The enormous palm that descended from the heavens was as vast as a small planet itself.
Around that colossal hand, countless terrifying powers intertwined, lightning, magma, vibration, freezing cold, and even the power of light. These violent forces merged into a chaotic torrent, tearing the sky apart as spatial cracks spread endlessly, stretched to their absolute limits.
At this moment, the Six Paths Sage finally realized the truth.
This was no Genjutsu.
The suffocating sense of death pressing against his soul was far too real. This was not an illusion he could break free from.
This was Ashveil's power, a terrifying technique forged from the special energy of Conqueror's Haki.
Cold sweat streamed down the Six Paths Sage's face as the boundless palm crushed downward from above, sealing every possible escape. There was nowhere to hide.
The arena had not expanded in time. The entire planetary battlefield would be struck head-on by this attack.
Even if he buried himself tens of thousands of meters beneath the surface, the Six Paths Sage knew without question that Ashveil would still tear him back out in an instant.
"Damn it… I have to absorb this technique. If I fail, I am dead for certain."
His expression twisted in panic as he rapidly formed the hand seals for absorption, aiming them toward the descending palm.
But it was useless.
The energy within Ashveil's Conqueror's Haki was far too vast and chaotic. Even the Six Paths Sage, originator of Ninjutsu itself, could not absorb it in the slightest.
His pupils shrank violently as the enormous palm filled his vision, endless and unavoidable.
He understood better than anyone just how terrifying its power was.
The shockwaves alone were enough to force the earth back for thousands of meters. The surrounding sky went berserk as sand, stone, and debris were ripped into the air like a violent storm.
I am going to die…
For the first time in countless years, the Six Paths Sage felt the true weight of death descend upon his heart.
Fear swallowed him whole.
He, the progenitor of the Ninja World, the god who had created Ninjutsu itself, was about to fall here.
In desperation, he unleashed everything he had.
Sage Arts erupted one after another. Lightning, true samadhi magma, absolute freezing arts, weak water techniques, and countless terrifying Ninjutsu blasted upward into the sky. Each of these techniques alone was enough to shake the modern Ninja World to its core.
Even prodigies like Uchiha Sasuke or Uchiha Madara would struggle to master even one.
Yet now, the Six Paths Sage hurled them out as if his life no longer mattered.
High above, Ashveil watched with clear disdain in his eyes.
"So this is the Six Paths Sage," he said calmly. "You did amuse me for a moment, but in the end, you were never a true threat."
"From the beginning until now, you never once shook me."
"The only thing worth mentioning was the moon you created."
"To be able to absorb some of my Conqueror's Haki was… mildly interesting."
"But that is all."
"There was never any danger."
As Ashveil spoke, the massive hand that blotted out the sky descended fully upon the Six Paths Sage.
A rainbow-colored barrier erupted instantly around the Sage as the space-time pendulum flared, forming a defensive shield of Conqueror's Haki.
The Six Paths Sage stared blankly at the barrier surrounding him, stunned.
Through his perception, he realized something horrifying.
This shield originated from the same source as Ashveil's attack.
So even this… belongs to him?
If this shield could not save me, then nothing in this world ever could.
He closed his eyes, no longer resisting.
Then the impact came.
A thunderous explosion shattered the heavens and earth. The clash of Conqueror's Haki sent terrifying shockwaves surging across the planet. Mountains were torn from their foundations and hurled into the sky. Oceans twisted violently. The entire world trembled as if it were about to split apart.
The deafening roar shattered the Six Paths Sage's senses. His ears rang violently as he clutched his head in agony, even suspecting for a fleeting moment that this too was some strange sound illusion.
It was only when a chaotic voice reached him that his awareness slowly returned.
"Winner: Ashveil."
The Six Paths Sage opened his eyes in a daze.
The planet before him was in ruin, ravaged beyond recognition by the aftershocks of that single strike. He looked around in disbelief.
So this power… truly exists.
Even a planet had nearly been destroyed. Compared to Ashveil, he, the so-called god of the Ninja World, seemed tragically small and naive.
A flash of light swallowed him whole.
In the next instant, he was returned to the Naruto World.
The arena formed by the space-time pendulum vanished, restored to its prior state as if the destruction never occurred.
Yet the shock remained.
The combined Ninja Alliance stood frozen in place. They had never witnessed such a battle before, never seen such a terrifying clash of Conqueror's Haki.
For a long time, no one spoke.
Even the fact that the Six Paths Sage had been defeated was forgotten in the overwhelming awe.
"This… is the power of that world?" Naruto Uzumaki whispered, his lips trembling. "It is too terrifying…"
Uchiha Madara remained silent for a long while before finally speaking.
"To lose to Ashveil is no disgrace."
"This is an existence far beyond even Hashirama Senju."
The Five Kage and all the other leaders could not even close their mouths in shock. Their imaginations simply could not comprehend power on this level.
Meanwhile, the Six Paths Sage stood awkwardly among them. He had lost, yet no one even came to address him.
The silence was suffocating.
Then the space-time pendulum spoke once again.
"Naruto World defeated. Punishment will now be enacted."
Even the people of the Pirate World held their breath.
"World space and characters will now merge."
In an instant, the entire Ninja Alliance was transported into the Pirate World, appearing near the Whitebeard Pirates. The space of the Shinobi World collapsed and vanished, while the Pirate World expanded in response.
The Ninja Alliance exchanged stunned looks.
"What is happening?" someone muttered. "We have been transferred into another world?"
Uchiha Madara surveyed his surroundings, his gaze sharp.
He could feel it clearly.
Golden Lion Shiki. Whitebeard. Garp. Sengoku. Kong. Even Kaido and Big Mom.
All of them possessed terrifying strength at a Super Kage level and beyond.
"This is a frightening world," Madara said quietly.
Then his eyes shifted toward Ashveil nearby.
Even here, among monsters of such caliber, Ashveil still stood far above them all.
The gap between first and second was no longer measurable.
Naruto looked around in confusion.
"Kakashi San… what is going on? Why are all the worlds merging like this?"
Kakashi shook his head helplessly.
"We lost. Now we are being transferred as the defeated side."
Whitebeard and his crew did not treat them as prisoners. They merely observed with calm indifference.
Shikamaru frowned deeply.
"For now, all we can do is wait and observe."
At that moment, the space-time pendulum spoke once again.
"The next two-dimensional world will now be opened."
The scene shifted.
The Hero Association Headquarters of the One-Punch Man World appeared.
Blast, Tatsumaki, Bang, Atomic Samurai, Child Emperor, Metal Knight, King, Drive Knight, Genos, Zombieman, Pig God, and Saitama gathered around the large circular table, their expressions tense.
"This thing is troublesome," Tanktop Master muttered. "Our power does nothing against it."
"At this point, we can only comply," Bang said calmly.
Tatsumaki floated in the air with her arms crossed, scowling.
"If I get the chance, I will smash that space-time pendulum apart."
The ancient voice echoed once more.
"Tatsumaki and King."
The infamous King Engine activated instantly.
King's heart nearly burst from his chest.
"I… I forfeit!" he shouted immediately.
Tatsumaki spun toward him in fury.
"King, are you serious? You expect me to fight alone against outsiders?"
King forced a shaky grin.
"Tatsumaki, do you really want me to personally handle them?"
The surrounding heroes looked at him with renewed respect.
Atomic Samurai nodded in quiet approval.
King, in their eyes, was still the strongest hero of all.
---
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