A destructive force bent on total annihilation locked onto them, freezing Sengoku and Luffy in place. In the next instant, a wave of violet lightning surged forth, swallowing their attacks within the boundless Divine Thunder of Annihilation. A series of powerful shockwaves swept out from the epicenter.
The earth trembled as different forms of energy collided violently between the three men, creating a cacophony of explosions.
Immediately after, everyone watched as Sengoku and Luffy were sent flying like kites with their strings cut, trailing plumes of blood behind them.
They were defeated in a single moment.
"How is that possible? Is he even human?"
Luffy's mind went blank. He had thought that after achieving Gear Five, he would at least be able to exchange a few blows with Ryuuto. He never imagined he would be taken out in a single punch.
Sengoku was equally incredulous.
The old Fleet Admiral couldn't believe that these old bones of his were nearly shattered.
"Ryuuto has already grown this strong?"
Sengoku's heart was filled with both shock and fear. He was shocked by Ryuuto's growth and feared that he might never get the chance to avenge himself.
No, he was getting ahead of himself.
Whether he could even escape this time was another question entirely.
"Is this all you've got, Luffy?"
"What about your dream?"
"Aren't you going to be the King of the Pirates?"
Ryuuto stepped lightly, speaking slowly as he walked toward Luffy.
At the same time, a spear of violet lightning materialized in his hand. His gaze toward Luffy was filled with contempt.
He was nothing more than a privileged heir hiding behind a facade of passion.
Did he really think he conquered the world through his own efforts?
What a joke.
"If you're a real man, then bet your life and fight me!" Ryuuto roared, pointing the lightning spear directly at Luffy.
"Bastard! Ryuuto, I'm going to take you down! I'll avenge my grandpa!" Enraged by the words, Luffy ignored his injuries and slammed his hand on the ground. The earth instantly turned into white rubber, surging toward Ryuuto with exaggerated elasticity.
This was the awakened power of his Nika form, the ability to turn his surroundings into rubber.
Ryuuto remained silent, simply hurling the lightning spear in his hand toward Luffy.
The condensed Divine Thunder of Annihilation shrieked through the air, causing space itself to tremble as it shot straight for Luffy.
Luffy clenched his right fist and threw a punch at the incoming spear.
Bang!
In an instant, violet lightning erupted and white smoke billowed. The two energies collided violently, and another powerful shockwave swept across the battlefield.
Ryuuto, meanwhile, leaped into the air. With a crack of thunder, he reappeared in midair, easily dodging Luffy's wave of white rubber.
Another lightning spear materialized in his hand.
Then, Ryuuto hurled it at Luffy once again.
Bang!
Violet lightning crackled once more as a deafening collision rang out. This time, Luffy had few options left for defense. He crossed his other arm in front of him, bracing himself to take the attack head-on.
The violet lightning exploded, and Luffy was instantly engulfed in the Divine Thunder of Annihilation.
But it wasn't over.
In the blink of an eye, more lightning spears appeared in Ryuuto's hands, and he hurled them at Luffy as if they were free.
Bang! Bang! Bang!
Countless explosions echoed across the field.
Luffy's figure completely vanished within the sea of violet lightning.
"Luffy!"
Zoro's eyes narrowed. With a great shout, he pushed off the ground and charged toward Ryuuto.
His expression was exceptionally grave. He knew Luffy was completely outmatched.
Suddenly, a black figure appeared beside him, leaping forward. Sanji had, at some point, also joined the charge.
They exchanged a look, their eyes filled with a determination as if they were marching to their deaths.
No matter what, they had to save Luffy.
Whether they were any match for Ryuuto was no longer a consideration.
"Luffy might be a little goofy and unreliable," Zoro thought, "but when it counts, he's always the one standing in front of us."
"That's our captain!"
Boom!
But Sengoku moved first. He charged forward, his golden body swelling with power, and threw a punch straight at Ryuuto's face. A shockwave shot out like a cannonball, its terrifying force instantly blasting Ryuuto's figure in two.
Sizzle!
But as thunder crackled and violet light flashed, Ryuuto's form had already reappeared behind Sengoku before the Admiral could even react.
He had transformed into lightning, dodging Sengoku's attack just in time.
"Thunder Art: Heaven-Piercing Finger!"
As Ryuuto's voice rang out, a blindingly brilliant beam of violet lightning instantly pierced through Sengoku's waist, exiting from his side and vanishing into the distant sky.
A spray of blood erupted.
Sengoku was grievously wounded, his presence weakening dramatically.
But even so, he still tried to fight back. Enduring the searing pain inside him, he reached out with both hands, trying to grab hold of Ryuuto.
"Honestly. Is your own life worthless? Fine, let me crush that last bit of hope!"
"Chidori Sharp Spear!"
Seeing this, Ryuuto chuckled softly to himself. With a loud shout, countless streams of violet lightning converged, quickly forming a long purple spear that crackled with terrifying electrical power.
Then, the spear shot forward. The purple lightning exploded with a roar as it brutally pierced through Sengoku's body, carrying him backward with immense force.
Unfortunately, its trajectory was directly toward Zoro and Sanji.
"Old friend... I suppose I've gotten old, too. This world belongs to the young, after all," Sengoku seemed to accept this bitter reality, slowly closing his eyes.
Bang!
Sengoku's body slammed into Zoro and Sanji.
The speed was incredible, especially with Sengoku's towering frame. Before Zoro and Sanji could react, they were swept away by his momentum, sent flying backward.
And because the Chidori Sharp Spear was still embedded in Sengoku's chest, they both got to experience the electrifying agony of a lightning strike.
"I... Luffy, hang in there!"
Zoro could hear the air whistling past him, but his eyes remained fixed on Luffy's position, praying for his captain.
"Shanks!"
Benn Beckman was growing frantic.
He didn't understand what Shanks was waiting for. If they didn't save Luffy now, all their previous efforts would be for nothing. That was a reality Benn Beckman could not accept.
"Sigh... What's the point in fighting when the power gap is this huge?"
Before Shanks could speak, Aokiji let out a long sigh and stated his conclusion. Though he knew they were no match for Ryuuto, he couldn't just stand by and watch.
A line of ice spread rapidly across the ground, and Aokiji's figure quickly appeared behind the flying trio.
Then, a wall of ice rapidly formed.
Bang!
The ice wall firmly caught the bodies of Sengoku, Zoro, and Sanji. The ice then began to spread toward the Chidori Sharp Spear in Sengoku's chest.
Aokiji was helping Sengoku resist Ryuuto's attack.
Sengoku, in turn, summoned a powerful golden light from his body, hammering away at the violet lightning spear.
"Luffy won't be defeated that easily!"
At that moment, Shanks finally spoke.
His gaze was fixed on the sea of violet lightning. In his perception, Luffy's presence had not disappeared.
Benn Beckman's mouth twitched.
He couldn't understand why Shanks still refused to act.
What was he hesitating for? Did he really think Straw Hat could still pull off a miracle in this state? It looked to him like Luffy was already half-dead.
Usopp and Franky swallowed hard, their movements mechanical as they slowly turned their heads to look toward Luffy.
Brook wore a look of utter terror.
His usual boisterous personality was gone, unable to muster a single joke.
Lucky Roux, Yasopp, and the others stared blankly at the scene.
Perospero and his group had already used the distraction to sneak to the shore. Their fleet was in a frenzy, trying to retreat, with a large number of ships already out on the sea. However, the powerful shockwaves from the battle had snapped many of their masts, preventing a quick escape.
Still, driven by an overwhelming will to survive, they were paddling furiously with their hands, desperately trying to propel their ships forward.
Crack!
With a sharp snap, the Chidori Sharp Spear in Sengoku's chest finally shattered.
"Cough!"
At that moment, Sengoku violently coughed up a mouthful of blood, his presence becoming incredibly faint. It was clear that defending against the Chidori Sharp Spear had consumed nearly all of his remaining life force.
Seeing this, Aokiji immediately grabbed the three of them and fled, quickly reappearing on the deck of the Red Force.
Hongo rushed over and began to check on Sengoku's injuries.
Ryuuto watched them go without giving chase. It wasn't as if he absolutely had to kill them; his conflict with Sengoku was merely one of opposing stances.
Luffy, on the other hand, required his full attention. It would be best to finish him here.
After all, Luffy's luck was extraordinarily good. He had eaten the fated Nika Fruit and was surrounded by a group of selfless people who were constantly feeding him experiences to boost his strength.
Ryuuto had no desire to have someone constantly plotting revenge against him from the shadows.
Therefore, it was best if Luffy died right here.
With that thought, his figure landed back on the ground. Drawing his Kui Dragon Blade, he began walking toward Luffy again.
As the smoke from the explosions cleared, Luffy's figure was revealed.
After taking more than a dozen of Ryuuto's lightning spears, Luffy was covered in wounds. His white clothes were in tatters, and the signature joyful smile was gone from his face.
He looked weakly at Ryuuto, his expression wary.
The cloud-like sash around him drooped listlessly.
"Luffy, it ends here!"
"Your dream is over, you privileged brat! The world can't always go your way!"
Ryuuto spoke as he slowly raised the Kui Dragon Blade, aiming it at Luffy.
"No! I don't want to die here!"
"I'm the man who's going to be King of the Pirates!"
Luffy's eyes widened in panic. He became extremely agitated, screaming at Ryuuto.
"Tsk, tsk, tsk..."
"It's over, Luffy!"
Ryuuto sighed with a hint of exasperation. He was now only a few meters from Luffy. He swung the Kui Dragon Blade, and a condensed slash of energy shot out, carrying with it a ferocious aura of destruction as it sped toward Luffy.
The terrifying sight nearly scared Luffy to death.
He had never truly faced the threat of his own mortality before.
And two seconds earlier...
"I didn't want to use this power."
"But I can't just stand by and watch all my efforts go to waste."
Just then, Shanks had shaken his head and spoken these words, as if explaining his actions to Benn Beckman. He had sensed Ryuuto's intense killing intent and could no longer hold back. He was finally going to make his move.
A tremendously powerful red energy erupted from his body.
Boom!
This power instantly churned the heavens, turning the sky dark and ominous. Shanks's body began to undergo a dramatic change. Within the red light, his figure swelled, rapidly growing into a monstrous creature tens of meters long.
The creature had the body of a dragon, covered in crimson scales. Two pairs of massive, leathery wings grew from its back. Its face was majestic and imposing, with two long horns like those of an ox rising high. But its most peculiar feature was its eyes—they were vertical slits.
If Ryuuto had seen this form, he would have recognized it instantly. It was a Torch Dragon.
The demon that governs time.
"This is the second time I've seen the captain's demon form. It's just too powerful!"
"This kind of power, transcending the limits of humanity... it's truly captivating," Benn Beckman murmured.
"What the hell is that?"
"Such terrifying power!"
Usopp, Brook, and Franky's eyes widened as they cried out in shock.
"ROAR!"
Once the transformation was complete, Shanks soared into the sky, circling and letting out a terrifying roar.
At that moment, Ryuuto's slash flew toward Luffy.
The purple slash grew larger and larger in Luffy's eyes, plunging him into a deep despair. He felt the suffocating presence of death.
But just then, Shanks let out another furious roar. A black and white beam of light shot out from his vertical pupils, blasting straight toward Ryuuto.
The energy caused the very air to vibrate as it tore through the sky.