Right now, chaos was erupting across multiple sectors of both the World Government and the Marines.
Holy Land – Mariejois.
Inside the grand palace of the Five Elders.
"What did you say?! A fierce clash broke out between Golden Ring Aeridar and Gecko Moria on Jaya Island!?"
"Yes, Elder. The intel came directly from our CP9 agent stationed on the island—"
"Damn it. Keep a close eye on the situation. I want real-time updates, no matter what happens."
Marine Headquarters – Marineford.
At the top level of the fortress, inside the Fleet Admiral's office.
"That bastard Aeridar, he just can't help but stir up trouble, can he?!"
Fleet Admiral Sengoku slammed the Den Den Mushi on his desk, roaring as his palm followed with a heavy thud.
"Send a warship to Jaya immediately! I don't care what the outcome is, whoever loses, throw them into Impel Down!
And get me in contact with Bartholomew Kuma! If Moria loses and there's a chance to eliminate Golden Ring Aeridar, then eliminate him. If not, extract Moria. We cannot afford to lose a Warlord of the Sea at this critical time!"
On the sofa nearby, a lanky man in a yellow-striped suit lounged casually. With his black curls, stubbled chin, and sunglasses, he looked like a sleazy middle-aged uncle sipping from a steaming teacup. Pursing his lips, he drawled,
"So scary~ The Fleet Admiral actually thinks Moria might lose? Are the rookies really that terrifying these days?"
"Cut the smug commentary, Kizaru," Sengoku snapped, shooting a glare at the Admiral. "If Demon Mask Gutte isn't captured or killed by you, I'll make sure you regret it."
"Oh no~ how frightening," Kizaru said, blowing on his tea. "Still, in the name of Marine justice... even if it's that monster Demon Mask Gutte, I'll see it through."
"Tch, don't give me that crap, bastard! You're not even scratched!"
Gecko Moria pointed at Aeridar's torso, seething.
Aeridar's entire upper body was sheathed in jet-black Armament Haki, the sunlight glinting off it like polished metal.
As the Haki faded, Aeridar grinned.
"Hey, I never said it didn't hurt. It did sting a bit."
But that was all. As one of the Warlords of the Sea, Moria's strength was undeniable. If Aeridar hadn't been using Armament Haki, he might've taken actual damage. But thanks to the Haki's defensive properties, and the shockwave dispersion he added, he walked away with nothing but a dull ache.
There was no denying it: Armament Haki was incredible. It enhanced both offense and defense like an invisible armor. It could clash with Devil Fruit powers, even affect Logia users physically. Aeridar couldn't help but think:
If I had been born into some elite family when I crossed over, and had a full system of training, I'd study the hell out of how Haki works.
"Then I'll just beat you to death."
Moria's tone turned vicious.
A moment later, the towering Moria and his Shadow Asura lunged at Aeridar from both sides.
The earth shattered. Dust filled the skies. A brutal battle exploded between the two.
"Spiky Shadow Lizard!"
Enraged after being punched back by Aeridar, Moria swung his arm. His shadow extended into a spear over dozens of meters long, ripping through several buildings, but narrowly missing Aeridar.
"You're the one who's dead. Impact Wave!!!"
Not wanting to tank the attack head-on, Aeridar dodged, but retaliated with equal ferocity, driving his fist forward.
A luminous shockwave burst from his punch, distorting the air with concussive force. Half the street was obliterated. Houses, pavement, and stone all blew apart like paper under a typhoon.
Moria roared. His towering Doppelamn leapt in front of him, shifting into a massive rectangular shield. The structure cracked and shattered under the impact wave, but it held, stopping Aeridar's attack.
"Run! We'll get caught in it!"
"They're going to level the whole island!"
"There are people in this world that strong?!"
Onlookers who had been watching from nearby homes scattered in panic. The mere aftershocks of the battle left them quaking in terror. Many cursed their parents for not birthing them with extra legs, hell, some were nearly ready to go home and ask to be reborn for a better chance at survival.
"Those two... No wonder they're both worth over 300 million berries."
High atop a building hundreds of meters away, a man in a red-and-black cherry blossom shirt, black cape, leather pants, and boots stood watching.
Owen's handsome features were twitching with unease as he muttered, "That's what real monsters look like."
The strange-haired pirates beside him were outright trembling, faces pale with terror. None of them had ever witnessed a clash between titans .
Moria and his Doppelman reached Aeridar in tandem, fists raised high. The wind pressure alone was enough to suffocate a normal man. But Aeridar met them head-on, fists colliding.
The ground cracked and caved in under the impact. Shockwaves erupted like tidal rings of dust and debris, plowing the earth in every direction.
Aeridar's arms trembled with power as he sent Moria and his shadow flying. Then, with a stomp, he leapt into the air, trailing a hiss of white vapor.
Standing on the ground, Moria narrowed his eyes. With a sweep of his arm, the Doppelman dissolved into thousands of screeching bats, surging upward.
"Same old tricks. Time to show you something new."
Floating midair, Aeridar sneered at the incoming bats, then grinned in a way that sent chills down Moria's spine.
Raising his arm, he clenched his fist. Muscles bulged, veins popped. A pale white light began to shimmer around his knuckles, then formed a ten-centimeter wide pressure ring, enclosing the entire fist.
Moria's eyes widened. His face twisted in disbelief.
"That... no way... That's—?!"
"You guessed it!" Aeridar's grin widened. Then, with a roar, he punched downward.
Like glass shattering, the atmosphere itself split open, long, jagged fissures spiderwebbing out like a mirror punched by a god.
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