Chapter 424: Meteorite

"Roar—"

Meanwhile, above the island…

A large blue dragon continuously shrank in size. Several tall figures flew toward them. Aside from No. 3 Dal and No. 8 Ares, there were also No. 9 Hyde, No. 10 Athena, and No. 11 Arcas—five members of the Kukulkan family in total—all filled with fighting spirit as they emerged through the collapsed ice wall to confront Sengoku and the others.

"These brats from the Kukulkan family… This isn't the New World. If you know what's good for you, hand over the Dark-Dark Fruit!" Sengoku bellowed.

"Not a chance…"

Facing the hostile gazes of the Marines, pirates, and CP agents, Dal took the lead with a calm smile. "We're definitely not giving up something that's already in our hands."

While they only came with five people, they showed not a shred of fear or anxiety.

This was because, in another part of the nearby sea, the rest of them had encountered the Roger Pirates and were slugging it out there.

Surprisingly, the eldest son Thor and eldest daughter Sif, plus No. 4 Willie, No. 6 Eden, and No. 7 Frey, were not present.

It wasn't that they didn't want to come—they just knew that if too many of them arrived at once, the enemy would go on full alert. So only these five were here: No. 8 Ares, No. 9 Hyde, No. 10 Athena, and No. 11 Arcas for real experience and training, with Dal (No. 3) here primarily to watch over them and ensure the Dark-Dark Fruit wouldn't be snatched away by other forces.

"Hmph, what Totto Land Kingdom…"

Z, formerly Black-Arm Zephyr, gave them a grim look, full of killing intent. Fixing his gaze on Ares, he suddenly charged forward:

"Pirates are pirates, no matter what fancy veneer they put on—at heart they're still rotten and brutal criminals! None of you Kukulkan brats are leaving here alive today!"

Not only had the fruit been taken from him, but just now that blue dragon had viciously killed so many members of his pirate-hunter squad, fueling his rage.

"Huh…?"

With frosty air swelling in his palms and forming icy gauntlets, Z's fists carried a powerful Haki. He charged at Ares:

"Justice Impact!!"

"Living in a daydream, playing soldier with some worthless nobodies and your naive idealism… Now you want revenge for them?"

Ares sneered back, showing no intention of retreat. He too sprang forward at full speed.

"You think you're some champion of justice?"

"Crack—"

From his waist, the large saber was drawn in a flourish of cold gleaming steel. The blade, demonic and razor-sharp, shone with potent Haki. He swung it unreservedly:

"Elbaf Spear: 'Weiguo!!'"

"Tch—"

A monstrous wave of sword-energy tore through the air, rolling forth with unstoppable force toward Black-Arm Zephyr.

"Boom!!!"

The ground shattered under the unimaginable impact, thunderous booms splitting the air. Two titanic shock waves collided, roaring across the terrain.

"Whooo—whooo—"

Winds raged, kicking up rubble and shards of ice in swirling gusts that made it impossible to see clearly.

"Attack—"

Sengoku shouted.

Remaining in his "Human-Buddha" form, he kicked off from the ice, streaking forward in a blur of gold. His golden Buddha palm condensed a brilliant radiance interwoven with ribbons of black-red lightning, aiming to crush Dal, who exuded an alarming aura that could not be ignored.

"Buddha Shock!!"

"Ahahaha…such fury. You seem pretty worked up!"

Dal wore a composed expression as he likewise swung his ornate demonic blade, brimming with both Conqueror's Haki and Armament Haki. He flashed forward, slashing at the golden buddha.

"Divine Evasion!!"

"Clang!!!"

Metal scraped metal in an ear-splitting scream, the force so fierce it rattled everyone's eardrums. Vast shock waves tore at the ground. In that moment, the golden Buddha's giant palm and the razor-sharp blade never directly touched—some invisible barrier seemed to keep them apart—yet both forces pushed and twisted against each other, producing a shrill "crack, crack" grinding noise.

"Rumble-rumble…"

Webs of thick black-red lightning crashed and scattered, expanding outward. Many Marines, pirates, or surviving members of the "pirate-hunter" squad with weaker strength collapsed foaming at the mouth, whites of their eyes showing.

High above, air currents surged. The clouds, already dark and rolling, tore violently apart, two storm fronts colliding in a furious clash. It was shockingly exaggerated, leaving the crowd awed and terrified.

"Ghhh…!"

"The sky is splitting…"

Marines and pirates alike looked on in astonishment, jaws dropped, cold sweat trickling.

"Heh heh, this is pretty insane…"

"So that's the power of Kukulkan family members?"

"No wonder people call them a tribe of real 'gods!'"

Even some of the formidable Shichibukai, having come to battle Zephyr's group, couldn't help feeling shaken by the spectacle. As for the pirates arriving in droves, they felt chills down their spines.

"Don't get careless," someone shouted. "These are monsters for sure!"

CP0 agents and Marine elite officers tensed, fully aware that the Kukulkan heirs had frequently led Totto Land's NEO Navy in expeditions. Whenever they clashed with the World Government or the Marines, they emerged with formidable battle records.

"Heh heh, it's no time for you to be gawking now, you know?"

A tall girl, at just sixteen but already eight meters tall—No.10 Athena—smirked. She turned to face the Shichibukai and pirates.

The blindfold she wore was not for show; she had spent years training her Observation Haki to the point she no longer relied on her eyes, instead "seeing" everything through powerful sensory perception.

"Perhaps," she teased, "you saw the weather forecast for today? They said tonight in this sea zone there'd be a gorgeous meteor shower…"

Lifting her sheathed sword, she tilted it casually at the pirates. In the next moment—

"Clink—"

She drew the blade. Through her long years of relentless practice, her Observation Haki locked onto meteorites far above in the stratosphere. Then with a graceful swing, the blade glowed a faint purple.

"Buzz—buzz—"

In a split second, gravitational waves rippled outward from the blade, surging skyward and vanishing from view.

"Huh?"

People below—CP0, Marines, pirates alike— instinctively looked upward, confused.

"What the—"

"M-Meteorites?!"

"You've gotta be joking, right?!"

But in a flash, their eyes widened. Streaks of flame blazed in the distant sky—fireballs dropping fast, friction with the atmosphere setting them alight as they plummeted. Each roaring meteor, wreathed in flame and terrifying impact force, barreled straight for them.

"Impossible?!"

"Damnit, we can't dodge that!"

"Boom… BOOM…"