"You alone?" Kaguya said coldly, raising her arm. Her fingers curled, and within a swirl of inky-black light, a black-and-red sword appeared in her palm.
Fujitora gripped the hilt of his blade, crouched like a lion ready to pounce. In a deep voice, he said, "In the name of justice, to eliminate evil and cleanse the world of sin."
"Justice?" Kaguya smirked with mocking disdain. "You call blindly serving the World Government justice?"
"Though my eyes are blind, my heart sees clearly. No matter how silver-tongued you are, you are a ruthless criminal," Fujitora said, his blind white eyes slightly opening. "Prepare for judgment."
As he finished, his thumb flicked the sword from its sheath, unleashing a powerful burst of gravity.
"Hell Voyage."
Boom!
A heavy impact shook the area as the ground beneath Kaguya buckled. Cracks spread, and debris flew in every direction.
So this is gravity... Kaguya narrowed her eyes.
"Is this all you've got?" she said coldly. With a swing of her arm, golden armor suddenly manifested on her body—the sacred golden armor of Desath.
The crushing gravity immediately lightened. The overwhelming pressure that had just felt like a mountain had simply vanished.
This sacred armor, imbued with powerful anti-magic enchantments, could repel all evil influences and dispel most abnormal statuses. Apparently, gravity counted as one of them.
"Hm?"
Even blind, Fujitora sensed something was wrong. He frowned. "I underestimated you. But how will you deal with this?"
With that, he stomped the ground. The earth cracked as he accelerated, vanishing like a released arrow and reappearing before Kaguya in a flash. His arm swung hard as his blade slashed toward her in a blur of silver.
"Trash. Did I give you permission to get close?" Kaguya's cold eyes gleamed. She raised her hand, and suddenly, countless golden ripples appeared in the air. Within them, ornate weapons materialized and shot toward Fujitora like lightning.
"Gate of Babylon."
The Gilgamesh ability card was activated.
Fujitora's brows furrowed. He raised his blade and swung.
Clang!
The blade clashed with one of the incoming weapons, sending a shower of sparks flying. The sword was knocked away.
But that was only the beginning. More weapons followed in rapid succession.
Fujitora scoffed. He leapt back while slashing in a continuous arc.
Clang! Clang! Clang!
One by one, the weapons were deflected.
But it wasn't enough.
The golden ripples continued spawning weapons, showering down on him like a storm.
Fujitora's face darkened. Gripping his sword tightly, he focused and swung multiple times. The blade transformed into a series of shadows.
"Gravity Rebound."
Clang! Clang! Clang!
Sparks exploded in all directions.
Rings of purple gravitational energy tore through the air, blasting away all the incoming weapons falling from above.
"Oh?" Kaguya raised an eyebrow. "So you have some skill after all."
"Don't get cocky, brat," Fujitora said in a deep voice.
Drawing his blade once more, he used his gravity manipulation to vanish and reappear in front of Kaguya, slashing down with lightning speed.
Clang!
The black-red sword clashed with his blade, producing a brilliant shower of sparks. A heavy force burst out between them.
"Gravity Swordsmanship!"
Boom!
A deafening shockwave shook the earth. The ground sank in, shattered and fragmented. Rocks burst apart, and debris was sent flying.
"That ability is useless against me," Kaguya said coldly.
Fujitora allowed himself a rare smile. "You're too naive. Look again."
A massive shadow cast over the area. Light dimmed. Kaguya looked up, her eyes narrowing.
Several meteors blazed across the sky, descending rapidly toward her, trailing fire.
At the same time, Fujitora leapt back. His sword moved in swift arcs, sending out waves of pale purple gravitational energy. The ground exploded. Chunks of earth and stone rose, forming a massive wall that enclosed Kaguya.
Clink!
Fujitora sheathed his sword. "Let the wicked be judged by justice."
Boom! Boom! Boom!
A series of massive explosions erupted as the meteors struck. The ground cracked, trees shattered, and flames shot skyward amidst a cloud of dust.
Fujitora stood and watched for a moment. Then with a low grunt, he turned to leave.
But a familiar voice behind him made him freeze.
"You think cheap tricks like that could actually defeat me, trash?"
Golden streaks shot through the sky, raining down on Fujitora like a storm.
Clang! Clang! Clang!
Fujitora quickly swung his blade, deflecting each incoming weapon. But unlike before, these weapons carried a terrible force. Each deflection rattled his arms, sending sharp vibrations up to his shoulders.
His expression darkened.
Kaguya's cold gaze bore into him as she raised her arm. From the shimmering golden ripples, a single golden key materialized in her hand.
"Since you're so eager for an ending, I'll grant you a path to hell. Let your justice be fulfilled in the depths of the underworld."
She twisted her wrist.
Click-click-click.
The golden key burst with red threads, reaching up into the heavens. The glowing red patterns were hauntingly beautiful, yet undeniably ominous.
Fujitora's face changed drastically. He could sense the immense power even without sight. It was vast and boundless like the ocean, the aura of an abyss that chilled the soul.
The crimson threads vanished, coalescing into a golden orb. Within it, a golden-red sword—shaped like a knight's lance—descended into Kaguya's hand.
It was the Sword of Separation.
"Ea, awaken—your stage is ready," Kaguya declared, raising the Sword of Separation high.
As her words fell, the crimson-lined blade began to spin rapidly, emitting ripple-like red light. A massive pressure surged out like a tsunami.
Fujitora's expression turned grim. He gripped his katana tightly, and a formless aura spread from him, cracking and shattering the ground around him. Chunks of rock floated into the air from the unleashed energy.
In Kaguya's cold, water-like eyes, a glint of killing intent flashed. She raised the sword high and shouted, "Die!" With that, she swung the Sword of Separation down with force.
The world seemed to darken. A blinding crimson light slashed through the air like a raging tornado, sweeping toward Fujitora with overwhelming power.
Fujitora narrowed his eyes. With a sharp movement, he drew his katana.
"Gravity Blade: Fierce Tiger!"
A fierce slash of energy burst forth, releasing immense gravitational force that twisted the surrounding space. Everything within range was shredded to pieces.
The two forces collided violently, bursting into brilliant colors.
BOOM BOOM BOOM!
Deafening explosions rocked the skies. The impact generated a brutal shockwave that roared like a hurricane, obliterating everything in its path.
Under the massive force, the Sabaody Archipelago trembled violently as if an earthquake had struck. Enormous red mangrove trees were cleaved in half and collapsed thunderously. The storm of energy tore apart streets like toys, reducing them to rubble.
When the chaos finally settled, survivors crawled out from the wreckage. What they saw left them dumbstruck.
The familiar Sabaody Archipelago was unrecognizable. The once-lush red mangrove forest lay in ruins, filled with broken trees and scattered leaves. The ground was destroyed, and a massive sword scar ran across the island, splitting it in two.
The once-thriving town had been leveled. All that remained were shattered buildings and the sounds of wailing and cries.
What was once a paradise now looked like hell.
Cough cough
Fujitora struggled out of the rubble, his body battered and blood dripping from his mouth. His injuries were severe.
But worse than his wounds was the shock in his heart—Kaguya's strength far exceeded what he'd imagined. If he hadn't barely managed to defend against her attack, he would already be dead.
She was far stronger than the rumors said.
Fujitora struggled to rise, but before he could stand, a foot stomped down on him with a bang, pinning him to the ground.
She looked down at him coldly. "So this is the justice you cling to? How ugly."
Fujitora turned his head with difficulty and said hoarsely, "I admit I'm not your match, but I beg you—don't harm innocent people. They're just civilians. They pose no threat to you. There's no need to kill them."
Kaguya said playfully, "And if I insist on killing them?"
"With your current power, there's no need to stoop so low," Fujitora replied solemnly.
"The one who caused this situation wasn't me," Kaguya raised an eyebrow and said, "It was you."
Fujitora fell silent.
"If you hadn't arrogantly provoked me, the Sabaody Archipelago wouldn't have suffered such a catastrophe," Kaguya leaned down, coldly whispering into his ear, "In other words, all of this is your doing."
Fujitora said nothing but clenched his fists unconsciously.
"But just now, you could have dodged. Why didn't you?" Kaguya stepped on him, tilting her head in curiosity.
Moments earlier, if Fujitora had dodged, he might have avoided her attack—or at least not been so gravely injured.
Fujitora hesitated for a moment, then said in a low voice, "I didn't want to get more innocent people involved."
"Foolish," Kaguya snorted with disdain. "So that's your so-called justice? Nothing but a fabricated lie to deceive the masses. That anyone would believe such childish nonsense is utterly pathetic."
With that, she withdrew her foot from his chest and turned away, walking into the distance without looking back.
Fujitora used his blade to support himself as he shakily stood up. "Why didn't you kill me? Are you trying to humiliate me?"
Kaguya paused, glanced back, and said, "Did I ever say I was going to kill you?"
"Then you..." Fujitora was taken aback.
"I didn't kill you simply because I'm in a good mood," Kaguya said coldly. "Your head stays with you for now. But if you do anything that displeases me, I'll come for it myself."
With that, she walked deeper into the town. Her melodious voice echoed faintly behind her:
"Remember, you owe me a life."
Fujitora furrowed his brow as he watched her fading figure. She could have easily killed him, yet she didn't. What was she planning?
No matter how hard he thought, he couldn't understand.
What he didn't know was that Kaguya spared him simply on a whim.
Fujitora—he might just turn out to be a very useful chess piece.
Just then, a Marine soldier came rushing over in a panic. "Vice Admiral Issho! You're here, thank goodness!"
Fujitora frowned and turned toward him. "What's the matter? Why the panic?"
The Marine, gasping for breath, was momentarily stunned upon seeing his battered condition, but quickly recalled his mission. "There's an order from Marine HQ! All officers of Rear Admiral rank and above are to return immediately!"
Fujitora's expression shifted. "Why the urgency?"
"It's... it's Whitebeard!" the soldier wiped sweat from his brow and said urgently, "According to intelligence, Whitebeard's fleet is nearing the outer seas of Marineford. It won't be long before they arrive."
Fujitora's face changed drastically.
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