No one knew what to expect when Admiral Akainu suddenly made a reckless and hasty move by charging forward in a bold attempt to attack the Uzukage.
Before anyone could even process what was happening, a dazzling flash of yellow light shot out, streaking toward Akainu with speed faster than sight itself.
In the next heartbeat, blinding gold and burning red collided with cataclysmic force, unleashing a thunderous blast that tore through the air like a violent storm. The shockwave from Naru and Akainu's brutal clash instantly overwhelmed anyone too weak to endure the crushing pressure, leaving countless marines unconscious where they stood.
It was a haunting reenactment of the moment when Ace and Akainu had once faced off, fists colliding with fiery power. But this time, Akainu showed no restraint. There was no psychological trickery, no deliberate taunting or manipulation. Only pure, relentless strength. Having crossed paths with the Uzukage countless times before, now revealed to be the child of Dragon himself, Akainu knew better than anyone how terrifyingly powerful this woman was.
That was why the strength he poured into his current attack was nothing short of his absolute limit. His fury and his resolve to annihilate his enemy were crystal clear to all.
And yet, this infuriating, detestable woman stood unfazed.
Just like every single time before!
Akainu's expression contorted into something uglier than anger when he felt his strength beginning to slip away. Catching the infuriating smirk on her face, he cursed furiously under his breath. She was doing it again. Draining him. Mocking him.
Just as Akainu was grappling to regain control, Naru abruptly lifted her leg and delivered a devastating kick to the side of his head, her strike so powerful that it sent him flying away from her like a ragdoll.
By either chance or perhaps cunning design, his trajectory sent him flying directly toward Whitebeard, who had been quietly observing from a short distance away. Without so much as flinching, the mighty Yonko reached out, seized Akainu by the head with his massive hand, and slammed him down into the ground with bone-shattering force.
The entire battlefield trembled. The earth cracked open with a deep, echoing roar, splitting the plaza apart and creating a gaping chasm that separated the pirates from the marines, plunging the area into chaos once again.
Despite his battered and failing body, Whitebeard proved that his might had not faded. When he chose to strike, even the world itself seemed to quake in awe.
What truly stunned everyone, however, was the unbelievable truth that Admiral Akainu, the feared "Red Dog" himself, had been defeated in less than a minute.
Looking at the bloodied form of the admiral, they were not even sure if the man was still alive. That one brutal move from Whitebeard had completely knocked him out!
People began to whisper in disbelief. Was the Uzukage's attack that sent Akainu flying into Whitebeard's grasp really an accident, or had it been an intentional setup? Either way, it was astonishing that she had managed to overpower an Admiral so quickly. How could someone hold such overwhelming strength?
Oblivious or perhaps indifferent to the terrified murmurs around her, Naru merely gazed down at Akainu's fallen form with a calm and satisfied expression.
Whitebeard, on the other hand, let out a deep rumble of amusement. He could tell that the brat had drained much of Akainu's power before tossing him in his direction. Otherwise, it would never have been so easy to break the man. The Uzukage, after all, was no ordinary opponent. She was a tempest incarnate, an unpredictable force that defied logic and expectation.
For Akainu to fall by her hand?
Served him right.
Deciding the punishment was still too light, Whitebeard delivered a brutal kick to the Admiral's body, sending him skidding across the ruined plaza like an insignificant pebble.
A small token of payback for daring to nearly kill his son.
Suddenly, a sharp, familiar pain lanced through Whitebeard's chest, the unmistakable warning of his terminal illness. He gritted his teeth, swallowing down the blood that threatened to rise up in his throat. He couldn't let the brats see him coughing up blood right now. No... not yet.
He could feel it in his bones. His time was almost up.
Thus, he came to a final, resolute decision.
Turning his gaze toward Marco, who had finally broken free from the Seastone cuffs, Whitebeard gave a faint, knowing smile. The blonde caught the look and instantly felt his heart drop.
"Oyaji!" Marco called out, his voice tight with dread.
"Marco," Whitebeard said calmly, his tone leaving no room for defiance. "I leave the rest in your hands."
Marco stood frozen for a heartbeat, his palms slick with sweat and his heart thundering painfully against his ribs. He understood exactly what those words meant. His captain was not just entrusting him with orders, he was entrusting him with everything.
Gritting his teeth so hard they almost cracked, Marco struggled with himself internally, feeling as if he were being torn apart. Rationally, he knew what had to be done. Emotionally, his heart screamed against it.
"Marco," Whitebeard repeated, quieter this time but no less resolute.
Marco, one of the very few who had been with Whitebeard from nearly the beginning, caught every unspoken word hidden beneath that simple call of his name. And yet, despite knowing, he could not stop the trembling in his fists or the welling of tears at the corners of his eyes.
It took everything he had, but at last, Marco forced himself to act. Clenching his fists so tightly his knuckles turned white, he shouted to the others, his voice cracking with grief and urgency, "EVERYONE! IT'S TIME FOR US TO LEAVE THIS PLACE!"
The Whitebeard Pirates, already noticing the silent exchange between Marco and their Captain, felt their hearts shattering to pieces. But like Marco, they understood. They knew. Even if every fiber of their beings protested, they didn't refute his order. Although reluctant, grief-stricken, and furious at the cruel twist of fate, they still obeyed without question, racing toward the available ship to escape this battlefield soaked in blood and sorrow.
Under Marco's firm leadership, which brooked no room for debate, every member of the Whitebeard Pirates, along with their allies, rushed to board the warship that had been prepared for them.
Naturally, Sengoku, the acting Fleet Admiral, would be deemed a lunatic if he simply stood aside and allowed them to flee without resistance. With a sharp, commanding order, the marines roared to life, scrambling to halt the pirates' desperate retreat.
But Naru had no intention of staying idle either.
Turning to her brothers, she said firmly, "You guys leave too. I'll stay behind and hold them off. And yes, that includes you, Sabo."
"You serious?" Sabo asked, arching an incredulous eyebrow. He hadn't even had the chance to throw a single punch yet, and now she was kicking him out?
"I'm serious." Naru, being Naru, was as blunt as ever. Sabo's time to shine was not today.
Realizing he had no chance of winning an argument against her, Sabo sighed, throwing a glance toward Ace and Luffy. "Well, you heard her. Let's move."
However, just as they were about to take the first step, Luffy suddenly wobbled dangerously and he would have collapsed face-first into the dirt if not for Jinbei's quick reflexes in grabbing his arm and steadying him.
"What's wrong with him?!" Ace demanded, panic flashing in his eyes.
Seeing the alarmed looks flashing across everyone's faces, Ivankov hurried to explain what Luffy had endured just to get here, as in pushing his body past its limits, pumping adrenaline and willpower to unnatural extremes.
"Idiot!" Ace barked, smacking his little brother's head with a mix of anger and exasperation. The fool had risked everything for him.
Naru and Sabo said nothing, but the dark clouds shadowing their faces spoke volumes about how utterly unimpressed they were with Luffy's recklessness.
Even so, Luffy managed a weak grin and let out his familiar "Shishishishi" laugh before passing out cold. With his brother safe and his family beside him, his exhausted body finally gave in, demanding the rest it greatly needed.
"This fool..." Naru muttered with a soft, helpless sigh. "Alright, there's nothing more we can do about it. For now, you guys have to leave first."
"Then Naru... be careful," Ace said earnestly, hoisting the unconscious Luffy onto his back.
"Don't worry about me. I'll catch up with you guys later," she promised with a fierce smile.
With one last look, Ace and the others turned and ran toward the ship, ready to leave this blood-soaked battlefield behind.
Once Naru confirmed that her brothers were safe, she turned back toward her remaining comrades. Her voice rang out with unwavering authority, cutting through the chaos of the battlefield like a commandment from above.
"Do what you have to do. Make sure nobody... Absolutely nobody, gets in our way!"
"Finally!" Nikolas exclaimed, his eyes gleaming with unrestrained excitement. He had been waiting for this opportunity from the very start, and his grin stretched wide, feral and eager.
"My target is only one," Yuzu announced, her tone soaked in bloodlust as a savage smile curved her lips. "Donquixote Doflamingo is mine today. The rest of you better stay out of my way."
Without waiting for anyone's approval, the brunette surged forward, her presence fierce and commanding enough to make weaker men flinch aside. Nikolas clicked his tongue with a sharp sound of annoyance before following behind at a slower, deliberate pace, muttering to himself.
The oldest and youngest members of their compact group were not ones to waste words. After exchanging brief nods, Barlow and Yue replied in perfect unison, "Yes, Naru-san," before they too moved into action.
Barlow charged straight into the nearby ranks of marines, his grin wide as he prepared to sow chaos in his own unique fashion. Meanwhile, Yue's small, delicate wings suddenly shimmered with ethereal radiance, transforming dramatically into enormous, magnificent silver wings that glowed like moonlight. With a single powerful sweep, she launched herself high into the sky, her body surrounded by a luminous aura. A silver bow materialized in her hands, elegant and deadly, as though it were a part of her very soul.
"She's a Devil Fruit user!" someone screamed in panic.
"What is she trying to do up there?!"
The already chaotic battlefield shifted as countless eyes turned skyward. Very few could claim the power of flight, and Yue's sudden ascent immediately drew attention. Suspended high above, she hovered gracefully between heaven and earth, her figure gleaming like a celestial being. Without hesitation, she plucked a radiant feather from her left wing. It lengthened and solidified in her grasp, transforming into a sleek, razor-sharp arrow.
Pulling back the string of her glowing bow, Yue released the arrow in one smooth, fluid motion. It streaked through the air like a comet before slamming into its target with a thunderous explosion that shook the entire battlefield.
Newer recruits, unfamiliar with the terrifying reputation of the Uzukage's elite marksman, immediately fell into chaos.
"Damn it! That one's a marksman!" one of them shouted, pointing frantically toward the sky.
"Take her down! Don't let her stay up there!" another barked, ordering the marines to open fire as bullets, rockets, and cannonballs filled the air.
Yue's role was simple and absolute, which was to eliminate any enemy who dared to slip past her comrades. Nikolas and Barlow held the frontline together, while Yuzu was far too absorbed in her personal duel with Doflamingo to even glance elsewhere.
Despite the relentless storm of bullets and explosions aimed at her, Yue remained eerily calm. She moved with serene precision, her motions fluid and graceful, gliding through the air as if the chaos below was nothing more than a distant echo. Her expression remained impassive, eyes sharp and cold as she continued her deadly work.
In swift retaliation, she plucked more feathers from her wings. Each feather morphed into a brilliant arrow that she fired with flawless accuracy. None of her shots were wasted, as she did not target the soldiers themselves, but their weapons.
Boom.
A perfect hit. Their bazooka detonated violently, sending debris and marines flying in all directions.
Another arrow followed, another explosion tore through the air. In mere moments, the battlefield beneath her was engulfed in flames and smoke, a blazing sea of destruction.
Every shot she fired was like divine judgment. Her arrows fell like streaks of holy fire, and each impact spawned another wave of devastation. These were not small blasts either. Instead, they were earth-shaking detonations capable of flipping cannons and obliterating fortified defenses with ease.
Bathed in the golden glow of the fires below, her silver hair fluttering like silk, and her radiant wings spread wide against the crimson sky, Yue appeared almost ethereal. In that breathtaking moment, none could deny what they saw with their own eyes, Yue looked like an angel.
An angel of unrelenting destruction.
Yue, however, saw herself very differently. She considered herself a fallen angel, a soul that had quite literally fallen from the sky. If not for her leader , the one person who had reached out and caught her before she could crash into oblivion, she would not be standing, breathing, or fighting here today.
Still breathing.
Still fighting.
Stronger than ever before.
Her sharp gaze quickly caught sight of a marine creeping through the smoke, moving dangerously close to her leader with malicious intent. Without hesitation, Yue drew another arrow, loosed it, and watched as the man crumpled instantly to the ground, rendered harmless before he could even blink.
From the ground, her leader glanced up and offered her a small, knowing smile.
A warmth bloomed in Yue's chest, washing over her like sunlight through storm clouds. She was glad. Truly glad that she could be useful in this crucial moment.
Even if, deep down, she knew one undeniable truth, that her leader never really needed anyone to protect her.