The sky above Sabaody was still torn between golden light and dark smoke. The air buzzed with tension, filled with the sharp clangs of weapons, the hum of Haki, and the echo of devastation that spread across Grove 13. The battleground looked like a ruined arena, scorched earth and shattered trees surrounding the eye of the storm: Meruem versus the elite.
Back in Shakky's Bar, the atmosphere was the opposite—quiet, tense, still.
Jessie placed his drink on the table, the glass clicking softly against the wood. His eyes stared through the wall, toward the direction of the chaos. He took a deep breath and stood up. Uta, Kuina, and Vash all looked up at once.
"It's time," Jessie said calmly, yet firmly. "We're heading to Fish-Man Island."
"Finally!" Vash grinned, adjusting his coat and finishing his drink.
Uta's expression, however, turned serious. "What about Meruem?"
Jessie glanced at her, nodding. "Call him. It's time to end that."
Uta picked up the Den Den Mushi from her coat. The snail blinked lazily at her, and she turned the dial. "Meruem," she said into it, her voice direct. "Captain's orders: Wrap it up. Don't kill the admiral. Take care of the rest. We're setting sail."
Back on the battlefield, Meruem's piercing eyes never left his surroundings. He had taken on CP0, the Holy Knights, and Kizaru without even using full force. His tailored black coat, now slightly torn, fluttered with the gusts of displaced air from Kizaru's light-speed movement. Scorched marks and broken terrain surrounded him.
He smiled faintly for the first time during the entire battle.
"You're strong," Meruem said coolly to Kizaru, "Fast. Calculated. It's been a long time since I've had this kind of fun."
Kizaru narrowed his eyes, adjusting his sunglasses. "You're quite the monster yourself…"
But there was no time to dwell on compliments. The Holy Knights, the World Government's finest warriors—each holding the strength of an admiral—were not done yet. Ten of them stood, battle-worn but fierce, activating their respective Devil Fruits, preparing for one last coordinated assault.
The Devil Fruits of the Holy Knights
Kami Kami no Mi (God-God Fruit)A Mythical Zoan-type fruit that grants the user the ability to transform into a divine entity of light.Abilities include: creating holy constructs, flight, healing allies, and smiting enemies with beams of divine judgment.
Yari Yari no Mi (Echo-Echo Fruit)A Paramecia-type that lets the user duplicate any attack they witness and send back an echo of it with double the force.Useful for countering enemies or creating chaos on the battlefield.
Inku Inku no Mi (Insight-Insight Fruit)A Paramecia fruit that allows the user to conjure glowing script in midair that manipulates thoughts, emotions, or perceptions.Can disorient foes, create illusions, or inspire allies with courage.
Jiki Jiki no Mi (Axis-Axis Fruit)A Paramecia-type fruit that lets the user manipulate gravitational directions within a set radius.They can make gravity flow upward, sideways, or crush enemies with localized gravitational fields.
Tokei Tokei no Mi (Reset-Reset Fruit)A time-based Paramecia fruit that rewinds any object or person back to a state they were in up to 10 minutes ago.Can heal wounds, undo actions, or return broken weapons to usable form.
Kumo Kumo no Mi (Spider-Spider Fruit)A Zoan-type fruit that transforms the user into a human-spider hybrid.Grants incredible agility, wall-crawling, venom-tipped fangs, and silk threads sharper than steel wire.
Kage Kage no Mi (Mirror-Mirror Fruit)A Paramecia-type fruit that creates living mirror clones of anyone the user sees.These clones act as temporary allies or distractions and shatter after one attack.
Shinju Shinju no Mi (Truth-Truth Fruit)A Paramecia-type that forces anyone in a certain radius to speak only the truth.The user can also store "truths" in pearl-shaped orbs that explode when lies are spoken nearby.
Tori Tori no Mi: Model ThunderbirdA Mythical Zoan that transforms the user into a legendary thunderbird.Grants lightning flight, thunderous wing attacks, and the ability to summon storms with a cry.
Kurai Kurai no Mi (Fear-Fear Fruit)A Paramecia fruit that creates a field of fear, bringing out the deepest terrors of enemies.The user can feed off this fear to grow stronger, move faster, and strike harder.
Together, they launched their techniques all at once.
Ten Techniques unleashed:
A divine fist cracked the sky, as radiant energy from the God-God Fruit surged like thunder from above.
White-hot flames coiled outward, melting the ground beneath with the Burn-Burn Fruit's searing heat.
Illusions danced like ghosts, as glowing runes in the air rewrote reality with the Insight-Insight Fruit.
Gravity twisted sideways, hurling enemies into walls and ceilings through warped space via the Axis-Axis Fruit.
A fatal wound rewound itself, the battlefield rippling as the Reset-Reset Fruit erased damage like time undoing itself.
Threads shot from the darkness, weaving a web of razor silk as the Spider-Spider Fruit snared its prey.
Mirrored warriors lunged forward, reflecting their enemies' own attacks with eerie precision.
Crystals of truth exploded midair, punishing deception with shockwaves triggered by the Truth-Truth Fruit.
Storms answered the cry of the Thunderbird, bolts of lightning tearing across the sky as thunder shattered the earth.
The air went silent… then roared, as the Sound-Sound Fruit unleashed a deafening sonic pulse that shook bones and broke steel.
All energy merge it and direct attack Meruem's .
But Meruem didn't flinch.
With his incredible speed and heightened senses, he leaped into the air, tail spinning, slashing through paper and spears, deflecting clouds of electricity. Using a high-speed spin, he canceled the magnetic pull and evaded the time-manipulated zone by sensing it with Nen. He kicked the ink-based user directly from the shadows and used the force of the sonic wave to boost his own movement.
SLASH. BAM. WHOOSH.
He parried a spear with his tail, spun into the air, and kicked down the Zoan-type mid-scream, silencing the field. His tail lashed, wiping out three Knights in a single whip. He blitzed into the Pearl-user and crushed their orbs before they could detonate. Shadow chains reached for him, but he twisted and broke free.
He danced through destruction like a phantom.
Meanwhile, Kizaru, observing carefully, moved in with a burst of light. Aiming his light sword toward Meruem's neck—
BOOM!
Meruem ducked at the last second, delivering a swift, brutal kick upward that caught Kizaru in the gut and launched him into the sky with a sonic boom. Smoke trailed behind the Admiral, crashing through multiple tree groves. For a moment, silence fell.
The battlefield was filled with groans and coughs.
The few remaining CP0 agents collapsed to their knees, coughing blood. Only one Holy Knight remained conscious, trying to crawl away.
"This is… a monster…" one of the CP0 agents muttered.
"We were told… he was strong… but not like this…" a Knight whispered.
Then, amidst the dying echoes of battle—
Buru… Buru… Buru…
Meruem heard the sound of a Den Den Mushi vibrating inside his coat pocket. He pulled it out, flipped it open.
"Uta," he said simply.
"Meruem, it's time," Uta's voice came through, calm and melodic even in the midst of tension. "Captain says wrap it up. Don't kill the Admiral. Take care of the rest. We're leaving. Set course to Fish-Man Island."
Meruem looked down at the devastated battlefield.
Below him, the broken warriors stirred weakly. Kizaru was off in the distance, barely rising from a crater. Despite everything, he was still alive—tough, fast, and resilient.
Meruem raised the Den Den Mushi closer and replied, "Understood."
He turned to the remnants below.
"It's time to end this little game," he said, voice like ice.
He dropped the Den Den Mushi into his coat, his body radiating an ominous aura. Then, in one fluid burst of movement, Meruem flashed through the battlefield, like a blur of black lightning.
BOOM. CRASH. THUD.
In the blink of an eye—
All of the CP0 agents and the remaining Holy Knights were rendered unconscious or outright defeated.
The battlefield fell completely still.
Kizaru, rising slowly, watched as Meruem vanished in the smoke, leaving him alone among the wounded.
Back at the Voidreign Ship, the crew had already begun preparing to depart. The wind picked up, sails fluttering, anchors rising.
Meruem landed softly on the deck beside Uta, who greeted him with a nod.
"Took your time," she teased.
Meruem didn't respond. He just walked past her and stood beside Jessie, who looked over the horizon toward the next destination.
"Ready?" Jessie asked.
Meruem simply said, "Let's set sail."
As the ship moved, the world behind them burned with questions and whispers.
the Voidreign Ship dives into the sea, heading toward Fish-Man Island.