The sand in this space wasn't ordinary sand—it had been infused with massive amounts of chakra, turning it into explosive grains. In this regard, it resembled Deidara's explosive clay, but the scale and power were far beyond comparison.
Each grain of sand could unleash tremendous force. This might only be comparable to Konan's six hundred billion paper bombs technique—Paper Person of God.
Thankfully, the explosion had occurred within Kaguya's space. Had it happened in the Grand Line, it could very well have triggered a world-spanning tsunami.
It was simply too terrifying!
Smoothie stared wide-eyed in shock. Had she really been fighting such a terrifying opponent all this time?
Cold sweat drenched her back as the reality set in, and she couldn't help but feel a little grateful that things hadn't gotten any worse than they already were.
Pudding was also dumbfounded. Though she had seen Kaguya's power before, witnessing it again still left her stunned.
Kaguya paid no attention to the stunned women nearby. She walked toward the sand-filled desert, stopping after a few steps. With a smirk, she said, "Stop pretending already. As world rulers, the Five Elders hiding like rats playing dead… Truly eye-opening."
Smoothie and Reiju were both startled. Could anyone really survive such a powerful explosion?
They lacked Kaguya's sharp perception and didn't notice what she had—a golden glow had briefly enveloped the blond Five Elder moments before the blast, forming a circular golden barrier like a lid, shielding the Five Elders within.
It was this unknown shield that had blocked the devastating explosion.
Suddenly, dark shadows burst from the sand like streaks of light, charging at Kaguya from all directions with the speed of lightning!
It was the Five Elders!
But they looked quite disheveled. Their once-pristine black suits were now tattered, marked with bloodstains and scorch marks. Their faces were ashen, their bodies covered in grime and reeking of burnt odor. It was clear they had been seriously affected by the earlier attack.
Yet this strike of theirs carried the force of thunder and lightning, launched in fury. Clearly, Kaguya's earlier trick had enraged them.
In an instant, Kaguya found herself surrounded and under siege!
"Arrogant fool, go to hell!"
The Five Elders raised their arms, and in their palms formed glowing spheres crackling with lightning. Their fingers twitched, and with a terrifying pressure, the spheres tore through the air like shooting stars!
Seeing the glowing orbs coming, Kaguya's eyes narrowed slightly in surprise.
This feeling… so familiar. Where had she seen it before? Could it be—
BOOM—!
A thunderous explosion shook the heavens. Intense flames shot skyward, and thick smoke formed a towering mushroom cloud. The shockwave, mixed with blistering heat, roared outward like a tsunami, leveling everything in its path!
Sand flew, smoke billowed!
The Five Elders' combined strike was incredibly powerful—rivaling the sand explosion Kaguya had unleashed earlier. In fact, the energy it contained even surpassed that previous blast!
As the swirling smoke gradually cleared, five towering figures emerged from the endless desert.
"Ignorant fool. You deserved to die," said the birthmarked Five Elder coldly, walking forward.
The flat-hatted Five Elder looked toward the massive blackened crater and said, "It's been a long time since I last used this power. Each time I do, I'm reminded of the terrifying force it holds."
The blond Five Elder added, "Unfortunately, this power is too wild and violent. Even with our current strength, we can't control it freely. Such a shame."
The white-haired Five Elder beside them said, "We were hoping to keep this secret. But now, it seems that will be quite difficult."
"What's so difficult about it?" the sword-bearing Five Elder snorted coldly, a glint of icy light flashing in his sharp eyes. He said chillingly, "We just need to kill everyone who knows."
As he spoke, his gaze—filled with killing intent—swept toward Smoothie, Reiju, Pudding, and Shirahoshi.
Not good!
Pudding's pupils shrank sharply!
They wanted to silence them!
Aside from the clueless Shirahoshi, Smoothie, Reiju, and Pudding all felt a deep sense of danger.
Smoothie and Reiju turned and ran without hesitation, while Pudding grabbed the still-dazed Shirahoshi by the arm and followed them in retreat.
But before they could escape, several figures suddenly flashed in front of them—it was the Five Elders, who had only just been in the distance!
"You thought you could just leave like that?" said the birthmarked Five Elder coldly, his eyes gleaming with malice as he cracked his knuckles. "Since you've learned the secret, you can't be allowed to leave alive!"
Cold sweat beaded on Smoothie's forehead as she forced herself to stay calm. She stepped forward and said, "I don't know anything about your secret. I don't know what you're talking about. This has nothing to do with me. If you let me go, I swear—"
Before she could finish, the scene before her flickered. The birthmarked Five Elder appeared right in front of her, his arm raised high. A clenched fist covered in black energy suddenly struck!
"You think saying that will make me spare you? Too naive!"
Smoothie's face turned pale with shock. She had never imagined the Five Elder would attack without warning—not even giving her a chance to finish her sentence!
Caught off guard, she instinctively threw her arms up to shield her chest while desperately retreating, but it was too late!
Boom—!
A muffled sound rang out as the Five Elder's punch landed squarely on Smoothie's arm. She was launched like a broken doll hit by a train, crashing heavily onto the ground and rolling several times before coming to a stop.
Smoothie's eyes widened as she coughed up a mouthful of blood.
Her arm twisted at an unnatural angle, clearly broken—swollen, bruised, and so severely fractured that the white of bone could be seen protruding through her skin!
"Ugh—"
Smoothie, battered and bruised, clutched her broken arm and struggled to rise from the ground. But before she could take a few steps, the birthmarked Five Elder kicked her hard in the abdomen, sending her flying!
Pfft!
Smoothie coughed up a mouthful of blood and crashed heavily to the ground with a loud bang.
"Just a mere insect dares to make a fool of herself in front of me? Pirates these days truly don't know their place," the birthmarked Five Elder sneered with disdain.
Seeing her still trying to crawl, he lifted his leg and delivered another brutal kick, sending her flying again!
Cold sweat streamed down Pudding and Reiju's foreheads. Smoothie's strength was well known—while she might not have reached admiral level, she was certainly close to a vice admiral. Yet even someone that powerful couldn't lift a finger against the Five Elders!
Smoothie curled up on the ground, her arm limp, blood streaming from her mouth and nose. Her face was bruised and swollen, her clothes soaked in blood—a truly horrifying sight.
The birthmarked Five Elder turned coldly toward them. "Next, it's your turn."
The bald Five Elder with the sword frowned. "Enough playing. Kill them all. Stop wasting time."
"Don't you think people are more interesting when they're at their most desperate?" the birthmarked Five Elder sneered as he walked toward Pudding and the others. "I wonder what kind of expressions they'll make in their final struggle."
Pudding stepped protectively in front of Shirahoshi, her face tense while her heart sank. The power of the Five Elders had far surpassed her expectations. Just the overwhelming aura they emitted made it hard for her to breathe—let alone the fact that there were five of them, each at least admiral-level. Even if she gave her all, she wouldn't stand a chance.
Smoothie's pitiful state on the ground was proof enough.
Strangely, an image of Kaguya suddenly surfaced in Pudding's mind. If only she were here… For the first time, Pudding found herself thinking that maybe Kaguya had a somewhat endearing side.
As if sensing her thoughts, the birthmarked Five Elder snorted. "If you're hoping for Kaguya to save you, forget it. She can't even protect herself right now. No one can survive when the five of us fight together!"
As he finished, the birthmarked Five Elder raised his hand. His five fingers curled inward, forming a swirling black-purple sphere in his palm. Arcs of electricity danced across it, radiating a terrifying energy—it was the same attack he had used on Kaguya!
Sweat trickled down Pudding's temple.
This was bad.
The birthmarked Five Elder let out a low growl and thrust his palm forward. The black-purple orb shot out like lightning, aiming straight for Pudding!
"Die!"
BOOM—!
A deafening explosion erupted, flames shooting skyward. A scorching shockwave roared outward like a tsunami, blowing the robes of the distant Five Elders. But they remained stoic, unfazed, as if such an attack wasn't worth their attention.
The birthmarked Five Elder looked at the raging firestorm and sneered, "Overestimating yourself."
He turned to leave.
"Um… excuse me, were you talking about me?"
A familiar, clear voice suddenly rang out. The birthmarked Five Elder's face darkened as he whirled around. Amidst the clearing smoke, a figure stood, smiling faintly.
Who else could it be but Kaguya?
The Five Elders' eyes widened, their pupils contracting. "Impossible!"
Kaguya stood completely unharmed. Not a single hair was out of place—her clothes were spotless, without the slightest damage!
"You must be wondering how I came out completely unscathed, right?" Kaguya strolled forward with a smile. "The move you just used—it was this, wasn't it?"
As she raised her hand, a fierce spiral of wind formed in her slender palm. At the same time, a black-purple sphere began to materialize and spin rapidly, growing larger and larger. In mere moments, it had expanded to several hundred meters in diameter!
"How is that possible?!" the birthmarked Five Elder's pupils shrank. "How could you possibly possess that kind of power?!"
Kaguya casually balanced the enormous sphere in her hand and said with a faint smirk, "And why wouldn't I?"
That sphere was none other than a Tailed Beast Bomb!
This explained why Kaguya had been surprised the first time she saw the Five Elders use such a technique. She never imagined that five old fossils would know how to manipulate a form of this power—it was genuinely unexpected.
However, what the Five Elders wielded wasn't a true Tailed Beast Bomb. It didn't contain chakra, but was rather an energy construct—compressed into a sphere and merely resembling the real thing. It looked similar but was fundamentally different.
Even so, Kaguya's keen perception had detected an unusual aura inside their energy orb—something strangely familiar, though she couldn't place it immediately.
In truth, Kaguya had used the Tailed Beast Bomb in battle before. But those who had seen her wield it had mostly been sent to the afterlife by her own hands. The few survivors were scarce, and as the former Inquisitor, Kaguya had secretly erased some records of her abilities. That was why the Five Elders were so shocked to see her now using it.
Still, producing such a massive energy sphere was nothing short of intimidating.
Kaguya gently spun the black-purple orb—dozens of times her own size—between her fingers and smiled. "Now, I have a question for you. If you answer it well, I might be in a good enough mood to let you go."
"Let us go?! Don't flatter yourself!" the birthmarked Five Elder roared in fury.
He prepared to charge forward, but the flat-hatted Five Elder held him back. Turning to Kaguya, he said, "Don't be so arrogant, young one. Many have died from overestimating themselves."
"Wrong answer," Kaguya said with a smirk. "Now die."
With a graceful wave of her slender arm, the enormous Tailed Beast Bomb flew through the air like a cannon shell, hurtling straight toward the Five Elders!
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