Big Strange Bird…
For how many years Saint Marcus Mars had lived, even he himself could hardly remember.
As for how many words he had heard in his lifetime, that was even more of a blur.
But one thing Saint Marcus Mars could say with certainty:
In the past several hundred years—
Absolutely no one, not a single soul, had ever dared to stand before him and call him—
"Big Strange Bird"!
The dignity of the Five Elders had been directly violated.
Saint Marcus Mars felt an unprecedented surge of fury.
At that moment, several voices echoed in his mind.
They came from the other four Elders of Mary Geoise through their "Spiritual Link" ability—a secret known to very few in the world.
Among the Five Elders existed an indescribable, special connection.
No matter how vast the distance between them,
the Five Elders could maintain seamless communication through this unique "Spiritual Link."
"Mars, what's the situation on your end?"
"What was that earthquake just now?"
"Did some ancient technology awaken again?"
"Please don't tell me it's another colossal ancient robot…"
Red Line, Pangea Castle, Chamber of Authority.
The four Elders had gathered, reaching out through their psychic bond to the lone-acting Saint Marcus Mars.
Just moments ago,
Mary Geoise had been struck by a minor earthquake.
It was as if some massive cannon had landed frighteningly close to the holy land.
The violent tremor unsettled the Celestial Dragons and immediately drew the attention of the Five Elders.
But after that small quake, the Elders sensed something else—an inexplicable feeling of being watched.
Initially, they had planned to dispatch CP0 to investigate.
After all, CP0 was the "Strongest Shield of the Celestial Dragons," tasked with protecting Mary Geoise and the World Nobles.
Yet, upon sensing that intrusive gaze, the Elders swiftly changed their minds.
CP0, who had yet to mobilize, was abruptly called off.
Instead, Saint Marcus Mars—the Environmental War God—personally descended to assess the situation below.
After a brief wait,
the four Elders finally received a response from Saint Marcus Mars, who had been gone for some time.
"I've encountered a young Whitebeard who ate the Rumble-Rumble Fruit!"
The four Elders in the Chamber of Authority exchanged bewildered glances.
What had they just heard?
"The Rumble-Rumble Fruit?!"
"Young?!"
"Whitebeard?!"
"You must be joking!"
Ever since Gol D. Roger single-handedly ushered in the Great Pirate Era,
the World Government had maintained extreme vigilance against the "remnants of the old era."
Because this time, the pirates knew far too much!
Gol D. Roger and his Roger Pirates had gathered numerous Ancient Historical Texts, reaching the final island, Laugh Tale, and uncovering the ancient history the World Government had concealed for centuries!
This revelation sent the World Government into a frenzy of fear.
After Roger's public execution,
the remaining members of the Roger Pirates were relentlessly hunted down by the combined forces of the World Government and Marine Headquarters.
Even other pirates who had ever been associated with Gol D. Roger were systematically purged under the World Government's orders.
Among them, there was a small group of pirates whose strength was so overwhelming that even the World Government could do nothing to deal with them.
The most representative of them all was Whitebeard!
Ever since Gol D. Roger became the Pirate King, he had dominated the Grand Line under that title for nearly eighteen years!
And in the current era, the one closest to the throne of the "Pirate King"...
The entire sea shared a common belief—
Whitebeard Edward Newgate, the sworn rival of the Pirate King Roger, hailed as the "Strongest Man in the World"!
The World Government kept a close watch on Whitebeard's every move.
Though they had no means to infiltrate spies into the Whitebeard Pirates,
they still gathered vast amounts of intelligence on Whitebeard through various means.
This information would be compiled by specialists and relayed to the Five Elders.
According to the intelligence held by the Five Elders,
Whitebeard's physical condition in recent years seemed far from ideal.
Every time the Whitebeard Pirates' flagship, the Moby Dick, docked at an island, they would procure large quantities of medical supplies.
Moreover, considering his age, Whitebeard was already approaching seventy.
The World Government had long been hoping for Whitebeard to die of old age or illness...
So what the hell was this sudden appearance of a "younger version of Whitebeard"?
The four Five Elders, sitting idly in the Chamber of Authority, bombarded Mars Saint Marcus with frantic messages.
But Marcus seemed to be entangled with an enemy, unable to spare the focus to reply to the others.
"I say we send another person over!"
"A younger Whitebeard who ate the [Rumble-Rumble Fruit]? That's far too intriguing!"
"But aside from Mars, none of us possess flight abilities. Using [Moon Walk] would be undignified."
"Then I'll go! I can burrow underground—"
Before the blond Five Elder, the Agricultural War God, Shepherd Ten Peter Saint, could finish speaking,
Marcus' urgent voice cut through their mental link once more.
"Contact Marine Headquarters! Get Kizaru here now! The speed of the [Rumble-Rumble Fruit] is just too fast!"
Among the Five Elders, Marcus was considered the fastest in aerial combat.
But after all, he was an "Itsumade," a "giant monstrous bird."
Compared to the lightning speed of the [Rumble-Rumble Fruit], Marcus' movement was far too sluggish.
Red Line, Cliffside Crater.
Whitebeard III was effortlessly battling Marcus Saint Marcus.
If it weren't for the fact that it didn't suit his current persona,
Whitebeard III would have really loved to say to Marcus—
"How terrifying~"
Just then,
A blinding flash of light erupted from Whitebeard III's body as he vanished once more.
In the next instant,
His figure flickered into existence atop the monstrous bird Itsumade's head, where Marcus had transformed.
Brilliant silver-white electricity coated his raised right leg, turning it incandescent, while pitch-black [Armament Haki] coiled and fused into it—an advanced form capable of "internal destruction."
Electro Boost·Lightning Kick!
BOOM!
Like a thunderclap splitting the sky.
Edward Teach's right leg, simultaneously fused with his [Rumble-Rumble Fruit] and advanced [Armament Haki], struck directly onto Itsumade's massive beak.
Latest updates at 6·9·shu·ba!
From the point of impact, deep fissures instantly spiderwebbed across Itsumade's beak.
With the "internal destruction" effect of [Armament Haki], a crisp crack echoed through the air.
Itsumade's beak was shattered on the spot by Edward Teach!
Broken fragments of the beak and crimson blood rained down like scattered petals.
"ARGH—!"
Saint Marcus Mars let out a roar of fury.
Losing his beak distorted his voice, but it didn't hinder his ability activation.
Itsumade spewed a torrent of scorching flames from its broken maw toward Edward Teach at point-blank range.
The blazing fire illuminated Teach's face—
But…
"Too slow, you overgrown bird!"
With a deafening thunderclap, Edward Teach vanished from sight, effortlessly evading Marcus Mars' fiery breath.
Yet at that moment, another extraordinary transformation occurred.
The shattered beak and spilled blood began reassembling in a manner beyond human comprehension—as if time itself were reversing.
Droplets of blood returned to the wound, fragments pieced themselves back together.
Within mere breaths, Itsumade was restored to its original form.
A truly indestructible body!
Edward Teach frowned as he witnessed Itsumade's complete regeneration.
He had known the [Five Elders] wouldn't be easy opponents.
Not just because of their Mythical Zoan [Devil Fruit] abilities—
But also due to the other supernatural powers they possessed beyond them.
Yet knowing and seeing were two different things.
The [Environmental War God], Saint Marcus Mars, displayed an ability akin to immortality—a sight that would unsettle any foe.
Even Edward Teach found it troublesome.
'Minor cracks self-repair… A severed beak regenerates…'
Teach clenched his fist, as if grasping boundless lightning.
'What if I obliterate its head entirely?'
No sooner thought than done.
His eyes sharpened, his body dissolved into lightning—vanishing once more.
Not even Marcus Mars could keep up with the speed of a [Lightning Man].
In an instant, Edward Teach reappeared above Marcus Mars.
Infinite electricity surged around Teach's frame, his already titanic physique swelling further as it absorbed the storm.
Blinding thunder coalesced, forming in moments a divine entity that defied mortal comprehension—
"Billion Volt: Raijin!"
(Note: "Raijin" is the Japanese god of thunder, fitting the mythological theme of the attack.)
The God of Thunder raised his right fist high, and in an instant, a dazzling burst of lightning radiance erupted from it, as if he had seized the annihilating thunderbolts from the heavens above.
The next moment—
BOOM!
Edward Teach, also known as Whitebeard III, swung his right fist downward with tremendous force toward Itsumade.
The power of the More-More Fruit silently activated at this moment.
More-More Fruit: Hundredfold Strength!
This was no longer just an ordinary "Electromotive Force: Lightning Fist."
Instead—
"Fist of the Thunder God!"
BOOM!!
The colossal fist of the Thunder God crashed down onto Itsumade's head.
His already formidable strength, now amplified a hundredfold by the More-More Fruit, far exceeded the limits of what Itsumade could withstand.
The monstrous bird's feathers twisted in the silver-white lightning, turning to ash.
Its flesh charred in the silver-white lightning, crumbling into fragments.
Its bones shattered in the silver-white lightning, reduced to
dust.
As the Fist of the Thunder God descended—
Itsumade's avian head exploded in a violent burst.
The headless corpse seemed to lose all strength at that moment, plummeting toward the vast ocean below.
Just then—
A streak of yellow light shot upward from below.
"Now this is…"
Kizaru caught Itsumade's headless body with one hand, his expression grave as he stared at Edward Teach.
"...truly terrifying."
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