Gear Fifth: Nika Form!
And manifested simultaneously with the Shadow Assembly Ground state.
"Hey, you said this technique is called Shadow Assembly Ground, right?"
Luffy grinned. "Then this is my Gear Fifth: Shadow Assembly Ground Form!"
He gripped the giant cleaver tighter and stretched his arm high into the sky!
Then, his arm began spinning at high speed like a drill.
A terrifying storm of sword pressure began to gather around him, tearing through the air with a piercing hum.
The surrounding fog was churned wildly, forming a massive vortex!
Not far away, Zoro, who had just finished his fight, watched this scene. His pupils contracted sharply, and his grip on Shusui unconsciously tightened. "That kind of sword pressure... since when did Luffy have the presence of a great swordsmaster?!"
Vivi sensed that the surrounding air currents had become extremely dangerous, as if they might be torn apart by the invisible sword pressure. She quickly pulled Robin back. "Everyone, fall back! Get as far away from here as possible!"
They could easily be caught in the aftermath.
The nearby zombies felt a primal terror. Faced with power like that, they would rather bury themselves in the ground!
"Oars, stop gawking! Take out that Straw Hat brat now!"
Moria, watching through the control panel as Luffy's aura climbed without apparent limit, broke out in a cold sweat. The sense of foreboding in his heart grew stronger.
His confidence in Oars began to waver. He even recalled Kuma's earlier warning.
Maybe Aokiji really hadn't gone easy on him?
And now that this Straw Hat brat had absorbed one hundred of his shadows... just how strong had he become?
"O-OH!"
Oars, though confused, was absolutely obedient to Moria's commands. He raised the remaining half of the stone pillar and swung it at Luffy with all his might.
Just then, Luffy opened his eyes. Light blazed from within them. He let out a battle cry and swung the giant cleaver down—the spiral charge having reached its peak:
"Gear Fifth! Gomu Gomu Rasen: Kenbu!"
HUM—
With Luffy's swing, an enormous sword pressure—a terrifying slash containing countless tiny spiral blades within—shot forth like a destructive tornado, unstoppable, meeting Oars head-on.
It tore through the sky!
It split the fog apart!
The stone pillar Oars had swung crumbled to dust the moment it made contact, as if it were made of paper.
Then, the devastating spiral sword pressure swallowed Oars' massive body without resistance.
There was no earth-shattering explosion.
Instead, all that remained was the high-pitched sizzle of rapid cutting and annihilation.
Oars' enormous frame, caught in the spiral sword pressure, was shredded like meat in a grinder. It was torn apart and reduced to countless fragments in an instant.
Even his massive bones were ground to nothing.
The sword pressure continued onward, clearing everything within several dozen meters of the space between where Luffy and Oars had stood!
The ground was gouged into a bottomless trench. Every obstacle—buildings, rocks, and any zombies unfortunate enough to be caught in the blast—had vanished without a trace!
Oars' colossal body had completely disintegrated, leaving only a scattering of dust in the air.
Lola and the others in the distance watched this scene, as if witnessing divine punishment. Their mouths hung open, unable to close for a long time.
They had expected Luffy to be strong, but not this strong!
That mountain-like giant... had been taken down in a single strike?!
"That sword technique... was it created using the Gum-Gum Fruit?"
Zoro's face burned with eagerness, his eyes blazing with a yearning for the pinnacle of swordsmanship. "Combining rotational force with a slash to produce such terrifying destructive power... Luffy's imagination is incredible. I could learn from that!"
"Amazing!"
"Way to go, Luffy!"
Chopper and Usopp snapped out of it, hugging each other in excitement, jumping and shouting. The frustration of being surrounded by zombie generals moments ago was completely washed away.
The remaining zombies were already trembling in fear, wishing they could dig holes and bury themselves.
In the distance, the castle's main mast, shaken by the recent shockwave, creaked ominously, as if it could collapse at any moment.
Nami looked at the ravaged battlefield, as if scoured by a natural disaster, and muttered quietly, "Is Luffy going to tear apart the whole ship?"
This wasn't an ordinary sailing ship—it was a vessel as enormous as an island.
Sinking an island in one strike... was this their captain?
In the distance, Vivi stared at the place where Oars had vanished, still shaken. "What about Moria? Did he disappear too?"
Robin mused, "Under an attack like that... I'm afraid his chances weren't good."
But just as everyone thought the battle was over, a rustling sound came from the ruins where Oars had been reduced to rubble—along with Moria's furious, frantic scream.
"Damn you, Straw Hat brat! You destroyed my precious Oars!"
"Hisan Kōmori!"
From beneath the rubble came a sharp, strange cry.
Moria's onion-shaped hairstyle peeked out from the debris.
Surviving Luffy's devastating spiral sword dance was a stroke of luck, but it had clearly come at a great cost.
Lump-like shadows split into countless small balls, transforming into small bat-like shadows that shot toward Luffy. They swarmed over him, covering his body and surrounding him.
PAT.
Luffy flicked his hand. The bats suddenly exploded.
Like ink, they scattered in the air around him.
The onion-shaped head swayed left and right. A massive hand clawed its way out of the rubble, sweeping aside the wreckage and revealing an enormous figure.
Moria climbed out, quite battered. He looked disheveled and covered in bloody scratches—though compared to Oars, who had been reduced to less than dust, he was in much better shape.
In Oars' final moments of disintegration, the Kagemusha ability had allowed Moria to escape.
Moria's eyes were wide, bloodshot veins visible as he glared at Luffy.
He was furious.
The giant zombie he had spent years plotting to create—gone in a single swing of Luffy's sword.
What was the point of it all?
Years of work, destroyed overnight!
At that moment, Moria finally understood a little of how Crocodile must have felt.
THUD.
Luffy landed from mid-air. He looked at Moria, somewhat surprised.
So this was a Warlord of the Sea after all?
Their survival abilities were top-notch.
Moria glared at Luffy, whose body was wreathed in white flame clouds and blue-black shadow aura. His rage boiled over. "Straw Hat brat! You've destroyed years of my preparations! That was my ticket to becoming Pirate King!"
Luffy couldn't help but retort, "A single giant was going to make you Pirate King? Were you asleep?"
"...!"
Moria was at a loss for words.
He could have argued with anyone else. But Luffy had just sliced Oars into nothing. What could Moria possibly say?
Moria was in a sorry state, barely able to stand.
But just as he struggled to his feet, before he could catch his breath—
The world before his eyes blurred!
***
Dive deeper into the story with 30+ advance chapters, available now on Patreon!
patreon.com/CNBLUE
If you're enjoying the novel, please consider leaving a review. Your support is crucial and helps the story grow immensely. Thank you!