Chapter Thirty-Five: Celestial Collapse
“Kid…”
“What exactly are you planning to do?”
Watching Chu Yi’s figure slowly rise, Tiger suddenly felt a pang of regret.
Damn it…
After all the battles we’ve fought together, how could I not know what kind of person the kid is? Even when facing such a terrifying enemy, he’d stay behind alone to cover our retreat, willingly sacrificing himself for me, and yet I just doubted him…
Tiger!
You’re nothing but a fool!
His fists clenched tightly, but he was utterly powerless.
Because at that moment, Chu Yi had flown above the Red-Haired Pirates’ ship, and under the gaze of everyone below, he spread his palm toward the naval warships ahead, choosing them as his target.
Little did they know, as Chu Yi took aim at the naval warships, their artillery was likewise trained on him.
Just moments ago, when Admiral Sengoku revealed he intended to use the “Buster Call” to solve the crisis, Aokiji, who already felt regret for failing to capture Chu Yi, now felt it even more intensely.
It’s all my fault…
The Sabaody Archipelago will be wiped out, and hundreds of thousands of innocent civilians will be caught in the crossfire!
He blamed himself for mishandling the incident with the slain Celestial Dragons, and was furious at Chu Yi for stirring up trouble.
That’s right!
It’s all because of that kid!
If not for him, the Sabaody Archipelago wouldn’t be facing such catastrophe!
In that instant, he wished he could tear Chu Yi apart. Soon, Aokiji received the signal to commence the “Buster Call,” and, seething with anger, he strode to the bow of his warship.
But as he reached the bow, Aokiji froze.
He could see the Red-Haired Pirates’ ship—and above it, the unmistakable silhouette.
“That’s the kid?”
First surprised that Chu Yi would fly above the Red-Haired Pirates’ ship, Aokiji then let out a cold chuckle and contacted Kizaru through a Den Den Mushi:
“Borsalino, can you hear me clearly?”
“Yo, Kuzan! What’s up?”
“See the kid above the pirate ship ahead? Order all ships to target him with their cannons. Begin a full volley!”
“Why?” Kizaru asked, puzzled.
“Because he… he’s the one who killed the two Celestial Dragons!”
“That’s him?”
Tilting his head to glance at Chu Yi floating in the air, Kizaru smiled faintly, then instructed through the Den Den Mushi, “Mole, Strawberry, Burning Mountain—the man above the pirate ship ahead is the culprit behind the Sabaody incident. Before the archipelago is destroyed, he’ll be our appetizer!”
“First volley…”
“Fire!”
Creak… creak…
As soon as Kizaru finished speaking, the firepower of ten naval warships shifted in unison, all zeroing in on Chu Yi.
Seeing the change in the warships’ artillery, Shanks and Rayleigh’s eyes narrowed, both growing anxious for Chu Yi’s safety.
There was no need to mention Tiger and Hancock; the moment the warships’ guns prepared to fire, they were ready to rush to Chu Yi’s aid.
Tiger thought, if he couldn’t stop Chu Yi, then he’d fight alongside him.
Hancock’s resolve was even simpler…
Even if it meant death, she would die with Chu Yi!
And just as Tiger and Hancock were about to leap forward, determined to help deflect even a single shell for Chu Yi—
Suddenly!
Chu Yi pressed his hands together, then spread his palms toward the warships ahead, and with a thunderous shout—
“Secret Art!”
“Planetary Devastation!”
Boom!
With that cry, a strange black aura surged forth, flowing from Chu Yi’s hands and slowly coalescing into a black sphere before him.
The sphere formed and shot skyward, blotting out the sun!
From below, Tiger, Hancock, Rayleigh, and Shanks saw the black sphere launched from Chu Yi’s palms, dominating the sky as if it had replaced the sun, becoming the sole sovereign overhead.
As Hancock and the others stared in astonishment, wondering why Chu Yi was using the black sphere to obscure the sun—
“Buzz!”
The sphere, now king of the sky, emanated a terrifying gravitational force, pulling everything above the sea toward it!
“Crack… crack!”
That was the sound of the decks of the warships splitting apart!
The overwhelming gravity enveloped them; clearly, Chu Yi’s secret art targeted the warships ahead. As its power fully unleashed, the Sabaody Archipelago behind him and the Red-Haired Pirates’ ship below remained untouched, but the supposedly invincible warships were etched with cracks.
Seeing these fissures, Aokiji, Kizaru, and the elite forces aboard the warships were stunned for a moment, then realized this was Chu Yi’s counterattack!
Without hesitation, Aokiji and Kizaru rose almost simultaneously, leaping high from their ships, ready to use their Devil Fruit powers to intercept Chu Yi.
Unfortunately…
They moved too slowly!
Or rather, Chu Yi’s secret art was unleashed before they could act!
Not even a second passed; under the terrifying gravitational pull of the black sphere, the warships forged in Water Seven were utterly torn apart.
Cannons and ammunition lost their weight, all hurtling toward the black sphere!
Fragments of the broken warships were stripped away, flying rapidly toward the sphere!
Even the marines aboard, despite their desperate grip on anything solid, found that the sphere acted like an irresistible black hole, robbing their anchors of gravity and, likewise, their bodies, dragging them toward the black sphere!
From afar, Tiger and the others watched as the warships, along with their elite crews, vanished in the blink of an eye.
And the black sphere in the sky?
Within seconds, flesh and steel intertwined!
What had been merely a sphere large enough to block the sunlight now expanded, becoming as vast as the sun itself—a colossal meteor formed from the blood and bodies of elite marines and the wreckage of several warships!
That was Planetary Devastation!
That was the eruption of all Chu Yi’s power, bringing agony to the navy!
With a single Planetary Devastation, several warships were annihilated, and aside from Aokiji, Kizaru, and a mere few dozen survivors, nearly ten thousand elite marines perished under Chu Yi’s secret art!
In the sky, gazing at the devastation he had wrought, Chu Yi felt a faint sense of pride, a subtle smile playing at his lips.
But…
It wasn’t over yet!
Planetary Devastation was only the beginning; after it…
Meteor Rain would follow!