As the ground of the Iron Shield Fortress turned into a living hell, thousands of meters above it, another life-or-death struggle, determining air superiority and even the fate of the entire Eastern Theater Command, was taking place silently and fiercely above the clouds. The battle here was not as dusty as on the ground, but it was even more deadly, with each clash determining the safety of countless lives below.
The aerial power of the Rift Demons is equally formidable. A vast army of flying monsters blot out the sky, each with its own unique form: there are the " Shadow-Winged Demon," with their wide wingspans and expert pouncing skills; the " Venomous Stinger Bee," small in size but incredibly fast, capable of launching bone spikes; and the " Floating Ghost Mother Nest," resembling floating jellyfish and capable of releasing area-of-effect energy interference. Their objective is clear—to break through air defenses, destroy supply airship groups behind them, bombard ground troops, and even directly attack the fortress command post.
Protecting this sky are the Air Mobile Force led by Sanji, and warriors from Sky Island skilled in aerial combat. They pilot various flying machines— Waver, jet skis, and modified small flying ships—engaging in a fierce battle against the monsters.
"Attention, left-hand formation! Three ' Sky-Ravaging Bat ' (purple) have broken through the interception and are targeting the Third Transport Fleet!" The Sky Island scout's calm voice echoed throughout the entire aerial array via the Tone Dial communication network. Sky-Ravaging Bat are powerful purple-level flying monsters capable of emitting ear-piercing sonic attacks that disrupt the nervous systems of machines and living beings.
"Roger that. Leave this to me." Sanji's voice came through the wind, steady and firm. His Geppo exploded precisely, his figure drawing a near-perfect golden arc in the air, instantly traversing hundreds of meters to block the path of the three Sky-Ravaging Bat that resembled giant bats and spewed distorted sonic waves. The monsters' scarlet compound eyes locked onto this human who dared to intercept them alone.
"Disturbing the ladies' transport of vital supplies... unforgivable!" A fierce glint flashed in Sanji's eyes; he had no gentlemanly manners when dealing with monsters. His body spun rapidly in the air, and scorching World-Purifying Flame instantly wrapped around his legs, the temperature so high that it slightly distorted the surrounding air.
" Purifying Flame Diable Jambe - Beef Burst - Banquet Table Kick Technique!"
His figure seemed to split into three, not an illusion, but an attack launched almost simultaneously from different positions after reaching the ultimate speed! The kicks, wrapped in platinum flames, were like a storm, hitting the wing membrane joints, energy cores, and sound wave generators of each Sky-Ravaging Bat with perfect precision!
"Screech--!" The piercing shriek turned into a painful wail. The purifying properties of the Flame of World Purification had a strong restraining effect on the energy bodies of the monsters. Wherever it struck, the monster's shell shattered, and its energy core instantly overloaded! The three powerful purple monsters exploded into three dazzling fireballs in the air, their remains falling to the ground amidst black smoke.
"Mr. Sanji! Watch out above! High-energy reaction!" a Sky Island warrior suddenly exclaimed.
Sanji looked up abruptly, his pupils contracting. A massive shadow tore through the clouds, descending upon them—it was a dark red flying monster, the " Rotten-Winged Dragon," comparable in size to a small fortress ship! Its body was covered in dark red scales dripping with corrosive slime, its bony wings sharp as knives, and dark red, destructive energy was rapidly gathering in its Maw, its target clearly the Sky Island fleet below, locked in combat with ordinary monsters!
"Tsk, troublesome giant lizard..." Sanji's eyes were serious, but he didn't hesitate at all. He unleashed a series of Geppo attacks, his figure shooting upwards like a rocket, charging straight towards the suffocating energy pressure! He had to interrupt this attack!
The Rotten-Winged Dragon clearly noticed this tiny yet dangerous target, but it was extremely confident in its defense and attack capabilities, unleashing its energy breath without hesitation! A dark red torrent of energy, over ten meters in diameter, poured down on Sanji and the Sky Island fleet below like a waterfall from hell! Wherever the energy passed, even light was swallowed and distorted!
"This level..." Facing the destructive torrent, Sanji didn't confront it head-on. Instead, he unleashed his Geppo and Observation Haki to their fullest extent. His body transformed into afterimages in the air, narrowly avoiding the main stream of energy breath by the smallest margins. The scorching air waves and dissipating energy grazed his body, causing stinging pains. Like a petrel darting through a storm, he surged upstream, rapidly approaching the head of the Rotten-Winged Dragon!
"You spitting idiot..." Sanji approached the dragon's head, his right leg muscles tense, all his pure flames and Armament Haki compressed and concentrated at his toes, his leg trembling slightly from the immense energy load. "Taste the essence of kicking techniques! Purifying Flame Diable Jambe - Supreme Meat Grinder - Finishing Touch Shot!"
A beam of platinum light, so refined it seemed capable of piercing through the stars, burst forth from Sanji's toes! This strike contained his understanding of the "Purification" principle and the full power of his body, its speed Transcendence the limits of the naked eye!
"Pfft!"
The platinum beam pierced the gaping Maw of the Rotten-Winged Dragon with unparalleled precision, exiting from the back of its head! The Flame of World Purification erupted from the dragon's most vulnerable spot!
The massive body of the Rotten-Winged Dragon stiffened abruptly, its condensed energy breath ceasing abruptly. It looked down in disbelief at the gaping hole in its chest, melted from the inside out by pure flames, and let out its final roar, filled with pain and resentment. Then, platinum flames erupted from every crevice in its body, completely purifying and detonating this Admiral- level aerial overlord from the inside out!
Rumble rumble rumble--!!!
The massive explosion was like a new star igniting in the sky; the intense flash and shockwave swept outwards, blasting away any approaching flying monsters. The light of the explosion even temporarily dispelled the gloom of the battlefield, shocking the ground defenders struggling below.
Using the shockwave from the explosion, Sanji flew backward and landed Waver a Sky Island that was hurtling past at high speed. He lit a cigarette, slightly out of breath. His face was a little pale; the attack had taken a heavy toll. But his heroic act undoubtedly boosted the morale of all the Sky Warriors!
" Sanji is amazing!"
"We took down that big guy!"
Cheers erupted over the radio channel.
However, the cruelty of war lies in the fact that individual bravery cannot instantly reverse the overall situation. The death of the Rotten-Winged Dragon did not cause the monster air force to collapse; on the contrary, it seemed to enrage them. More flying monsters, especially those cunning " Floating Ghost Mother Nest," began to change their tactics. They no longer attempted to charge head-on, but instead gathered together, releasing large-scale energy interference fields and mental pollution ripples!
For a time, communications in the airspace were severely disrupted, and the instrument panels of many energy-powered aircraft spun erratically, with some even crashing out of control. Even more frighteningly, some soldiers with weaker resolve began to hallucinate, attacking friendly forces or becoming disoriented and confused.
"Damn it! It's a mental attack!" Sanji also felt a slight dizziness, but his strong willpower immediately dispelled it. He saw not far away, a Sky Island warrior on a Waver clutching his head and howling in pain, before piloting the Waver erratically into another friendly spaceship.
"Calm down!" Sanji unleashed his Geppo, instantly rushing to the out-of-control Waver and kicking it off its path. Simultaneously, he yelled into the communicator, "All units! Stay away from those jellyfish-like monsters! Concentrate fire and eliminate them first! Those with strong Observation Haki, help stabilize those around you!"
The aerial combat situation took a sharp turn, transforming from intense dogfights into a more dangerous energy confrontation and mental pollution. Sanji, like a golden meteor, scrambled through the chaotic airspace to put out fires wherever danger arose. While his Purifying Flame Diable Jambe was highly effective against physical monsters, its effectiveness against such a large-scale energy field and mental interference was relatively limited.
"This won't do..." Sanji thought anxiously as he kicked away a Venomous Stinger Bee that tried to approach. He needed a way to purify or counteract this interference over a large area.
Just as the air battle was going to be on the defensive, reinforcements from Pluton, finally arrived.
"This is the Pluton bridge! High-intensity energy interference field detected! Execute ' Purification Pulse ' protocol!" Nami's calm voice came through the enhanced communication channel, clear despite the static.
The next moment, a gentle yet incredibly resilient pure white energy pulse, centered on Pluton, spread out in a spherical shape, rapidly sweeping across the entire battle zone!
This energy pulse seemed to possess a strange purifying effect; wherever it passed, the interference fields created by the monsters melted away as quickly as snow under the sun, and the mental pollution ripples were neutralized. The chaotic airspace was cleared, and the warriors regained their clarity and control of their aircraft.
"Well done, Nami!" Sanji a sigh of relief and praised loudly.
"Don't let your guard down! The monsters are coming again!" Franky's voice cut in, "Watch me clear you out with my ' Barrage Baptism '! SUPER~ Fire!"
The countless secondary cannons on the side of the Pluton roared again, and the dense barrage of energy bullets swept across the airspace like a precise comb, clearing away the clustered Floating Ghost Mother Nest and a large number of low-level flying monsters!
With the strong support of Pluton, the air force faced significantly less pressure and its morale soared again.
"It's time to fight back! Follow me and wipe out the rest!" Sanji, his spirits lifted, once again led the charge towards the remaining horde of monsters. The aerial battle entered a new phase, with the humans gradually regaining the initiative.
However, both Sanji and Nami on the bridge of the Pluton knew that this was only a temporary relief. As long as the crack remained, the monsters' aerial power would continue unabated. This battle in the sky was far from over. Every second, warriors and monsters fell from the sky, their lives depicting the cruelty and grandeur of this three-dimensional war.