sensation, as if they had never existed.
Wherever the black mist passed, the power of all Devil Fruit was suppressed and devoured, unable to be mobilized in the slightest.
The entire Hachinosu instantly descended into chaos.
Just then, Roy's voice, transmitted through Telekinesis, resonated throughout the entire island, steady, deep, and carrying a calming power:
"Don't panic. I'm just cultivating; it's nothing to worry about."
Everyone back to your posts, proceed as usual.
Roy's voice, slightly soothing, clearly reached everyone's ears.
The chaos on Hachinosu subsided instantly.
The soldiers breathed a sigh of relief; although they still couldn't use their abilities, at least they weren't panicking anymore.
The officials exchanged glances, and they all saw shock in each other's eyes.
Lord Roy's abilities have actually reached this level?
Can the mere cultivation of the dissipating black mist suppress the Devil Fruit abilities of the entire island?
This is terrifying.
On the precipice, Roy stood with his eyes closed in the center of the black mist.
The earth's essence was surging wildly within Davy Jones, completely merging with the power of the Dark-Dark Fruit.
The black mist surrounding him grew thicker and heavier, and his heartbeat continued to rise, seemingly without end.
The power belonging to the Earth God is completely merging with his body, his soul, and his fruits.
His era, accompanied by the heart-pounding beat of war drums, officially began.