Young Bai Ye, Release Reiatsu!

Boom...!

At that moment, an immense surge of vitality poured into Bai Ye's body.

His aura began to rise steadily, visible even to the naked eye. As traces of Reiatsu leaked from him, a suffocating pressure spread across the entire sea near the Red Line.

Aboard the Seized Impel Down Warship

"Damn it!"

"That wretched woman dared to attack our people! And she still has such a beautiful face!"

This was 'Moon Hunter' Catarina Devon, glaring at Empress Hancock from the Nine Snake Pirates in the distance, envy flickering in her eyes. She drew the saber from her waist and said coldly:

"Let me handle that little brat who doesn't know her place! I'll carve up that pretty face of hers myself!"

Just as Catarina Devon prepared to act, suddenly—

A suffocating presence descended upon the Red Line.

"What is this...?!"

"Above us!"

Catarina Devon's expression changed drastically, and she instinctively looked skyward.

She was not alone.

Everyone present—members of the Revolutionary Army, the infamous Magellan and his group who had escaped from Impel Down, the Big Mom Pirates, and even the powerful 'Demon Heir' Douglas Bullet—felt the overwhelming wave of oppression crashing over them.

In the torrential rain, every single person turned their gaze toward the Red Line.

And what they saw left them trembling.

A lone figure walked through the air as if striding across solid ground. His body, once aged and battle-worn, underwent an astonishing transformation. His muscles swelled with power, his silver hair darkened to jet black, and the scars that once marked his past battles vanished entirely.

Before long, he stood before them anew—

A young man with sharp, raven-black hair and eyes radiating an oppressive aura. His bare upper body, still clad in the same attire, remained unchanged, save for the reborn vitality that now pulsed through him.

Silence fell over the battlefield.

Wide-eyed and slack-jawed, the gathered warriors could scarcely believe what they were witnessing.

"T-This...?!"

"What the hell just happened?!"

"He got younger?!"

"Am I seeing things?!"

Doubt and disbelief flooded the minds of the pirates in the New World, their shock unparalleled.

Even the Revolutionary Army members stared in utter astonishment.

"Could this be... some kind of Devil Fruit ability?" one of them murmured.

"But how?! There's no Devil Fruit capable of this!" exclaimed Lightning, the Revolutionary Army's Deputy Commander, his mouth agape.

Some fruits could manipulate age—

For instance, the "Big Eater" Jewelry Bonney of the Worst Generation was suspected of possessing such a power.

But in Bai Ye's case, Lightning was certain of one thing—

That man had been standing there alone this entire time.

No one had touched him. No one could have affected him.

And yet—

The oppressive Reiatsu surging from him felt as though the very heavens were collapsing.

Lightning's heart pounded wildly.

"What... is he?!"

On the Red Line

Dragon, leader of the Revolutionary Army, watched in stunned silence. The sheer impossibility of what he had just witnessed shook even him.

Beside him, Silvers Rayleigh spoke, his tone filled with rare uncertainty.

"...That man cannot be understood with common sense."

A rare hint of emotion flickered across Rayleigh's face.

"To be honest... I'm beginning to wonder if he's even human."

Such vitality...

This wasn't something granted by any Devil Fruit.

It was something beyond reason itself.

Rayleigh exhaled slowly, his years of wisdom leading him to one inescapable conclusion:

"Common sense applies to most people. But that man... is the one exception."

Aboard the Big Mom Pirates' Flagship

"That guy... he just got younger?!"

Charlotte Linlin, known as Big Mom, narrowed her eyes before barking out an order to her fleet.

"Enough with the gawking! There's nothing to be afraid of! Think about the treasure behind him! Stay focused on the goal!"

Her words reignited the greed within the gathered pirates. Thousands of them turned their attention back to the massive floating island above the Red Line.

The legendary "treasure" of the World Government.

They had come too far to turn back now.

Abandoning their target?

Not a chance.

And so—

Thousands of pirate ships adjusted their sights, locking onto Bai Ye.

The First Attack

Boom!

Boom!

Boom!

In the relentless downpour, the muzzles of thousands of pirate ships erupted in unison.

A wave of pitch-black cannonballs filled the sky like a deadly storm, blotting out the heavens.

A shocking sight—

The first barrage exploded forth!

As the deafening roar of artillery filled the air, a wave of realization struck the other forces on the battlefield.

They turned their gazes skyward—

And their faces turned pale.

The incoming cannonballs covered the sky like a curtain of death.

If they detonated, even the Red Line itself would be reduced to rubble.

The Deputy Commander of the Revolutionary Army clenched his teeth in frustration.

"Damn lunatics! With that many ships firing at once, even their own people will get caught in the blast!"

Pirates truly were a reckless, insane breed.

He cast a worried glance at Bai Ye.

Bai Ye Moves

The moment the shells neared him, Bai Ye finally reacted.

He did not draw Ryūjin Jakka.

He did not invoke Hadō.

Instead—

He merely raised his gaze.

At the very instant Bai Ye returned to his peak, his Reiatsu exploded.

Boom...!

Boom...!

To the naked eye, the sky itself seemed to warp as his energy surged outward.

Thousands of incoming cannonballs froze in mid-air.

A chilling silence fell over the battlefield.

Eyes widened in shock.

"What is that...?!" one pirate gasped.

Bai Ye remained calm.

"Here. Have them back."

The moment his words fell—

The thousands of shells, originally streaking toward him, reversed course under the crushing weight of his Reiatsu!

A scene of pure horror unfolded before the pirates below.

The very same cannonballs they had fired came hurtling back down upon them!

Panic erupted among the ships.

"Run!"

"Abandon ship!"

Chaos descended upon the pirate fleet as the inevitable destruction rained down upon them.

Even among the strongest—Big Mom's crew, Jhin, and the escaped prisoners from Impel Down—none could escape the catastrophe that loomed above them.

And then—

At the very last moment—

An overwhelming wave of Reiatsu crashed down upon the entire sea!