One Piece: Surrounded at Marineford? Just kidding!

Chapter 567: Iron Thunder's First Hammer!

Luffy's urging was simple and direct. He was ready to make a big splash at any moment.

Loki lowered his head, locking onto Luffy below.

He stared at Luffy's posture as he held down his straw hat. He stared into those fearless eyes.

Loki's lips slowly parted into a smile.

"Hahahahaha"

A deafening burst of laughter suddenly erupted.

The laughter sent shivers down the spines of the entire underworld!

Large pieces of gravel fell from all directions.

"I'm going to cause a huge scene."

Loki responded loudly, his voice filled with suppressed fighting madness. He couldn't wait to unleash his fury.

Loki turned around.

Walk to your personal weapon!

His arm muscles bulged instantly.

"rise"

Loki growled.

With a single hand exerting force, the violent power ripped apart the edge of the stone trough. Large chunks of blue brick flew in all directions. A massive, exaggeratedly shaped, jet-black warhammer was forcibly pulled out.

This is Loki's signature weapon, the Iron Thunder.

The hammerhead was as enormous as Kaido's. The shaft was covered in dark red, dried blood and dents from impacts. Loki casually tossed the hammer to his side. The heavy hammerhead slammed into the ground.

Hajrudin stood at the edge of the passage. He saw the warhammer back in Loki's hands. His pupils contracted. His face instantly darkened.

The heavily wounded giant warriors behind him paled simultaneously. Instinctively, they gripped their broken weapons tighter. They knew all too well the power of that warhammer. Ten years ago, this iron thunderbolt shattered the bones of countless Elbaf elites. The weapon had reappeared. The oppressive aura was suffocating.

Loki ignored the crowd's reactions. He didn't even stop to test the feel of the hammer. He took the warhammer and walked straight to the thickest root of the World Tree that had plunged into the Underworld.

The tree roots are over 100 meters in diameter, supporting the underground space like pillars reaching for the sky. The surface is covered with bark as hard as steel.

Loki stopped in front of the tree roots. His chest bulged high. He twisted his waist violently. His massive body unleashed a terrifying twisting force. The power traveled from his waist to his spine, then surged wildly down his right arm.

He swung the massive iron warhammer with one hand. The warhammer traced a black arc of death through the air. The air was violently compressed and exploded by the hammerhead. A white sonic boom cloud erupted behind the hammerhead.

Loki showed no mercy. He swung his hammer down hard at the base of the World Tree.

"boom"

The hammer struck the tree root with pinpoint accuracy. A deep, muffled thud exploded instantly, and the sound waves spread wildly through the underground space.

At the moment of impact, a devastating shockwave swept across the ground.

The stone walls trembled violently. The ground churned and undulated like boiling water. The hard rock layers cracked inch by inch. Countless cracks, as thick as an arm, spread wildly in all directions.

The impact didn't dissipate underground. Following the roots of the World Tree, it surged violently upwards.

The underworld groaned. Scattered stones rained down like a storm. Dust from the passage was whipped up by the shockwave, transforming into a hazy sandstorm. Visibility was instantly obscured.

The Straw Hat crew was severely affected. The ground shook violently, making it impossible for them to stand.

"Wow! An earthquake!"

Usopp let out a terrified scream. His legs buckled, and he lunged forward, clinging tightly to Franky's thick mechanical leg. His fingernails almost dug into the gaps in the metal armor. Only then did he avoid being thrown away.

Nami gasped in surprise. She lost her balance and fell to one side. With lightning speed, she reached out and caught Robin by the shoulder.

Robin quickly lowered her center of gravity, spread her legs, and planted firmly on the ground, using her body to support Nami.

Chopper was so frightened that tears streamed down his face. He lunged at the first-aid kit, pressing his entire body against the lid to desperately protect the first-aid supplies.

Zoro and Sanji both lowered their bodies at the same time.

Zoro gripped his sword hilt tightly with his right hand. His feet dug two shallow furrows in the ground. Sanji bit down hard on his cigarette, his knees slightly bent to absorb the ground tremors.

Everyone clearly felt the terror of this blow. Not only did the underworld tremble, but the entire foundation of Elbaf Island was shaken several times by this single strike.

Hajrudin could no longer bear it. He shoved aside the giant warrior beside him and, dragging his bloodied and wounded body, charged towards Loki without regard for his own safety.

With every step he took, blood gushed from his wounds. But he didn't care. He rushed to Loki's side and rear, raising his massive, blood-soaked warhammer with both hands. The hammerhead was pointed directly at Loki's back.

"Stop, Loki!"

Haildin let out a fierce roar. His voice was hoarse.

"Do not harm the World Tree"

Haildin's eyes were bloodshot. He stared intently at the tree root that had been struck. The World Tree was the totem of Elbaf, and also the island's load-bearing pillar.

"Are you crazy? If the World Tree collapses, the entire Elbaf will be destroyed, the island will sink, and everyone will die."

Halding unleashed the most devastating consequences, attempting to force Loki to stop by threatening the very survival of the nation.

Loki turned around, carrying Ironthroat in one hand. He casually slung the massive warhammer over his right shoulder, the heavy handle slamming down with a dull thud.

He looked down at Halding from his superior position, his eyes filled with contempt and dominance.

"Stop calling me 'Halding' there!"

Loki retorted coldly, his tone completely devoid of any panic.

"Who do you think I am? I know better than any of you how resilient this tree is."

Loki extended his left thumb and pointed to the tree roots behind him.

"This level of blows isn't even enough to tickle it; this hammer blow won't even damage its core."

Hajrudin froze, looking in the direction Loki was pointing. The Straw Hat crew also craned their necks, looking towards the point of impact.

The smoke and dust gradually dissipated. The point of impact at the base of the World Tree was clearly revealed.

The sound of that hammer blow was terrifying, even shaking the entire island. Yet, the surface of that thick tree root only showed a shallow white crack. The bark was slightly dented, and even the core inside wasn't exposed.

Loki wasn't lying. He had complete control over his power. That hammer blow was merely an emotional outburst, or perhaps a show of force. He precisely controlled the destructive force; it did absolutely nothing to damage the World Tree's core.

He used the facts before his eyes.

Tell Haildin there's no need to worry!

Haildin couldn't refute it at all.

Suddenly, a heavy, whistling sound came from the air.

Everyone looked up at the same time.

A gigantic, suffocating monster plummeted straight towards the center of the underworld.

It's a fiery, undead skeleton monster. Its size is extremely exaggerated.

It's even bigger than the 67-meter-tall Rocky.

Its massive body carried destructive kinetic energy, crashing down like a meteorite. The impact point pressed firmly onto the area where everyone was.

An intense sense of oppression instantly enveloped everyone. The shadow of death loomed overhead.

Hajrudin roared, immediately grabbing the tattered heavy shield from the ground. Several giant warriors beside him simultaneously picked up battle axes and iron clubs. Dragging their heavily wounded bodies, they charged forward without hesitation, attempting to build a defensive line in front of the Straw Hat crew with their own flesh and blood.

Zoro's eyes were icy. He slammed his right thumb into the tsuba (handguard) of his sword.

"Clang!"

A sharp crack. A section of Enma was pulled out. Dark purple domineering energy instantly enveloped the blade. He lowered his center of gravity, preparing to unleash the Flying Dragon Flame at any moment.

Sanji spat out the cigarette. He slammed his right foot against the ground, activating Diable Jambe. Intense flames enveloped his calf. He raised his foot, staring intently upwards, ready to kick away the massive falling object with all his might.

Luffy clenched his fists. Armament Haki instantly covered his arms.

Just as everyone was preparing to fight to the death to stop the monster, a huge black shadow suddenly appeared in front of them.

Loki moved.

He didn't retreat. Instead, he took a large step forward, swinging the iron thunderbolt from his shoulder with one hand. The massive warhammer left a horizontal afterimage in mid-air.

The hammer handle carried terrifying wind pressure, blocking Zoro, Sanji, Hajrudin, and the others' path. The gale forced them to stop what they were doing.

Loki looked up. His bloodshot eyes were fixed on the rapidly falling fire skeleton. A cruel, excited smile spread across his face again.

"Don't move."

Loki's voice was deep and domineering. There was no room for argument.

He bypassed everyone else and took over this massive project.

"Let me warm up this guy."

He lowered the warhammer that was blocking the crowd. He turned around, facing the falling monster above. He extended his left hand and grasped the middle of the warhammer's handle. With both hands exerting force, he gripped the iron thunder tightly.

Legs spread apart, as if rooted to the ground. The waist muscles tighten sharply. The back muscles bulge like rocks.

He gripped the hammer with both hands, standing firmly in place. He didn't swing it prematurely, but simply raised his head, his gaze like that of a predator locking onto its prey.

He waited.

Wait for that monster even larger than him to fall completely into the optimal attack range where a single blow will be fatal.

A fierce wind tousled his hair. Dark red, domineering energy began to gather wildly on the head of the Iron Thunder Hammer. Black lightning leaped around the hammer's body.

The crashing roar grew louder. The fiery skeleton, trailing flames, was already close to Loki's head. The temperature of the underworld reached its peak.

Loki gripped his warhammer tightly. His eyes were icy cold.

His first battle after escaping. He prepared to be at his most ferocious.

Just need to vent for a while.