Chapter 478 - 317

Chapter 318: Two Admirals Arrive, The EmperorRises!The strings were trembling.Donquixote Doflamingo clearly felt the strings he relied on to control fate were now trembling uncontrollably at his fingertips."Fufufu... fu..."His laughter was dry, like sandpaper rubbing together.He used the recoil of his "String Bullet" to rapidly retreat through the air, his pink coat flapping behind him, but his gaze was fixed on the dissipating smoke and dust in the center of Green Bit.Aramaki had fallen.The terrifying, penetrating hole in his chest, whose edges were still steaming, announced the complete defeat of an Admiral.The image of that punch violently overlapped with a scene from the depths of his memory that he had almost deliberately buried.Three years ago, Onigashima.The banquet hall, filled with clinking cups, suddenly fell silent.The drunken "Beasts" Kaido suddenly erupted in violence, without warning or prelude. The Spiked Club, "hassaikai," wrapped in black and red lightning, tore through the air,and the instant he tried to defend, it shattered all his strings and slammed into his chest with undiminished force.Crack—!That was the sound of his sternum and spine shattering together.He was embedded deep into the rock wall like a rag doll, blood gushing from his seven orifices.Kaido's condescending gaze, filled with alcohol fumes and indifference, was like looking at a stray dog that had wandered into a tiger's den."The weak have no right to negotiate."That was the last sentence he heard before losing consciousness.In that moment, his meticulously built organization, his proud schemes, his Celestial Dragonsbloodline... everything became a ridiculous joke in the face of pure, overwhelming power.And now, that same feeling was gripping his throat.Straw Hat Luffy.That kid who had just set sail half a year ago, an unknown weakling... now, simply standing before him and releasing Conqueror's Haki, caused his body—which had survived countless battles—to issue a screaming warning."What the hell..."Mingo's teeth were chattering, and the cracks on his sunglasses spread."How could a monster like this... appear here!?"His plan—meticulously arranged, using the Tremor-Tremor Fruit as bait, uniting Two Admiralsfor self-preservation, and attempting to destabilize the New World—was as fragile as paper before this monster.In the face of that level of power, did a numerical advantage truly matter?Must escape!!Immediately! Right now!Leave Dressrosa, head to the Red Line, or... no, he absolutely couldn't go to Kaido!That was another monster!Go to Mary Geoise, use his status as a "Celestial Dragon," hide in the depths of Pangea Castle, and then... "Donquixote Doflamingo—!!!"A hoarse roar, filled with bone-deep hatred, jolted him awake from his chaotic thoughts.Below, Trafalgar Law leaned on kikoku and shakily stood up.He was covered in blood, the bandage on his left shoulder already soaked through with fresh seepage, and his Golden Eyes were so dim they looked like they would extinguish at any second.But he still stared intently at Mingo fleeing in the air, his gaze seemingly trying to drag his soul into hell."ROOM...!"A pale blue domain, centered on Law, expanded with difficulty and tremor."Scan."Law's figure vanished within the domain, and the next second, he appeared in the shadows of a cluster of trees a hundred meters ahead of Mingo.He knelt on one knee, vomiting large mouthfuls of blood, yet still struggling to raise kikoku, pointing the tip at the pink figure."You... won't escape..."Mingo's terror was instantly replaced by furious rage.To be pursued and blocked by a heavily wounded, near-death defeated subordinate was an absolute disgrace!"A stray dog dares to block my path!?"His fingertips flicked, and Five-Colored Stringsripped through the air, crisscrossing as they slashed toward Law's neck.This strike was enough to slice the current Law into pieces... just at this critical moment—The sky darkened.Above Green Bit, thick clouds seemed to be stirred by an invisible giant hand, rotating into a bottomless vortex.In the center of the vortex, a point of crimson light rapidly expanded, accompanied by a piercing shriek that sounded as if the world itself were being torn apart.Law and Mingo looked up simultaneously.A giant meteorite, over a hundred meters in diameter, wrapped in raging flames and a thick black smoke trail, broke through the clouds and plummeted toward the center of the island!The shadow it cast instantly swallowed up half of Green Bit, and the wind pressure crushed the already ravaged forest below into dust."Meteor...ite?!"Mingo's sunglasses shattered completely, revealing the horrified eyes beneath.An attack of this catastrophic scale... Law's pupils suddenly contracted, and the severe pain in his chest and abdomen intensified due to the sudden shock.Immediately following, the second, third, and fourth ones!Their trajectories sealed off all space for evasion!The air was ignited by friction, letting out a shriek like a wailing ghost.The island's surface groaned under the terrifying wind pressure, cracking into countless bottomless ravines.Mingo was ecstatic!An opportunity! This was the perfect cover!He didn't spare Law another glance, shooting toward Dressrosa at maximum speed.Law's eyes were splitting with rage; he wanted to pursue, but the intense pain in his body and the suffocating feeling caused by the meteorites nearly made him collapse.Just then—Zzzzzzz—!!!A pillar of crimson-gold lightning shot up into the sky without warning!The lightning pillar instantly pierced the shadow cast by the meteorites, striking directly toward the four sources of destruction.Luffy's figure had already vanished inside that lightning pillar.In the sky.Time seemed to stretch out.The crimson-gold lightning pillar exploded at the center of the four meteorites, transforming into countless fine, seemingly living lightning snakes.These lightning snakes intertwined and wrapped around each other, instantly forming a crimson-gold lightning net covering the sky!"200 Million Volts: Thunder Emperor's Judgment."A calm voice echoed clearly between heaven and earth, cutting through the thunder.The next moment, the lightning net contracted.The meteorites, large enough to destroy an island, were annihilated into the finest cosmic dust the instant they were touched by the crimson-gold lightning net.Destruction could be so quiet, so... absolute.Law stared blankly at the sky.This is... the power of a Four Emperor?Mingo's fleeing figure suddenly froze; glancing back and seeing that fantastical yet terrifying sight, his heart nearly stopped beating.Escape! Must be faster!Luffy floated at the height where the meteorites had been, crimson-gold electric arcs leaping and rejoicing around him like obedient subjects.His gaze passed over the gradually dissipating crystal dust and fixed on the distant sea horizon.There, a purple figure was "floating" over the sea, stepping on a piece of suspended reef.His purple kimono fluttered in the sea breeze, his blind eyes slightly closed, and his face held an unshakeable gravity.The Cane Sword in his hand, named "Gamblers Fire Line," had a dull sheen on its sheath.The Admiral, "Fujitora" Issho!!Almost simultaneously, the scorched soil on the edge of the huge Crater in the center of Green Bitsuddenly shifted.A tender green sprout stubbornly broke through the ground.It grew, branched out, and expanded at an unnatural speed... in just a few breaths, it reformed into a human shape.Aramaki stretched his newly formed neck, letting out a slight "crack," the hole in his chest long gone.He raised a hand to wipe away non-existent blood from his mouth, and the look in his eyes as he gazed at Luffy in the sky was filled with violence and... a trace of barely perceptible dread.But he quickly suppressed this dread, replacing it with deeper annoyance and the conviction of victory."Hoo..."Aramaki let out a long breath, which carried the mingled scent of forest freshness and decay,"I almost capsized in the gutter, Straw Hat."He twisted his neck, looked toward Fujitorasteadily approaching, and grinned, revealing his stark white teeth."However, the game ends here!"Aramaki's voice carried unconcealed arrogance,"On this island, the forest is me, and I am the forest! As long as there is an inch of land or a single blade of grass, my life will not be extinguished!"He raised his hand and pointed at Luffy in the air,"And now, Issho is here too! The iron law of the seas will be verified again by us today!""No Emperor can simultaneously contend against Two Admirals! Straw Hat Luffy, I will take your head!"Fujitora finally stepped onto the shattered coast of Green Bit.He slowly drew his Cane Sword, "Gamblers Fire Line." The moment the blade left the sheath, purple-black Gravity Ripples spread out like water, distorting the space several meters around him until it was blurred.He raised his head; although he couldn't see, Observation Haki had already "seen" everything in the area clearly.He faced Luffy, his voice deep and rich, carrying a heavy sigh:"Luffy-dono! What this old man least wishes to see in life is needless conflict and bloodshed. This old man has heard of your righteous act of saving your brother at the Summit War, and truly holds respect in his heart."He changed his tone, slightly raising his Cane Sword, pointing the tip at Luffy:"However, by severely injuring an Admiral today and harboring a major criminal designated by the World Government, your actions have gone far beyond the scope of Pirate Plunder and touched the bottom line of world order.""As a Marine, bearing justice, even with private admiration, this old man must... request that you surrender. Avoiding conflict may prevent harm to the innocent."The sea wind swept across the silent island, carrying the scent of dust and charred wood.In the sky, crimson-gold thunderclouds, purple-black Gravity Fields, and dark-green Forest Aura—three distinct yet equally terrifying pressures—were silently confronting and tearing at each other.In the center of this suffocating pressure, Luffyslowly lowered his head, his gaze sweeping over the newly regenerated Aramaki on the ground, then turning toward Fujitora standing with his sword drawn on the coast.There was no expression on his face.His voice was not loud, yet it clearly pierced through the wind's whine and the distant ocean's roar, landing in everyone's ears like a clap of thunder:"Iron law?"He raised his right hand, slowly curling his five fingers into a fist.The scarlet-gold lightning instantly became violent, wrapping around his arm."That kind of thing..."The moment his fist clenched, an even more violent and purer Conqueror's Haki erupted like a sleeping volcano!Scarlet-gold shockwaves burst out from him in a ring, completely tearing apart the clouds in the sky and pressing a massive depression into the sea surface!"Just smash it."...The instant the words fell, Luffy moved.His figure blurred where he stood, and the next moment, he had already appeared before Fujitora!"Raijin Spear: Supersonic Thrust"!The tip of the scarlet-gold Lightning Spearcondensed an edge sharp enough to pierce anything, aiming straight for Fujitora's brow!Although Fujitora was blind, his top-tier Observation Haki had already fed back images of the next few seconds into his mind.The moment Luffy vanished, his Cane Sword was already blocking horizontally in front of him.Purple-black Gravity Ripples gathered and stacked frantically upon the blade."Gravity Wall: Sky Break."Buzz—!The space in front of the blade visibly twisted and folded, forming layer after layer of invisible barriers.Each layer contained terrifying gravity capable of flattening steel into sheets.The scarlet-gold Lightning Spear slammed violently into the Gravity Wall!A grating friction sound rang out as the lightning and purple-black ripples fiercely clashed.The speed of the Lightning Spear visibly slowed, but its momentum was unstoppable, piercing through the second and third layers consecutively!The muscles in Fujitora's sword-wielding arm bulged, and the sleeves of his kimono flapped loudly, strained by the surging Haki.He let out a muffled grunt, and the hard coastal rock beneath his feet cracked with a "kacha" sound, forming spiderweb-like fissures.The final layer of the Gravity Wall barely managed to stop the tip of the Lightning Spear three inches before the blade.Luffy's figure appeared in the lightning; his fist was pressed against the end of the Gravity Wall, locked in a stalemate with Fujitora's Cane Sword across the warped space.Just as Luffy and Fujitora were locked in a struggle, Aramaki's offensive roared out from beneath the earth!"Did you think my attack only came from the front? straw hat!!"Aramaki sneered, slamming both hands onto the ground."Shinra: Root of Strangulation!"Boom, rumble—!!!The ground within a hundred-meter radius beneath Luffy and Fujitora suddenly exploded!Hundreds of giant tree roots, covered in pitch-black Armament Haki, shot out like tentacles from hell, converging to strangle Luffy's legs!At the same time, in the high sky, countless emerald vines descended like a rainstorm, accompanied by a mournful tearing sound, stabbing toward Luffy's head and back!Pincer attack from above and below, a net of heaven and earth!Luffy, however, did not look down at the roots about to wrap around his ankles. His left leg, without warning, ignited with fierce golden flames!"Fire Fist: Vortex."Using his left leg as the axis, golden flames erupted violently in the shape of a tornado!The flame tornado spun rapidly, carrying terrifying high temperatures and purifying power, instantly engulfing the attacking roots and vines!Sizzle, sizzle, sizzle—!A chorus of harsh searing sounds filled the air.The Armament-covered roots lasted less than half a second in the golden flames before quickly carbonizing and shattering!The flame tornado surged upward, burning through Aramaki's subsequent attacks as well!"What?!"Aramaki's expression shifted slightly.He hadn't expected Luffy's control over flame abilities to reach such a refined level, allowing him to use such a powerful area defense while simultaneously struggling head-on against Fujitora.And the moment the flame tornado erupted, Luffy's right fist, pressing against the Gravity Wall, exploded with power once more!"Gomu Gomu: Elastic Burst!"The muscles in his right arm rolled like waves, and the stored elastic potential energy, combined with the lightning's propulsion, was violently released!Bang—!!!The fourth layer of the Gravity Wall shattered instantly!Fujitora felt an immense force transfer through his blade; his entire body slid backward uncontrollably, his feet plowing two deep furrows into the rock.Luffy, using the recoil, lightly flipped backward, while simultaneously the flame tornado on his left leg suddenly expanded outward, completely clearing away the remaining roots.He landed steadily, positioned perfectly outside the center of Aramaki and Fujitora's initial pincer attack, ascending onto a slightly taller, shattered rock pillar.The exchange was swift, like lightning striking flint.Aramaki's expression completely darkened. His newly regenerated body glowed with green light, rapidly solidifying."Troublesome composite abilities... the speed and penetration of lightning, the purification and range of fire, and that monstrous physical strength..."He spat,"Fujitora, don't hold back! This brat is seriously uncanny!"Fujitora stabilized himself, and the Gravity Rippleson his Cane Sword became deeper and stickier.He said deeply, "I understand."He slowly raised his left hand, spreading his five fingers, aiming them at the area where Luffy stood."Gravity Fruit Awakening: Infinite Hell."Centered on Fujitora, an invisible yet incredibly heavy "Field" instantly expanded, covering a thousand-meter radius!Within the Field, gravity became chaotic and wild!Tenfold gravity suddenly descended, causing the rock pillar Luffy was on to creak;The next second, the direction of gravity abruptly shifted horizontally, pulling people violently like an invisible giant hand;Immediately followed by weightlessness, making one feel as if their internal organs were floating out of their body... "Assist me!"Fujitora let out a low shout. His figure moved effortlessly within the chaotic Gravity Field, instantly cutting in with strange steps!His Observation Haki had long adapted to and predicted the chaos created by his own ability; this moment had become his home turf!"Gravity Blade: Meteorite Fall!"The blade traced an arcane trajectory, ignoring the chaotic gravity, stabbing straight toward Luffy's chest!This strike, seemingly slow, locked down all possible directions of evasion under the gravity disturbance!At the same time, Aramaki moved.He did not rush into the Gravity Field to complicate things for Fujitora, but instead pressed both hands to the ground again."Kinzou Mori Mori: Giant Wood Prison!"The ground shook violently, and countless pitch-black giant trees, over five meters in diameter, burst from the earth. They precisely interwove and closed along the edge of the Gravity Field, instantly forming a massive hemispherical wood prison covering half of the field!Countless sharp wooden spikes, also covered in Armament Haki, sprang out from the inner wall of the wood prison, turning the interior into a cage of death!Gravity control locked down movement, the Giant Wood Prison confined space, and the Meteorite Fall delivered the fatal blow!The collaboration between the Two Admirals, displayed for the first time, was a guaranteed killing move!Luffy, trapped in the center of the prison and the gravitational chaos, frowned slightly for the first time.This combination was indeed a bit troublesome.But the scarlet-gold flames in his eyes burned even more fiercely.The next moment, a scarlet-gold stream of light, like actual magma, surged out from within him!"Haki Armor: Raijin Armament."A suit of scarlet-gold armor, flowing with lightning and fire patterns, instantly covered Luffy's entire body!The instant the armor appeared, the surrounding chaotic Gravity Field was forcibly pushed aside and stabilized, as if it had struck an indestructible reef!The tip of the deadly "Meteorite Fall" struck the armor's chest plate, erupting in dazzling sparks and a teeth-grinding friction sound, yet it only left a white mark and failed to advance an inch!"What?!" Fujitora exclaimed.Materializing Conqueror's Haki and using it for defense—this was a legendary realm that only a handful of top-tier experts could reach!Luffy opened his eyes, and Fujitora's astonished face was reflected in his scarlet-gold pupils."You see the future?"Luffy's voice, muffled slightly by the armor, carried an undeniable power,"I can too."Before Fujitora's Observation Haki "saw" the trajectory of Luffy's counterattack, Luffy's left fist, wrapped in scorching golden flames, slammed toward Fujitora's abdomen at a speed that surpassed the Gravity Field's interference!"Fire Fist: Internal Rupture!"Fujitora hastily condensed gravity for defense around his abdomen, but the force of the punch and the penetrating power of the flames far exceeded his expectations!Boom!Fujitora was blasted flying backward by the punch, crashing heavily into the inner wall of the closed Giant Wood Prison behind him with a dull thud.A sweetness rose in his throat, a trickle of blood spilled from the corner of his mouth, and his eyes were filled with disbelief.Luffy had predicted his prediction—that was the Observation Haki realm of "Glimpsing the Further Future"!"Fujitora!"Aramaki, outside the wood prison, was both shocked and enraged.He hadn't expected the guaranteed kill setup created by their teamwork to be instantly broken by the opponent in such a dominating and precise manner!"Don't get distracted~"Luffy's voice rang out again, this time, from above Aramaki's head!Aramaki looked up in horror, seeing that Luffy had penetrated the wood prison at some point, and his right foot, wrapped in scarlet-gold lightning and fire, was stomping fiercely down toward his head!"Lightning Fire: Battle Axe!"Aramaki only had time to cross his arms in defense while frantically activating his Mori Mori no Miability, generating layers of wooden shields above his head.Crack! Boom—!!The wooden shields shattered like paper mache, and Aramaki was violently stomped into the ground by the kick, creating a deep Crater. Excruciating pain from bone fractures shot through his arms.Luffy used the force to spring up, landing on a relatively intact giant rock nearby. The scarlet-gold armor around his body slowly dissipated, but his breathing remained steady and long.He shook his wrist, looking at the pale-faced Fujitora, and Aramaki, who was climbing out of the pit, his twisted arms rapidly being repaired by green light."The warm-up is about done."Luffy grinned, revealing a smile devoid of warmth,"Next, let's get serious! Both Admirals... don't bore me too much!"The sea breeze swept past, bringing with it a strong smell of charring and blood.The forests of Green Bit were howling, and the earth was shattering.And the battle had only just entered its true movement.(To be continued)