Dawn arrived quietly.
The night faded little by little as pale sunlight spread across the sky. A faint golden glow slipped through the clouds and illuminated the kingdom below, as if opening the curtain on a brand-new day.
Suddenly—
A streak of golden light tore across the sky like a meteor.
It shot toward the royal city at terrifying speed.
The dazzling radiance was so intense it resembled a miniature sun.
Within that light was a tall figure dressed in white.
A white cloak fluttered wildly in the wind, and brilliant rays of light spread outward from his body like ripples.
"Look! Someone's coming!"
"Who is that?"
"Did something happen?!"
Soldiers stationed around the royal city immediately noticed the phenomenon and began shouting.
The golden streak descended rapidly.
BOOM!
A thunderous explosion erupted as the light crashed into the palace courtyard.
The ground shook violently.
Dust and shattered stone scattered everywhere.
"This…!"
"Who is it?!"
The soldiers rushed toward the scene in alarm.
The golden radiance slowly faded.
Standing in the center of the cracked courtyard was a man wearing a white coat of justice.
His cloak fluttered behind him.
The Marines' emblem was clearly visible.
He slowly raised his head.
Golden light flickered faintly within his eyes.
"Hmm…"
He glanced around the palace courtyard as if inspecting the area.
The soldiers nearby froze.
Even without introductions, the aura surrounding the man was overwhelming.
This was clearly someone extraordinary.
Then—
He casually raised one hand.
Golden light began gathering in his palm.
The energy condensed rapidly, forming a blazing sphere that radiated dazzling brilliance.
The soldiers' expressions changed drastically.
"Wait—!"
Before anyone could react—
BOOM!!!
A beam of light blasted forward from his hand.
The golden ray shot across the courtyard and struck the distant palace wall.
The wall exploded instantly.
Stone fragments flew through the air as the structure collapsed with a deafening crash.
The soldiers stood frozen in shock.
"…What kind of power is that?"
"…Was that… a Devil Fruit ability?"
The man lowered his hand slowly.
His face remained calm, as if he had merely performed a trivial experiment.
At that moment, footsteps approached.
A group of Marine officers hurried into the courtyard.
When they saw the destroyed wall and the lingering golden glow, they all froze.
"Vice Admiral!"
One of them called out respectfully.
"So you've arrived already!"
The man in white responded lazily.
"I was nearby."
He glanced toward the broken wall.
"Just testing something."
The Marine officers exchanged awkward looks.
Testing something?
That single attack had destroyed half the courtyard.
If that was only a test, they didn't even want to imagine the real thing.
A soldier suddenly rushed forward.
"Report!"
"We've located the target!"
The white-clad man raised an eyebrow.
"Oh?"
The soldier swallowed nervously.
"He's currently inside the royal palace."
Hearing that, the man slowly turned toward the massive palace building ahead.
Golden light flickered faintly across his body again.
"So that's where he is."
A faint smile appeared on his face.
"Perfect."
"I was starting to get bored."
The soldiers nearby stiffened.
They could already sense what was about to happen.
In the next moment—
The man's body suddenly dissolved into countless particles of light.
"W-What?!"
The Marines stared in shock.
The golden light shot forward like a meteor.
It streaked directly toward the royal palace.
BOOM!
Another explosion erupted.
The palace trembled violently.
Inside the royal palace—
Panic spread instantly.
"Enemy attack!"
"Something just crashed into the building!"
"Guards, move!"
Footsteps echoed through the corridors as soldiers rushed to respond.
Meanwhile—
In the center of the shattered hall, golden light slowly gathered again.
The particles converged.
A figure emerged from the brilliance.
It was the same white-clad Marine officer.
He stood calmly amid the rubble, brushing dust off his sleeve.
His gaze swept across the hall.
"So…"
"Where are you hiding?"
His voice echoed softly in the destroyed chamber.
No one answered.
But the faint smile on his face grew wider.
"It seems…"
"I'll have to dig you out myself."
Golden light began gathering around him once more.
The terrifying energy illuminated the entire palace.
Outside—
The Marines watching from the courtyard felt chills run down their spines.
One of them muttered nervously:
"…He's starting already."
Another swallowed hard.
"If that power is unleashed inside the palace…"
"The entire royal city might be destroyed."
But none of them dared interfere.
Because everyone knew the identity of the man inside.
A Marine powerhouse from headquarters.
A monster who possessed the power of light itself.
And today—
Someone had managed to attract his personal attention.
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