One Piece: The Multiverse Simulator

A massive, ferocious tornado tore through the ground like a bulldozer, obliterating everything in its path.

The raging sword energy shredded anything caught in the vortex into fragments in an instant. As the tornado traveled further, its size only grew, turning into a colossal calamity.

Strictly speaking, this was no longer a mere sword technique—it was a disaster akin to Whitebeard unleashing his Tremor-Tremor Fruit powers.

"Damn it! How long was I locked up for? How did a monster like this appear on the seas?!

If this guy replaces Whitebeard after his death, will he become the next 'Strongest Man in the World'?!"

"Save the talk! If we don't give it our all, we're all going to die right here!"

Watching the apocalyptic blade tornado barreling toward them, Shiryu and the others dropped their casual attitudes, their faces turning grim as they activated their respective powers.

Shiryu raised his blade, Thunderstorm, high above his head. With both hands gripping the sword, he unleashed a powerful slash that grew in size as it flew toward the incoming tornado.

Sanjuan Wolf, already massive due to his Giant heritage, activated the powers of his Paramecia-type Inflation-Inflation Fruit, causing his enormous body to swell even further. In moments, he surpassed even the size of Oz, the ancestor of giants, before casually tearing a massive chunk of the island and hurling it at the sword-infused tornado.

Vasco Shot, a user of the Alcohol-Alcohol Fruit, took a long swig of liquor before exhaling flammable alcohol bubbles, sending them floating toward the raging vortex.

Meanwhile, Avalo Pizarro, the Island-Island Fruit user, extended his hands into the ground, merging them with the island itself. In the next moment, two massive stone arms—each nearly a hundred meters long—rose from the ground and reached toward the tornado, attempting to crush it in a vice-like grip.

Then there was Catarina Devon, another Devil Fruit user, who had consumed the Mythical Zoan-type Dog-Dog Fruit, Model: Nine-Tailed Fox.

Mythical Zoan fruits were rarer and more powerful than Logia fruits, with abilities bordering on the absurd. Marco's Phoenix Form, Sengoku's Great Buddha Form, and Kaido's Azure Dragon Form were all examples of Mythical Zoan fruits wielded by overwhelmingly powerful individuals.

Catarina's Nine-Tailed Fox fruit granted her the ability to perfectly mimic another person—not only their appearance and physique but also their abilities.

Unlike Mr. 2 Bon Clay's Clone-Clone Fruit, which could only replicate a person's appearance, Catarina's fruit could seemingly replicate physical abilities as well. Though it was speculated that this didn't extend to Devil Fruit powers, the sheer accuracy of her mimicry was astonishing.

Catarina transformed into a massive nine-tailed fox, and with a swirl of pink smoke, a figure identical to Wood appeared in mid-air.

Under the astonished gazes of her allies, Catarina assumed a stance identical to the one Wood had just used.

Grabbing a random sword from the ground to make do, she unleashed the same technique Wood had used moments earlier: Hyakki Yagyō Sword Style: Two-Sword Style—Kama Itachi Frenzy!

Catarina's intent was to replicate Wood's abilities through her fruit's powers and counter him with his own techniques.

However, the moment she unleashed the twin blades of energy, she was stunned. Despite perfectly mimicking Wood's stance, physique, and movements, the power of her attack was nowhere near his.

This wasn't to say that Catarina's attack wasn't strong—it was. In fact, of all the people she had mimicked in her life, Wood's physique and abilities were undoubtedly the strongest she'd ever encountered.

The sheer power she felt coursing through her body made her feel invincible.

Even so, as she unleashed her attack, the sword in her hand, unable to withstand the immense force generated by Wood's copied physique, shattered instantly.

While her strike was powerful, it couldn't compare to Wood's original Blade Tornado.

The reason was simple: while Catarina could replicate Wood's physique, she couldn't replicate his unique magic or techniques.

Even if she had managed to copy his magic, without his enchanted blades, Morning Dew and Astsuyu, she had no way of channeling it.

Wood's swords, forged from magically conductive materials awarded by the system, functioned as magic conduits akin to wizard staves. Without such tools, even someone with Wood's magic reserves would struggle to convert the elements of the world into power.

The Hyakki Yagyō Sword Style at its advanced level required magic infusion to fully unleash its potential. Catarina's imitation, while proficient, lacked this essential component, rendering it far weaker than Wood's original technique.

Boom——!

The massive blade tornado collided with the combined attacks of Shiryu, Avalo Pizarro, Catarina, Sanjuan Wolf, and Vasco Shot. The impact sent shockwaves rippling across Marineford, causing the entire island to quake violently.

Already fractured from Whitebeard's earlier quake attack, the Marine Headquarters now began to collapse entirely, as if crumbling under the weight of these successive devastating blows.

The iconic building inscribed with the word "Justice" toppled under the relentless onslaught, leaving Fleet Admiral Sengoku seething with rage.

Even if the Marines managed to win this War of the Best, it would be a pyrrhic victory.

Sure, Ace, the son of the Pirate King, was dead. Whitebeard, the "Strongest Man in the World," had also fallen. But the damage to the Marines was catastrophic.

The loss of life, the destruction of their headquarters, and the morale hit they'd suffered ensured that even in victory, the price was unimaginably steep.

Though Ace, the son of the Pirate King, was dead, and Whitebeard was now barely hanging on to life, the Marine losses in this battle were catastrophic.

The expensive defense walls, painstakingly constructed with an enormous budget, had proven utterly useless, destroyed almost immediately—and by their own people no less.

Now, the entirety of Marineford was reduced to rubble under the combined destruction wrought by Whitebeard and Wood.

Fleet Admiral Sengoku estimated that once the battle was over, the Marine Headquarters would essentially have to relocate, as the island itself was beyond repair. The damage was so extensive that restoring it was completely out of the question.

What irked Sengoku the most, however, was the fact that while Whitebeard was responsible for roughly 30% of the destruction, the remaining 70% was all thanks to that bastard Wood.

Not only had Wood ruined the meticulously planned defense walls, but now he was also taking the blame for the chaos caused by Whitebeard's revival to pummel the Blackbeard Pirates.

After all, Whitebeard had already been dead. His sudden "resurrection" to hammer Blackbeard was entirely Wood's doing.

Despite his frustration, Sengoku refrained from ordering Aokiji or Kizaru—who still had their strength—to intervene. Instead, he strictly ordered them to stay put, prepared to respond to any unexpected developments.

While Sengoku didn't know why Wood, who had been so passive earlier, was suddenly fighting with such ferocity, he saw an opportunity. If Wood could eliminate Blackbeard and the Level Six prisoners from Impel Down, it would be a significant victory for the Marines—even if it meant sacrificing the entirety of Marineford.

"Fleet Admiral Sengoku, this is Marineford, the headquarters of the Marines!

Are we just going to stand by and watch as pirates and prisoners wreak havoc on our territory?"

Aokiji, watching the chaos unfold as Whitebeard battled the Blackbeard Pirates and Wood single-handedly fought the Level Six prisoners, spoke up.

The sheer magnitude of destruction from these two battles made the entire Marineford island quake repeatedly.

For Aokiji, it was incomprehensible. How could the Marines, the supposed rulers of this land, simply stand idle while chaos reigned?

"This is terrifying," Kizaru chimed in lazily, "whether it's the pirates or those prisoners, they're all monsters.

But... are you sure we shouldn't intervene? Fleet Admiral Sengoku, you're not using this as an excuse to dock my salary again, are you?"

Hearing the complaints of his two most notorious slackers, Sengoku's expression turned deadly serious.

"You two want to join the fight? And make things worse?

Let me ask you—if you step into this battle, who exactly do you plan to help?

Will you side with Blackbeard? With Whitebeard? Or with Wood, the Ancient Weapon?"

It wasn't that Sengoku didn't want Aokiji and Kizaru to intervene. His concern was that these two would only cause more problems.

Reflecting on their actions since the start of the war, Sengoku could only feel a headache coming on.

If they weren't slacking off, they were causing trouble. And when they finally put in some effort, it was to fight their own allies.

They were utterly useless at everything except internal strife. Among the Marines' three top combatants, Sengoku felt that only Akainu truly lived up to the title of Admiral.

Unfortunately, Akainu's fiery determination had pushed him too hard. He was now lying incapacitated in a crater, completely spent.

From Sengoku's perspective, the current situation was ideal: Wood was handling the Level Six prisoners, while Whitebeard fought the Blackbeard Pirates. No matter which side emerged victorious, the Marines would be in a position to clean up the aftermath.

Moreover, Sengoku hadn't forgotten what Wood and Gion had mentioned earlier—Blackbeard was no simple opponent.

That warning had already proven true. If Wood's other prediction about a "third-party force" intervening was accurate, the situation could escalate even further.

The Level Six prisoners were one such wildcard, but there might be other forces lurking in the shadows. Keeping Aokiji and Kizaru ready as a reserve was a precaution against any sudden shifts in the tide of battle.

If the Marines became too weakened, it would open the door for other forces to exploit their vulnerability.

Of course, Aokiji and Kizaru could step in now—if they were willing to side with Wood.

After all, Wood was technically an ally. By helping him defeat the others, the battle could be resolved more quickly.

However, Sengoku knew that Wood's true identity couldn't be exposed. As the Fleet Admiral, he couldn't openly show favoritism to a "weapons dealer," as it would invite scrutiny and suspicion.

This was why Sengoku asked the two Admirals such a pointed question.

Aokiji replied, "I think we should take out Wood first. He's too dangerous. As a Marine traitor, he knows everything about us.

Not only is his personal strength overwhelming, but he also possesses the ability to bring the dead back to life. Compared to everyone else, he's the greatest threat here."

Kizaru added lazily, "I agree. Besides, because of him, I got on the bad side of the Celestial Dragons after the incident at Sabaody Archipelago. They even docked my pay. I've got a personal grudge against him."

Kizaru's words revealed the personal vendetta he harbored against Wood. If Wood were present, he might finally understand why Kizaru had abandoned chasing Marco to target him instead.

Hearing their "serious" analysis, Sengoku's already grim expression darkened even further.

"You two will stay put!" he barked. "And remember—without my explicit orders, neither of you is to make a move!"

Sengoku almost felt relieved that he had asked. If he hadn't, these two would have likely made things even worse by targeting Wood.

"Did we get it wrong? Wood's strength is unparalleled, and now he can even control Whitebeard. Isn't he the most dangerous person on the battlefield?"

Aokiji, still puzzled by Sengoku's reaction, turned to Kizaru.

"Don't look at me," Kizaru said with a shrug. "I've never been one for deep thinking. That's why I'm not interested in being Fleet Admiral. You and Akainu are the only ones suited for a job that involves so much thinking."

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