After watching the direction Imu had fled for a moment, Ryūjin Uchiha withdrew his gaze. Expanding his Observation Haki, he instantly located Crocodile and the others traveling beneath the sea.
Buzz!
The next moment, Ryūjin switched to his Kamui Dōjutsu. A swirling spatial vortex appeared around him, and he vanished without a trace.
"Ryūjin!"
"Ryūjin, you're back!"
The moment the two women saw Ryūjin appear, relief and excitement filled their faces.
After witnessing Imu's terrifying strength, both Nami and Robin had been quietly worried about him.
Now that he had returned unharmed, they finally relaxed.
"Imu is strong, but he can't do anything to me."
Ryūjin casually shrugged and strolled over to the lounge area before dropping lazily into a seat.
Nami thoughtfully brought over drinks.
The group chatted, joked, and enjoyed the magnificent underwater scenery surrounding them. The atmosphere was unexpectedly pleasant.
After Imu's defeat and retreat, no one else came to interfere with their journey.
As a result, Ryūjin and his group arrived at Fish-Man Island without any trouble.
Upon learning that the infamous Demon Eye Ryūjin had personally arrived, King Neptune did not dare show even the slightest negligence.
He personally led the princes and several key ministers to welcome them.
Not only that, but he also arranged a grand state-level banquet within Ryugu Palace to entertain Ryūjin and his companions.
After the feast, several princes personally acted as guides and escorted Ryūjin's group throughout Fish-Man Island.
Their hospitality was beyond generous.
It had to be admitted that Fish-Man Island possessed breathtaking scenery, and everyone thoroughly enjoyed their stay.
During this time, Ryūjin quietly brought Nico Robin to view the Fish-Man Island Poneglyph without alerting anyone else.
Three days later, Ryūjin prepared to leave Fish-Man Island.
"Lord Ryūjin!"
Just before their departure, Neptune suddenly called out.
His expression was hesitant, as though there was something he wished to request.
"If there's something you want to say, just say it."
Ryūjin looked at Neptune with a faint smile.
"Then I will speak plainly."
Neptune sighed heavily.
"It's about my daughter, Shirahoshi."
Shirahoshi?
That giant crybaby princess?
The image of the beautiful and gentle Princess Shirahoshi surfaced in Ryūjin's mind.
At the same time, he already had a rough idea of what Neptune wanted.
"I am ashamed that I have failed to protect my daughter properly."
Neptune began recounting Shirahoshi's tragic circumstances.
Just as Ryūjin had expected.
Ten years ago, Vander Decken IX's proposal had been rejected by Shirahoshi.
Afterward, he began threatening and harassing her relentlessly.
To escape him, Shirahoshi had been forced to remain hidden inside the Hard-Shell Tower for ten years.
She had even been unable to attend her mother's funeral.
This matter had always weighed heavily on Neptune's heart.
Unfortunately, despite being the royal family of Fish-Man Island, they had never managed to eliminate Vander Decken IX.
But things were different now.
Demon Eye Ryūjin was standing before them.
A being capable of suppressing the Yonko, the Marines, and even the Gorosei.
What was Vander Decken IX compared to someone like that?
After much internal struggle, Neptune finally decided not to let this opportunity pass.
"Lord Ryūjin, if you can eliminate Decken IX and allow Shirahoshi to leave the Hard-Shell Tower, my family will owe you a great favor."
Neptune bowed deeply.
The princes beside him quickly followed suit.
"No need to be so formal."
Ryūjin agreed immediately.
"You've treated me well these past few days. Consider this a small favor in return."
The Neptune family was instantly overjoyed.
Without wasting another word, Ryūjin released his Observation Haki.
He immediately located Vander Decken IX.
Then, with a thought, he activated Yomi Hirasaka.
A pitch-black spatial portal appeared before everyone.
On the other side stood a miserable-looking man who resembled a sewer rat.
Vander Decken IX.
Ryūjin casually reached through the portal, grabbed him by the neck, and dragged him out.
Vander Decken struggled desperately.
It was completely useless.
"Is this the power of Demon Eye Ryūjin?"
Neptune and the others stared with wide eyes.
The man they had searched for endlessly had been captured as easily as picking up an object from the ground.
"D-Demon Eye Ryūjin?"
The moment Vander Decken saw Ryūjin's face, his mind exploded into panic.
Fear consumed him completely.
Crack!
Ryūjin didn't even bother listening to him.
With a simple twist of his wrist, he snapped Vander Decken IX's neck.
Just like that, the man responsible for tormenting Shirahoshi for ten years died.
Neptune and his family were both stunned and delighted.
They repeatedly expressed their gratitude.
Ryūjin merely waved a hand.
Soon afterward, he departed Fish-Man Island with his companions.
Calculating the time, fewer than seven days remained before his promised attack on Marineford.
It wasn't a long time.
But it wasn't particularly short either.
After some consideration, Ryūjin decided to spend those remaining days at the Sabaody Archipelago.
He stored the ship inside the Chibaku Tensei Space.
Crocodile, Nami, Robin, and the others were placed inside as well.
Then he used Kamui and teleported directly to the Sabaody Archipelago.
There, he quietly waited for the arrival of the appointed day.
"Demon Eye Ryūjin is here!"
"Demon Eye Ryūjin has returned!"
The news spread through the Sabaody Archipelago at astonishing speed.
The resulting shock was no less than a devastating earthquake.
Bustling streets emptied almost instantly.
Taverns, restaurants, and shopping districts hurriedly shut their doors.
Countless pirates fled in terror, unwilling to remain in the archipelago for even a second longer.
The current Ryūjin was no different from a great demon king in the eyes of the Sabaody Archipelago.
The Celestial Dragons were even worse.
The moment they heard the news, they practically lost their minds with fear.
Not a single one dared venture outside.
They all hid within their residences.
Their hatred toward Ryūjin was immense.
Their fear was even greater.
After all, he had publicly killed two Celestial Dragons and remained completely untouched.
"Demon Eye Ryūjin has appeared in the Sabaody Archipelago!"
Because of the short distance between Sabaody and Marineford, Marine Headquarters received the news immediately.
At this stage, Ryūjin's strength had already surpassed what the Marines could handle alone.
The report quickly moved upward through the chain of command.
Sengoku reported to Kong.
Kong reported to the Gorosei.
The Gorosei reported directly to Imu upon the Empty Throne.
"Lord Imu, Demon Eye Ryūjin has appeared in the Sabaody Archipelago."
"There are less than seven days remaining before the date he announced for attacking Marineford."
"We suspect his presence there is connected to the coming attack."
"Should we gather our forces and launch a preemptive operation against him?"
The remaining two Gorosei knelt respectfully before Imu as they sought his decision.
"No."
Imu thought briefly before refusing.
After Ryūjin's declaration of war, the Marines had immediately begun extensive preparations.
Personnel from every branch had been recalled.
Marineford had received continuous reinforcements.
More than 150,000 Marines had gathered there.
The Three Admirals.
Over thirty Vice Admirals.
Countless elite officers.
The Seven Warlords of the Sea.
Virtually every military force the Marines could mobilize had already assembled.
To deal with Ryūjin, agreements had even been reached with certain individuals imprisoned within Impel Down, temporarily releasing them for the coming battle.
Everything had been arranged meticulously.
Naturally, such preparations could not be casually abandoned.
Furthermore, even if they wanted to confront Ryūjin at Sabaody, there simply wasn't enough time to redeploy over a hundred thousand Marines.
Most importantly, Sabaody was not suitable for a war of that scale.
With Ryūjin's power, the entire archipelago could be wiped from existence.
What would happen to the Celestial Dragons living there?
Would they be forced to flee to Mary Geoise?
In Imu's eyes, such a situation was unacceptable.
The Celestial Dragons could not be driven into a humiliating retreat.
"Continue with the original plan."
Imu gave his final order.
"Yes, Lord Imu."
The two Gorosei immediately obeyed.
The order was passed down through every level of command.
All Marines remained stationed at Marineford.
Every soldier prepared himself for death.
They waited for the coming clash.
As the decisive day approached, the atmosphere at Marineford became increasingly oppressive.
Not only Marineford, but the entire world felt the tension.
Everyone understood that the battle between Demon Eye Ryūjin and Marineford could reshape the entire balance of power.
If the Marines lost, the consequences would be catastrophic.
The authority of the World Government would suffer a devastating blow.
"Demon Eye Ryūjin, you really know how to shake up the world."
Red Hair sighed repeatedly.
Unlike before, he made no attempt to persuade Ryūjin to stop.
He had no standing to speak before Demon Eye Ryūjin.
No one could prevent this battle anymore.
"The world is about to change."
Whitebeard, Big Mom, and countless others reached similar conclusions.
And so, under the watchful eyes of the entire world, the day of the decisive battle finally arrived.
Marineford.
Kong and Sengoku stood atop the execution platform, overlooking the vast army gathered below.
Their expressions were grave.
One hundred and fifty thousand Marines.
A force powerful enough to annihilate any Yonko crew through sheer numbers alone.
Yet Kong still wasn't confident.
Because their enemy was Ryūjin Uchiha.
Behind Kong and Sengoku stood Garp, the Three Admirals, and several terrifying individuals temporarily released from Impel Down.
On the plaza below stood the Vice Admirals, including Admiral candidates Gion and Tokikake.
Behind them stretched the endless ranks of Marine soldiers.
Fifty Pacifistas had also been deployed throughout Marineford, exhausting nearly the entire available stock.
The lineup was terrifying.
Even so, everyone remained tense.
No one was confident they could stop that man.
The pressure hanging over Marineford felt like a mountain crushing down upon them.
Then suddenly, Kong and the other top experts sensed something.
Their expressions changed.
All of them looked upward.
A pitch-black square appeared in the sky, resembling a hole painted into reality itself.
A figure stepped out.
The moment everyone saw him, their hearts skipped a beat.
Ryūjin Uchiha.
"Demon Eye Ryūjin is here!"
"It's him!"
"That monster has arrived!"
Panic spread through the ranks.
Merely standing in the sky, Ryūjin shattered the confidence of 150,000 Marines.
"Demon Eye Ryūjin!"
Kong gritted his teeth as he stared upward.
Ryūjin remained expressionless.
His gaze swept across the countless Marines below.
Then his eyes transformed into the Rinnegan.
"Universal Pull."
He extended a hand toward Marineford.
An overwhelming force descended.
Instantly, all 150,000 Marines were dragged into the sky.
Even Kong, Sengoku, Garp, and the Admirals were unable to resist.
"Oh no!"
"This is bad!"
Everyone's expressions changed dramatically.
Floating helplessly in the air, they couldn't use their strength properly.
No matter how many techniques they possessed, they could do nothing.
They could only watch as Ryūjin manipulated them effortlessly.
After pulling everyone nearly a thousand meters into the sky, Ryūjin casually formed a hand seal.
"Wind Release: Typhoon Over!"
A monstrous gale erupted.
The terrifying wind swept across the battlefield and hurled all 150,000 Marines away from Marineford.
Like raindrops scattered by a hurricane, they were blown into the sea.
Just like that, the 150,000 Marines gathered at Marineford were defeated by Ryūjin Uchiha in a single move.