THUD… THUD… THUD…
The dull, thunderous impacts cut through the smoke-laden air of the ice-covered bay. The violent tremors stopped every combatant mid-strike, all eyes turning toward the water beyond.
From the haze of gunpowder and steam, a colossal shadow began to emerge. With each quake, it grew more massive.
"Aaaaah—!!"
"Wh-What is that?!"
Marines stared in horror at the ever-expanding giant figure. On the other side, pirates reacted with the opposite emotion—sheer excitement.
"It's him! He's here!"
"Go, Oarw! Destroy their warships!"
The pirates' cheers exploded through the battlefield as the shadow stepped fully into view.
---
ROOOAR
A gargantuan humanoid—hundreds of feet tall—roared like a mythical beast. In his hand, a cleaver-sized blade that could split steel crashed into a nearby warship, ripping it in two.
Marines strewn across the deck let out agonized screams as the ship disintegrated.
---
"Nice one, little Oars!"
"All right, lads! Follow Oars—retake Ace!"
"Charge! Let the Navy feel the strength of Whitebeard's crew!"
With Oars at the front, moral exploded among the pirates. They surged forward with reckless abandon, ready to die for their cause.
---
Amid the chaos, the Marines fell back. The presence of this hundred-meter-tall giant filled them with dread.
"Whoa—there's a man that big at sea?!"
—Boa Hancock whispered from the wall.
"Incredible…"
---
High above, Gecko Moria stared at Oars with greedy eyes.
"Hahaha… A devil who could be my ultimate zombie… If only I could claim his corpse."
"Hehehe…"
—Doflamingo, standing nearby, let a low, mocking laugh slip out.
---
"Open fire! Shoot it down!"
Marines all along the warships let loose a barrage of cannon fire at Oars.
BOOM! BOOM!
Shell after shell hit the giant—yet against him, they were like fireworks.
The shots struck his skin with negligible effect—hardly slowing him down.
---
Nearby, Giant Vice Admirals emerged, attacking with relentless force. Their weapons struck Oar's leg, but he barely flinched.
"Stop that—he must not reach the bay!"
Warships and ice alike shook under the confrontation.
---
As Oars advanced, a sudden tornado swept across the field, kicking up plumes of snow and smoke.
"Wh-what's this wind?"
Marines shielded their eyes as a swirl of darkness emerged above the bay.
They looked up, jaws agape, to see clouds churning in mid-air, laced with flashes of lightning.
"A hurricane of black clouds…"
---
On the command platform, Sengoku stiffened.
Beside him, Kizaru murmured:
"It's Oars… but what about those clouds?"
"How long do you intend to wait?" Sengoku barked at the Warlords below.
"Hmph—now this cloud?"
Doflamingo sneered, observing the sky's change. He then leapt down toward the battlefield.
"Damn… Doflamingo!"
—Moria shouted, charging to follow, unwilling to lose out on Oars's prize.
---
Atop the wall, Dracule Mihawk stared up, his gaze locked on the electrified clouds.
"I've never felt such oppression…"
His voice was quiet, but heavy with the admission that this was no ordinary weather disturbance.
Down on the field, the towering presence of Oars had already filled them with dread. Even creatures born of the Giant race found themselves trembling:
"…his blade—he cleaved straight through us."
---
"He's perfect," Moria whispered in glee at the sight.
He leaned forward to activate his powers—when suddenly, Kuma appeared before him.
"Kuma? What are you doing?" Moria gasped.
Kuma said nothing. His expression remained cold as steel—reflections glinting off his white glasses.
He stood, arms spread wide in front of Oars.
As Moria prepared to strike, Kuma raised both arms.
---
From his palms emanated a rhythmic thump-thump—a pulse like drumbeats echoing across the battlefield.
A pale-white energy sphere formed between them, shaped like a giant claw.
With each pulse, the sphere grew—ten meters… forty… fifty—
And then began to shrink, collapsing back into Kuma's open palms like a ticking bomb.
---
Onlookers gasped in terror.
"That… thing would cripple you!"
The sphere grew smaller and smaller until it fit neatly between Kuma's hands. He stared at Oars with chilling intent.
---
From his towering height, Oars roared again:
"Ace! I'm here to bring you back!"
But Ace cried out from the execution platform:
"Oars… no, don't come!"
---
Kuma gave no reaction to Ace's plea. He spoke once:
"Paw-Paw Press!"
The sphere pulsed again, drifting slowly toward Oz.
All around, spectators watched in frozen awe as the miniature storm approached.
---
BOOM!
Suddenly, the clouds above erupted.
A crackling golden beam surged from the storm's core, piercing the sphere and vaporizing it in an instant.
---
"What?!?"
The stunned crowd looked upward in horror as the black clouds parted.
There, in the storm's eye, a towering, monstrous visage appeared—a three-headed golden beast.
Lightning flared against its fearsome silhouette:
That… that head?
Those eyes?
Is that a flying Sea King?!
All fell silent under its chilling, cataclysmic presence—standing on the edge of abject terror.
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