"Just a rookie pirate with a 500 million Belly bounty... Don't get so damn cocky!"
"I am... Jack!"
The taunts spewed from Jack's mouth as he roared at Vivi with extreme arrogance. His body trembled, and an immense power erupted from within him. The sky filled with terrifying black lightning, and in a single instant, Vivi's wine-infused fist was sent flying by the sheer force of the blast.
"Behold... Berserk Chariot!"
Seeing Vivi's attack repelled, Jean Bart stomped his foot down hard. With a great shout, he launched himself into the air, his body radiating an exaggerated amount of heat from the effects of the Mad Blood Fruit.
Boom!
Jean Bart's right arm swelled with blood, instantly doubling in size and hardening into an obsidian form. Wreathed in wildly crackling black lightning, he slammed his fist directly onto Jack's massive trunk.
"Trunk Lance!"
At the same moment, Jack let out a fierce cry. His long trunk, coated in Armament Haki, transformed into a thick, black whip that lashed out toward Jean Bart.
Bang!
Jack's trunk tore through the air with a terrifying shriek!
Jean Bart and Jack collided violently, countless bolts of black lightning arcing between them. A powerful shockwave instantly blasted outward from the point of impact.
Boom!
For a moment, sand and stone filled the air in a terrifying storm. But Jean Bart was no match for Jack. After holding his ground for a few seconds, an overwhelming force surged from Jack's trunk and sent him flying.
Jean Bart shot backward like an arrow released from a bow, carving a deep trench in the ground before he finally skidded to a halt. A trickle of blood seeped from the corner of his mouth.
"Wave Motion Elbow!"
"Scalpel of Fate!"
At the same time, Jesus Burgess and Van Augur's attacks arrived. But under Jack's massive trunk, both Burgess's charge and Van Augur's bullets were swatted away contemptuously. This was the strength of Jack the Drought, one of the three All-Stars of the Beasts Pirates. His bounty was a staggering one billion Bellies.
Meanwhile, Cracker was faring much worse. Under Hancock's relentless assault, he was completely unable to mount a defense. He had resorted to overwhelming numbers, summoning countless normal Biscuit Soldiers to swarm her. But it was merely a stalling tactic. A single Slave Arrow from Hancock could easily deal with all of them.
And so, Cracker came up with a new idea. He would use the brief moment Hancock was distracted to escape to his ship, the Tarte.
Ryuuto stood off to the side, watching the scene with a faint smile.
"What a pair of rare training partners!"
"But it still seems a little risky. I need to make this a bit more foolproof," Ryuuto thought to himself. Although he could finish off Cracker and Jack in moments if he intervened, it felt like a waste.
He touched the Seastone cuffs at his waist.
Then, Ryuuto began to move. His heart started to pound like a war drum, and countless golden lightning bolts erupted from his body, shooting straight up into the sky. An immense aura exploded outward, instantly bathing the heavens in a golden light. The sudden display made everyone involuntarily turn their gazes toward him.
"You dare get distracted? Your opponent is me! Mammoth Stomp!" Seeing Ryuuto act as if he wasn't even there, Jack flew into a rage. He lifted one of his massive forelegs and brought it crashing down toward Ryuuto. This was a blow of pure physical strength, an attack that even a reinforced Marine warship couldn't withstand.
"Die, you puny ant!" A crazed look appeared on Jack's face as he saw Ryuuto standing completely still.
"We may not be his match, but you're finished for daring to provoke the captain," Vivi said with a strange expression. Nami nodded in complete agreement. She then glanced up at the thunderclouds she had prepared in the sky, but it seemed they would no longer be needed.
Baby-5's heart was in turmoil. Lord Jack, a man even Doflamingo had to treat with caution, was truly powerful. But in everyone's eyes, Captain Ryuuto was clearly far stronger. This rapid shift in power dynamics stirred a strange, unfamiliar emotion within her.
Back on the battlefield, Ryuuto slowly raised his right hand. Coated in Armament Haki, it instantly took on an obsidian form. Not only that, but the Haki was visibly flowing around it.
"Watch closely, all of you. This is Ryuo!"
With a soft declaration, Ryuuto's palm met Jack's descending foot.
Bang!
In an instant, countless black lightning bolts clashed, churning the very clouds in the sky. An immense power erupted between Ryuuto and Jack. A deafening boom rang out, followed by a terrifying shockwave that swept across the ground, shattering countless rocks!
Nami and the others watched, transfixed.
Jack quickly realized something was wrong. A powerful impact was reverberating inside his body, tearing him apart from within.
"Ryuo!"
Jack's pupils contracted in horror. This was an advanced application of Armament Haki that even he had yet to master.
Reeling from the internal shock of Ryuo, Jack's aura fell into disarray. Ryuuto seized the opportunity, pushing forward with his right palm and unleashing an even greater surge of power.
Boom!
The externalized Armament Haki slammed into Jack's colossal mammoth form.
Thud! Thud! Thud!
Jack's enormous body could no longer maintain its footing. He was forced back step by step, each footfall leaving a deep crater in the ground.
"So strong!"
Nami, Burgess, and the others watched in shock. They could tell that Ryuuto had only used pure fighting skill. To think that it was enough to injure the notoriously tough Jack—was this the power of Ryuo?
So strong! I love it! I have to learn it!
The same thought flashed through all their minds simultaneously.
But for Ryuuto, this was just the beginning. As the golden lightning in the sky above him grew denser, his heart pounded like a drum.
Thump! Thump! Thump!
Then, the drumming sound suddenly exploded, echoing across the entire world. At the same time, the vast golden lightning overhead coalesced, rapidly forming a massive, golden war drum. Vicious arcs of lightning crackled across its surface.
"I am... Jack!"
"You think you can take me down with just that?"
"Mammoth Charge!"
Jack roared, his massive form once again charging toward Ryuuto. A powerful Armament Haki gathered on his tusks. He was still determined to clash head-on. This was Jack's defining trait: no matter how many times he was knocked down, no matter if he could win or not, he would always get back up and charge again, stubborn to the very end.
"He's way too reckless!"
Cracker was still on the move, now close to reaching the Tarte. He glanced up at Jack's performance and couldn't help but sigh.
"Are you just ignoring that terrifying thing forming in the sky?"
After one last jab at Jack, Cracker's figure flashed forward. Behind him, Hancock touched her fingers to her lips, aimed them like a pistol, and took aim at him.
"Pistol Kiss!"
With a shout, a heart-shaped shockwave shot from her fingertips.
On the other side, Jack was about to reach Ryuuto.
At that moment, all eyes were focused on Ryuuto.
"Drum of Annihilation!"
With a soft command, the world-ending divine lightning on the surface of the golden war drum suddenly imploded before erupting with a deafening boom. Countless golden, dragon-like patterns of lightning spewed forth!
BOOM!
In that instant, the world was filled with a single, resounding drumbeat.
An invisible wave of energy pulverized all the clouds in the sky and silenced the wind. Across the island of Dressrosa, time itself seemed to freeze. All sound vanished, and everyone's movements halted. Everything was locked in place.
Having fulfilled its purpose, the war drum in the sky shattered.
Swoosh!
A sound tore through the air as Ryuuto moved in a flash, instantly appearing before the frozen, charging Cracker. He snapped a pair of Seastone cuffs onto his wrists. Then, Ryuuto reappeared above Jack, his right foot erupting with terrifying black-and-red lightning as he unleashed a kick infused with Conqueror's Coating.
The three-second interval was over.
Time began to flow again.
Boom!
Ryuuto's kick landed with a massive impact, and Jack's colossal body was sent flying like a cannonball, crashing through countless buildings as he soared through the air.
Meanwhile, as soon as the Seastone touched Cracker, his body went limp. Hancock's Pistol Kiss arrived a moment later, turning him to stone.
"What just happened? How did Cracker get petrified like that?" Hancock's eyes held a trace of confusion.
"By all rights, he should have reached his pirate ship by now," she thought. But she didn't dwell on it. Whatever had happened, the outcome was favorable.
Nami and the others were even more curious. They remembered Ryuuto being dozens of meters away one second, and the next, Jack was being kicked into the horizon. It didn't seem to make any sense.
"What happened? *Cough*... When did Ryuuto get next to me?"
The giant mammoth lay on the ground, blood from its mouth staining its ivory tusks. Jack's mind was in a state of utter chaos. He had no idea how he had been sent flying.
"Jack! Surrender!"
"Or I can at least grant you a clean death!"
Ryuuto's figure flickered, reappearing beside Jack. His right hand, hardened into an obsidian form, hovered over Jack's head as he spoke with a mocking tone.
"Bastard... I'm Jack!"
Jack let out a furious roar, the resulting soundwave making the nearby buildings tremble. His mouth was as hard as ever, but Ryuuto's fist was just as unforgiving.
Boom!
As black and red lightning flared, Ryuuto's right fist smashed down on Jack. An immense power surged through him. Under the combined force of Ryuo and Conqueror's Coating, a sickening crack echoed out. Jack's eyes widened as he coughed up a mouthful of blood.
Ryuuto's figure seemed to hover without a breeze, exuding the cold, murderous aura of a demon god. His presence was utterly terrifying.
"How about now? Will you surrender?" Ryuuto asked again.
"Never! I am... Jack!" Hearing this, Jack seemed to become even more enraged, screaming the words out with a hoarse voice.
"Good. You really are stubborn," Ryuuto noted internally before bringing his fist down again. In an instant, blood splattered, and a powerful shockwave erupted. Jack's massive head slammed into the ground, causing the earth to tremble and sending rubble flying.
"I am... Jack!"
"I am..."
With each swing of Ryuuto's fist, Jack's voice grew weaker, though he continued to repeat the words. No one could withstand so many of Ryuuto's punches. Jack was durable, but even he was reaching his limit.
"I'm starting to admire Jack. I've never seen a man this stubborn before," Burgess remarked, a strange look on his face.
"Stop... Stop hitting me!"
"I surrender!"
Finally, as Ryuuto raised his fist for another blow, Jack couldn't take it anymore. He reverted to his human form, covering his head with his hands as he spoke in a weak, defeated tone. He was a miserable sight. His face was covered in blood, the metal mask on his jaw was shattered, and one of his formidable tusks had been snapped in two.
"That's more like it."
Seeing this, Ryuuto nodded in satisfaction and chuckled. He then took out another pair of Seastone cuffs and locked them onto Jack. With that, Jack's aura weakened even further, his arrogant demeanor completely gone.
"Hancock, release Cracker from the petrification."
As Ryuuto spoke, Hancock gracefully walked over to Cracker and reversed the effect.
"If you want to live, you'll show me your value. Otherwise... you know the consequences!" Ryuuto glared at Jack and Cracker, his expression menacing as he threatened them.
"Y-Yes!" Cracker was quick to nod. As for Jack, he reluctantly agreed after a moment of hesitation.