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"Blue Dragon Slash! Ascension!"
At Bai Yu's shout, the Wushuang Taidao in his grip swept upward in a blazing arc.
Boom—!!
The upward slash cleaved through the sky, and in that moment, the sword's burning intent erupted from the blade.
The flame-infused sword aura burst outward, condensing mid-air into a dark red, crescent-shaped arc more than a hundred meters long, hurtling toward the massive boulder suspended ahead.
Roar—!
The crimson blaze intensified mid-flight, its outline warping.
A faint, thunderous dragon's cry echoed through the heavens.
The infernal crescent transformed—morphing into a giant flaming dragon in the air!
With a powerful tail sweep, the dragon-shaped flame crashed toward the massive boulder, its descent both majestic and terrifying.
BOOM!!
In a deafening instant, the blazing dragon struck the boulder.
The resulting explosion shattered the skies, a sonic blast rocking the air itself.
But what followed stunned Maya and the others into silence.
What they expected—a deadlock between flame and stone—did not happen.
Instead, the blazing dragon tore straight through the giant boulder like a divine blade cleaving paper.
The stone split cleanly down the middle, halved by the sheer destructive force of Bai Yu's strike.
The boulder's two halves fell away in opposite directions, descending rapidly on either side of the warship.
Bang! BOOM!
Each chunk slammed into the sea, sending up tremendous waves.
The gap left behind—perfectly aligned—allowed the warship to sail smoothly through, just as Bai Yu had anticipated.
Twin walls of waves rose on both sides, battering the ship as if nature itself trembled in awe.
The vessel rocked violently, and many stunned marines were flung off their feet, crashing onto the deck with cries of alarm.
Maya, however, calmly activated a veil of spiritual energy, shielding herself from the chaos with graceful ease.
Soon, the turbulence passed.
The sea slowly calmed, and the warship—sturdy and medium-sized—remained intact and upright.
"Everyone alright?" Bai Yu asked as he landed gracefully back on deck.
"No... no injuries!"
"Brigadier General Bai Yu is incredible!"
"That slash was insane! The strongest I've ever seen!"
The marines, regaining their composure, erupted in cheers, showering Bai Yu with admiration.
That technique just now—it wasn't something ordinary swordsmen could even hope to replicate.
But before the celebration could settle, the atmosphere shifted.
The once-clear sky abruptly darkened again—this time, far more ominously.
A vast shadow spread across the ocean—wider, denser, and more suffocating than before.
Almost everyone on board fell silent.
Eyes turned skyward.
And then—chaos.
"W-What the hell is that?!"
"Is that... an island?!"
"No! There's more—dozens of them!"
"Are we seeing floating islands?!"
Voices cracked in shock as heads craned up.
What they saw was unbelievable.
Dozens of floating islands drifted through the sky, casting shadows vast enough to block out the sun.
They varied in size—some as small as fortresses, others the size of entire towns.
Each hovered silently, ominously.
"It's definitely the Golden Lion," Bai Yu muttered, his gaze sharp.
No doubt remained.
This was the power of Shiki the Golden Lion, wielder of the Fuwa Fuwa no Mi—the Paramecia-type Devil Fruit that granted him control over gravity for non-living objects.
Bai Yu hadn't expected to run into him so soon after receiving the mission.
But here he was—Golden Lion Shiki, making his move.
"Brigadier General Bai Yu..." Koby approached hesitantly. "You're saying... those islands are floating because of the Golden Lion's powers?"
"That's right," Bai Yu confirmed.
The legends were real.
Shiki, one of the few pirates to ever escape Impel Down, a rival of Roger and Garp—was now unleashing his terror again.
Just the spectacle of these floating islands was enough to send a chill through the most hardened soldier.
If even one of them dropped, it could flatten an entire city.
If dozens fell at once... it could erase the East Blue from the map.
"They're not falling," Bai Yu noted, eyes narrowing. "They're moving... steadily."
He pointed in the direction from which they had come.
The floating islands were shifting—not randomly, but with eerie coordination.
Their direction was unmistakable.
"East Blue..."
Bai Yu clenched his fist.
The hometown of Gol D. Roger, the Pirate King.
It had long been the symbolic heart of an era Shiki despised.
And now, it was in the crosshairs of his wrath.
Back then, he declared he would destroy the East Blue.
Now, he was acting on it—with overwhelming force.
BRRRING BRRRING!
The Den Den Mushi rang.
Koby ran inside, retrieved the navy-issued transponder snail, and handed it to Bai Yu.
Bai Yu answered swiftly.
"Bai Yu?!"
On the other end, Vice Admiral Garp's gruff voice rang out.
"It's me," Bai Yu replied.
"Alert all forces in Branch 188 to Level One Combat Readiness!" Garp barked. "Evacuate civilians on nearby islands immediately! The Golden Lion is heading your way!"
"I'm aware," Bai Yu said calmly. "We've already encountered him."
He quickly summarized the situation.
"DAMMIT!!"
Garp's furious voice echoed from the snail. "That lunatic... He's really going to level the East Blue!"
He had always known Shiki's madness wasn't just talk.
This was personal. It always had been.
"I'll stop him," Bai Yu declared, tone steady.
"..."
For a few seconds, there was silence on the other end.
Garp was weighing the risks.
"Are you sure?" he finally asked.
"I wouldn't say it if I wasn't." Bai Yu's voice was light, but resolute. "I'm 100% confident."
More silence.
100% certainty?
Even Garp, who had fought monsters like Rocks and Roger, would hesitate before claiming such a thing.
"You brat..." Garp muttered.
"Don't worry. I value my life highly," Bai Yu added with a grin.
"You—!"
Garp almost yelled—then sighed.
"Alright! I'll leave this to you!"
"Remember—even if you can't win, your job is to stall him. Delay him until reinforcements arrive."
"The top brass and I will move out immediately."
"Understood."
Bai Yu ended the call.
A subtle smirk tugged at his lips.
Stall?
No.
His goal wasn't to delay the Golden Lion—
It was to kill or capture him outright.
JOIN MY PATREON TO READ ADVANCED 30+ CHAPTERS
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Currently at CHAPTER 118 on Patreon.