"Who is that? Is that a new member of the Twelve Zodiac come to help?"
Akainu's pupils constricted sharply as he saw the figure materialize within the pocket dimension. The starlight swirling across the Mask of Shifting Stars exuded an ethereal air of mystery and grandeur.
More crucially, upon closer inspection, it became clear that... It wasn't just the mask. A veil of light as thin as mist enveloped the figure's entire body.
Within this shimmering curtain, constellations shifted endlessly and stars aligned and realigned.
Standing beneath the night sky, the figure seemed to command the cosmos itself.
In that instant, a wild suspicion took root in Akainu's mind.
"Battleship, full speed ahead!" He roared with unprecedented fury.
He knew that if the figure's identity matched his suspicion, then...
"We must capture him here!"
As he spoke, he glanced at Saint Rimoshifu Killingham, who was also airborne. Although he was an Admiral stationed at Mary Geoise, he lacked authorization to know the specific details of the God Knights, but he was certainly aware of their existence.
Akainu knew very well that, as symbols of divine martial power, the God Knights each possessed extraordinary abilities and combat prowess.
"At least stalling him should be no problem," He thought.
"Huh?!"
But the next moment, Akainu froze.
He could see that the God Knight known as Saint Rimoshifu was trembling violently, his flame-like beard almost erupting. His wide-eyed gaze was filled with astonishment unlike anything Akainu had ever seen before.
"You are..."
He stared at the figure, clutching his trident tightly.
"Too similar... that stance is too similar."
Though there were some minor discrepancies from the legends, there was no doubt.
"That's him... or at least someone connected to him." Saint Rimoshifu Killingham naturally understood the significance of 'that person'.
Thirty-three years ago, the unprecedented 'Hunting Competition' took place during the God Valley incident.
As one of the God Knights' youngest members, he hadn't participated in the hunt.
However, he had heard about the unexpected events that unfolded during the hunt, such as the massive chaos caused by the arrival of pirates and the sudden appearance of a certain individual afterwards.
This name was known only to the God Knights and the Gorōsei (Five Elder Stars), and even among the Celestial Dragons, it was deliberately concealed and erased from records.
Even Saint Rimoshifu Killingham, who later joined the God Knights, was uncertain about what had actually happened. All he knew was that after the great battle, only one member of the previous generation of God Knights remained, along with a unique Divine Blade.
That name had surpassed even the cursed David and D. Clans, soaring to the top of the God Knights' hunting list.
That name was...
"God's Ultimate Enemy, Star Lord!"
Behind Killingham, a pair of pristine white wings materialized from the fiery clouds, while a swarm of diminutive creatures shrouded in howling winds appeared to be pulling him along.
Simultaneously,
From the depths of the sea below, the colossal sea beast Leviathan and a multitude of immense Dream Creatures surged forth, heading unmistakably towards the figure within the pocket dimension.
Dream Creation: Angel's Wings
Dream Creature: Wind Fairy
Dream Creature: Sphinx
Dream Creature: Two-Headed Evil Dragon
This legion of powerful dream creatures served as irrefutable proof of his mastery of his Devil Fruit ability.
Naturally, not all of these dream creatures originated from him alone. Many were drawn from the Dream Slaves he cultivated in Mary Geoise.
Killingham knew that such extensive dream manipulation would weaken, or even kill, these Dream Slaves.
"What did it matter?"
"Dream Slaves are expendable. We can always get more."
Killingham strode across the flaming clouds, his wings beating powerfully behind him. His drowsy, sleepy expression had vanished completely, replaced by feverish excitement.
He was already calculating the rewards that the God's Knights would offer for uncovering clues about the Star Lord.
"If he's connected to the Star Lord, capturing him could make me captain of the God's Knights. If he truly is the Star Lord, capturing or killing him would make me one of the Five Elder Stars!"
The Five Elder Stars represented eternal life and limitless power. Even within the God's Knights, an organization that already possessed everything, such a reward would be extraordinary and irresistible.
Therefore, despite knowing his opponent would undoubtedly be powerful and dangerous, Killingham didn't hesitate for a moment before launching his attack.
Meanwhile...
"Just made it."
Roy watched the swarm of Dreamlike Creatures surging towards him. Beneath the Mask of Shifting Stars, his heart remained calm, and he even felt a lingering sense of relief.
Although both Akainu and the God Knight had appeared far sooner than anticipated, at least he had arrived in time.
Moreover,
"The God Knight... he seems to recognize me."
Killingham's reaction left no doubt about this, further solidifying Roy's earlier suspicions about God Valley.
Beyond that, Roy could see ice spreading across the sea behind Sabaody.
On the distant horizon, near Marineford, a battleship was flashing its signal lights as it approached.
Aokiji and Kizaru were both rapidly converging on the Sabaody Archipelago.
But clearly, none of that mattered to Roy at that moment.
As Youji had said earlier, this was a 'withdrawal battle.'
"Engaging in unnecessary combat is pointless. All I need to do is one thing."
With that thought, Roy moved.
Facing the countless Dreamlike Creatures swarming from the sky and sea, he slowly raised a single finger.
Around him, iridescent flame clouds swirled like reflections of the stars.
And from the tip of that finger...
Buzz!
Vast, boundless starlight began to converge at that moment.
It was the Devil Fruit he currently possessed:
[Fusion Devil Fruit: Unrestrained Buddha Body.]
[Fusion materials: Human-Human Fruit: Giant Humanoid Form LV5 + Human-Human Fruit: Model: Daibutsu LV5 + Human-Human Fruit LV5]
[Devil Fruit Ability – Fusion: Simultaneously merges the powers of three Devil Fruits. This grants the user a formidable physique, the ability to unleash devastating shockwaves from every part of their body, and to shroud themselves in Buddhist light. It also gives them peak human brainpower, learning ability, and physical prowess.]
[Additional Fusion Devil Fruit Ability: Unrestrained Buddha Body]
[Ability 1: The user can freely manipulate the size of their incarnation and customise the external appearance of their transformed 'Buddha Body,' 'Buddhist Light,' and 'shockwaves.']
This explains the starlight swirling around Roy, the multicolored flame clouds, and the shifting constellations on his Mask of Shifting Stars.
At this moment, Roy was utilizing the second ability of this Devil Fruit.
[Effect 2: Simultaneously activate the Awakening effects of the Giant Devil Fruit and the Great Buddha Fruit to enter the Instant Self-Liberation Tathagata state. In this form, you gain a physique and strength comparable to that of the Ancient Giant Tribe, and your shockwaves can absorb any other energy to amplify their destructive force.]
This form consumes vast amounts of stamina. The more energy the shockwave absorbs, the stronger it becomes, but the greater the stamina expenditure for that attack.
And precisely at that moment:
Magu-Magu Fruit LV3
Hie Hie no Mi (Ice-Ice Fruit) LV3
Glint-Glint Fruit LV4
Dice-Dice Fruit LV4
Explosion Devil Fruit LV4
In a split second, the various energies contained within the rapidly switching Devil Fruits converged to form a starlight that coalesced at his fingertip. Blazing heat, icy cold, explosive force, and razor-sharp edges... within that starlight, it seemed as if all phenomena and natures had converged.
Each attribute and energy was merely a facet of the starlight.
And then...
"!!!"
Both Killingham and the countless Dream Creatures surging towards Star Lord froze instantly, forced to halt by the aftershocks emanating from the starlight on Star Lord's fingertip.
"What is this...?"
Killingham's gaze locked onto the starlight emanating from Star Lord's fingertip. He could sense the incomprehensible power contained within it.
Buzz!
The mere overflow of this power nearly crushed the sea surface below, creating a deep depression. At that moment, Killingham thought he could see the icy gaze swirling with celestial patterns beneath Star Lord's mask.
"...This is my limit."
Roy could sense it, too.
Even the formidable physique of the Ancient Giant Tribe was straining to contain the wisp of starlight flickering at the tip of his finger.
This was his current 'maximum output.'
"After this one strike, my stamina will be completely depleted. But it's perfect for the situation."
His gaze swept across Killingham and the countless Dreamlike Creatures.
"Multiplication Devil Fruit: 50x Speed."
"Mark Devil Fruit: Mark."
Without a sound, the Mark materialised.
Then, he lightly flicked his finger. The starlight at his fingertip abruptly collapsed, as if the entire starry sky had been compressed into that infinitesimal point.
"Esoterics: Stellar Piercer!"
Then...
"Buzz!!"
Destruction descended.
Akainu, who was approaching rapidly from the distant sea, could clearly see the cataclysmic moment unfolding.
At that moment, an impossibly vast stellar light erupted from the fingertip of The Twelve Zodiac, who had appeared suddenly and seemingly casually flicked their fingers.
This light seemed to pierce through space, instantly materializing beside Saint Rimoshifu Killingham.
'!!!'
The God Knight didn't even have time to react before he vanished into the starlight. His Mythological Beast-Devil Fruit Awakened physique evaporated without a drop of blood being spilled.
The countless Dreamlike Creatures were vaporized alongside him.
The Leviathan, whose body stretched over a thousand meters, was also struck by the attack. The moment the starlight touched its armor, flesh, and bones, they instantly disintegrated into dust.
The God Knight and his Dream Legion, accumulated over years, were utterly annihilated by this single strike, not surviving for even a moment.
But this was only the beginning.
After instantly obliterating Killingham and the Dreamlike Creatures, the vast starlight continued its relentless advance, unabated.
Hōng lóng!
Wherever it passed, the entire sea split as if cleaved by a celestial blade!
The sea surface cracked open in an instant, forming a bottomless 'sea canyon' stretching to the horizon.
Yet this was still not the end.
As the starlight surged onward, Akainu instinctively knew its destination.
In that direction lay a colossal entity known to every living soul in the world.
Since the dawn of recorded history, it had stood unwaveringly, dividing the Four Seas and cleaving the world in two.
It seemed to embody the very essence of the world itself.
That was...
"Red Line!"
This all happened in an instant.
The star that had shone so brightly in the night sky had collided with the Red Line.
And so...
'..."
Aokiji, who had just arrived at the Sabaody Archipelago, froze in his tracks, the sound of his boots crunching on the frost-covered ground filling the air.
Boom!
Neither the earth-shattering explosion nor the tremors that shook the entire archipelago could faze him. However, when he saw the impact site on the distant Red Line, he wavered.
At that moment...
"Hey, hey, you've gotta be kidding me, right?"
On a battleship far out at sea, Kizaru took off his sunglasses. His usual glib and sleazy tone had vanished, replaced by extreme gravity.
Yes.
At that moment, everyone... the three admirals, the people of the Sabaody Archipelago, and those on the surrounding seas... could see it.
Far, far away...
A gaping hole had been blasted through the colossal red continent that had stood immovable above the sea since time immemorial, untouched by the footsteps of countless heroes and conquerors.
It had been completely pierced through.
Although the wound was almost insignificant compared to the Red Line's immense size, people could see the sea on the other side through the massive hole.
It was the sea of the New World.
And, by sheer coincidence, Akainu, who was closest to the battlefield, could see... At the far end of the horizon of the New World, the sun was just rising.
The final second of night had passed.
Dawn had arrived.
The faint rays of the rising sun streamed through the hole in the Red Line and fell precisely upon a figure standing there.
The figure, whose mask shimmered with swirling stars, stood motionless.
Even Akainu's heart couldn't help but feel an indescribable awe at this sight.
"Star Lord," He murmured, clenching his fist tightly. He had heard Killingham's low growl earlier.
But after witnessing a strike seemingly capable of piercing the stars themselves, he now understood the true weight behind that name.
Even for him, that strike was beyond comprehension.
Just then, he saw Star Lord slowly turn around.
Buzz!
He gently raised his hand, the motion deliberate and unhurried.
The Space Gate closed at an equally unhurried pace. But Akainu knew… it was because no one could stop him now.
Buzz!!
Simultaneously, at the spot where Killingham had previously stood, the God Knight's figure, which had already been reduced to dust, began to slowly reassemble.
Hah hah. Ha. Ha.
He gasped heavily, still shaken by the inconceivable power of the previous strike.
He naturally understood that if not for his status as a God Knight and the 'blessing' bestowed upon him by the Lord of the World, that single strike would have annihilated him completely, leaving not even ashes behind.
It was precisely then that he also saw Star Lord's figure gradually fading away.
In his ears still echoed the calm, indifferent words the other had left behind:
'This strike was just a greeting.'
'Give my regards to Imu.'
(End of Chapter)
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