Sherman Port.
The night sky had long been torn asunder, with black lightning and golden sword light intertwining and colliding, each impact producing earth-shaking roars!
Boom—
Every shockwave unleashed by Rocks' sword, wrapped in black Armament Haki and deep purple Conqueror's Haki infusion, fell like collapsing crescent moons, effortlessly cleaving the earth apart.
Meanwhile, Orion merely wielded his blade single-handedly.
His movements appeared casual, lacking Rocks' ferocity, yet each strike precisely intercepted Rocks' sword edge.
When their weapons met, it wasn't the clang of metal that resounded, but pure energy explosions!
The ground beneath them had long vanished, replaced by an ever-expanding giant crater.
The violent shockwaves materialized into tangible force, pulverizing all surrounding structures and even pushing back the seawater beyond the port, creating a temporary vacuum on the seabed!
Hundreds of exchanges had occurred in the blink of an eye, too fast for the naked eye to follow.
The figures of the two flickered and collided continuously above the ruins.
Every contact caused the entire island to shake violently, as if it might sink into the sea at any moment.
...
"An earthquake?"
Inside the hotel, Luffy rubbed his drowsy eyes as he was jolted off the bed by a violent tremor.
"No!" Ace and Sabo woke up almost simultaneously.
They exchanged a glance, their expressions instantly turning grave.
"It's Haki! Two unimaginably powerful Haki!"
Zoro abruptly sat up, his hand instinctively gripping the three swords by his bedside.
Fine beads of cold sweat formed on his forehead.
He could sense that what was emanating from afar wasn't just Haki—it was also two sword pressures that made his very soul tremble!
"Hey now, you've got to be kidding me..." Trafalgar Law appeared directly by the window, his pupils shrinking to pinpricks as he gazed at the cataclysmic scene in the direction of the harbor.
Almost simultaneously, all the Marine trainees resting in the hotel were jolted awake by the earth-shattering commotion.
The Vinsmoke siblings—Reiju, Ichiji, Niji, and Yonji—along with Hawkins and others rushed out of the hotel at top speed, flashing onto the rooftops and towers of nearby streets around the harbor.
When they saw the situation on the distant battlefield, they collectively fell silent.
"It's the Fleet Admiral!"
"Who's the other one? His aura is so strong, so terrifying!"
"Is this what combat at the world's peak looks like? Just the aftermath is causing this much destruction."
Luffy's mouth hung open, his eyes sparkling with a mix of excitement and awe.
"So... so incredible!!"
Zoro stared intently at the battlefield.
He couldn't even clearly see their movements—only the collisions of two streaks of light and the world-altering sword energy shockwaves that followed each impact.
For the first time, his sword-gripping hand felt powerless.
This wasn't about skill—it was pure suppression through power and realm.
Just as all the trainees were reeling from the shock, the battle at the harbor center suddenly stopped.
Orion casually twirled his sword, sheathing the Supreme Grade Sword, then flicked nonexistent dust off his Marine cloak.
With a calm expression, he stated.
"Warm-up's over."
Those simple words made the observing trainees collectively gasp in disbelief.
This cataclysmic battle!!!
Was actually just a warm-up?!
"You—"
Rocks, who had taken over Teach's body, finally spoke for the first time.
His voice was hoarse and deep, as if emerging from the depths of hell.
"Who are you? When did the World Government produce a monster like you!"
Orion took a step forward, the rubble beneath his feet turning to dust.
He gazed calmly at Rocks. "Let me introduce myself!"
"I am the Fleet Admiral of Marines, Orion."
"The one who holds the reins of the current World Government."
Rocks' eyes—which belonged to Teach—suddenly glowed with a crimson light.
"Marine Fleet Admiral? Holding the reins?" He let out a low laugh filled with disdain and mockery.
"The World Government under the Celestial Dragons' rule has long been rotten to the core! Their so-called 'cultural inspection' event every year is nothing but randomly selecting a city in a country to hold their insane human hunting competition!"His voice suddenly rose, brimming with inflammatory passion.
A World Government like this is utterly unworthy of a powerhouse like you serving it! Why don't we join forces, storm the Red Line, and drag Imu out from their divine pedestal in the Chamber of Flowers!"
Upon hearing this, Orion took a leisurely step forward as if strolling through a garden.
"You are a respectable opponent, especially with the unparalleled charisma you displayed at God Valley."
Then, his tone shifted abruptly, and his eyes turned cold.
"But that's all there is to it."
"From beginning to end, I have always been fundamentally different from you so-called 'D' clan members or fallen nobles."
Orion's voice grew detached. "Your motivations are either for so-called bloodline inheritance or to restore your family's former glory. You have never truly viewed this world from the perspective of the common people."
"You only fetch a bucket of water to douse the flames when the fire reaches your own doorstep. As for the raging infernos that have long turned the world into a living hell in the distance, as long as they don't threaten you, you've always stood by and done nothing!"
"Admittedly, you are a formidable hegemon of your era," Orion's tone carried a hint of condescending judgment.
"But you are merely a hegemon of your era, because your vision is far too narrow!"
"Whether it's the you of now or the you who once roamed the seas freely, you are not qualified to lecture me."
"Nor are you qualified to stand shoulder-to-shoulder with me!"
The moment his words fell, Orion took another step forward!
BOOM—
A Conqueror's Haki far more terrifying than before materialized into a visible black dragon of fury, soaring into the sky!
The clouds were instantly pierced, and the entire night sky seemed dyed a profound black by this overwhelming aura!
In the distance, among the apprentices, only a few managed to remain standing.
Most collapsed to their knees under the pressure, struggling even to breathe.
Orion's icy voice continued.
"Aside from turning the world upside down, killing a few worthless Celestial Dragons, and shouting threats at the World Government, what have you actually accomplished? Have you ever established a functioning order? Have you ever enabled the people of any nation to truly live in peace and prosperity?"
"Nothing at all."
"If you truly had the capability, how could the World Government have stood atop the Red Line, unshaken for eight hundred years?!"
Rocks fell silent.
He offered no rebuttal, his entire body tensed as he focused entirely on guarding against the man before him.
Orion's power was too terrifying!
Even more terrifying than Imu!
Just how powerful was Imu?
In the past fifty years across these seas, no one had felt it more deeply than him!
He had faced the master of the Chamber of Flowers twice.
The first time was at the Holy Land Mary Geoise, where he witnessed Imu's true form.
Under that bottomless pressure, his instincts screamed warnings—to defeat Imu, he would need at least two different Devil Fruit abilities!
Thus, he decisively chose to retreat.
The second time was at God Valley. Imu, possessing Saturn's body, descended upon the battlefield in a demonic form.
In that battle, he fought with all his might yet he fell and turned into a demon!
Just Imu alone had nearly erased him from existence on two separate occasions.
And now, the World Government has produced Orion!
A monster whose strength is no less than Imu's, perhaps even stronger!
A profound sense of helplessness rose from the depths of the sea overlord's heart for the very first time.
With two such monsters guarding the World Government, let alone his current pitiful state of clinging to life through soul possession—even at the peak of his power, he probably couldn't have shaken them in the slightest!
Watching Rocks fall into silence, Orion slowly drew his sheathed Supreme Grade Sword.
The blade traced a cold arc through the night.
"Since launching the military coup and taking this position, I'm yet to experience a truly exhilarating battle."
A battle-hungry curve lifted the corner of Orion's lips, his gaze sweeping with contempt.
"Since you've returned in this manner, allow me to measure the weight of a king from the old era!"
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