"The main player has finally arrived."
"If they join forces, Hamura, we..."
As that heavy voice echoed, the Sage of the Six Paths and Otsutsuki Hamura looked up in unison.
Under the moonlight, a pitch-black figure slowly stepped out of the shadows, wielding a tachi with a blade that gleamed with a chilling light.
The figure did not exude an overwhelming aura or bone-chilling killing intent, yet the moment he appeared, his powerful presence instantly commanded everyone's attention.
A solemn, murderous atmosphere permeated the entire battlefield, weighing down on everyone until they could barely breathe.
Feeling this profound pressure, the Sage of the Six Paths looked grim, while Otsutsuki Hamura broke into a cold sweat.
Just two of the Shinigami's subordinates had been this difficult to deal with.
If the Shinigami himself took action, who knew what kind of world-shattering destruction would follow?
Seeing Ren appear and draw the blade at his waist, Big Mom relaxed her combat stance and flashed a grin.
"Ma-ma-ma-ma! From the looks of it, do you plan to step in yourself?"
"You don't actually need to do anything. Linlin and I are more than enough to crush these two old geezers."
Kaido shouldered his spiked club, the excitement of battle still burning on his face.
Ren walked forward, his gaze sweeping over the four combatants on the battlefield, taking in every detail.
"Linlin, Kaido, I have no doubt you would emerge victorious, but that would take far too long."
"I've been watching from above for long enough. It is time I stretched my legs as well."
As he spoke, Ren reached the space between Linlin and Kaido, his gaze finally shifting forward to settle on the Sage of the Six Paths and his brother, Hamura.
He had expected these two old men, as the ancestors of the shinobi world, to possess staggering power and wisdom.
After observing the battle, Ren wasn't exactly disappointed, but he did feel a sense of letdown.
The two brothers certainly had the power to destroy the heavens and earth, but their combat intuition... well, it left much to be desired.
'If I had known it would be like this, why did I bother with so much preparation? I could have won just by charging in.'
First sending scouts, then bringing Whitebeard as reinforcement, and even positioning King in the sky to cut off any retreat...
For a moment, Ren felt that all these tactical plans he had formulated were a waste of effort and energy.
"Ma-ma-ma-ma! This is the first time we've seen you fight since we joined your ranks."
"It is the perfect chance to show us your true power."
Big Mom's wild laughter echoed across the battlefield.
As contractors linked to Ren, with much of their current strength originating from him, they naturally knew how powerful he was.
However, they had little concept of exactly how vast that power truly was.
If Ren failed to demonstrate sufficient capability, she wouldn't continue to be so polite.
Kaido's fighting spirit was still peaking, and he looked dissatisfied at Ren's words.
"Great King Enma, it is rare to have a battle like this. I'm just getting started, and I haven't had my fill yet."
"I could keep this up for three days and nights without a problem! As long as we win in the end, what does it matter!"
Ren shifted his gaze, looking up slightly at the arrogant Kaido standing beside him.
"Step down, Kaido. I don't wish to waste any more time."
"But, I haven't—"
Thud!
Before Kaido could finish, he felt a crushing weight descend from the sky, slamming him into the ground.
This pressure seemed infinite, tearing at his flesh and making his bones creak under the unbearable strain.
"Lord Kaido!"
Jack started to move toward him, but his voice cut off as his body went rigid and frozen.
His pupils dilated. Jack couldn't comprehend what was happening to him.
He felt as though an invisible will had pinned him to the spot. He lost all sensation in his limbs, and his strength vanished without a trace, as if his soul had been severed from his body.
He couldn't even speak or perform a task as simple as blinking.
Ren's eyes lowered, looking at Kaido pinned to the dirt.
Covered in blood, Kaido gritted his teeth, refusing to make a sound as he endured the sudden, massive pressure.
"Kaido, I said it once. Please step down."
"What is your answer?"
Ren eased the pressure slightly, giving Kaido a chance to catch his breath.
"Huff... huff..."
Feeling the weight lift, Kaido gulped in fresh air, a look of exhaustion crossing his face.
He looked up at the Shinigami standing before him.
The Shinigami wasn't particularly tall, yet in Kaido's eyes at that moment, he appeared like a colossus that touched the heavens.
The giant occupied his entire field of vision, those towering eyes glowing with a brilliance that manifested as physical pressure, pinning him to the earth.
"Forgive me. I let the blood rush to my head."
Ren's intimidating pressure acted like a bucket of ice water, extinguishing the fire in Kaido's veins.
The soaring battle spirit he had felt just moments ago vanished completely.
Hearing Kaido's response, Ren nodded slightly and released the pressure with a single thought.
Kaido stumbled to his feet. Behind him, Jack regained his senses and hurried to Kaido's side to support him.
"Lord Kaido, are you alright?"
"Ma-ma-ma-ma! You finally learned your lesson, eh, Kaido?"
Big Mom chuckled mockingly but still went over to check on Kaido's condition.
Kaido was a bloody mess with shredded flesh and broken bones, but his internal organs and brain were unharmed; the injuries were purely physical.
'A full meal and a long sleep will be enough to fix this.'
"Maybe you'll remember this next time you think about being arrogant."
Relieved, Big Mom glanced at Ren. Seeing no anger on his face, it was clear he had held back, intending only to teach Kaido a lesson.
"Ren, if you're taking over, we'll clear the field at once."
"Linlin, Kaido, make sure to get some distance. Don't get caught in the aftermath of my battle."
Ren gave his instructions. Watching the four move away, he returned his attention to the two brothers before him.
"My apologies for making you wait."
"My lack of discipline over my subordinates has led to this farce."
The Sage of the Six Paths had kept his focus entirely on the Shinigami. He had considered attacking during the distraction.
However, he could clearly sense that even while disciplining his subordinate, the Shinigami remained alert to their movements, ready to counter at any moment.
They hadn't found a single opening. Acting rashly would only reveal a weakness for the enemy to exploit, leading to a swift defeat.
"It seems you have no intention of teaming up with your subordinates against us."
Seeing the opponent's solitary stance, the Sage of the Six Paths felt a secret sense of relief.
Otsutsuki Hamura gripped his staff tightly, his voice low and heavy.
"My brother and I do not share your sense of pride. Against a being like you, we will fight together. Forgive us."
'You're surprisingly polite, Hamura.'
Ren chuckled inwardly, his expression relaxing.
There was no trace of the tension one would expect before a major battle. His ease stood in stark contrast to the high-strung intensity of the brothers.
He shook his head. Though his tone was deep, its casual nature was unmistakable.
"You two may attack whenever you wish. If I fall because of it, then I have only myself to blame. I will have no complaints."
"To be frank, even together, you are no match for me."
It was because he had already seen through the depth of their abilities that Ren could afford to be so composed.
"Incredible confidence, Shinigami from another world."
The Sage of the Six Paths' face darkened.
"Are you so certain of your power that you would look down on us so easily?"
"It isn't disdain. It's simply the truth."
Ren slowly raised his Zanpakuto, holding it horizontally before him as his expression turned solemn.
"Hagoromo, Hamura, I hold no personal grudge against you. This war is merely to satisfy my own ambition: to conquer the Pure Land of the shinobi world."
"You have been dead for ages, yet you stand forth now to protect your home. Your attempt to stop me is undoubtedly righteous. If we are to be technical, the fault lies with me."
"Out of respect for your status as ancestors and your noble spirits, I shall provide you with my name."
"Crosser of space and time from the underworld of another realm, the land where souls gather... Commander-in-Chief of the Onmitsukido, Ren Shihoin."
The Sage of the Six Paths' chakra boiled, sending out currents of air that made his robes flutter. He gripped his staff, assuming a combat stance.
"Founder of Ninshu, Hagoromo Otsutsuki."
Beside him, Hamura's body glowed with translucent chakra as he floated in the void. His long hair drifted as his brilliant Tenseigan fixed a heavy gaze on the Shinigami.
"Hamura Otsutsuki!"
"Hagoromo, Hamura, I will grant you the respect you deserve in this battle."
Ren gripped his sword with both hands, and his spiritual pressure erupted, whipping his clothes around.
He pointed the blade at the two men.
"This blade is a Zanpakuto, a weapon forged from my very soul."
"Once awakened, this blade has two stages of release. With each release, its power multiplies. The first stage is Shikai, possessing the power to sever..."
"The second release further enhances that power. It is called—"
"Bankai!"
BOOM!
Ren's eyes shone with brilliance as his massive spiritual pressure exploded all at once, converging into a pillar of light that pierced the heavens.
The ground beneath him shattered, and Ren stood suspended in mid-air.
Powerful currents of air swirled, sweeping up dust and sand to form a cyclonic storm that spiraled around the pillar of Reiryoku, reaching the sky and scattering the clouds in the night air.
Big Mom and the other three had distanced themselves from the battlefield. Under Gaia's control, the ground rose to form a high platform that held them up.
Though they had left the immediate area, their eyes remained glued to the events unfolding on the battlefield.
Feeling the overwhelming, dense spiritual pressure, the four of them gasped. The very air seemed to have grown heavy.
Watching the tornado on the battlefield below, Big Mom gritted her teeth, cold sweat beading on her forehead.
"A monster!"
"To think he possessed such immense spiritual pressure!"
Perospero, standing beside Big Mom, stopped licking his candy cane, his expression turning sour.
"Mama, our original plan to kidnap him while he was weakened after the battle and force a marriage... it seems that's going to be impossible."
Big Mom nodded heavily.
It was only because she had received a large amount of spiritual pressure from Ren during her fight that she had been able to stand on equal footing with those two old men.
But compared to the spiritual pressure Ren was unleashing now, that amount had been a mere drop in the ocean.
The difference between the two was staggering—a literal world of difference.
With power of this magnitude, the battle would undoubtedly be a one-sided slaughter.
On Kaido's blood-stained face, a grave expression took hold, his brow furrowed in shock.
"He's planning to release his Zanpakuto... Bankai!"
"He's actually being serious? To use his trump card right at the start!"
Jack kept his gaze fixed below, grunting, "This way, we'll finally get to see what Great King Enma's Bankai is actually capable of."
Hearing that, the other three nodded slightly, a hint of curiosity appearing on their faces.
Meanwhile, under the inexplicable pressure, the two brothers felt a tightness in their chests and a shortness of breath. Their spirits sank to the depths.
Seeing the massive spectacle Ren had created, even if they couldn't measure his power in specific units, the sheer momentum alone told them his strength was far beyond anything they had imagined.
At the same time, they realized the opponent was about to unleash his ultimate move!
"Hamura, treat the next strike as the final one! Give it everything you have!"
"I understand, Brother!"
Seeing this, the two began to draw chakra from their bodies with even greater desperation.
The Truth-Seeking Balls behind the Sage of the Six Paths converged onto his staff, forming a massive, interlaced weapon.
"Sword of Nunoboko!"
This was a weapon of the heart, fueled by his powerful will.
As long as his conviction to protect the shinobi world remained unshakable, he would never be defeated!
Hamura's eyes grew brighter as his chakra surged. His staff merged with the Truth-Seeking Balls, transforming into a colossal golden chakra blade that stretched toward the heavens.
"Golden Wheel Rebirth Explosion!"
This was the strongest attack he could muster; nothing in the world could withstand this blade!
Just as the two were preparing their assault, the pillar of light ahead began to dissipate. The sandstorm stopped abruptly, sending waves of dust surging in every direction.
The Sage of the Six Paths and his brother stood firm against the buffeting air, their eyes fixed on the center of the storm.
A massive crater had appeared in the ground. A pitch-black figure hovered in the air, his Zanpakuto gone, replaced by a long, slender weapon.
It resembled a zhanmadao with a black hilt about a meter long. The double-edged blade was nearly as tall as a person, gleaming with a cold, clear light under the moon.
A chain was attached to the hilt, dangling in the air with its end wrapped around Ren's waist.
Ren held the hilt with one hand, the blade held horizontally at his side before he slowly let it drop.
As he moved, the chain emitted a crisp clinking sound.
BOOM!
The moment the blade fell, the land before it—the mountain-like rock walls surrounding the battlefield and the earth beyond—all split open in a massive rift.
The cut was clean and precise, extending forward until it vanished beyond the horizon.
Ren's voice rang out clearly across the battlefield.
"Three thousand worlds, every karmic burden, all of creation... Severed in a single stroke!"
[Reviews - Power St0nes - Comments are highly appreciated to keep me going.....(+50 chapters) patre0n.c0m/talecrafter]