"Last time I fought those things, they were damn hard. They didn't break nearly as easily as I expected."
The memory of his previous battle against the Seraphim sent his blood surging.
Scenes of that fierce clash flashed through his mind, only deepening his desire to fight those powerful opponents again.
Crocodile gave a cold snort beside him.
The golden hook on his arm gleamed with an icy light through the lingering dust.
"No matter how durable they are, toys are still toys."
His voice overflowed with arrogance, making it clear that he did not consider the Seraphim worthy of concern.
No matter how powerful they might be, they were ultimately nothing more than playthings in his eyes.
With these two formidable and equally unruly fighters joining the battlefield, the pressure radiating from the Eternal Divine Kingdom's front line rose once again.
Their presence tightened the atmosphere until it felt almost suffocating, as though the opening blow of a world-shaking war could fall at any moment.
The Marines felt the overwhelming force washing over them and instinctively gripped their weapons more tightly.
Fine beads of sweat appeared across their foreheads.
The Marine ranks remained orderly, but every eye was fixed on the infamous and terrifying figures assembled before them.
Earlier, the sight of their own powerful Admiral lineup had sent their morale soaring like a roaring flame.
Confidence and fearlessness had filled every soldier's eyes.
Now, confronted by enemies far beyond anything they had imagined, that newly kindled determination flickered once again like a flame caught in a violent storm.
The Marine officers were still struggling beneath the oppressive weight of Crocodile's mysterious sandstorm and had yet to recover from the suffocating tension it created when another development suddenly unfolded.
...
Before the Marines could fully recover from the crushing presence radiating from Bullet, another extraordinary phenomenon erupted from the Eternal Divine Kingdom.
At first, only a faint, strange glow appeared along the horizon.
Then a beam of diamond light, so brilliant it was almost impossible to look at directly, tore across the blue sky like a dragon breaking free from the darkness.
A deafening roar shook the air as Jozu Marx descended like a meteor and struck the ground with earth-shattering force.
His entire body was covered in flawless, crystal-clear diamond armor. Every plate looked as though it had been carved from the purest gemstone.
Beneath the sunlight, the facets reflected and refracted one another, scattering such dazzling colors that the whole world seemed to have become a stage for his brilliance.
Far more terrifying, however, was the Armament Haki flowing across his body.
It had fused perfectly with the sheen of his diamond form, creating an unprecedented power known as Crystal Haki.
This unique Haki not only granted him nearly impenetrable defenses, but also imbued every attack with unstoppable destructive force.
"Damn… that hardness…"
Deep concern appeared in Vice Admiral Doberman's eyes as fine beads of cold sweat gathered across his forehead.
His voice trembled despite himself.
"It's even more terrifying than the intelligence reports suggested!"
He knew perfectly well what an enormous threat such an opponent posed to the Marines.
Before anyone could recover from Jozu Marx's entrance, a piercing phoenix cry suddenly rang through the heavens like a great bell.
The call passed through the clouds and struck directly at the heart.
Everyone looked up to see Marco transformed into his phoenix form.
This time, however, his blue flames of regeneration were interwoven with dark-red veins of magma.
Two completely different yet equally powerful forces coexisted in perfect harmony within him.
The Magma-Magma Fruit had fused seamlessly with his phoenix transformation.
Marco now resembled an apocalyptic phoenix descended from myth, radiating both destruction and rebirth. Wherever he passed, the surrounding air warped beneath the unbearable heat.
"Two Devil Fruit powers?!"
Vice Admiral Onigumo's face turned deathly pale.
The hand gripping his sword began trembling beyond his control.
He understood all too well what it meant for one person to command the abilities of two Devil Fruits.
Amid the suffocating tension, a clear shout suddenly broke the silence.
"Dance of Paired Wings: Shattered Sky!"
Vista drew both swords at once.
His body flashed forward like lightning, the flower-patterned blades roaring through the air in his hands.
The distinctive white glow of the Tremor-Tremor Fruit flowed continuously along each sword whenever he swung.
Every slash carried enough power to split the heavens and earth, leaving fine but clearly visible fractures throughout the surrounding space.
Vista had perfectly integrated the power of earthquakes into his swordsmanship, transforming every technique into a devastating force capable of tearing the battlefield apart.
"ROOOAR!"
A series of thunderous roars, seemingly rising from the deepest pits of hell, exploded across the world.
The sound battered the eardrums and made the soul itself tremble.
Nine colossal dragons, each more than a hundred meters long, plunged from the distant sky beneath an overwhelming presence.
Mystical light shimmered across their bodies, while their scales reflected countless colors beneath the sunlight. Every scale seemed to contain boundless strength.
When the dragons landed, their enormous forms transformed into nine imposing Divine Dragon Captains.
None of them were ordinary fighters.
Each possessed the terrifying physique of an exceptionally rare and powerful Ancient Zoan.
Their solid muscles appeared forged from steel, radiating such an intimidating presence that merely standing there made them seem completely immovable.
"You've got to be kidding me…"
Vice Admiral Strawberry's mouth fell slightly open.
Disbelief and shock filled his eyes, and even his voice carried an unconscious tremor.
He stared at the nine Divine Dragon Captains, keenly sensing the overwhelming aura radiating from each of them.
Every single captain possessed power that rivaled an Admiral candidate.
The terrifying comparison filled Strawberry with deep unease.
Beside him, Vice Admiral Momonga's face turned as white as paper.
Large beads of sweat rolled down his forehead as both hands tightened around the loudspeaker until his knuckles lost all color.
"All forces, pay attention!" he shouted, panic and urgency creeping into his voice. "According to the latest intelligence we just received, every captain of the Divine Kingdom has mastered top-tier Armament Haki!
"You all understand what that means! The trump cards we prepared so carefully… may be far less effective than expected against enemies like these!"
"What?!"
The other Vice Admirals cried out together.
Unease entered their previously resolute gazes as they exchanged looks, seeing the same shock and concern reflected in one another's eyes.
This battle had already become far more difficult than any of them had anticipated.
Both sides now stood locked in a murderous confrontation.
The air seemed to freeze, making even breathing difficult.
The tension was like a bowstring pulled to its breaking point. The slightest movement could unleash a catastrophic battle.
The Marine commanders frowned deeply.
They understood that the longer this stalemate continued, the enemy's almost tangible pressure would keep eating away at their soldiers' morale.
Once that morale collapsed, the consequences would be disastrous.
"We can't wait any longer!"
Vice Admiral Momonga gritted his teeth, determination flashing through his eyes.
He raised his head and roared with every ounce of strength in his body,
"OPEN FIRE!"
The command spread through the fleet like wildfire.
In the next instant, ten thousand cannons thundered at once.
The deafening roar swept across the battlefield like a raging tidal wave.
Massive artillery pieces spat blazing fire as countless shells streaked through the sky, dragging brilliant tails of flame behind them like a meteor shower flying in reverse.
With an overwhelming force that seemed capable of burying everything in its path, the barrage descended upon the majestic floating islands of the Eternal Divine Kingdom.
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