Chapter 35: The Fall of the Wings
The white-out from Big Mom's soul-fire didn't fade gently; it was torn apart by a shockwave of black and blue energy. The screen revealed a horrifying sight: the rooftop was practically disintegrating. Kaido and Big Mom were looming over the "Worst Generation," their combined Haki so dense it turned the air into a physical weight.
Sanji was standing directly in front of an unconscious Luffy, his body wreathed in blue sparks. But he wasn't unscathed. His left arm was hanging at an odd angle, and a jagged piece of rebar from the ruins was sticking out of his shoulder.
The world watched, horrified, as Sanji calmly reached up, grabbed the metal, and pulled it out.
Schwing. The wound didn't bleed. The sound of metal grinding against metal echoed through the broadcast as his muscles snapped back together, closing the hole instantly.
The Global Chat: The Dread of the World
> [Sengoku]: "SQUEAK! (This isn't just resilience... it's a structural anomaly! Garp, look at the way his tissue is behaving! He's not healing—he's resetting! SQUEAK!)"
> [Monkey D. Garp]: "BWAHAHA—! No, look closer, Sengoku. He's exhausted. His spirit is holding that 'science' together. But look at the Emperors... they aren't even tired. This is bad."
> [Trafalgar Law]: "Damn it... everyone, move! We've hit our limit! Black Leg, if you take another direct hit, your Haki will collapse before your bones do!"
> [Big Mom]: (Present Day) "MAMAMAMA! Look at the little bug trying to play god! You can fix your skin, but can you fix your soul when I rip it out of your chest?!"
> [Kaido]: (Present Day) "WORORORO! A valiant effort, Vinsmoke. But a shield that doesn't break eventually just becomes a coffin for the person behind it. DIE!"
>
The Scene: The Final Stand
Kaido lunged again, his club Hassaikai crackling with "Thunder Bagua" levels of energy. Simultaneously, Big Mom unleashed a "Maser Cannon," a beam of pure elemental fury.
Sanji looked to his right. Zoro was there, his swords trembling, his eyes bloodshot. They didn't need to speak.
"One more time, Moss-head?"
"Shut up, Cook. Don't let your fire go out."
Sanji ignited his leg into a blinding Ifrit Jambe. He didn't just kick; he became a blue comet, meeting Kaido's club head-on. At the same time, Zoro unleashed a three-sword style strike against the Maser Cannon.
The explosion was catastrophic. The screen shook so violently that viewers in the East Blue felt their houses tremble. When the dust settled, the image was devastating.
Luffy was still down. Law and Kid were battered. And the "Wings"? Sanji was on his back, his suit completely gone, his chest heaving as the metallic thud-thud slowed down to a dull beat. Zoro was face-down nearby, his swords scattered.
The Emperors were still standing. They were scratched, they were bleeding slightly, but they were victorious.
The Global Chat: The Silent Defeat
> [Buggy the Clown]: "HONK... they lost. They actually lost. Even after all those flashy kicks and robot powers... the Yonko are just... too much. I'm going to go cry in a corner now. HONK."
> [Akainu]: "Hmph. Pathetic. Whether they are pirates or 'emperors,' scum is still scum. The System shows us their 'Peak,' and their peak is nothing more than a temporary stain on the world before Justice erases them both. If they couldn't even finish these brats cleanly, the Yonko have grown soft."
> [Edward Newgate (Whitebeard)]: "Gurarara! Look closer, Magma-brat. They didn't lose. They survived. To take the full force of a dual-Yonko alliance at such a young age and still have a heart beating... that is a victory that makes the future look terrifying for people like you."
> [Shanks]: "Whitebeard is right. Looking at their faces, they haven't aged more than two or three years from the present. To go from rookies to making two Emperors bleed in that short a time? Kaido... you're looking at the men who will eventually take your throne."
> [Rocks D. Xebec]: "♪ THE WINGS ARE BROKEN~ THE SKY IS RED~ THE KINGS ARE LAUGHING~ THE HOPE IS DEAD~ BUT LOOK AT THE COOK~ HE'S OPENING AN EYE~ A PIRATE LIKE THAT~ REFUSES TO DIE! ♪"
>
The Cliffhanger: The Retreat
Law's "Room" finally expanded, flickering one last time. Shambles!
In a blink, the Worst Generation vanished from the rooftop, leaving the two Emperors alone in their rage. The screen zoomed in on the spot where Sanji had stood. A single, broken cigarette lay on the stone, still smoldering with a faint blue spark.
[System Note: Phase 1 of the Rooftop Clash — COMPLETE. The Wings have been broken, but the Demon is just waking up.]