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Bonus Chapter at 100 ps
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The three Marine monsters are famous across the seas.
In addition to their immense strength, the power of the Logia Devil Fruits they consumed also plays a significant role.
Regardless of other factors, when they unleash their various techniques, the visual impact alone, resembling a natural disaster, is enough to strike fear into countless people, causing some to faint on the spot.
Finally, the approaching Sakazuki clones were within a few hundred meters of the Den Den Mushi.
They all turned their gaze to Akira.
Akira gave a slight nod.
"Meteor Volcano!"
Simultaneously, the Sakazuki clones' fists transformed into magma and slammed into the air.
In an instant, countless magma fists, blazing with flames, rained down from the sky like a meteor shower.
They were so dense that they covered the sky, blocking out the sun.
The temperature of the entire Marineford skyrocketed, like a volcanic eruption, becoming unbearably hot.
But while the heat was intense, the looming threat of death was far more terrifying.
"Run~~~~"
The staff brought by Yuki looked at the approaching magma fists, feeling the imminent danger of death.
They snapped out of their shock, immediately fleeing in terror, stumbling and scrambling to get away.
The image Den Den Mushi also lost its composure at that moment, its large eyes wide with shock, moving frantically to escape the attack's range.
People around the world stared at their screens, dumbfounded.
They watched as the oppressive magma fists drew closer and closer!
Even though they were separated by an unknown distance, they still recoiled instinctively, their faces pale.
There was no need to experience it firsthand; the horror of this move was clear to everyone.
A true lava disaster.
"Are those replicas out of control? The entire Marineford... will be destroyed," someone murmured.
"Why isn't the Fleet Admiral running? He's just standing there, watching as the lava gets closer and closer."
"It's easy for you to say, but how can anyone escape such a terrifying attack?"
"It's over, it's over, he's going to die."
As everyone watched, Akira, standing at the center of the attack's range, remained unfazed. Even as the gusts from the descending magma fists made his cloak of justice flutter, his expression didn't change.
Just as the Meteor Volcano was only a few hundred meters from landing, threatening to utterly destroy Marineford...
The Kuzan clones sprang into action.
They leaped into the air, their bodies partially turning into ice, emanating an intense cold.
"Ice Age!"
A deep, chaotic voice echoed as countless icicles, formed from the freezing air, shot up towards the sky.
The shock waves of cold air, spreading out over a vast area, converged, targeting each of the incoming magma fists.
In the blink of an eye, the two forces collided.
In just a single breath, the Magma Fists were instantly frozen, turning into ice balls that glowed with a red light from within.
"Wow! They really are two big monsters."
"Well, it's my turn to take the stage. Please watch closely, everyone!"
Borsalino, who was shining in the sky, crossed his hands in front of his chest and formed an "OK" shape with his fingers.
"Comma Jewel of Eight Shaku!"
Despite his playful tone, his actions were swift.
Countless dazzling and extremely fast light bullets suddenly appeared, aimed at the glowing red ice balls.
Whoosh!
Boom boom boom!
A series of massive explosions echoed through the air.
Thick smoke enveloped the entire sky.
The next second!
Under the gaze of the entire world, countless red, blue, and yellow crystalline powders gently fell from the sky like snow.
If the previous attacks by the three Marine monsters felt like terrifying natural disasters...
Then these broken crystals, shimmering under the sunlight, were...
Beautiful! And strangely comforting!
The Marine officers stared up at the scene in amazement.
Yuki slightly parted her lips, staring blankly at the crystals gently drifting in front of her eyes.
"Incredible, so strong!"
"Sakazuki, Kuzan, and Borsalino are unbelievably powerful."
"Hiss... I really thought I was going to die just now."
"Thank goodness for the clones of Kuzan-sama and Borsalino-sama. They saved us."
The nearby soldiers were filled with shock and lingering fear.
Just moments ago, they truly felt the approach of death.
But Sengoku, Garp, and the others near Akira had different thoughts.
At this moment, they jumped up in frustration.
"What a waste, what a waste.
"Using such massive moves will drain their stamina! Akira should be saved for battling pirates at sea, not for showing off here."
"Using these ultimate techniques may seem easy, but copying them takes a toll on physical strength, and we're the ones who have to deal with it."
Seven days ago, Tsuru had urged them to take the battle seriously.
As a result, Sengoku and Garp had gained a deep understanding of the strength of the three monsters, Sakazuki, Kuzan, and Borsalino.
Although seeing so many Sakazuki clones emerge was initially shocking...
They had witnessed these ultimate moves countless times before, so it wasn't as overwhelming for them as it was for the ordinary spectators.
On the contrary, watching such coordinated use of ultimate moves left them feeling more worried than awed.
They knew that only a few at Marine Headquarters could replicate the abilities of the three monsters.
Who would they turn to once they were exhausted?
It's not like they could easily find replacements.
Sengoku, Garp, and Zephyr glanced at Akira with deep resentment in their eyes.
It was as if they were disgruntled housewives, feeling wronged and filled with complaints!
Even Sakazuki, Kuzan, and Borsalino, who were basking in the spotlight, had to deal with the strain of their own abilities.
They had to replicate each other's moves, after all.
"What's this feeling? Suddenly I feel a chill down my spine."
Akira, still smiling at the soldiers' reactions, seemed pleased with his display.
After all, the goal of a demonstration is to stir up emotions in the audience.
It was a rare worldwide live broadcast meant to showcase the power of the Marines, and Akira's goal was to make the world feel the strength of the Marine force as much as possible.
It was as awe-inspiring as it was terrifying.
So far, the objective had indeed been achieved.
Even the Marine soldiers, who were accustomed to seeing the might of the three monsters—Sakazuki, Kuzan, and Borsalino—had fear and panic in their eyes at this moment.
Not to mention the ordinary citizens watching.
However, Akira, with his keen, monster-level senses, suddenly felt something was off.
He turned his head and instantly locked eyes with those resentful stares.
"Uh... well..."
Quickly deciding to ignore them, Akira turned his attention back to the image Den Den Mushi.
"It's really spectacular," the Warrior God of Agriculture commented with admiration. He turned to the other four elders and added, "It's truly an impressive display."
For ordinary people and average pirates, this move was as terrifying as a natural disaster.
But for the Five Elders, it was merely a decent Logia performance.
The other four nodded in agreement.
"Although the numbers were impressive at first, it still doesn't evoke too much awe."
"Physical strength remains an unbreakable limit, whether it's for Akira, a Devil Fruit user, or his replicas."
"Does he really think he can curb this era of great pirates with just a small number of copies? Impossible. Even if the number were increased tenfold, it would still be difficult."
"There's likely more to it, but unfortunately, it seems that the deeper level of information is known only to Sengoku and his close circle. The CP spies haven't been able to obtain it yet."
The Five Elders sipped their coffee leisurely as they conversed. Their expressions were relaxed and indifferent, unconcerned about the numerous Admiral-level combat forces within the Marine ranks.
The replicas were indeed powerful, but their stamina was a significant limitation.
If it ever came to dealing with these replicas, they could simply deploy CP9 or CPO agents to stall them. There would be no need to kill them outright; just surviving long enough would cause the replicas to exhaust their strength and revert to their original forms.
So, the Five Elders' focus remained on the era of great pirates, not on whether their rule would be threatened.
But!
The next second, Akira's voice from the live broadcast caught their attention, making them sit up straight.
"People of the world, this is how I will curb the era of great pirates."
"My shape-shifting leaves can replicate the strongest fighters from memory, allowing them to sail with Marines across the world and eradicate pirates completely."
Akira pulled out a pen from his suit pocket.
After writing Sakazuki's name on one of the shape-shifting leaves, he tossed it forward.
Boom!
When the smoke cleared, the Marine monster who had unleashed the magma disaster appeared once again.
This demonstration made people around the world understand how so many replicas had appeared.
Akira continued:
"There are many pirates, and many strong ones, spread all over the world. To better protect civilians everywhere...
"And to ensure no pirate escapes justice, I call on all strong individuals around the world: please come to the Marines and allow us to copy the strong from your memories for the sake of justice and peace.
"Dedicating your body will not harm your health, and the merits of saving countless lives will be immeasurable!"
"Strengthen our forces, pave the way for justice! Let us join hands and restore the world to a peaceful and prosperous state!"
Akira raised his arms high, his tone filled with fervor as he extended the invitation.
What?
The Five Elders in the room were stunned.
"Akira, what does this mean?"
"Is he mobilizing strong people from all over the world to create more replicas?"
"Does he really have that many shape-shifting leaves?"
No wonder they were taken aback.
If only the Marines at Naval Headquarters were doing this, it would be manageable—the number of replicas they could produce would be limited.
It's one thing to have a limited number of replicas to use against pirates, carefully conserving them so that maybe ten can be deployed in a year.
But if the entire world is mobilized to help create these replicas, the situation changes drastically.
At that point, the number of strong fighters in the Marines would skyrocket.
Dozens of Marine monsters would be manageable, but what about tens of thousands, or even hundreds of thousands?
The Holy Land of Mariejois could be flattened under such overwhelming force.
Pere~Pere~Pere~Pere~
Suddenly, the ringing of a Den Den Mushi broke the tense silence in the room.
"...Speak!" The Warrior God of Agriculture answered the call.
"My lord, this is the CP department. According to intel from our spies in Marineford, the Marine News Department has just begun printing a large number of newspapers, planning to distribute them worldwide."
The deep voice from CP caught the full attention of the Five Elders.
"The content of the newspaper is a call to strong individuals around the world, asking them to contribute—either voluntarily or for payment—to help the Marines replicate a large number of powerful fighters.
"It is also reported... Fleet Admiral Akira recently acquired a great breakthrough in his fruit ability, allowing him to create unlimited shape-shifting leaves without any cost."
Click.
The Warrior God of Agriculture spat out his coffee in shock.
The small bowl in his hand slipped, crashing to the ground, but no one cared.
Everyone in the room stared at the Den Den Mushi in stunned silence, their pupils dilating with alarm.
"Summon him!"
The Warrior God of Science and Defence abruptly stood up and shouted towards the door.
"My lord, your orders?" A CPO agent immediately appeared, half-kneeling on the ground.
"Go to Marineford and bring Fleet Admiral Akira here."
The Warrior God of Science and Defence took a deep breath, struggling to keep his voice steady. "Immediately. At once!"
"Understood, I will leave at once."
The CPO agent, sensing the urgency, trembled slightly and vanished from the room without delay.
Meanwhile, the people watching the live broadcast were also beginning to grasp the gravity of the situation.
"Hey, did Fleet Admiral Akira just say they can mass-produce those terrifying characters?"
"You heard it right! And they're asking the whole world to help out in the name of justice."
"Whoa... If that's the case, does that mean the end of the pirates is near?"
"Yeah, it looks that way."
"Where can I sign up to help? I want to contribute to justice too!"
Most of the viewers were excited, buzzing with conversation.
The recent display of the three Marine monster clones had proven that even replicas, born from a Devil Fruit ability, were immensely powerful.
If the Marines had tens of thousands of such powerful fighters...
Most pirates would stand no chance.
In other words, the end of the Great Pirate Era might be on the horizon.
However, while some were thrilled, others were filled with dread.
Among those watching the broadcast were pirates, outlaws, and people who had just formed crews, eager to set sail.
There were many sharp minds among them, and even those who were less perceptive quickly understood the gravity of the situation after hearing explanations from others.
"Damn those Marines, that's not a fair fight at all."
"If the warship we ran into last time had a replica of Kizaru, we wouldn't have escaped."
"What are we going to do? Any ideas?"
"Don't be scared, young ones. So what if they're just copies? Bring one on, and we'll take it down. Bring a pair, and we'll take them both out."
"But, Boss, should we still go to sea? Shouldn't we reconsider before raising the pirate flag?"