The Marines' strategy had been carefully planned, and its objective was perfectly clear.
They knew that landing a direct hit on the monsters standing at the very summit of power would be nearly impossible with conventional firepower.
So instead, they targeted the foundation of the Divine Kingdom—the dreamlike islands suspended in the sky.
Even if they could not kill its strongest fighters, destroying those islands would deprive the kingdom of its territory and secure victory all the same.
Just as the devastating barrage was about to reach the outermost islands like an enormous net of death—
"Heh!"
A bold, confident voice rang out.
Standing at the very front, Jozu curled his lips into a defiant grin.
His diamond face gleamed coldly beneath the light of the incoming artillery, radiating such absolute confidence that it seemed nothing in the world could shake him.
To everyone's surprise, he did not move so much as half a step.
He simply raised his right palm at an unhurried pace.
It was a simple motion, yet it seemed to contain boundless power and unfathomable mystery.
Bzzzt—!
A deep, strange hum spread through the air.
Then an astonishing sight unfolded.
Thousands upon thousands of golden beams burst from Jozu's diamond palm, each one as fine as silk.
They did not scatter randomly.
Instead, they moved with almost living precision, every single beam meeting one rapidly approaching shell.
The rays crossed and intertwined in the sky, weaving a magnificent yet deadly net of light.
It danced gracefully through the barrage, catching every cannonball and bringing the entire bombardment under Jozu's control.
Boom! Boom! Boom! Boom!
Continuous explosions thundered across the sky like pounding war drums.
Every shell detonated several kilometers away from the islands, blooming into enormous balls of fire like dazzling festival fireworks filled with destructive force.
Yet not a single blast reached the Divine Kingdom.
The floating islands remained completely unharmed, as though the overwhelming attack had been nothing more than an illusion.
The Marine fleet fell silent.
Shock and disbelief covered the soldiers' faces.
They stared with wide eyes and open mouths, unable to process what they had just witnessed.
"Is… is that really Jozu?!"
A Rear Admiral finally recovered enough to shout, his voice trembling.
"The Third Division Commander of the Whitebeard Pirates… How did he become this powerful?!"
Confusion, fear, and awe filled his eyes.
Whispers immediately spread through the surrounding ranks, and the entire fleet was swallowed by an atmosphere of unprecedented shock.
Fujitora, who had remained silent until now, slowly smiled.
There was no warmth in it—only profound gravity.
His weathered face was covered in deep lines, each wrinkle seemingly carved by years of hardship and experience.
Though his eyes could no longer see, his extraordinary Observation Haki served as a far sharper form of vision.
Every tiny detail of what had just happened had been perfectly clear to him.
Even while surrounded by darkness, he could perceive everything around him.
Fujitora raised his head slightly and spoke in a heavy voice.
His powerful words carried across every corner of the flagship.
"Everyone must cast aside whatever contempt they still hold for our opponents.
"The man before us is far more dangerous than we anticipated.
"His Armament Haki has been cultivated to an extraordinary level, perfectly uniting physical strength and will. Every movement of his body carries tremendous destructive power.
"Even more alarming was the absolute precision of that interception. His mastery of timing and force is something no ordinary fighter could ever achieve.
"Judging from what we have just witnessed, his Observation Haki may already rival that of an Emperor of the Sea.
"With perception at that level, he may be capable of glimpsing the immediate future and reading the trajectories of everything around him."
"Observation Haki on the level of an Emperor?!"
Fujitora's conclusion struck the Marine commanders like another crushing blow.
Shock and disbelief spread across their faces, while anxiety entered their eyes.
Top-tier Armament Haki was already exceptionally rare, requiring both extraordinary talent and years of relentless training.
Yet their opponent had not only mastered Armament Haki to its highest level—his Observation Haki had apparently reached the summit as well.
Facing such an enemy felt like standing before an impassable mountain.
The result of their opening exchange had already revealed an ominous truth.
The Marines were beginning to show signs of defeat.
The soldiers' morale suffered a devastating blow, confusion and fear replacing the resolve that had once burned in their eyes.
Even the veteran commanders frowned in deep thought, desperately searching for a countermeasure but unable to find an immediate answer.
Jozu's terrifying display hung over the entire fleet like a nightmare.
The hearts of every Marine had been shaken, and their morale flickered like a dying candle in the wind.
Then, at that critical moment, the calm space above the center of the Eternal Divine Kingdom suddenly rippled like the surface of a lake struck by a stone.
Wave after wave spread through the air, as though some mysterious and overwhelming power were quietly awakening.
Before the astonished eyes of everyone present, a figure appeared without the slightest sound.
His arrival was both sudden and strangely natural, as though he had been standing there all along, perfectly merged with the boundless sky.
...
The figure was tall and slender, carrying an innate air of nobility and authority.
He wore an extremely simple black robe.
The material appeared ordinary, yet its hems danced wildly in the sea wind, snapping as though whispering a story unknown to the world.
The salty gale struck him again and again, but he remained as steady as a boulder, completely unaffected.
His face was surprisingly young, with pale, flawless skin and finely defined features.
However, the moment his eyes slowly opened, everyone realized just how unfathomable they were.
They resembled an endless starry sky—vast, mysterious, and deep enough to draw in anyone who stared for too long.
It was none other than Ron, ruler of the Eternal Divine Kingdom.
His arrival was not accompanied by thunder, lightning, or any other earth-shaking display.
Everything remained quiet and peaceful.
Even so, some invisible force seemed to surround him, instantly making him the undisputed center of the entire battlefield.
Even the three Emperors standing side by side subtly shifted aside after sensing his extraordinary presence, faint respect appearing in their eyes.
It was not respect born from fear, but an acknowledgment of both his position and his strength.
Ron calmly swept his gaze over the battle-ready Marine fleet.
His eyes seemed capable of piercing through every deck and steel hull to reach the souls of those aboard.
Eventually, his attention settled upon the Admirals and Vice Admirals.
A faint smile touched his lips, carrying an almost sorrowful compassion.
"Gentlemen of the Marines, you truly are… devoted to your duties."
Ron did not speak loudly, yet his voice possessed a strange penetrating quality.
It passed clearly into the ears of every Marine, overpowering both the thunder of the waves and the howling wind.
"Just as always, you faithfully carry out what you call 'justice.'"
He paused briefly, something complicated passing through his gaze as his voice grew more solemn.
"But have any of you ever questioned yourselves in the silence of the night?
"Is everything you are risking your lives to protect today truly the justice you believe in—or…"
Concern and resignation entered his eyes.
"Are you simply unwilling to open them and look properly at this sea, already covered in wounds?
"Are you afraid to confront the doubts that have long existed within your own hearts?"
His words fell among the Marine ranks like a stone thrown into a still lake, sending ripples through the formation.
Several ordinary soldiers and lower-ranking officers began silently considering every word he had said.
Confusion and uncertainty appeared in their eyes.
However, just as the silence threatened to linger—
"INSOLENCE!"
A furious roar exploded like thunder, tearing the fragile stillness apart.
Admiral Ryokugyu—Aramaki—stepped forward with lightning speed.
The vines that had been quietly coiled around him suddenly sprang to life and began thrashing wildly.
They twisted and tangled around one another with a constant rustling, resembling a nest of enormous green serpents baring their fangs.
Aramaki's sharp eyes locked onto Ron, undisguised contempt filling his stare.
To him, Ron seemed no more significant than an insect.
"You've certainly got a clever mouth, brat!"
His voice was low and hoarse, every word forced through clenched teeth and dripping with mockery.
"So you're the one who spends every day pretending to be some divine figure and calling himself ruler of the Divine Kingdom?
"Hmph. Now that I've seen you in person, you're nothing special!
"You're certainly skilled at making grand speeches.
"But I'd like to see whether that so-called strength of yours can actually live up to such an outrageously arrogant mouth!"
As one of the Celestial Dragons' most loyal and fanatical supporters, Aramaki reacted with extreme hostility to anyone who questioned the authority of the World Government.
In his mind, that authority was absolute.
Any challenge to it was an unforgivable violation of the established order.
Ron's words sounded like outright heresy to him, crossing a line that demanded immediate and merciless suppression.
Ron remained remarkably composed in the face of such blatant provocation.
The faint smile never left his face.
He merely shook his head, his calm, profound gaze seeming to pierce through Aramaki's imposing exterior and see the invisible chains weighing him down.
They were shackles forged from tradition, blind loyalty, and a deeply entrenched system of power.
"A domesticated beast may possess immense strength, but after so many years in captivity, it has already forgotten how to think for itself."
Ron sighed softly, pity and resignation entering his voice.
"How unfortunate. Truly pathetic—and deeply tragic."
Aramaki's face immediately twisted with rage.
"You're asking to die!"
He roared as terrifying plant energy surged around his body.
The overwhelming power rapidly gathered into a violent aura, spinning and expanding around him like a physical storm.
The surrounding air churned beneath its force.
Bullet stood proudly nearby with his arms folded tightly across his chest, his posture openly declaring his contempt for the entire world.
An icy curve slowly formed at the corner of his mouth, colder than winter frost.
Then he released a heavy, disdainful snort.
The sound cut through the air like an arrow as his hawk-sharp eyes swept mercilessly toward the Admiral who had suddenly interrupted.