Rising Sun Blade.
This was the most powerful strike he could currently unleash, combining his peak physical strength, his Haki, and his Devil Fruit ability into one single, devastating attack.
Flame danced in a circle in Cyrus's hand as all its power was released.
After unleashing the slash, the glowing blade began to dissipate, but somber Armament Haki quickly infused the steel as Conqueror's Haki activated once again.
The Two Colors of Haki coiled tightly around the blade, turning it a dark red as its physical form stabilized once more.
Cyrus turned his head to look in the direction of his slash, fixing his eyes on the other side of the Red Line.
The target of this strike was not only above him, but also directly ahead.
Even if his Devil Fruit ability could be counteracted and erased by that mysterious power, this slash—born from his raw physical strength and Haki—was not something that could be easily blocked.
The line of light that had vertically pierced the section of the Red Line above the sea was rapidly widening.
Then, the sheer power exploded.
The blinding light made it impossible to look at directly, and the explosive force exuded an immense pressure even when viewed from a great distance.
Along with Cyrus's slash, the rock layers of the Red Line above his position shot up into the sky, accompanied by the devastating flames.
Just as this power was about to reach Mary Geoise at the very top of the continent, the flame power within the slash rapidly weakened.
But the physical strike itself was simply too fast.
Even nullifying it took time...
Boom!
Half of the Holy Land of Mary Geoise was obliterated by this single strike.
Everything within the range of Cyrus's slash was utterly destroyed and wiped from existence.
The vanished part of the Red Line and the ruined half of Mary Geoise formed a perfectly smooth cliff face, and on the other side of the Red Line, the slash cut the continent completely open to spew out vast amounts of displaced earth and rock.
A massive U-shaped valley appeared on the Red Line in an instant!
The figures of the Five Elders appeared at the edge of this enormous canyon, staring in horror at the apocalyptic scene before them.
'This kind of power...'
Molten rock fell from the sky, and from the sheer walls of the valley on both sides, the melted continent continued to flow like lava.
The terrifyingly high temperature had not dissipated, causing white mist and steam to rise rapidly from the boiling sea.
Thunderclouds formed in the sky, and in an instant, a torrential downpour began. Yet, even in the heavy rain, the rock could not cool down quickly, as the water evaporated into steam before it could even hit the ground.
The flowing molten rock pooled at the bottom of the valley before pouring into the sea from both sides.
Cyrus hovered in mid-air, the rain completely unable to touch him as flames circled his body.
He looked up toward Mary Geoise, his figure suddenly soaring higher until he reached the very peak.
A thick black mist completely enveloped the remains of the Holy Land, and something that looked like a massive black reptile was coiled within the darkness!
Flame and darkness faced off in the sky.
Seeing this, Cyrus's gaze swept over the Five Elders, who were standing guard in front of the dark mist.
"That's all for today. You're welcome to come looking for me," Cyrus said with a smile, casually shouldering his dark red longsword.
[Duration: 1 minute, 05 seconds.]
Hearing Cyrus's words, the Five Elders actually breathed a collective sigh of relief.
From the sound of it, this guy planned to retreat.
The Elders turned their heads to look back, but Imu gave no response.
Cyrus turned around and flew straight toward the New World, following the path of the massive canyon he had just carved.
Seeing that Cyrus was actually leaving just like that, the Five Elders truly let out a breath they had been holding.
The black mist that enveloped half of Mary Geoise also began to recede.
"This guy is too strong. We must find a way to deal with him," the bald Elder holding the First Generation Kitetsu said in a deep voice.
"That's not for us to decide," another immediately offered, holding a different opinion. "Only Lord Imu can make the decision on this matter."
The five of them knew very well that with the power Cyrus had displayed today, dealing with him had already become an impossible task.
His power surpassed the great pirates of the New World, meaning he was no longer a threat that could be handled simply by deploying their top-tier military forces.
...
Out on the sea, the people who had witnessed the transformation of the Red Line through the broadcast were all completely silent.
They stared blankly at the massive slash that had pierced the continent, captured perfectly by the hovering News Birds.
The temperature of the wound had not yet dropped, but the rain had already cooled some of the edges to leave a shiny, glassy luster across the rock.
The sea was about to change.
Attacking Celestial Dragons or even striking the Holy Land seemed almost insignificant in the face of the geographical destruction before them now.
Morgans looked at the projected screen and remained silent for a long time.
"I'll write the article myself. Everyone, get ready. I want to get this report out as fast as possible," Morgans ordered in a deep voice.
"But President, the World Government..." his beautiful secretary began, her expression hesitant.
"Fuck the World Government, they have no time to worry about me now." Morgans knew very well that this scene not only showcased Cyrus's unrivaled power, but also dealt a massive, irreparable blow to the World Government's prestige.
At this moment, the authorities had no time to pay him any mind.
Besides, a spectacle like this had already spread throughout the world, meaning everyone who should and shouldn't have seen it had already witnessed it.
This was the crisis the World Government urgently needed to resolve.
"Yes, President!"
Hearing this, the secretary immediately nodded and got to work.
...
"This makes no sense!" Dragon muttered to himself.
How could Cyrus's power have grown so quickly?
The Revolutionary leader knew the boy's talent was immense, but no matter how great one's potential, there had to be a limit, right?
The scenes from the Sabaody Archipelago had already been unbelievable, but this strike that pierced the Red Line was delivered after a grueling, drawn-out battle.
This kind of power could no longer be described as merely influencing the world.
This was a power that could truly change the world.
"Commander, I think we should do everything in our power to win him over. We don't need him to do anything specific, just having him declare he's part of the Revolutionary Army would be enough," Belo Betty suggested, her eyes shining with excitement.
The other army commanders nodded in agreement.
Admittedly, after today, Cyrus would likely become the most heinous criminal in the eyes of the World Government, and associating with him might invite a massive crackdown.
However, compared to the potential gains, those risks were completely insignificant, because that name alone carried immeasurable weight.
"It will be difficult," Dragon said, shaking his head.
"But we can send someone to make contact with the Hunter Guild. Cyrus is now the President of the guild," he decided.
'The Hunter Guild?'
The other army commanders nodded.
Regardless of what the organization was before or when it was founded, with Cyrus as its president, it had now leaped to become one of the top-tier forces on the seas.
Perhaps in the near future, the Hunter Guild's influence could spread across all Four Seas and the Grand Line, and a partnership could bring enormous benefits.
After all, with Cyrus at the helm, the guild's animosity toward the World Government was now an absolute certainty.
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