"It seems," Gunko murmured, her voice cool and measured as she lowered the transponder snail, "that Maffey has finally located the mission target."
The words lingered in the air like the calm before a storm. The faint hum of the Den Den Mushi faded, replaced by the distant rumble of thunder and the echo of explosions tearing through the island.
Gunko rose from her seat, movements deliberate and graceful—each step radiating the quiet menace of a predator ready to strike. Her long coat rippled as she turned, her mismatched eyes glinting beneath the flickering light of the ship's cabin.
Saint Sommers raised an eyebrow, a crooked smile tugging at his lips. "You're personally going out there, Gunko-chan? That's rare. Don't tell me Maffey's in trouble?"
He spoke casually, but there was a flicker of curiosity beneath the jest. After all, if there was no pressing danger, the highest-ranked of the God's Knights rarely left their post. Especially not when two monsters—Kaido and Scarlett—were already tearing the heavens apart above the island.
Gunko's gaze slid toward him, unamused. "It appears Maffey has run into our traitorous protégé. And knowing Agana… Maffey alone won't be enough to subdue her."
At the mention of that name, the air grew colder. Even the ever-smirking Saint Killingham glanced up, the humor in his expression dimming.
"Agana…" Sommers repeated, the name rolling off his tongue like a bitter curse.
Gunko turned then, her boots clicking against the layered wooden floor as her eyes locked onto the figure sitting at the center of the room—the one they all deferred to, no matter their rank or pride.
Saint Saturn.
He sat unmoved, hands clasped before him, the faint light of the overhead chandelier reflecting in his ancient, inhuman eyes. The weight of centuries seemed to rest on his shoulders, and when he finally spoke, the sound of his voice felt heavy enough to bend the air itself.
"So," he said softly, "she has truly severed all ties with us and decided to join that Donquixote brat…"
The statement wasn't a question. It was a lamentation—cold and absolute. Then Saturn's tone hardened, a god's judgment descending in the form of a command.
"So be it. Gunko, you know what's at stake. Under no circumstance can the target—or the blueprints—fall into the hands of those accursed brothers." His gaze burned with quiet fury. "I do not care what remains when this is over. Burn the island to cinders if you must. If we cannot have it, then no one will—especially not Doflamingo."
His words fell like the tolling of a funeral bell. Gunko bowed her head slightly, acknowledging the command. Behind her, Sommers and Killingham straightened, the lazy arrogance that usually cloaked them melting away as divine purpose filled their eyes. Both men reached for their coats, pulling them tight, the insignias of the Celestial Order gleaming faintly beneath the dim light.
For the first time in decades, the full wrath of the God's Knights was preparing to move.
Sommers exhaled slowly, cracking his neck with a smirk that didn't reach his eyes. "Well, it's been a while since we reminded the world what happens when they anger the heavens."
Killingham chuckled darkly as he sheathed his blade across his back. "A pity for them, really. Most mortals forget that gods don't forgive."
Gunko turned toward the exit, her cape trailing behind her like a streak of darkness. The air around her seemed to warp faintly—a ripple of pressure that made the stone beneath her feet crack.
"Let them tremble," Sommers said quietly. "Tonight, the world will once again be reminded why even emperors fear the Holy Land."
And with that, the doors to the cabin room burst open under the weight of the storm outside. Lightning illuminated the silhouettes of the God's Knights as they stepped into the tempest, their presence cutting through the chaos like divine retribution descending from the heavens.
For the first time in generations, the Gods of Mary Geoise were walking the battlefield—
and the New World itself would soon learn what it meant when Heaven's Judgment fell.
****
The heart of Water 7—once the pride of shipwrights, engineers, and craftsmen—had become a graveyard of iron and blood. The sea breeze that once carried the scent of salt and wood now reeked of smoke and copper. What had once been warehouses and shipyards was now nothing but an endless field of rubble and twisted steel. Entire blocks had been flattened beyond recognition. The earth itself seemed to bleed, and at its center stood the Crimson Reaper—Agana.
Blood flowed freely across the shattered streets, snaking through cracks, swirling in the air like a living tempest. Every droplet moved with purpose, bending to her will—her Blood Logia awakened and in full command of the carnage around her. Every death, every wound, every spilled life force fed her power. The city's suffering had become her domain.
The sky was a bruised crimson, lit by erratic flashes of black lightning—Haoshoku Haki clashing against divine immortality. Agana's breath came steady, her crimson blade humming faintly in her grip. She raised it before her eyes, the steel darkened by Advanced Armament Haki, veins of red lightning pulsing along its length.
"Tch… only if I had better control over my Haoshoku," she muttered under her breath, irritation flashing in her scarlet eyes. The very air rippled around her as her Conqueror's Haki lashed out, colliding violently against her opponent's unnatural aura. The ground cracked, sending shockwaves that tore through the already-ruined street.
From beneath a pile of burning rubble, Saint Maffey emerged once more—charred, torn, and yet grinning like a demon unbound. A jagged wound cut deep across her abdomen, but even as Agana watched, the flesh knitted itself back together, glowing faintly with divine energy.
"You bitch…" Maffey growled, her voice rasping with fury. "I'll soon have your head mounted on my wall."
Agana's expression twisted in disgust. This was the tenth time she'd cut Maffey down. Each time, the result was the same—blood spilled, bones shattered, flesh torn apart… only for the woman to rise again as if death itself bowed to her.
Her grip on the blade tightened. She could feel her Haoshoku Haki wavering—not in spirit, but in precision. The divine trait of the God's Knights was unnatural, a gift from the so-called gods that made their deaths meaningless. Her haki could hurt Maffey, even force her regeneration to slow, but not erase her existence entirely. Not yet.
If only her Haoshoku were stronger—if only she had mastered the level where will itself could obliterate existence—this battle would have ended long ago.
Maffey saw that flicker of frustration and laughed, blood bubbling on her lips. "What's wrong, little traitor? Getting tired already? You can keep swinging that pretty sword of yours all you want—sooner or later, your will's going to crumble."
Agana didn't answer. She simply stared, eyes burning like molten rubies as the blood around her stirred again, rising into a swirling maelstrom. Shards of crimson danced in the air like blades waiting to strike.
Maffey's grin only widened. She knew the truth as well as Agana did—this was a battle of attrition, and in that arena, she was untouchable. She could feel it: the steady, subtle drain of Agana's Haki. Every second that passed was another drop of her stamina fading away, another step closer to collapse.
"You can bleed this city dry," Maffey taunted, her voice dripping with venom. "But you'll never kill me. You'll just burn out—like every mortal who dares to defy heaven."
The words struck something in Agana, but instead of answering, she exhaled slowly. Her jaw clenched, veins of crimson lightning crawling up her arm as her will surged once more. The bloodstorm around her grew denser, red mist swirling faster and faster, shaping into spears and blades that pointed toward her immortal foe.
"Then I'll just have to find a way to kill a god," Agana said coldly, her voice low, steady, and absolute.
The next instant, she vanished—Soru tearing the air apart as her crimson blade screamed through the smoke. The clash that followed shook the ruins of Water 7 to their foundations, crimson lightning exploding outward, splitting the sky in two.
And amidst that blinding storm—a mortal woman fought an immortal knight, her will defying heaven itself.
As Agana and Maffey's battle ravaged the island of Water 7 below, Kaido and Scarlett clashed in the skies above — their duel so fierce that each strike threatened to fracture the very heavens themselves.
The skies above Water 7 were no longer intact. They were torn apart. The sky itself fractured like a shattered mirror as two titans of destruction collided—Kaido, the Azure Dragon of Calamity, and Scarlett Bloodsteel, the Iron Empress of Magnetism.
The sea below screamed in agony as their blows split clouds and crushed air. Each swing, each roar, each clash of their wills, sent tsunamis cascading outward. The once-proud island below was now a crucible of chaos—marines, pirates, and bounty hunters caught in the fallout of gods at war.
"RAIMEI HAKKE!!!"
Kaido's roar tore through the storm like the wrath of creation itself. His hybrid form—a towering monstrosity of sinew, scales, and molten draconic power—swung the Hassaikai, his kanabo, wreathed in violet lightning. The weapon tore through the air, its sheer speed ripping the sound barrier apart before it even struck.
A single swing carried the weight of an island. But before the blow could descend upon the intended target, an ear-splitting crash resounded. A colossal greatsword intercepted the strike midair. Sparks of violet and crimson lightning exploded across the heavens, painting the world in apocalyptic light.
"You'll have to do better than that, Kaido…!"
Scarlett's voice rang out from within her Titanic Bloodsteel Armor—a towering mechanical exosuit, easily rivaling Kaido's hybrid form in scale. Every inch of its surface shimmered with molten red and gold, veins of magnetized blood pulsing like the heartbeat of a titan. Her sword—a monstrosity made of compressed magnetized metal—was nearly as long as a ship, the edge glowing with Haoshoku Haki so dense it warped the air around it.
The two weapons met again. And again. And again.
Each clash was a cataclysm. Shockwaves detonated across the sky like nuclear fire, vaporizing clouds and splitting the storm apart. The ocean below rose like walls, hundreds of meters high, only to be flattened again by the next strike. The tectonic plates themselves quivered beneath the pressure of their wills.
"WORORORORO!!!" Kaido laughed like a mad god, his fanged grin splitting through the storm.
His blood boiled, steam hissing from his scaled arms as he pressed forward, every vein bulging with uncontainable might. "Now this—THIS is what I call a fight!"
Scarlett didn't answer. Her helmeted face tilted forward slightly, her blade carving through the torrents of air like judgment itself. Her armor's magnetic core thrummed, pulling in the metallic debris that littered the skies—the remnants of destroyed ships, weapons, and iron wreckage from the island below. They spun around her like a ring of crimson comets, merging into her sword with a fiery glow.
"Bloodsteel Tempest!"
The next swing shattered the sound of thunder itself. Kaido crossed his kanabo to block it, the air between them detonating in a shockwave that erased the clouds for miles. For a heartbeat, the world went silent.
Then came the explosion—a roar so massive it split the heavens clean apart. The flames of their clash reached the upper atmosphere, the very fabric of the sky fracturing like broken glass, the air vibrating under the force of their wills.
"Impressive…" Kaido growled, his grin widening, blood trickling from his temple. "You've got the spirit of a conqueror… but you still think too small, woman!"
He vanished. His massive form moved faster than ordinary eyes could follow.
"Shin Tenman Daiko!!!"
Kaido's awakened hybrid form reappeared above Scarlett, wreathed in molten fire, spinning like a meteor. The kanabo, coated in a maelstrom of Haoshoku Haki, slammed downward.
Scarlett barely raised her sword in time. When the two weapons met, the sea exploded—a shockwave of sheer pressure that tore ships apart miles away. The ground of Water 7 cracked like glass beneath the heavens. Both refused to yield.
Kaido's roar split the storm, his will pressing down like gravity itself, purple lightning coursing through every vein of his body. Scarlett's armor blazed with the glow of her magnetic power, pulling thousands of tons of debris upward to fuel her next attack.
Their Conquerors' Haki collided in waves of pure destruction, a duel of kings—an ancient conversation between two souls who refused to bow to anything. The sky itself shattered as the two weapons met once more—dragon's thunder against blood-forged steel, a clash so immense it drowned out the cries of the world below.
And down below on the sea—three new presences had arrived. On the prow of the World Government's flagship, three figures stood motionless beneath the downpour. Their coats bore the insignias of the god knights, their haki cloaked so completely that not even the keenest observation could detect them.
Saint Gunko stood at the center, her eyes fixed not on the war raging before her, but on the heavens beyond it. Beside her, Saint Sommers smirked lazily, resting his gloved hand on the hilt of his blade.
"Would you like to do the honors, Gunko-chan?" he teased, voice lilting with mock amusement.
Gunko didn't answer. She didn't need to. Her silence carried more weight than thunder.
Her gaze flickered briefly toward the chaos on the island, her kenbunshoku haki spreading forwards like a wave—where Saint Maffey and Agana were still locked in a battle of blood and will. "Killingham," she said coldly, "go and assist Maffey. Make sure our little rebel doesn't live to see the sun rise again."
Killingham smirked wordlessly, his form dissolving into the storm.
Sommers tilted his head, curiosity dancing in his eyes. "And what about me, Gunko-chan? Surely you have something fun planned for me?"
Gunko's eyes finally shifted, her voice colder than the storm itself. "Yes… I want you to deal with the new intruder."
For a moment, Sommers' grin faltered.
"New… intruder?"
Gunko didn't elaborate. Her gaze pierced the clouds—beyond Kaido and Scarlett, beyond the heavens splitting apart. There, far beyond mortal sight, a presence stirred—something vast, powerful, and suffocating. Even the storm seemed to still for a heartbeat.
"Are we expecting someone, Gunko-chan…?" Saint Sommers asked, brow raised, his voice dripping with uneasy curiosity. His Observation Haki swept through the chaos — but all he could feel were the monstrous presences of Kaido and Scarlett, their wills clashing so violently that the air itself trembled. Beyond their storm of haki, nothing else stirred.
And yet, Gunko's mismatched eyes—one as pale as snow, the other molten gold—were fixed upward, piercing the churning night sky as if she could see beyond even the heavens themselves.
Then, far above the battlefield — beyond the clouds and thunder, beyond the reach of any haki below — something massive drifted silently in the darkness.
A floating island, vast enough to rival the entire city of Water 7, hung in the void of the night like a slumbering titan. Jagged cliffs loomed at its edges, waterfalls spilling endlessly into the abyss below. The moonlight caught faint glimmers of stone and steel — the faint outline of a fortress, and at its heart, the golden mane of a lion.
And standing upon the edge of that airborne leviathan, his long golden hair whipping in the wind, Shiki the Golden Lion looked down upon the world he once sought to dominate.
"Shihahahaha!" His laughter split the heavens, rolling across the clouds like thunder. "They're havin' such a grand party down there… and they didn't even think to invite me!"
From where he stood, tens of thousands of meters above the sea, the chaos below was nothing more than a swirl of colors — two titans clashing amidst a storm. Even the once-mighty Water 7 was but a faint glimmer on the ocean's skin.
Behind him, his new crew waited upon a colossal golden-trimmed galleon that floated effortlessly upon the air. They were few — barely a hundred — but their presence radiated strength and conviction. These were not the mindless masses of his past armada. These were killers, conquerors, and dreamers — bound by loyalty and the madness of their captain's will.
"Are you boys ready…" Shiki grinned, his fangs glinting in the moonlight, "…for some carnage?"
A roar of bloodthirsty excitement erupted behind him.
"I suppose it's time," he said, raising one hand, gravity twisting in answer to his Devil Fruit's command. "Let's crush some insects and remind this world… why they once trembled at the name Golden Lion Shiki!"
The air warped. The island beneath his feet groaned — a deep, ancient rumble like the awakening of a god.
And then… it fell. The colossal landmass began to descend, slowly at first, then faster, its shadow spreading like the maw of oblivion. The night swallowed its outline, and from the sea below it looked as though the stars themselves were dying, blotted out one by one.
No one below yet knew what was coming. Kaido and Scarlett's clash tore through the sky; Agana and Maffey's battle painted the waters red; and amidst it all, the heavens themselves began to fall.
Gunko's expression hardened. "He's here," she said quietly.
And somewhere above, Shiki's laughter echoed across the night — a thunderous, maniacal symphony of arrogance and power.
"Shihahahaha! Let the world burn beneath my wings once more!"
The island of the Golden Lion descended from the heavens like a falling kingdom, heralding the return of a legend long thought dead — and the birth of a new age of chaos.
At first, no one noticed. The chaos below was already beyond mortal comprehension — thunder screaming, conquerors' haki splitting the sky, the sea itself rebelling against the madness that had descended upon Water 7. The air trembled with the weight of titans, the island shaking beneath every clash.
But then… the wind changed. A silence, sharp and suffocating, rolled across the battlefield.
The torrential rain froze in midair — droplets suspended as if the world itself held its breath. And every warrior, pirate, and marine alike — felt it. An immense shadow spreading across the heavens, swallowing the stars.
Scarlett looked up first. Her massive greatsword halted mid-swing, the obsidian blade humming with suppressed haki. "What in the hell—"
Kaido's draconic eyes widened, his instincts roaring louder than any storm. "Tch… that aura, it can't be—" he growled, swinging his kanabo aside just in time to block Scarlett's retaliatory strike, though both of them were now staring skyward.
High above them, the clouds fractured — and from the rift emerged a continent of stone descending through the night. A fortress. A mountain. No—an entire fucking island the size of a country. This was, without a sliver of doubt, that madman's doing...
As it tore through the upper atmosphere, the air ignited in rings of fire, clouds boiling away from the heat of its fall. Shards of lightning clawed across its edges, illuminating a golden lion's silhouette—its maw spread wide as if wanting to devour the entire sea, golden mane whipping like a burning banner in the storm.
From the World Government flagship below, Saint Sommers' grin faltered for the first time. "Oh… oh, this just got interesting… I did not expect that madman to be still alive…"
Even Gunko — who had seen more monsters than most mortals could dream — exhaled slowly. "So… the Lion returns to his den."
Kaido roared, his voice shaking the sky itself. "SHIKI…!" That name tore out of his throat like thunder. His aura flared, splitting the clouds in two. "I thought you had long since perished, you BASTARD…!"
From his perch atop the descending galleon, Shiki's laughter rolled like a storm as golden lightning of his Haoshoku rippled through the heavens, lighting the entire sea below.
"Shihahahaha! Did you really think that the reaper would come for me before he takes your head, Kaido…!? Let this old lion remind you why the seas once bent knee to me!"
Kaido's muscles coiled—his hybrid form radiating fury. He swung his kanabo upward, launching a blast of pure haki into the heavens.
"Raimei Hakke!"
Scarlett's eyes widened as the beam struck the falling island—only to shatter harmlessly against an invisible wall. Gravity itself screamed as Shiki waved one hand, redirecting Kaido's attack with effortless precision.
"You'll have to try harder than that, brat!" Shiki bellowed, golden energy crackling around his feet as he surged downward. His laughter became a chorus, echoing across the burning sky.
"Tonight—the world will remember the name of the Golden Lion!"
Far below, amidst the ruins of Water 7, Agana's blood rippled like a living ocean. She looked up as the crimson rain shimmered in the dying light, her heartbeat thundering.
"What in the world—"
Maffey grinned through her regenerating wounds, her tone mocking. "Looks like the heavens themselves have grown tired of this island."
Agana ignored her words—her haki stretching upward, tasting the overwhelming will above.
"...No," she whispered, realization dawning. "That's not the heavens. That's a fucking island."
Her blood trembled, instinctively responding to the sheer gravitational pressure descending from above. Even her logia—something near unstoppable—quivered beneath the force. For the first time, Agana felt small.
Far below, amidst the ruins and smoke of the seas, Vice Admiral Borsalino looked up. Even for him—a man who had seen islands vaporized and continents crumble—the sight stole his breath.
"Oi…Oi…now that's not good…" he murmured, his usually lazy tone edged with something rare—genuine alarm.
The reflection of the falling island glimmered in his golden eyes. Even as light particles danced off his shoulders, his mind was racing.
"That thing's easily the size of a country… maybe bigger…" he muttered under his breath. His Observation Haki stretched outward, scanning the battlefield. The results made his gut twist. Hundreds of thousands of marines still fought across the ruins — officers, soldiers, and medics. None of them could escape in time. Even the fastest ships wouldn't make it beyond the shockwave.
He clenched his jaw — something he hadn't done in years.
"I can't stop that…"
Light or not, even Borsalino couldn't counter gravity. He could obliterate part of it, disintegrate chunks mid-descent — but not the whole island. Not something that massive, that charged with momentum.
His fingers flickered with light, forming a blade of pure photons that vanished as quickly as it appeared. Futile. He sighed, a bitter smile touching his lips.
"So this is the kind of madness the New World still holds, eh…? Even after all these years…"
For a moment, amidst the chaos, he looked up — a faint glimmer of light in his eyes. "Old man Sengoku… Garp-san… this one's gonna be messy."
Then, in a flash, he vanished — streaking across the ruins in beams of light, desperate to pull as many of his men to safety as possible before the heavens came crashing down.
The massive island broke through the lower clouds, now visible to all. The night turned to day as friction flames wrapped its edges, glowing like a second sun. Then came the sound — a roar so deep it shattered eardrums and rippled across the Grand Line.