5

"Boom boom..."

The battle between Ryō Rokudo and Akainu raged on. Explosions echoed, and lava splashed violently.

Akainu, a formidable naval admiral, managed to destroy four of the Six Paths of Pain. Only the Deva Path (Tendō) and Naraka Path (Jigokudō) remained, though Akainu had suffered severe injuries.

"This is the strength of a naval admiral, truly impressive," Ryō observed, watching Akainu and the shattered bodies of the four Paths.

"But do you think this is enough to defeat me?..."

"Rinne Rebirth!"

Naraka Path summoned the King of Hell. The giant entity opened its mouth, extended a long tongue, and swallowed the defeated bodies of the other Pain Paths. After a few moments of chewing, the four intact Paths emerged from its mouth.

"What!? What kind of ability is this!?" Akainu shouted, unable to maintain his composure. He had expended so much energy to defeat them, only for them to be resurrected.

How could anyone fight against this?

Yet, what puzzled Akainu further was that the revived Pain Paths did not attack. Instead, one by one, they turned into smoke and disappeared. Only Deva Path remained, levitating and quickly rising into the sky.

"What is he planning!? Is he running away!?" Akainu frowned as he watched Deva Path ascend.

Not only was Akainu confused, but the pirates on the Sabaody Archipelago were puzzled as well. They were still expecting the Akatsuki to finish off the admiral, so why did they suddenly retreat?

Despite having the upper hand, why did they flee?

But Ryō wasn't fleeing. As Deva Path rose higher into the sky, aligning with the sun, Ryō spread his arms wide.

"Feel the power of the Akatsuki!"

"Super Shinra Tensei!"

A massive repulsive force erupted from Deva Path, spreading rapidly across the entire Sabaody Archipelago. The islands shook as the enormous repulsion swept through, centered on Area One. Everything in its path was obliterated.

Buildings collapsed, and countless pirates and marines were flung away without even having the chance to react.

"What power is this...?"

"Not good..."

Even Akainu, with all his strength, was sent flying by the overwhelming force.

"Boom! Boom!"

From a distance, it appeared as if an invisible force was pushing everything away from the center of the Sabaody Archipelago, reducing buildings to rubble and transforming the area into barren land.

The devastation lasted for half an hour. Once the repulsion subsided, the entire Sabaody Archipelago had been transformed into a desolate wasteland. The once-bustling area now looked like a deserted island.

Survivors, emerging from the ruins, stared in disbelief.

"This... Is this really the Sabaody Archipelago?"

"The islands have disappeared..."

"This is the power of the Akatsuki... It's terrifying..."

"No, I want to join the Akatsuki..."

"Me too... I want to join them..."

In the One Piece world, where power reigns supreme, strength can grant one anything. Even though they had only just heard of the Akatsuki, everyone now recognized its overwhelming power.

The admirals themselves couldn't stand against the Akatsuki, and to these pirates, the organization now stood equal to the Yonko. Joining the Akatsuki meant gaining the protection of immense power.

"Damn it..."

Akainu staggered to his feet among the rubble, blood trickling from his mouth. His back no longer bore the symbol of justice, and his suit was torn and tattered. He looked nothing like a proud admiral, now reduced to an embarrassed wreck.

"Damn... where did this Akatsuki organization come from? They're too powerful..." Akainu grumbled, pulling out a Den Den Mushi to contact Navy Headquarters.

"Toot toot... this is Sengoku."

"Akainu, is the mission complete? Did you capture the target?" the voice of Fleet Admiral Sengoku crackled through the receiver.

"Marshal Sengoku, the mission... failed."

"The enemy's strength is beyond anything we anticipated, and they managed to escape," Akainu said through gritted teeth, humiliated by the failure.

"What!? How is that possible!?" Sengoku's voice, filled with shock, came through the Den Den Mushi.

Sengoku knew Akainu's capabilities well. If an admiral like Kizaru or Aokiji had failed, it would have been somewhat understandable, as they were known for being more laid-back.

But Akainu was different. Ruthless, unrelenting, he would go to any lengths to capture or destroy pirates, even if it meant annihilating an entire island.

Now, for Akainu to say that the mission failed, the only explanation was that the enemy's strength far surpassed even his.

"Marshal, I believe this attack on the Celestial Dragons was orchestrated by this Akatsuki organization," Akainu added grimly.

Sengoku was silent for a moment, then spoke. "You're right. A powerful organization like this on the seas... we cannot ignore them. Akainu, return to headquarters immediately. We will convene an emergency meeting of the Navy."

With that, Akainu ended the call, his mind focused on the next steps. The Akatsuki had made their move, and now the Navy had to respond.