As soon as Akainu finished speaking, the Black Sea surged violently. At its center, a white vortex formed, its brilliance stark against the endless darkness.
Aramaki's expression darkened as he clenched his teeth.
"That Joy Boy is like a cockroach, he still is not dead?"
A sharp hum echoed through the air.
A blade of light particles condensed in Kizaru's hand, forming the Ama no Murakumo Sword. He adjusted his glasses with one hand, his tone casual yet focused.
"As expected, it will not end so easily. Everyone, prepare for battle."
Akainu cast a glance at Aramaki, his voice heavy and commanding.
"Aramaki, Aokiji's ability is restricted here. You will create the battlefield."
Aramaki respected Akainu enough to comply without argument. He nodded, spreading his arms wide. From behind him, dense spores poured out like drifting mist.
The moment the spores touched the air, they expanded rapidly, transforming into massive dandelions. In an instant, a vast floating field of dandelions formed, filling the sky with an almost surreal beauty.
Without hesitation, Akainu and the others abandoned the ice platform Aokiji had struggled to maintain and leaped onto the dandelions.
Despite their soft appearance, the dandelions remained perfectly stable in the air. Even with the weight of multiple Admirals, they did not tilt or tremble.
Aokiji followed, landing beside them. He flexed his wrist and shot Aramaki an annoyed look.
"I have to ask, why did you not use this earlier? I was about to collapse."
Aramaki snorted.
"I cannot stand your lazy attitude, rookie. Making you work harder is for your own good."
Aokiji fell silent, irritation clear on his face.
Before their exchange could continue, the white vortex at the center of the Black Sea exploded. Towering waves surged upward as Joy Boy, riding Zou, burst into the sky once more.
Behind his lenses, Kizaru's eyes narrowed slightly. He raised a finger, and a laser beam shot forward instantly.
Zou let out a thunderous roar. Its trunk swung forward, forming a circular barrier. The laser struck it, erupting into a violent explosion before scattering into fragments of light.
Lloyd glanced briefly at Akainu and the others, giving a slight nod. Then he turned his attention back to Joy Boy, now high above.
He raised his hand.
"Banshō Tenin."
A powerful gravitational force erupted from his palm, dark and overwhelming. It surged outward like an invisible giant hand, seizing Joy Boy and Zou and dragging them downward with immense force.
Joy Boy laughed loudly. From his mouth, he expelled a dense mass of black energy.
This was the Dark Power that had invaded his body after Lloyd's previous attack. Now, it was finally forced out.
Even so, the damage remained. His Nika power no longer flowed as smoothly as before.
As he descended, Joy Boy steadied himself. His hands grasped at empty space several times, subtly twisting the direction of the force acting on him. In doing so, he broke free from the gravitational pull.
Then, turning his gaze toward the distant sea of dandelions, he laughed.
"Lloyd, your subordinates have arrived. I must admit, they are quite impressive. They can already rival the Twenty Kings from eight hundred years ago."
Lloyd crossed his arms. The Demon Blade Muramasa hovered silently before him as he replied in an indifferent tone.
"What, are you envious? Do you not have a loyal subordinate as well? Or rather, the one you are riding on."
Joy Boy lifted his hand and removed the straw hat from his head.
"I have said it many times. Zou is my companion, not a subordinate."
He paused briefly, then raised his eyes to meet Lloyd's. A strange expression flickered within them.
"And I am not limited to just Zou."
Lloyd's brow lifted slightly. He lowered his arms and released invisible sound waves that swept across tens of thousands of meters.
Aside from the Giant Tribe and the Mink Tribe, who were barely holding on with the help of the Ancient Weapon Pluton, there were no other forces worthy of his attention.
Joy Boy seemed to understand exactly what Lloyd was thinking. A faint smile appeared on his face as he gently rubbed the straw hat in his hand.
When his fingers brushed against a torn gap, his smile froze for an instant before returning.
He looked at Lloyd and said calmly,
"No need to search. My companions are right here."
Lloyd said nothing further. He simply watched.
He wanted to see what Joy Boy was capable of.
A hazy, milky white aura began to emanate from the straw hat. The light spread outward in ripples before Joy Boy suddenly threw it into the air.
The straw hat spun rapidly, its glow intensifying with each rotation.
At that moment, white light filled Joy Boy's eyes as he shouted,
"Liberation, Projection of D."
The light erupted.
From the straw hat, multiple spheres of light scattered outward. They descended onto white flame clouds that materialized from nothingness below, gradually taking on human forms.
As the light faded, Lloyd's expression shifted.
For the first time, a trace of genuine shock appeared on his face.
Standing upon those flame clouds were figures he recognized.
Not only him, the Admirals behind him were equally stunned. Even Akainu's expression changed as he spoke in disbelief.
"This is actually possible?"
On those clouds stood familiar figures.
Ace, Teach, Dragon, Garp, Roger.
A Yonko, the leader of the Revolutionary Army, a legendary Marine Vice Admiral, the Pirate King. Among them, Ace seemed almost insignificant.
These were members of the D. Clan who should have been long dead.
Yet they stood there once more.
Above them all, on the highest flame cloud, stood an imposing and domineering figure.
Akainu and the others did not immediately recognize him.
But Lloyd did.
Rocks D. Xebec.
The Pirate King of the God Valley era.
In addition to the six known figures, there were more than a dozen others, unfamiliar even to Lloyd.
Far away in Mary Geoise, Saint Nusjuro and the others stared in shock.
Even Saint Nusjuro, usually unshakable, nearly lost his grip on his blade. His expression was filled with rare horror.
These were members of the D. Clan who had risen across the past eight hundred years.
Some of them had even fought alongside Joy Boy against the original Twenty Kings.
High in the sky, Joy Boy caught his returning straw hat. He looked at the tear in it and let out a quiet sigh.
"What a pity… there should have been more of the D. Clan."
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