On Sagittarius Island, Gojo's territory and stronghold of curses, the pirate captain Gojo's manor stood at the heart of a heavy atmosphere. Around a massive table, the shamans and curses of the crew were gathered, all urgently summoned by their leader. Gojo, a mysterious smile on his lips, observed his companions, his chin resting on his hand. Then, in a calm tone vibrating with contained energy, he spoke.
"You know why we're here, don't you?" he exclaimed, his smile widening, almost unbalanced.
A amused smirk lit up Naobito's face, the eldest of the group, a bottle of sake in hand. "I think I can guess."
Mei Mei, eyes closed and cheek resting on her palm, added confidently, "The Marineford War. Nothing else could excite you so much, Captain."
"Bingo!" Gojo exclaimed, his voice sparkling with enthusiasm.
Toji, arms crossed behind his neck, chimed in with a smirk. "So, who stays, and who goes?"
Utahime, always serious, thought out loud. "We can't all go. Someone must stay to protect the islands. And Sukuna isn't here..."
Shoko, the crew's doctor, shrugged calmly. "I'll stay. You won't need me for what you're planning, Captain."
Gojo pretended to sulk, a childish glint in his eyes. "Oh, Shoko-chan, it would be so much more fun with you!"
She returned a knowing smile. "I know. That's why I'll wait for news from here."
Gojo then turned to Hanami, his smile more subdued. "And you, Hanami? A little trip outside the territory, doesn't that tempt you?"
Hanami's soft but firm voice replied, "No, Captain. I prefer the peace of my island to war."
Yuta, who had been silent until then, spoke up determinedly. "I'll go. Toji, you don't mind staying in my place, do you?"
Toji burst out laughing. "Always loyal to Gojo, huh, Yuta? Alright, I'll stay."
Nanami, arms crossed and a serious expression on his face, addressed Choso and Yuki. "I will protect the Hakai Islands. Go ahead. We can't afford to send too few of our own to Marineford."
Yuki, laughing, received a pat on the head from Choso before replying. "That was my plan anyway!"
Choso, more serious, asked, "Are you sure, Nanami?"
A confident nod was his answer.
After a long swig of sake, Naobito exclaimed, "I'm going too! It's been too long since I crossed paths with Sengoku or Garp. My muscles need action!"
Utahime, ever pragmatic, declared, "I'll stay on Sagittarius Island to defend it."
Gojo turned his gaze to Mei Mei. "And you, Mei-chan?"
She raised an eyebrow, a calculating smile on her lips. "If it doesn't benefit me, I'm not interested. I'll stay."
Toji, slouched in his chair, yawned. "You're no fun, Mei Mei."
Utahime frowned upon noticing Yaga's silence. "Yaga, you haven't said anything. Is something wrong?"
Yaga looked up, his piercing gaze fixed on Gojo. "I was thinking... about how to make your ship indestructible. After what you're planning, everyone will be after you, right?"
Gojo's smile widened, almost maniacal. "Hahaha, always so perceptive, Yaga! So, you're coming, aren't you?"
Yaga sighed, then thundered, "Of course! My ships go where I go. Who else would repair them?"
A collective laugh echoed in the room. Gojo stood up, his imposing aura filling the space. "Perfect! Choso, Yuki, Naobito, Yaga, and Maki and Sukuna, who are waiting for us at Fishman Island... Off to Marineford!"
Meanwhile, the Sabaody Archipelago was plunged into palpable tension. The streets, usually bustling, were deserted, the inhabitants terrified by the imminent arrival of an admiral. In the illegal area, Sukuna was calmly enjoying a cup of tea, indifferent to the chaos around him. Not far away, Maki and several supernovas were struggling against a Pacifista, those formidable cyborgs designed by Dr. Vegapunk.
Sukuna watched Maki, a mocking smile on his lips. "Is that all the progress you've made, little one?"
Maki, out of breath, retorted irritably, "And you, why aren't you fighting, pink-haired man?"
Urouge, panting after an exchange with the Pacifista, muttered, "I was hoping to see a curse in action, but it looks like he's just going to stand there sipping his tea."
Suddenly, a lazy voice sounded behind Maki. "That would be inconvenient."
In a flash, Sukuna appeared, blocking a ray of light with a confident gesture. His face, icy, contrasted with the nonchalance of his opponent: Kizaru, the admiral himself. The two titans faced each other, barely separated by a few meters.
"It seems you want to join the other world, Kizaru," growled Sukuna, his tone filled with menace.
The admiral shrugged, true to his casual attitude. "Woah, how terrifying. But do you think you can defeat me alone, Ryumen Sukuna?"
A sadistic smile stretched Sukuna's lips. "Why not check?"
With a fluid gesture, he unleashed a Haki-infused claw, while Kizaru countered with a luminous kick. Their attacks clashed, releasing a shockwave that cut through the air. Buildings trembled, Kizaru's light carved a path of destruction, and Sukuna's attack sliced through everything in its path. The supernovas, witnesses to this titanic confrontation, held their breath.
X Drake, sweating, murmured, "What power..."
Apoo, perched on a rooftop, chuckled. "That's the power of an admiral against a curse."
But the confrontation was interrupted by an unexpected melody. Apoo, known as the "Roar of the Sea", transformed his body into musical instruments and launched a sound attack. Kizaru and Sukuna effortlessly dodged, but Apoo persisted, striking his chest to launch a beam of cement towards Sukuna.
The latter grabbed the beam with one hand, his fingers sinking into the material like butter. He fixed Urouge, who was futilely trying to move him. "Nice try, rookie."
With a nonchalant gesture, Sukuna shattered the beam and, in the same motion, inflicted five horizontal gashes on Urouge. The iconic tree of Sabaody behind him split into neat slices. Urouge collapsed, spitting blood. Almost simultaneously, Kizaru crushed Apoo against a building, silencing him.
Hawkins, stoic, watched the scene. But he didn't have time to react. Sukuna's hand descended upon him, so fast he didn't see it coming. A crater formed upon impact, sending debris and buildings into the air. Hawkins collapsed, unconscious.
Maki, frozen, murmured to herself, "They're in a league of their own..."
Bonney, hidden behind a wall, watched the scene with terror. "All defeated in one fell swoop... That's the difference with the strongest in the world." Convinced she had no chance, she fled.
Sukuna and Kizaru resumed their duel, their silhouettes becoming indistinct blurs. The impacts of their blows reverberated like thunder, shaking the archipelago. Then, as suddenly as they had begun, they stopped, floating in the air, eyeing each other.
Kizaru, hands in his pockets, raised an eyebrow. "Mmmh, I didn't expect to have to exert myself so much."
Sukuna, a mocking smile on his lips, retorted, "Still as arrogant."
Kizaru disappeared in a flash, reappearing twenty meters away to shoot a light beam. Sukuna countered with a glowing slash, their attacks annulled in a new explosion of wind. Neither gave in.
Suddenly, Kizaru's Den Den Mushi rang. He answered in a languid tone. "Moshi moshi?"
"We've located the Straw Hats. Come immediately, Borsalino," ordered a voice.
Kizaru hung up and turned to Sukuna. "Looks like I have to go hunt straw hats. Striking a Celestial Dragon isn't forgivable."
Sukuna chuckled. "You're ignoring me to chase after kids?"
"The Celestial Dragons want their heads," replied Kizaru with a shrug. "We'll meet again, Ryumen."
He disappeared in a flash of light. Sukuna relaxed his muscles, his gaze sweeping the smoking ruins around him. Maki, still in shock, watched him in silence.
"How long are you going to stand there gaping, kid?" he teased.
She frowned, annoyed. "What would you have done in my place?"
He shrugged, a smirk on his face. "Who knows?"
Fifteen minutes later, on the shores of Sabaody, the Celestial Dragons, cared for after their humiliation, seethed with anger. Rosward gritted his teeth, rage contorting his face. "These wretches... I'll reduce them to ashes!"
Sharlia, with her eyes gleaming with cruelty, added, "The two women, I will break them until they beg for death!"
Charlos, groaning in pain, muttered, "I want the one with the straw hat... Ouch, it hurts!"
Rosward spat venomously, "I hope the admiral won't miss, unlike that dog Gojo!"
The tense marines around kept silent. But approaching voices shattered the tranquility. Rosward squinted, recognizing Sukuna and Maki. A vein pulsed on his forehead. "You're still here?!" He grabbed a marine by the collar. "Kill them and bring them back to me!"
The terrified marine stammered, "But, Rosward-sama, Admiral Kizaru isn't here, and Gojo's pirates are dangerous..."
"You dare defy a World Noble?!" roared Rosward, throwing him to the ground. "Go ahead!"
Sharlia, with a cruel smile on her lips, spoke to her father. "Let me have the man with the pink hair. He will pay for what he did."
Rosward acquiesced, reassured by the presence of two warships. "Do as you please."
Sukuna and Maki advanced calmly, Sukuna with his eyes closed, seemingly indifferent to the world. Five hundred marines suddenly deployed, encircling them. A trembling officer shouted, "Stop! You're surrounded!"
Sukuna opened his eyes, a glint of boredom in his gaze. "You dare disturb me?"
He burst into a sinister laughter, raising his eyes to the sky. "Step back, Maki."
She understood immediately. "You're going to use it?"
A single look was enough. She leaped onto a rooftop, observing the scene. Sukuna, with a sadistic smile on his lips, addressed the marines. "I'll show you something you've never seen before." His voice turned icy. "But you, I don't want to see you anymore."
He joined his fingers, and an oppressive aura filled the air. "Devil Awakening: Demonic Feretory!"
A sinister temple materialized behind him. In an instant, everything within a radius of two hundred meters was shredded. Weapons shattered, ships broke apart, and marines collapsed, their bodies lacerated. Blood flowed freely. The Celestial Dragons, witnesses to this carnage, were overwhelmed by visceral terror.
Sharlia, trembling, collapsed. "What a monster..."
Rosward, pale, muttered, "We must flee..."
But Sukuna appeared between him and Charlos. "I warned you. No second chances."
With a gesture, he severed their heads, which rolled to the ground. Sharlia screamed, paralyzed by fear, while Sukuna stared at her with disdain. To her surprise, he passed by her without a glance, as if she meant nothing. Maki descended from her perch and crouched near the noble, a mocking smile on her lips.
"What bad luck, huh?" she said. "You lost everything because you crossed paths with Sukuna." She slapped Sharlia, who was crying. "Should I kill you too?"
"Please... Don't kill me..." begged Sharlia, devastated.
Maki stood up, disgusted. "Pathetic. It's the truth of the world: those who have power control it. You just weren't lucky."
She rejoined Sukuna, leaving Sharlia broken, prostrated in her despair. For the first time, a Celestial Dragon realized the extent of her weakness in the face of those who dominated the world through strength.