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Egghead—
"SKY SOVEREIGN!"
The demonic eyes of the Five Elders were incredibly grim—yet their foreheads were slick with a cold sweat they couldn't stop.
The judgment that Sky Sovereign Rowen was on Egghead was a conclusion all five of them had reached together. It was based on this judgment that Saturn—as the vanguard—had used his summoning ability to bring the other four from Pangea Castle in Mariejois to this place.
Originally, they had predicted that with all five of them present—even the weakest among them, Saturn—possessed Admiral-level combat strength, thanks to their immortality, Awakened Mythical Zoan Devil Fruits, and Haki—they would be an unstoppable force.
Nusjuro and Warcury, the strongest among them in both combat power and Haki, were even at the top-tier Emperor level.
Combined with Akainu, their six Admiral-level or higher combatants should have been more than enough to sweep away the Sky Sovereign Grand Fleet's commanders, excluding Sky Sovereign Rowen himself.
As for Rowen—he was to be handled by Imu—possessing Gunko.
At Rowen's level of combat strength, even with their immortality, three of them might not be enough to stall him. They even had the God's Knights as a backup; their forces were, in theory, more than sufficient.
This Was The Full Might Of The World Government, Deployed!
But who could have known that the situation after arriving on Egghead would be completely different from their predictions.
Not only was the combat strength of the Sky Sovereign Grand Fleet's commanders far beyond their expectations—
Sky Sovereign Rowen had even resurrected top-tier powerhouses like Kuzan and Kaido—and the former user of the Rumble-Rumble Fruit, the man who called himself God, Enel.
In an instant, Sky Sovereign's side had gained three more Admiral-level or higher combatants.
Especially Kaido!
He could still use Haōshoku Coating, and was even stronger than in his prime!
Even in a top-tier war of this magnitude, a single Admiral-level combatant could have a crucial impact on the battle. After all, in any era, Admiral-level fighters were absolute peak combatants!
Even when facing a Legendary-Class fighter, Admiral-level combatants weren't like the weaklings below them who'd collapse instantly from a burst of Conqueror's Haki.
A coordinated group of Admiral-level fighters could still hold their own against a Legendary-Class opponent.
A single Admiral-level fighter was that crucial, let alone the sudden appearance of three unexpected ones.
The situation had completely exceeded their expectations.
The full force of the Five Elders had descended—yet they held no advantage at all. In fact, they were being pushed back, beaten into a pathetic state.
What was worse... their intelligence was wrong.
The Ice-Ice Fruit ability that had frozen this sea region was not the work of Sky Sovereign Rowen, but of the deceased—and resurrected—Kuzan.
And Sky Sovereign Rowen had directly infiltrated the Holy Land of Mariejois, breaking into the Room of Flowers where Imu resided!
THIS WAS A MISTAKE SO GRAVE IT WAS ALMOST UNFORGIVABLE.
After all, the judgment had been made by all five of them. There was no room to shift the blame.
Besides, Imu would not listen to any of their explanations.
Imu only cared about results, not the process.
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Fear and panic made the Five Elders' foreheads break out in fine sweat.
"KILL JOY BOY."
Imu's cold voice echoed in the Five Elders' minds.
This sentence plunged the Five Elders into an icy abyss.
Now, Imu's possession ability had been broken by Sky Sovereign Rowen, who had infiltrated the Room of Flowers, using his powerful Conqueror's Haki.
Although Imu's true body was not in that space, his Devil Fruit ability was manifested there. And as a Devil Fruit ability, it could be shattered by Conqueror's Haki.
The terrifying Conqueror's Haki released by Rowen in the Room of Flowers was not just aimed at them on Egghead—but also at Imu's manifested Baphomet Fruit ability in that space!
The previously possessed Gunko had been released from possession and had collapsed unconscious.
Under the direct assault of Rowen's Conqueror's Haki, even Imu couldn't multitask—fighting off Rowen's overwhelming presence while simultaneously possessing Gunko was impossible.
Though with Imu's Haki and raw power, this kind of clash wouldn't drain his Devil Fruit abilities completely—it would still take time to set up another attempt.
And with Imu unable to possess Gunko and intervene in this battle, their forces were already insufficient—
This was Imu, telling them to kill Straw Hat, to kill Joy Boy, at any cost.
Though they were immortal, the Five Elders knew that Rowen—who had vanished from the Room of Flowers—was definitely heading their way.
Once that monster showed up, even their immortality wouldn't save them from agony. Sure, he couldn't kill them outright, but Rowen's Haki could inflict suffering far worse than death.
They had not experienced real pain for too long. The thought of Rowen's level of Haki acting on their bodies made the Five Elders shudder.
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And among the Five Elders, Saturn was the most panicked.
After all, the other four were summoned here by Imu's ability.
As long as the Devil Fruit ability was dispelled, they could return to Pangea Castle in Mariejois. Even if Rowen arrived, at worst they would suffer for a while.
But he had come here by ship...
He couldn't get back to Pangea Castle using Imu's summoning ability. That power only worked one way—it needed someone under contract as an anchor point, and couldn't be reversed.
Compared to the other four, Saturn truly had no way out!
Even if he killed Straw Hat, so what??
He couldn't retreat back to the Holy Land Mariejois!
All the Marines on the warships had been knocked unconscious in the clash of Imu and Rowen's Conqueror's Haki—These warships were now just useless hunks of metal with no one to steer them.
And even if they could be controlled, it was useless.
Kuzan's Ice-Ice Fruit ability had completely frozen this sea region; the warships couldn't move at all.
HIS ESCAPE ROUTE WAS COMPLETELY CUT OFF!
Fear and panic caused Saturn's expression to change drastically.
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"HOW PATHETIC. AFTER ALL THESE YEARS IN POWER, HAS IT COMPLETELY CORRUPTED YOU??"
Compared to the Five Elders, Akainu was biting down on his cigar, his expression one of iron-blooded resolve, without a trace of panic or fear.
"SAKAZUKI! WATCH YOUR TONE!" Warcury roared.
As someone with overwhelming Conqueror's Haki, how could Warcury let Akainu diss him like that?
"Am I wrong? So what if the battle is not in our favor? The worst outcome is just death. And you can't even die. A little pain is enough to make you lose your composure. PATHETIC."
Akainu showed zero respect for the Five Elders, trash-talking them openly with pure mockery written all over his face.
Just a little pain, and these high and mighty rulers showed such expressions. And he was actually staring death in the face.
"The target is Straw Hat??"
Akainu's gaze turned towards Luffy.
The son of Monkey D. Dragon... Just like Fire Fist Ace, he carried one of the most damnable bloodlines on the seas—a stain that his justice demanded be wiped out.
Even if he was in a desperate situation, even if he killed Straw Hat, there was still Sky Sovereign Rowen, the true source of this era's evil.
But at this moment, Akainu no longer wanted to think about these superfluous thoughts.
He had come here with no intention of returning alive!
The Navy, under his leadership, had suffered the most painful defeat since its establishment.
An entire generation of three Admirals had fallen to Sky Sovereign Rowen, leaving the massive Navy completely without Admiral-level leadership.
Akainu never made excuses.
Failure was failure.
As a Fleet Admiral, he was undoubtedly a failure.
But at the very least... as the supreme commander of the Marines, he had carried out his sense of justice from beginning to end. To die in battle here—would be a worthy end to his position as Fleet Admiral.
GURGLE! GURGLE!!
The Magma-Magma Fruit was pushed to its extreme by Akainu. Both his arms completely turned into erupting magma, radiating the terrifying power of a volcanic eruption.
Akainu no longer cared about the consumption of stamina and Haki, pushing his Haki and Magma-Magma Fruit ability to their absolute limits in an instant.
Any beast unleashes terrifying power when cornered. Let alone a top-tier Admiral-level combatant like Akainu. Having already accepted his death, the power he displayed now commanded everyone's attention.
"...Sakazuki."
Kuzan, whose entire body was made of ice, looked at Akainu, his expression incredibly deep.
"STRAW HAT!"
Akainu roared, charging towards Luffy first.
"FOLLOW HIM!"
Warcury was annoyed by Akainu's independent action, but right now he had no choice but to fight alongside him. Losing an Admiral-level powerhouse like Akainu would make their already dire situation even worse.
The other Five Elders also unleashed their strongest Devil Fruit abilities and Haki, disregarding everything else, even the damage from Haki, and charged towards Luffy.
THEY HAD TO KILL STRAW HAT HERE!
OTHERWISE, THEY WOULD FACE IMU'S SCARY PUNISHMENT!
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VMM!
An extremely dazzling light appeared in the sky above Egghead.
"THAT ABILITY IS...!"
Akainu and the Five Elders' faces changed.
"Yasakani no Magatama——!!!"
VMM!
WHOOSH! WHOOSH! WHOOSH!
Countless flash bullets tore through the sky, making the entire sky incredibly dazzling. Those with weak Haki couldn't even look at this dazzling flash with their eyes.
BOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOM!
Countless flash bullets pierced through the immortal bodies of the Five Elders, making their movements pause.
Taking on such a concentrated barrage head-on with Haki and Devil Fruit powers would drain too much energy and stamina.
Even Akainu was using his logia form to dodge these attacks, though his expression looked absolutely grim.
Their movements had been stopped.
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"BORSALINO!"
Warcury's expression darkened as he watched the light bullets fade away, then shifted his gaze to the figure who'd transformed into pure light and materialized next to Luffy.
One of the World Government's former top fighters, Kizaru.
"DO YOU KNOW WHAT YOU'RE DOING?? KIZARU!"
Saturn roared.
As the Warrior God of Science and Defense, who controlled all matters related to technology in the World Government, his relationship with Kizaru was a direct leadership one.
"Ooh, how scary~ I'm just a salaryman. If I fight here, I get five times the pay, and paid vacation."
Borsalino said in his usual tone, words that made the Five Elders want to strangle him.
"Brother... are you... betraying justice?"
Akainu's face was cold, looking directly at Borsalino.
Though Borsalino wasn't aligned with either the hawks or doves in the Navy, privately, his relationship with him was closer than with Kuzan.
Borsalino was the World Government's ultimate soldier. Give him a mission, and he'd see it through no matter what.
That kind of mindset aligned more with his than with Kuzan's.
"Justice?"
Hearing Akainu call him "brother," a ripple of emotion that he couldn't control appeared in Borsalino's eyes under his sunglasses.
But then, he looked towards Luffy.
Nika...
Back then, right here, he'd danced the Nika dance alongside Kuma and the others. Of course he knew the legend.
Deep down, maybe he was yearning for true freedom too.
"THIS IS... MY JUSTICE, SAKAZUKI,"
Borsalino slowly walked over to stand beside Kuzan, facing Akainu head-on.
The former three Admirals were now locked in a standoff.
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