Chapter 432: Showdown Above the Sky: Power Unleashed

“But you managed to clear the second round, so I guess that makes you a reserve member,” Zikt said, stroking his chin as he tossed Enel’s body aside.

Enel’s body could take a beating; he survived dozens of Zikt’s punches before finally passing out. Definitely had potential.

But Zikt had more important matters to handle now, so Enel would just have to wait.

“Alright, let’s do this!”

Zoro and Sanji exchanged a glance, then rushed straight at Zikt together.

When he gave them the medicine earlier, Ye Fan had slipped in a little extra. It was meant to awaken their hidden powers—Luffy’s full Gear Fifth transformation, Zoro’s Nine-Sword Demon Aura Style, and the soldier serum within Sanji.

The brutal spectacle they’d just witnessed had drawn out some of that dormant strength. On Zoro, murderous intent, violence, madness and fear seemed to swirl together, wrapping his blades in a sinister aura.

Dark energy coiled around his sword edges, making Zikt tense up inside. “What kind of power is this?”

“Clang!”

Zoro’s blade sliced across Zikt’s fist, leaving a pale mark that felt deeply unsettling. Even stranger, the wound was barely healing at all.

“Collier!” Sanji’s attack followed right after, launching toward Zikt. Even though his right foot wasn’t coated in Armament Haki, it suddenly burst into flame, branding a footprint onto Zikt’s arm.

“I’ve never seen anyone get so much stronger mid-battle before. You two keep surprising me.”

The two of them had powered up a lot, but they were still a ways off from Zikt.

With a single motion, he ripped off his tattered shirt, revealing chiseled abs that looked like they were carved in stone. His whole body radiated golden light.

“Let me show you the power of a Titan.”

Because they were high in the sky, Zikt actually couldn’t draw much strength from the earth. He had to restrain himself, or he’d risk destroying all of Skypiea.

But that didn’t mean he couldn’t tap into the full might of his Titan bloodline. He often returned to land to soak up earth energy, preparing for a day he’d need to unleash it on an enemy here.

“Titan’s Fall!”

Golden light exploded from Zikt as his body swelled to several times its size. His fists glowed deep red, carrying unstoppable force as he smashed them down toward Zoro and Sanji.

“Three Sword Style Secret Technique—Great Thousand Worlds!”

“Devil’s Wind Kick—Collier!”

“Boom!”

A deafening crash echoed out, and shockwaves rippled in every direction.

“What the heck just happened?”

“Look, it’s the third round!”

“Did two people really make it to round three?”

“That’s Lord Zikt.”

“Yeah, and those two pirates look like they’re from the Straw Hat crew.”

“Are all the rookie pirate crews this strong now?”

That massive explosion pulled everyone’s attention back to the third round.

It wasn’t unusual for someone to make it that far, but two people from the same pirate crew? That was a first.

“Looks like their captain, Luffy, is already at the fourth round.”

“No way!”

“How can that be? Impossible. Absolutely impossible!”

Despite his protests, the guy grabbed his telescope and peered at the fourth round anyway.

The clouds around the fourth round had been scattered by Luffy and Opera’s fight. If you looked closely, you could see two figures locked in battle up there.

“It really is Luffy!”

“Come on, Luffy! Go for that five hundred million Berries!” As soon as word spread that someone had reached the fourth round, people flooded the street. Even the food Nami was selling sold out in minutes.

Now everyone had gathered at the edge of the island, cheering on Luffy and the others above.

None of them noticed that Ye Fan—who’d arrived with Luffy’s group—had quietly slipped away from the battlefield.

As soon as he saw Luffy, Zoro and Sanji dive into their fights, Ye Fan made his move, heading for the grand palace at the very top of Skypiea.

Tap tap tap…

He walked into the brilliant palace, gazing up at the golden throne at the top. In a soft voice, he said, “I know you’re here. Come on out.”

Creak!

A door on the side of the palace swung open, and Ledfield stepped out, dressed in a dark red suit.

“When I first arrived on this island, I noticed that familiar aura on you. Isn’t that right, Karl?”

“So what’s your goal in all this?”

Ledfield knew perfectly well that Karl’s avatar was Ye Fan. What puzzled him was—if Karl wanted to help Luffy from the shadows, why bother joining his crew at all?

He just couldn’t see the point.

“Maybe nostalgia.”

“Nostalgia?”

“If I remember right, they’re just a bunch of kids. What could you possibly be nostalgic about with them?”

“You wouldn’t get it,” Ye Fan said with a wave of his hand, clearly not wanting to dwell on it.

He wasn’t about to explain to Ledfield that he was a transmigrator, drawn by the main cast’s charm.

“Alright, I won’t press. Still, you’re doing pretty well with the Straw Hats—why risk coming here? Aren’t you worried you’ll get exposed?”

“I’m here to tell you the great war is about to start.”

“How are things going with preparations on Skypiea?”

“The million-strong mechanized army is ready, plus three thousand Holy Knights, each as strong as a vice admiral.”

“There are 108 mobile islands under control. We can instantly deploy our forces anywhere across the sea.”

“If the war’s really about to begin, why haven’t you left already?”

In Ledfield’s mind, if a major battle was coming, Ye Fan’s avatar should merge back with Karl in the New World. After all, the avatar held a tenth of Karl’s power—vital for any top-level fight.

“Not yet. They need a bit more anger to fully unleash their power. I have to stay just a little longer.”

“Alright, I’m heading out. I’ll leave everything here to you. Get ready for the coming battle—you’ll know when it starts.”

“Trust me, the chaos this war brings will be beyond anything you’ve imagined.”

“I’m looking forward to it,” Ledfield replied. He’d waited a long time for this day.

After using the Vampire-form Devil Fruit and extending his life with Pure Gold, Ledfield no longer feared death.

Ye Fan couldn’t afford to disappear for too long. With more and more people passing the second round, if he stayed gone much longer, others might catch on.

“Relax. I still want to witness that grand scene you once described to me.”

“A golden age!”

“You’ll see it one day. See you!”

With a dash of style, Ye Fan turned and left. As time marched on, his wish drew closer to becoming reality.