"That was pretty straightforward..."
With a single slash, a newly arrived Marine was cut down. Rayleigh smiled faintly, watching the captains who had already lost the will to fight, making no move to stop them.
After all, their true target wasn't these scattered captains who barely held together as a group—It was Rocks, the man who dreamed of becoming the king of the world!!!
"But man, what's with Orin? That guy looks like he's gone mad—he's trying to fight everyone at once!!!"
Gaban walked up beside him, his forehead beaded with sweat as he watched Orin standing right in the middle of the strongest fighters on the field. He couldn't figure out what Orin was thinking.
Still, both he and Rayleigh knew Roger and Orin were dead serious. Since neither showed any hesitation, they didn't ask further questions. Instead, they turned their blades toward the remaining Marines and the half-recovered God's Knights.
"Hey, hey, hey!!!"
"That battlefield over there—isn't a place you weaklings are allowed to set foot in!!!"
Conqueror's Haki Infusion coiled around their blades as Rayleigh and Gaban stood shoulder to shoulder like an unbreakable wall of steel. No one could cross their defense.
The Marines' faces twisted with unease. At the front stood an officer with a cloak draped over his shoulders. Staring at the two all-too-familiar figures, beads of sweat rolled down his nose.
"The left and right hands of the great pirate Roger..."
"Dark King Silvers Rayleigh!!"
"Mountain-Eater Gaban!!"
Against monsters like these, he knew full well they didn't stand a chance. But orders were absolute—there was no refusing them.
He raised his sword, ready to command the Marines to charge together with him, when suddenly—
"That's far enough."
Buzz—buzz—buzz—
From the cracked ground below, a strange magic circle erupted, brimming with unknown flames and lightning.
An ominous energy spread across the battlefield, even catching the attention of those engaged in the main clash, forcing them to look toward it.
Dark clouds covered the skies. Two beams of light pierced through like giant searchlights, illuminating the smoke. A pentagram appeared at the center of the circle, marked with the number 5.
Black-and-red lightning split the earth as if the end of days had arrived. Countless Marine grunts scattered in panic.
Orin, holding his gun, cast a calm glance at the circle. He wasn't surprised—only amused that more and more had come to join the chaos.
Rocks, Roger, and the others, already badly wounded and forced back by Orin's counterattack, looked warily at the sudden change.
"So, you've finally decided to step in? You've been sitting up there watching all this time..."
"Elder—Saint Saturn, huh~"
Without another word, Orin raised his gun and fired. He wasn't one to give respect, not even to an Elder. Even if Imu herself came, it wouldn't matter.
Conqueror's Haki Infusion crackled over the bullet, carrying immense force as it shot forward. The blast alone sent Orin's hair flying back, revealing his cold, sharp profile.
Calm. Fearless. Brimming with battle intent.
As if the rank and title of an Elder meant nothing to him.
The others, however, froze in disbelief when they heard his words, their expressions growing grim.
The world's highest authority—
The Elders!
Even Rocks feared these beings. Yet Orin openly provoked them without hesitation.
Just what was he planning?
Even Roger began to wonder—had Orin finally gone completely insane, lashing out at anyone and everyone?
What none of them knew was that Orin's "trial card" was about to expire.
He wanted to use the final moments to show overwhelming strength, to display invincibility itself.
If he did that, then the great powers of the world—unable to see through his true limits—would hesitate to provoke him. At the same time, it was the perfect way to push himself beyond his limits.
But things didn't go exactly as planned.
The powerful shot struck Saturn.... and hit his staff.
Wrapped in Conqueror's Haki Infusion, Saturn—whose strength easily rivaled a Yonko—blocked the attack without much difficulty.
Bullet and staff clashed in midair, sparks of Conqueror's Haki webbing out like cracks in glass, knocking Marines unconscious one after another.
In the end, the bullet was stopped.
As the dust cleared, Saturn's massive form stood revealed. Both hands gripped his staff tightly, and though he looked steady, the effort was evident.
His aged eyes fixed firmly on Orin. Despite the weight of centuries, he remained unnervingly calm.
"There's no need to be so tense, Orin. I've no intention of being your enemy."
"On the contrary, I want to see—just how far you, the so-called future king, can go."
Expectation. Calculation. And, most of all, helplessness lingered in his eyes.
For with his sharp vision, Saturn knew the truth: Orin, with such terrifying talent and strange powers, could not be killed here and now.
Unless crushed instantly, without the slightest chance of survival, no one would be able to finish him.
So why not express goodwill? After all, rebellious as he was, Orin was still a Celestial Dragon in his eyes.
"Just... try not to go too far. Otherwise, you'll make things difficult for me as well... "
His meaning was clear. The chaos of God Valley had become Orin's personal stage. He didn't mind that. As long as Orin didn't anger Imu, all was fine.
If Orin defeated these pirates, then publicly, the credit could be shared between the Marines and the Celestial Dragons. They wouldn't need to pin all the glory on just one Marine Vice Admiral—Hero Garp.
"Nani???"
At Saturn's words, Orin barely reacted. Instead, it was Rocks and Roger who stared at him in shock, feeling as though they'd been deceived.
In disbelief, they looked at Orin. He only shrugged.
The tension on the battlefield flared even hotter.
Orin decided to take on four at once—Rocks, Roger, Garp, and the Celestial Dragon powerhouse, Saint Figarland Garling.
Splitting himself into four, Orin launched into an extreme battle against all of them.
On the surface, it was a hopelessly one-sided fight. Orin could be overwhelmed at any moment.
But until his stamina ran out or his clones dispersed, he wouldn't be going down quickly.
Saturn soon lost interest in the clash. He hadn't intended to join in anyway. Instead, he turned his gaze to the God's Knights.
"Your battle no longer has meaning. Leave with me."
The Marine officer, the last still standing amidst the carnage, froze in panic as he realized the Celestial Dragons were about to retreat. The battlefield was about to be left to monsters. He looked anxiously at Saturn.
"Please wait—what about us...?"
He had barely raised a hand to stall them when—
Bang—
With just a glance, Saturn made his head explode.
"Orin is one thing... But a mere Marine. You dare tell a Celestial Dragon what to do?"