"Boom!!!"
The sound of battle reverberated through the Naval Headquarters as the Entei Pirates and Straw Hat Pirates made their explosive entrance. The once-impenetrable Marine stronghold began to crumble under the ferocious assault, its defenses buckling almost instantly. Even with the presence of the three Admirals and Fleet Admiral Akainu himself, the Marines struggled to maintain any semblance of order. The relentless onslaught was too much to contain.
Zoro and Sanji, now Admiral-level fighters of the Straw Hat Pirates, tore through the battlefield with unrivaled ferocity. Their attacks left trails of devastation, pushing back even the most seasoned Marine officers. However, it was the Admiral-level combatants of the Entei Pirates who truly overwhelmed the Navy. They fought with a deadly coordination, swarming the Marine Admirals with a ferocity that left little room for a counterattack.
Kizaru and Akainu, both seasoned warriors with immense power and speed, managed to hold their ground, albeit with great difficulty. Their strength was formidable, but they were still being pushed to their limits by the sheer numbers and skill of their opponents. Meanwhile, Green Bull and Tea Dolphin, who were not as powerful as their peers, found themselves in dire straits. Green Bull was battered and bruised, barely able to keep up with the relentless assault. Tea Dolphin, the weakest among them, was already critically injured within moments of engaging the enemy. His only lifeline was the recovery ability granted by his Mythical Zoan, the Snake-Snake Fruit, Model: Jörmungandr. With his body covered in wounds, he desperately relied on this power to buy time, but it was clear that he wouldn't last much longer.
If the battle continued at this pace, the Naval Headquarters would be wiped from the sea within the hour. The situation was growing more hopeless by the second.
"Swish!"
Suddenly, a powerful and terrifying slash cut through the chaos, its force cleaving the air with a deadly precision. Zoro, caught off guard, barely managed to block the blow. The impact sent him skidding back dozens of meters, his eyes narrowing as he scanned the battlefield to locate the source of the attack. Whoever had struck him possessed immense strength, enough to force Zoro—now a combatant nearly equal to the Four Emperors themselves—into a defensive stance.
"Oh? So, they've finally shown themselves... the Knights of God."
Ace's voice was calm, yet tinged with a hint of amusement as he observed the battlefield from the deck of the Golden Merry. His eyes locked onto the distant figures who had unleashed the powerful attack. The corner of his mouth curled up into a confident smirk. This was the challenge he had been waiting for—the final test of his might and strategy. The Knights of God, elite warriors of the World Government, had entered the fray, and the real battle was about to begin.
Ace's gaze locked onto the distant figures, his lips curling into a slight, confident smile. The figures emerging from the battlefield's chaos were none other than the elite warriors of the World Government, the Knights of God. They were not just any warriors but Celestial Dragons—those who considered themselves above the rest of humanity, both in power and privilege.
The figure at the forefront commanded the most attention. His hair, white as the moon, framed a face that radiated both authority and menace. He held a black-bladed sword, a famous weapon recognized throughout the world. This was Saint Figarland Garling, the leader of the Knights of God. His entrance had been marked by a sudden and powerful slash, one that had caught even Zoro off guard, forcing the seasoned swordsman to retreat.
"It's truly a long-awaited meeting, Flame Emperor Portgas D. Ace!" Garling's voice carried across the battlefield, dripping with a cold, Haki-tinged arrogance. His eyes, glowing with a thick, ominous black and purple hue, fixed on Ace as if he were the only opponent worth acknowledging.
"Boom!!!"
With a sudden, thunderous crack, Garling unleashed his Conqueror's Haki. The air around him crackled with violent black and purple lightning, the sheer force of it roaring like a storm. The ground beneath him trembled, and the weaker Marines and pirates alike found themselves struggling to remain conscious under the oppressive weight of his power.
Garling's mastery of Conqueror's Haki was evident in every arc of lightning that danced around him. He had not just awakened this rare ability; he had honed it to a level that surpassed most, even Zoro. His control over Haki-Infusion, where his willpower infused his sword strikes, was formidable, marking him as a combatant who had truly reached the level of the Four Emperors.
The intensity of Garling's Conqueror's Haki was unmistakably directed at Ace, the man who stood calmly on the deck of the Golden Merry, unfazed by the display of power. Ace could feel the force of Garling's Haki pressing against him, but rather than being intimidated, he seemed almost amused.
But such overwhelming power…
"Huh!"
A lithe figure materialized like a gust of wind and sand, appearing at the forefront of the battlefield. She locked eyes with Garling from a distance, a sly smile slowly curling on her red lips. The very air around her seemed to hum with anticipation.
In the blink of an eye:
"Sizzle! Boom!!!"
The sky erupted in a cascade of black and purple lightning, an ominous display of Conqueror's Haki that clashed violently with Garling's own. His pupils constricted as he recognized the challenge, and their Haki collided in midair, sending shockwaves rippling across the battlefield.
"Boom!!!"
The force of their confrontation was so immense that the clouds above were violently torn apart, as if a pair of divine hands were ripping the heavens asunder. The battlefield, which had been a chaotic melee moments before, paused as the violent currents of air formed by their Haki clash swept across the scene. Even the seasoned Vice Admirals of the Naval Headquarters struggled to maintain their footing, their eyes wide with terror as they gazed upon the titanic struggle unfolding before them.
The sea itself responded to the clash, churning and raising monstrous waves that battered the shores. The sky, the sea, and the earth all seemed to tremble in response to the raw power unleashed by these two titans. This was no ordinary battle—this was the collision of two true kings, both having fully mastered the art of Conqueror's Haki-Infusion, and both possessing the strength of the Four Emperors.
"How could I allow you to face our king alone?"
The woman's smile deepened, becoming more alluring and dangerous by the second.
"'Desert Princess' Vivi!"
Saint Figarland Garling's eyes flickered with surprise as he recognized the figure before him. A brief flash of uncertainty crossed his features, quickly replaced by a steely resolve. He could sense it—this woman was not to be underestimated. Her power rivaled his own, and the realization brought a solemn expression to his face.
"Desert Sword!"
Vivi wasted no time. She thrust her right hand forward, and the full force of her Sand-Sand Fruit ability surged to life. In an instant, a massive sword made entirely of compressed sand materialized in the air, its edges shimmering with lethal intent.
"Conqueror's Haki-Infusion!"
Vivi's eyes narrowed, and the black and purple lightning of her Conqueror's Haki roared to life, coiling around the desert sword like a living thing. The atmosphere around her distorted under the combined pressure of her Haki and Devil Fruit power, creating a terrifying vortex of energy.
"!"
Garling knew he couldn't afford to be careless. This was no ordinary attack—this was a Four Emperors-level strike, infused with the power of a true king. If he were to take it head-on without adequate preparation, even he, with all his strength, would be gravely injured.
Summoning the full extent of his own Conqueror's Haki-Infusion, Garling channeled it into his blade. The air crackled with black and purple energy as his sword emitted a terrifying slash that hurtled towards Vivi's desert sword.
"Boom!!!"
The two forces collided with an earth-shattering impact, and the battlefield was engulfed in a storm of black and purple energy. Vivi and Garling were locked in combat, their every move shaking the very foundations of the Naval Headquarters.
"The power of the Knights of God is indeed impressive, but it doesn't exceed my expectations," Ace mused, standing tall on the deck of the Golden Merry. His gaze swept over the Naval Headquarters, where the tides of battle had momentarily shifted with the arrival of the Knights of God. The fierce onslaught that had once threatened to topple the Marines had slowed, giving them a brief reprieve from the brink of defeat.
The strongest among the Knights was Saint Figarland Garling, a warrior whose strength rivaled that of the Four Emperors. His Conqueror's Haki and swordsmanship marked him as a force to be reckoned with. Yet, despite his power, Ace knew that Garling was not invincible. The remaining members of the Knights of God were powerful as well, with a few boasting Admiral-level combat capabilities, while others hovered around the level of Admiral candidates.
Admiral-level fighters were no ordinary warriors; they were the pinnacle of military might in the seas. Even within the elite ranks of the Knights of God, not every member could claim such strength. And as for Four Emperors-level fighters, they represented the absolute zenith of combat prowess, the pinnacle that defined an era. Only those who had transcended this level could be considered "King"-level, the true overlords of the world.
But as Ace assessed the battlefield, it became clear that none among the Knights of God had reached the exalted "King"-level. Even Garling, with all his strength, was still just a Four Emperors-level combatant. A formidable opponent, yes, but not unbeatable. Vivi, the "Desert Princess," was more than capable of holding her own against him, and should the need arise, Whitebeard or Shanks might also desire a round with Garling. Today's Vivi was no longer the girl who had once fought alongside Luffy on Alabasta—she was a genuine Four Emperors-level warrior, a queen in her own right, with battle experience to match.
"As expected, these guys have the ability to fly," Ace noted, narrowing his eyes as he observed the Knights. Each of them had consumed a Devil Fruit, and while the types varied—Paramecia, Mythical Zoans, Ancient Zoans—they all shared one critical attribute: the ability to take to the skies.
This was no coincidence. The members of the Knights of God were Celestial Dragons, and the world they governed was slowly, inevitably sinking into the sea. The Celestial Dragons, in their arrogance, had taken refuge on the Red Line, donning their iconic bubble covers. To the average observer, these bubble covers symbolized their desire to isolate themselves from the air breathed by ordinary people, to elevate their status as the so-called "descendants of the noble Creator." But Ace knew better. Those bubbles were not just for show—they were tools, designed to allow them to breathe underwater once the world was submerged.
As the true elite among the Celestial Dragons, the Knights of God did not wear bubble covers. They didn't need them. Most of the Knights had not consumed Devil Fruits, for the simple reason that doing so would strip them of their ability to swim—a fatal weakness in a world doomed to sink. However, when a member did eat a Devil Fruit, it was always one with the ability to fly. For instance, the Fish-Fish Fruit, Mythical Beast: Azure Dragon form, and the Paw-Paw Fruit, both of which had the ability to soar through the skies, had been prizes in the God Valley incident, awarded to the victors of the Knights' deadly hunts.
If a Devil Fruit did not grant the power of flight, no matter how rare or powerful—be it a Logia or a Mythical Zoan—the Knights of God would forgo it. Instead, such fruits were handed down to subordinate organizations like the Marines, bolstering their strength to maintain order in the world below.
Ace watched as the battle raged on, the Knights of God displaying their might. Yet, despite their power, he remained confident. He had anticipated their moves, studied their strategies, and prepared for this confrontation. The Celestial Dragons, the Marines, the Knights of God—they were all pieces on the board, and Ace was ready to make his next move.
"However, the Knights of God alone are not enough," Ace murmured, a confident smile playing on his lips as he surveyed the chaotic battlefield.
"Boom!!!"
The arrival of the Knights of God had briefly halted the overwhelming momentum of the Entei Pirates' Grand Fleet, but it was only a temporary reprieve. With the reinforcements in place, the fleet's cadres, who had been holding back, unleashed their full power. The balance of battle, which had momentarily tilted back in favor of the Marines, began to shift once more towards inevitable defeat.
The Red-Haired Pirates and the Members of the Whitebeard Pirates joined the fray, their presence adding to the growing tide against the Naval Headquarters. The battlefield erupted into chaos, with powerful combatants clashing in a storm of Haki and Devil Fruit abilities.
"Damn! These monsters! How can they be so strong?!" Tea Dolphin cursed, his face contorted with frustration and disbelief. Before him stood an unexpected opponent—Tashigi, known as the "Silent Swordsman," with a bounty of 850 million Baileys. Despite being one of the lower-ranking cadres in the Entei Pirates, Tashigi had proven to be an adversary far beyond what Tea Dolphin had anticipated.
From the very start of their duel, Tea Dolphin found himself at a loss. Tashigi, with her Transparent-Transparent Fruit fully awakened, moved with such speed and stealth that even his Observation Haki failed to track her movements. Every time he tried to counter, she was already gone, her presence as elusive as a ghost.
What made matters worse was that Tashigi was not just any swordsman; she was a great swordsman who had forged her blade into a black sword, a testament to her mastery. Each slash she delivered was imbued with terrifying power, cutting through even the mythical beast form of Tea Dolphin's Snake-Snake Fruit, Mythical Beast Model: Snake Belt. Despite his transformation, which should have granted him formidable defense and regenerative abilities, he found himself on the receiving end of devastating blows, each one chipping away at his strength.
As the battle dragged on, Tea Dolphin's desperation grew. He was being overwhelmed, unable to land a single effective counterattack. His mind raced, considering calling for backup from Kizaru, who might have been able to turn the tide. But when he glanced towards Kizaru, his heart sank. The usually unflappable admiral was cornered, held at gunpoint by none other than Ben Beckman of the Red-Haired Pirates and Nojiko, whose presence alone indicated the seriousness of the situation.
In that moment, Tea Dolphin realized the gravity of their predicament. The combined might of the Entei Pirates, Red-Haired Pirates, and Whitebeard Pirates was too much. Even the elite Knights of God, with all their vaunted power, were struggling to hold their ground. The battlefield was a maelstrom of chaos and destruction, and the once mighty Naval Headquarters was teetering on the brink of collapse.