Thunderous explosions rocked the sky in rapid succession, shaking apart the dark clouds above. The sound was so loud it felt like the heavens themselves were splitting.
One after another, massive orange-red fireballs erupted across the sky where the pirate fleet had once been. The crimson glow lit up the entire gloom-shrouded sky.
Everyone on the ground dropped flat in terror, eyes wide as they watched cannonballs streak across the sky like blazing trails of light. The tremors beneath their feet made their souls feel like they were being ripped from their bodies, their faces pale with fright.
Ten thousand cannons. All fired at once.
Even the world's most powerful military force—the Marine Headquarters—couldn't unleash a barrage .
They could only watch in horror as ship after ship from Shiki's so-called invincible flying fleet was torn apart under the relentless hail of fire. Burning wreckage and dismembered pirate corpses rained down from the sky like hellish embers.
For the pirates aboard the Flying Pirate Fleet, there was no escape. All they could do was stare in helpless despair as their ships exploded beneath them, the flames consuming them alive.
Being airborne meant there was nowhere to run. Even jumping ship was pointless. ᴛʜɪs ᴄʜᴀᴘᴛᴇʀ ɪs ᴜᴘᴅᴀᴛᴇ ʙʏ noᴠelfire.net
They could only watch death barrel toward them—and die with their eyes wide open.
"That damned brat Daren..."
Sengoku was just as stunned, completely speechless.
He'd tried to guess what kind of method Daren would use to deal with Shiki's airborne fleet.
Maybe he'd use the power of the Jiki Jiki no Mi to restrain them, then let Borsalino finish the job.
Or perhaps he'd rely on his flight ability to close in and dismantle the fleet ship by ship...
But never—not in a million years—had Sengoku expected Daren to go for something this... brutal. This simple.
Shiki's fleet had overwhelming air-to-ground firepower. But it wasn't invincible.
So what if you had hundreds of cannons?
Daren just built ten thousand.
By exploiting the unique architecture of Coin Island, he had weaponized the entire island.
On this metal-clad battleground... Rogers Daren was a one-man war fortress.
More importantly, he had clearly seen through the weakness of the Fuwa Fuwa no Mi.
Its power lies in "floating," not control.
Which meant that when faced with ten thousand high-speed projectiles, Shiki had no way to lift his fleet fast enough. The floating speed was far too limited.
Meanwhile, clad in black, "The Conflagration" King was watching the destruction unfold, his face dark with dread. His voice trembled as he muttered,
"He took out Shiki's fleet by himself... this guy..."
Ever since Daren had destroyed the Beasts Pirates' production line at their base, he'd been placed on their must-kill list.
Queen had even been punished by Kaidou for "failing to guard properly."
But now, it was clear—the destruction of their base wasn't due to Queen's negligence.
They had simply underestimated this Marine from the North Blue.
"You seem distracted..."
A lazy voice suddenly rang out nearby.
King's expression shifted slightly—then a sharp pain tore through his gut.
A piercing golden beam shot straight through his abdomen, blood gushing out in streams.
Not far away, Borsalino stood with his index finger still raised, smirking faintly.
King gritted his teeth, flames erupting across his body. With a snarl, he drew his blade and lunged at Borsalino once again!
The two clashed in a furious melee!
The thunder of cannon fire still roared across the island.
Marco, who had been hiding in the crowd, lifted his head slightly from beneath his hood, eyes wide as he stared at the endless array of heavy cannons covering the ground. His eyelids twitched uncontrollably.
The appearance of Shiki—one of the Great Pirates, rivaled only by his own old man—had been terrifying enough on its own.
Especially when he summoned his invincible fleet, Marco had truly believed the Marines were doomed to suffer massive losses this time.
But never—not in his wildest thoughts—did he expect such a jaw-dropping reversal in less than ten seconds.
Shiki's flying fleet, the one that had dominated the seas, the one no one could touch...
Had been blasted apart like firecrackers, bursting into smoke and flame that painted the sky.
If he hadn't witnessed it himself, Marco would never believe this was real.
He glanced cautiously at the Marine Commodore standing in the center of that sea of cannons, then instinctively shrank deeper into his hood.
Compared to the last time they met, this Marine's presence had grown drastically—enough to surpass even his own.
His gaze flicked discreetly toward the auction platform, now reduced to rubble.
A handful of trembling security personnel huddled protectively around the Moa Moa no Mi, while the tailcoat-wearing auctioneer lay buried beneath a collapsed wall.
"...There's still a chance."
Marco's eyes narrowed, and after a breath's pause, he whispered under his breath.
The earth beneath them rumbled as another wave of cannon fire unleashed a brutal recoil, shaking the ground and sending gravel jumping into the air.
Bullet stood there, stunned by the sheer devastation unleashed by the ten-thousand-cannon barrage, a drop of cold sweat sliding down his temple.
A thought suddenly struck him—he immediately tore off the metal arms he'd created using the Gasha Gasha no Mi and flung them far away.
"That bastard Daren... he's gotten way too strong!"
He muttered bitterly.
But the gleam in his eyes—the thirst for battle—only intensified.
The shattered remains of the pirate fleet fell from the sky in a blazing rain of debris, streaking through the air like a shower of meteors.
Five seconds later, the barrage finally came to an end.
Thick black smoke spilled from the red-hot barrels of the cannons, rising in columns from every corner of Coin Island.
When the smoke finally began to clear...
Everyone slowly lifted their heads, trembling, their eyes fixed fearfully on the sky above.
The once-dreaded, "invincible" flying fleet... had vanished completely.
Only a single figure remained, floating silently in the sky, veiled in lingering smoke.
His head hung low, golden hair partially obscuring his face.
But everyone could see it clearly—Shiki's hands, still gripping his swords, were trembling.
"Such a shame... your fleet's gone."
A mocking voice rang out.
Everyone turned to look.
There, the Marine Commodore who had knelt moments ago was now rising to his feet, his chest heaving as he sucked in heavy breaths. The effort of creating that colossal cannon array had clearly taken its toll.
Yet his eyes gleamed with untamed defiance. His smile carried nothing but ruthless resolve.
Behind him, a black Cursed Sword slowly floated up, hovering in the air, its blade pointed directly at the Great Pirate in the sky.
"So... am I finally worthy to be your opponent, Shiki?"