'Crackle... crackle...'
In an instant, Zeus and Hera, the two most powerful thunderclouds, unleashed blinding flashes of lightning that merged into one.
'Crackle... crackle...' The intense white lightning was so bright it was impossible to look at directly. In the blink of an eye, the fused lightning formed a massive electric beam, shooting straight toward the battleships ahead.
"What is that?"
"Lightning? You've got to be kidding!"
"Damn it, we can't dodge it..."
"No—"
Out at sea, on the lead battleship, Navy soldiers' eyes widened and their faces turned pale as they screamed in terror. But there was no time to react.
'Boom... boom...'
'Ahhhh...'
In mere moments, accompanied by countless screams, the terrifying lightning beam tore through the entire lead battleship, obliterating it into pieces. The attack didn't stop there—it tore through a second massive battleship, reducing it to debris as well.
The sheer devastation of the strike left everyone around in shock.
"How is this possible?"
"Two top-tier battleships... destroyed in an instant!"
The Marines on the surrounding ships stood frozen in disbelief, their mouths agape, drenched in cold sweat as chills ran down their spines.
"Ma ma ma ma~! Not bad!" Linlin exclaimed excitedly.
"Heh, Linlin, that's not okay..." In the shared mental space, three figures appeared. Gerd, with her hands on her hips, scolded Linlin. "You wiped them all out in one go! How are we supposed to harvest their souls now?"
"Oops! I got too excited and forgot!" Linlin scratched her head apologetically. "I'll be more careful next time, don't worry—I'll handle it!"
'Beeep... beeeep...'
"Enemy attack! All hands, prepare for battle!"
"All ships, aim at that giant woman and open fire!"
"Damn it, a Devil Fruit user!"
"Terrifying..."
Siren alarms blared across the sea as the Navy forces, though shocked, quickly regrouped and prepared for battle. The well-trained soldiers moved in a tense but orderly fashion, preparing for the fight ahead. Artillery crews adjusted the cannons, loading them rapidly as the massive naval guns readied for firing.
"Fire!!!"
'Boom... boom...'
At the command, the triple-barreled main guns of the ships roared, spitting fire. A barrage of shells flew toward Linlin, who hovered low over the sea on Thundercloud Zeus.
"Ma ma ma ma~! Night Demon Assault!!"
Before the shells could land, Linlin exploded into a crimson mist.
'Flap... flap...'
'Guh... guh...'
Hundreds of bloodthirsty bats emerged, flapping their wings as they launched themselves toward the Navy ships.
"What is that?"
"Bats?"
"Who cares what they are! Shoot them down!"
'Bang, bang...'
The Navy soldiers, momentarily stunned by the wave of bats, quickly regained their composure. They raised their weapons and fired as the bats came into range.
'Clang... clang...'
Bullets rained down on the bats, but instead of dropping, the bullets ricocheted off their bodies with metallic clangs, even producing sparks.
The bats seemed impervious to the bullets, continuing their assault at incredible speed, like streaks of purple-black light rushing toward the ships.
"What?"
"What's going on?"
"The bullets aren't working!"
"Damn it, I'm sure I hit one right in the head!"
"These bats... are they invincible?"
"They're coming! Kill them!"
"Burn them with fire!"
The Navy soldiers, their faces pale with fear, shouted as the bats approached. Some continued firing their guns, others drew their swords, and a few readied flamethrowers.
'Flap... flap...'
'Guh... guh...'
'Whoosh... whoosh...'
'Crackle... crackle...'
But the flames spewing from the flamethrowers had no effect. The bats, seemingly immune to the fire, kept flying toward the ships.
"What!?"
'Clang... clang...'
Realizing the bats were unstoppable, the Navy soldiers fired their weapons wildly, trying to fend them off. But to their horror, neither bullets nor blades could harm the bats. Even swords shattered upon striking them.
Moments later, the bats crashed into the soldiers with terrifying strength. Some soldiers were eviscerated by the bats' razor-sharp wings, while others were flung backward, bones breaking as they flew like ragdolls. The bats sank their fangs into the soldiers, tearing at their flesh.
'Ahhhh!'
The bats were unbelievably strong and vicious. Even the well-trained Marines couldn't hold them off. The bats broke free of any grip, immediately attacking again.
'Flap... flap...' To make matters worse, as soon as a bat bit into a soldier, blood gushed out uncontrollably, like a faucet left running. Their very life essence was being drained.
'Ahhh!'
On several nearby ships, the scene was one of pure horror. Navy soldiers were drained of their blood, turning into ghastly, withered corpses. Their souls, too, seemed to be sucked from their bodies, leaving behind only deathly pale remains.
"Damn it..."
On one of the larger battleships, Vice Admiral Harris gripped his blade tightly. Swinging his haki-infused blade, he slashed through several bats, but the overwhelming force behind their attacks made his hands tremble.
His Observation Haki warned him of another incoming attack, and he narrowly dodged a bat that had swooped in to kill him.
"Shave!" He stomped hard, launching himself forward. With a powerful swing, he sliced through a bat that had been targeting a Marine captain nearby.
"Vice Admiral Harris!!"
The Marine captain, barely saved from death, breathed a sigh of relief. But before he could react, a group of bats swarmed him, biting into his body with terrifying speed.
"Damn it!"
Harris' eyes blazed with rage as he watched the scene unfold, helpless to save his comrade in time.
"What the hell are these creatures...?" Though a seasoned warrior used to seeing death, Harris couldn't help but shiver at the sight of his men being drained and reduced to husks. The battlefield looked like hell itself.
"Ma ma ma ma~! A Vice Admiral, huh?" A cluster of bats gathered, morphing into a demonic face made of blood. Crimson eyes gleamed like jewels as it grinned down at Harris from above. "Impressive strength, but not enough!"
"Justice will never bow to evil!" Harris roared, launching himself into the air. His blade, wrapped in haki, slashed toward the giant blood demon's face. "Die!"
'Slash—'
A bright green crescent-shaped slash flew out, cutting into the demonic visage.
'Boom...'
The blood seemed to split apart, scattering bats everywhere. But in seconds, they reformed, unharmed.
Harris' face paled as the bats began to gather again, and the demon's face reappeared, grinning maliciously.
"What kind of monster...?" he whispered, beads of sweat forming on his brow.
"Ma ma ma ma..."
The massive blood face cackled as its eyes gleamed. A terrifying wave of energy surged forth, and Harris felt his soul being pulled from his body.
"Life or death!" the demon growled.
'Thump...'
Harris froze, his body trembling as he felt his soul slipping away. Visible wisps of his essence floated above him.
"My life force!!" he screamed in terror.
"Ma ma ma ma... Let's take fifty years!" Linlin's chilling voice rang out as a giant hand of bats reached toward him.
At forty-something years old, losing fifty years would be a death sentence for the Vice Admiral. He wouldn't last much longer.
Sometimes, letting someone live, rather than killing them, had a greater impact. By leaving Harris alive after taking his life force, Gerd's Soul-Soul Fruit could instill fear in the higher ranks of the Navy. It would send a message, spreading terror across the seas.
"No—"