The shadow of the All-Devouring Narwhal enveloped the entirety of Marineford.
A sudden, jarring panic rippled through the crowds of men locked in a gridlocked standoff across the plaza. There were far too many unanswered questions. No one had any idea why a Sea King of such gargantuan proportions would suddenly materialize over Marineford.
This was a Marine base. Out of everyone standing on this battlefield right now, not a single one was a weakling. Yet, this whale had made its appearance entirely without a sound; by the time they opened their eyes, it was already directly above their heads.
More importantly, aside from its ridiculously massive size, the sheer, crushing weight of the energy radiating from its body sent involuntary shivers down everyone's spines.
But at this point, it was a little too late to ponder the semantics. If they didn't stop it right now, Marineford was going to be wiped off the map.
High above the platform, a blinding golden light suddenly erupted and expanded. A bespectacled man with an afro instantly transformed into a colossal, golden Buddha. With a low roar, he thrust both palms toward the heavens.
"Stop this Sea King first!" he bellowed out an order.
The Fleet Admiral of the Marines, Sengoku the Buddha, was the first to react. But he really had no other choice. Standing at the absolute highest point of the execution platform, the front underbelly of the All-Devouring Narwhal was already inches away from pressing down on his head. If he didn't act now, he likely wouldn't live to see tomorrow's sun.
The next to strike was an old man with a rugged, stern countenance, widely known as the Hero of the Marines. Garp leaped up from the execution platform, unleashing a relentless barrage of iron fists against the Narwhal's underbelly.
In an instant, thunderous booms echoed across the plaza.
"Yasakani no Magatama..."
The slightly sketchy-looking man who had just drawled a mocking "How terrifying" crossed his arms over his chest. Countless points of golden light shot forth like a tempest, pelting the belly of the All-Devouring Narwhal.
"We're helping too!" From the opposing side of the standoff, a man with a stiff, white mustache shaped like a ship's anchor violently swung his massive polearm.
Wisps of pale-blue fractures spider-webbed from the blade, bursting with light as the expanding cracks sent powerful shockwaves vibrating toward the All-Devouring Narwhal.
"But what about Ace—"
"Stop this Sea King first, or else everyone here gets pulverized!" Whitebeard's voice boomed across the battlefield.
Throughout the plaza, across both factions of the gridlocked crowd, bursts of light ignited one after another as a dazzling array of bizarre and extraordinary abilities manifested.
A barrage of molten lava fists, thick pillars of ice, and even humans transforming into partial giants all thrust themselves upward against the Narwhal's belly. They were desperately trying to halt this colossally sized creature, the entity they called a Sea King.
As the perspective widened to the extreme distance, Zoran watched the spectacle in absolute tranquility.
This world was the gift he had prepared for Bai Tza, a meticulously chosen realm that served as her absolute optimal solution. He, of course, knew exactly where this was.
One Piece.
Judging by the current timeline, this had to be the Paramount War. At the Marine base known as Marineford, the Marines were preparing to execute the pirate Ace, while the massive armada of the Whitebeard Pirates had arrived to stage a prison break. The conflict triggered by this event was the historic Paramount War.
A good half of the most prominent, big-name figures in the world were gathered here at this very moment. There was Sengoku the Buddha, the Fleet Admiral who possessed the Mythical Zoan Human-Human Fruit; Garp, the Hero of the Marines; Akainu; and facing off against them was the man hailed as the strongest in the world, Whitebeard, wielder of the Tremor-Tremor Fruit.
The timing was just a bit comical. Bai Tza had merely chased the All-Devouring Narwhal for her own amusement, and as a result, this disobedient little pet had accidentally crashed into a low-tier lobby.
Zoran had been exceptionally selective when picking out this world. Bai Tza's abilities grew stronger the more water was present; the more fluid her surroundings, the greater her power. And this world was a realm where seawater occupied nearly ninety-nine percent of the entire planet.
Furthermore, the sources of power for the "super-powered" individuals of this world boiled down to just three categories: Devil Fruits, Haki, and physical martial arts.
And that was the most beautiful part. Every single Devil Fruit user, without exception, was inherently terrified of seawater and completely lost their ability to fight when submerged in it.
Meanwhile, Haki, whether it was Observation Haki, Armament Haki, or Conqueror's Haki, was utterly meaningless against Bai Tza, the Water Demon.
As for physical martial arts...
Unlike her other siblings, Bai Tza possessed a specific trait unique to her status as the Water Demon. Much like how Zoran could manipulate the dual forces of attraction and repulsion around his body to safeguard himself against the vast majority of attacks, Bai Tza had her own characteristic, an almost rule-breaking passive ability.
Setting aside magic, specifically sealing magic, Bai Tza was entirely immune to any form of physical or energy-based attack that possessed a tangible state. Even if she were struck by an unimaginably powerful force, she would simply dissolve harmlessly into her natural water form, completely unscathed.
And that was merely her passive trait. Not to mention, the sheer abundance of the water source in this world would provide Bai Tza with a terrifyingly immense buff.
Just as he had done for Po Kong, Zoran had selected a world with a one-hundred percent compatibility rate for her. This place was an absolute paradise for his sister, the Water Demon Bai Tza!
Hovering in the distant sky, Zoran smiled knowingly.
If he recalled correctly, after consuming the Darkness Devil, it seemed he could indulge in a few little supplements of his own in this world as well. The corners of Zoran's mouth tilted upward into a subtle smirk. I wonder who the lucky individual will be?
With a soft chuckle, he floated lazily toward Marineford.
…
Meanwhile, within the Marine base of Marineford.
Even though the Marines and pirates were bitter, mortal enemies, they were forced into a reluctant alliance at this very moment. There was no other choice; this All-Devouring Narwhal was simply too massive. Even by the standards used to judge Sea Kings, the sheer force anchoring its body was far too terrifying.
Hundreds of prominent figures who had spent years making names for themselves across the globe unleashed the absolute maximum of their power simultaneously, physically propping up the underbelly of the All-Devouring Narwhal.
Fortunately, after Marineford groaned and shuddered for a brief second, the downward momentum of the Narwhal's massive body finally slowed to a crawl.
A unified, strained chant echoed across the base:
"One! Two... Three!"
Hundreds of men roared through gritted teeth, unleashing another explosive burst of strength as they heaved upward in perfect unison.
Finally, the colossal body of the All-Devouring Narwhal rolled over to the side. It crashed heavily onto the land, sending massive tremors through the earth and kicking up a dense shroud of dust and debris. With that single fall, at least a third of Marineford was pinned flat beneath its weight. As for whether anyone had been crushed to death, one could only pray that no unfortunate souls had been standing there.
A collective chorus of exhales rippled across the plaza as numerous figures wiped the sweat from their brows.
"My, how terrifying... Could it be that the other side brought it along? It doesn't quite look like it, though..." Marine Admiral Kizaru shot a glance toward the pirates across the way. He, at least, looked remarkably relaxed.
In the next second, the All-Devouring Narwhal let out a low, vibrating hum, its massive body squirming slightly.
It might sound hard to believe, but it really had just wandered in by accident. Furthermore, the fact that the fellas beneath its belly had managed to flip it to the side wasn't because they had worked exceptionally hard.
It was because the All-Devouring Narwhal hadn't bothered to resist at all. The attacks that had just flown against its stomach had actually felt rather ticklish.
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