The Day

  A temosphere enveloped the ey of Totto Land.

  Although no formal annou of an impending battle had been made, the palpable sense of flict was impossible to ignore.

  “El-sama, they’re here!”

  At noon, uhe bzing sun, a peculiar glimmer radiated from a third eye.

  Using her Gre-Gre Fruit's Eagle Sight ability, Lillian, who had just returned from Sabaody Archipegh Barry’s Mirror-Mirror Fruit, poioward the distant o and called out:

  “They’ve already eotto Land’s waters. They’re closing in at an incredible speed!”

  “It’s just a single dor carrying a few people. Leading them is Saint Mars, one of the Five Elders who has revealed himself before!”

  “Oh? So they’ve e.”

  El’s eyes glinted with i as he smiled pyfully. Turning to Ryan, who had also returhrough the mirror world, El asked with a grin:

  “Ryan, are all your preparations in pce?”

  “Rest assured, everything is ready.”

  Rya out a sly ugh, pounding his chest with fidence.

  Thanks to his Munch-Munch Fruit, the explosives he had prepared were of devastating potency. The materials had been gathered from several resource isnds, ensuring that the quantity and quality of the explosives were suffit to obliterate Marineford and Mary Geoise if necessary.

  Even an Admiral, if caught off guard, might be reduced to ashes. The power was enough to make the Wover and Navy pay dearly.

  “El-sama,” Ryan tinued, his tone shifting slightly, “could I ask for a favor? Would you allow Linlin-sama to temporarily transfer and of Iron Arm Tok to me?”

  He poio the tall, stoic figure behind Linlin—his eyes gleaming like crimson jewels, emotionless and cold.

  “With Tok’s strength added to mine, I believe I could deliver eveer results.”

  El raised an eyebrow, immediately uanding Ryan’s iion.

  “You’re thinking of using your ability to bih him for enhanced power, correct?”

  Ryan nodded eagerly, while Linlin, fshieeth, chuckled.

  “Mamamama, fine by me. Tok is all yours for now!”

  Turning to the Blood Sve, Linlin issued a direand:

  “Tok, from now on, you are to obey Ryan’s orders without question.”

  “Yes, Master.”

  Tok’s vat eyes shifted to Ryan, aowledging the order with aionless response.

  “Heh, I promise not to disappoint you!”

  Ryan, uo tain his excitement, immediately stepped forward. Opening his massive maw, he decred:

  “Don’t resist—leave your body to me!”

  In one swift motion, he swallowed Iron Arm Tok whole.

  “Munch Factory: Fusion!”

  In mere moments, uhe astonished gazes of those around, Ryan and Tok merged pletely. Their bodies fused seamlessly into one, creating a t figure covered in gleaming silver armor. The metallic surface reflected a cold, futuristic sheen, while their bined face bore an eerie amalgamation of both Ryan’s and Tok’s features.

  “Oh? Not just Tok—you’ve ied with one of the robots too?” Linlin, Mos, and Sally examihe new form with keen i.

  “This prese’s overwhelmingly powerful!”

  g his fists, Ryan marveled at Tok’s immerength c through him. Raising his massive right arm, it transformed into a bzing mass of red-hot steel.

  The enormous metal fist shimmered with Armament Haki, radiating terrifying power as it swung forward.

  “Boom!”

  The air distorted with waves of heat. A teer-high hill was shattered into tless fragments. Dust surged, and debris scattered in every dire.

  “Whoosh—”

  With a forceful stomp, Ryan propelled himself into the air. From the soles of his boots erupted a torrent of blue energy fmes visible to the naked eye. He asded at an incredible speed, darting through the skies.

  His metallids came together, revealing dark, ominous barrels aimed directly at the o below.

  “Inferno on!”

  A bzing torrent of fire erupted like hell’s fmes, engulfing the area ahead.

  “Boom! Boom!”

  Waves of heat roiled outward as the fire paihe sky and sea a bzihe scorg inferno lit up everything.

  When the fmes dissipated, the sea below was boiling, steaming visibly, and dotted with scorched and cooked fish floating lifelessly on the surface.

  “Amazing!”

  The young Third Eye Tribe girl, Lillian, stared wide-eyed in disbelief. She had never imagihat Ryan, the unassuming stist, could unleash such overwhelming power.

  The dispy wasn’t solely thanks to Iron Arm Tok’s strength as a Blood Sve—it was also the result of advaeology. Even without Tok’s fusion, Ryan’s bination of stifigenuity and his Munch-Munch Fruit ability could produce extraordinary bat strength.

  It was clear that his power rivaled, or perhaps surpassed, most of the embers of the Fallen Angel Pirates.

  “That’s enough, Ryan.”

  El stepped in, halting Ryahusiastic testing of his abilities.

  “Save your strength for when the guests arrive. We’ll need you to give them a proper wele.”

  He smiled, aowledging Ryan’s immense tributions. Recruiting Ryan, funding Dr. Tsukimi’s research, and sending Ryan to study under him in Future try had all proven to be worthwhile iments.

  Since acquiring the Munch-Munch Fruit, Ryan had turned many theoretical ideas and advaeologies into tangible aating tools. His genius wasn’t just academic—it was battle-ready.

  “Whoosh—”

  Time passed. On the horizon, a surge of inparably powerful Haki could be felt from afar, steadily approag.

  “They’re here—”

  Lillian’s gaze sharpened, her Hawk’s Gaze ability focused on the distant sky. Her fists ched nervously as her palms gre with sweat. She called out:

  “That’s Saint Denis—he’s transformed into a thunderbird!”

  “And Saint Mars…”

  Her voice quivered as she described what she saw.

  “He’s turned into a winged serpent with a snake’s body… but it’s nothing like your Quetzalcoatl form, El-sama. It’s horrifying!”

  Her eyes widened in disbelief as she sed further.

  Suddenly, she froze, her voice trembling as she cried out:

  “Wait, there’s something else… How is this possible? There’s someone who’s turned into a dragon!”

  “What!?”

  Bleam