With an earth-shaking Dragon's roar, the entire edge of the battlefield was completely swallowed in a massive tidal wave of sand and golden energy.
The power surge swept through everything like a judgment from the gods, mercilessly burying the Tobi Roppo in total destruction.
...
A short distance away, Ron and Nami stood side by side.
At their feet lay dozens of fallen Beasts Pirates, their bodies twisted or completely knocked out, acting as silent proof of the brutal battle raging around them.
Centered around the two of them, a strange empty ring had formed on the battlefield.
Hundreds of pirate foot soldiers gripped their weapons tightly, yet their eyes were filled with pure cowardice and fear.
They merely surrounded the two from a distance, not daring to take a single step forward.
The massive crowd had Ron and Nami completely trapped in the center, but they hesitated to attack out of pure dread.
"It seems we are being underestimated," Nami said, tilting her head slightly with a totally calm look on her beautiful face.
Her slim fingers gently played with her hair, the fiery orange strands blowing wildly in the scorching wind like dancing flames.
Her stare slowly swept over the trembling enemies around them, a smirk curling at the corner of her mouth.
After surviving a series of thrilling battles and hardships, Nami's strength had grown massively.
And as her strength grew, she came to truly understand the law of the jungle that ruled these seas.
Out here in the pirate world, this was no child's play—not some casual game of make-believe, but a true realm of blood and storms.
If someone lacked the power to survive in this brutal ocean, they would be mercilessly eaten alive, leaving not even a single bone behind.
During this long period of challenges and training, Nami had slowly adapted to the unique, mysterious life inside the Eternal Divine Kingdom.
In the Divine Kingdom, she had seen so many things she had never imagined before, and she could feel a completely different kind of power and order.
At the same time, she learned of Ron's grand plan to unite all the islands and build the one and only Divine Kingdom.
For Nami, this goal was both a massive challenge and filled with hope.
She knew it promised to pave a much smoother path toward her own dreams, bringing her one step closer to making them a reality.
Ron stood completely relaxed with his hands casually tucked into his pockets, acting as though the massive crowd of armed killers had absolutely nothing to do with him.
His high-quality black coat blew gently behind him in the sea breeze.
His stare was as calm as still water yet it seemed to be overflowing with endless, crushing power as he slowly looked over the swarming pirates in front of him.
His stare felt almost physical, every pirate who made eye contact with him naturally took half a step backward, acting as if they had just been punched by an invisible force.
Some pirates, who had been gripping their swords and guns tightly, now found their hands shaking completely out of control.
The shaking grew worse and worse, as if their weapons themselves were shivering in fear before this overwhelming monster.
Fine beads of cold sweat broke out on their foreheads, dripping down their cheeks and showing off the deep, sinking terror in their hearts.
"H-he is the one... from the Eternal Divine Kingdom..." one pirate stuttered in a hushed whisper, his voice heavy with awe and dread, as if just saying the words out loud might summon a terrible disaster.
"The vice-captain of the Whitebeard Pirates..." another pirate added, his voice just as shaky, his eyes showing pure panic.
"I heard even Boss Kaido suffered a loss to him..." other pirates whispered, the rumors spreading through the crowd like a rising tide.
Amid the chaos and fear, one cowardly pirate finally snapped under the massive psychological pressure.
With a loud clatter, he dropped the sword he had been holding and turned to run desperately in the opposite direction, screaming.
"This is insane! How could we possibly defeat a monster on that level?!"
His panicked, running figure stood out clearly against the frozen crowd.
Boom!
A pitch-black flame, looking like a falling meteor, crashed down from the sky with scorching heat and total destruction, instantly swallowing the fleeing pirate whole.
A piercing scream echoed for just a split second before the pirate was burned into a pile of ashes, leaving absolutely nothing behind—only black smoke rising slowly into the air, carrying a sharp, ugly smell.
This sudden, brutal strike came with King's furious roar.
He was currently locked in a fierce, high-speed sword fight with Vista, his body giving off a savage energy as every move he made carried world-crushing force.
While attacking, he sharply yelled an order. "Deserters will die!"
The voice echoed across the battlefield, making everyone's eardrums ring.
Then he roared even louder: "All hands! Kill Ron! Or I will send every last one of you to hell myself!"
Flames of pure fury burned in his eyes as he stared hard at the foot soldiers, looking ready to chop up anyone who showed the slightest bit of hesitation.
The pirates shivered violently when they heard the order, their eyes filling with even greater terror.
They were truly caught between a rock and a hard place—facing Ron, a terrifying monster who felt like the Grim Reaper himself, while being threatened by King's death sentence from behind.
They were like cornered animals with nowhere left to run.
"Let's... let's fight!" A pirate covered in scars suddenly screamed hoarsely, his face twisting with desperation.
"There are only two of them! We have hundreds of brothers! Why should we be afraid of them?!"
"He's right! Even ants can kill an elephant if they swarm it! If we attack together, we might still have a chance!" Other pirates joined in, desperately trying to hype themselves up to find some courage.
"Kill them!" With this battle cry, the entire crowd instantly exploded.
Under King's death threat, hundreds of pirate foot soldiers finally gave in to the madness.
Zoan users began transforming—their bodies going through wild changes.
Some turned into ferocious beasts with sharp claws and fangs that shined coldly in the sunlight, looking capable of tearing through steel.
Others transformed into strange birds, taking flight with sharp screeches that added to the terrifying noise of the battlefield.
As for the normal pirates, they roared while raising their swords and guns, their faces twisted like demons, their eyes filled with a messy mix of madness and pure despair.
"Kill him!!"
"Charge together!!"
"Fire!!"