Ash received messages from both Wyper and Jella early the next morning. He was not the least bit surprised that Amazon Lily and the Doflamingo Family had fallen so quickly.
What did catch him off guard was hearing Jella report that the Heavenly Yaksha had been defeated personally by Law.
In the original timeline, Law had only managed to achieve his revenge five years later with the help of Monkey D. Luffy. Yet after spending only a month training at Twin Capes, he had undergone such an incredible transformation.
It seemed that White Lion Sali might have the talent to open an extracurricular training academy after all.
Putting that thought aside, Ash checked the update to his mission.
Unique Task: Devil Fruit Collection Count [124 / 500]
He had no interest in finding out whose deaths accounted for the ten newly acquired Devil Fruits. As long as the number kept increasing steadily, that was enough for him.
Meanwhile, on Hachinosu...
After a night of fierce combat, White Lion Sali had finally had his fill of fighting. He tore apart his two opponents before sealing their shattered bodies within layers of solid ice.
His reasoning was simple. Since these members of the God's Knights possessed seemingly endless regeneration and could not truly be killed, then he would not bother trying to kill them.
He would simply freeze them forever.
As long as White Lion Sali remained alive, they would never escape their frozen prison, making their fate no different from death itself.
Seeing this, the others quickly followed his example.
Tsuki immediately put the idea into practice. Somehow, he had cultivated a massive collection of carnivorous flowers, and their countless vines continuously devoured the regenerating body of Saint Shepherd Somaz every time it was smashed apart.
For the first half of the night, the old knight had continuously cursed at Tsuki.
By the second half, however, his voice had gradually faded into silence, likely because the endless gnawing had numbed even his senses.
As midnight passed, those man-eating flowers had unknowingly multiplied into hundreds of branches. The flowers closest to the center feasted greedily with constant crunching sounds, while those further away, unable to reach any flesh, shook their enormous mouths like hungry chicks begging for food.
The remaining members of the God's Knights were not faring any better.
Only the Figarland father and son, along with Junko, were still barely maintaining their positions.
The Figarlands endured because they possessed overwhelming strength.
Junko, on the other hand, was only surviving because her opponents lacked the power to truly pressure her.
Fidel and McKinley could feel the eager gazes of the newer Dawn Faction members watching from behind them, making them increasingly uneasy.
Unfortunately, anxiety offered no advantage in battle.
The woman before them not only matched them physically, but her mastery over her Devil Fruit ability far surpassed their own understanding.
Those mysterious arrows allowed her to maneuver freely through the battlefield while simultaneously serving as shields.
Most unbelievable of all, ordinary Armament Haki proved almost completely ineffective against them.
Still, after finally finding an opportunity to engage in real combat against a worthy opponent, neither Fidel nor McKinley was willing to back down. They gritted their teeth and continued exchanging attacks with Junko.
Fortunately, Ash and the others were in no hurry.
Based on their calculations, Sengoku, Vice Admiral Tsuru, and the others would need at least another two or three days to reach Hachinosu.
Furthermore, the Revolutionary Army's worldwide broadcast had already informed the entire world of the attack on the Holy Land Mary Geoise. Whether those old Marines were still heading toward the New World or had already turned around was another matter entirely.
As the saying goes, speak of someone and they appear.
The moment the thought crossed Ash's mind, the Transponder Snail belonging to Vice Admiral Tsuru began to ring.
Just as expected.
Although the elderly quartet had been rushing forward at full speed and had not personally watched the broadcast, an event as catastrophic as the attack on the Holy Land could never be concealed from the Fleet Admiral.
The Navy's Three Admirals, responsible for the defense of Mary Geoise, had been pinned down near Hachinosu by three Yonko crews, leaving them unable to advance or withdraw.
With no other choice available, Sengoku had personally returned to reinforce the Holy Land.
However, he had ordered Vice Admiral Tsuru, Garp, and Zephyr to continue their journey toward Hachinosu.
"Aren't you worried the World Government will hold you responsible for that decision?" Ash asked with genuine curiosity.
"Let them," Tsuru replied with a smile. "We're already old enough that retirement should have come long ago."
She continued, "Besides, Zephyr retired years ago and only remains as Chief Instructor. I serve as Headquarters Chief of Staff. Strictly speaking, neither of us belongs to the active combat division anymore. As for Garp... he has never cared much for the World Government's orders. A dead pig fears no boiling water."
Ash laughed softly.
"Fair enough. Once you reach a certain age, there really isn't much left to fear. In any case... thank you, Grandma Tsuru."
"Haha, it's nothing. Every one of us joined the Navy carrying our own sense of justice. But after spending a lifetime inside the organization, you realize how difficult it is to preserve that ideal. Time and circumstances slowly reshape a person's beliefs."
She paused briefly.
"But while beliefs may change, one's will must never waver."
"Exactly because of that," she continued, "we are willing to place the future in your hands."
"..."
"Young man, regardless of what happens to either the World Government or the Navy, this Great Pirate Era must come to an end."
Ash thought for a moment before answering.
"There is no need to hide it any longer. Grandma Tsuru, when you arrive, I have a gift prepared for you."
"I promise you'll like it."
The last time Ash had spoken of giving someone a gift, he had delivered the head of the former Shichibukai, Gekko Moriah.
Back then, he had merely been an obscure Pirate Hunter.
Now, he was renowned across the world as the strongest Pirate Hunter alive, someone regarded as an equal to the Yonko themselves.
If Ash was preparing another gift...
Whose head would it be this time?
No.
What kind of gift could possibly deserve such confidence?
The thought alone caused Vice Admiral Tsuru's heart to race with anticipation.
While Ash spoke with Tsuru, the Figarland father and son launched another coordinated assault.
Saint Garling moved to hold both Pini and Youki at bay, while Shamrock released the hellhound Cerberus from his weapon to support his father. At the same time, he charged directly toward Fidel and McKinley, hoping to create an opening for Junko.
Unfortunately for them, the Dawn Faction had no intention of allowing such a plan to succeed.
The result was exactly what everyone expected.
After receiving another brutal beating, the pair became significantly more obedient.
They were not fools.
Both of them had already realized that the Dawn Faction was treating the God's Knights as nothing more than live training dummies.
Yet they had no choice.
Neither wanted to end up permanently sealed away like their companions, so they could only fight with everything they had to satisfy their opponents.
In truth, Saint Garling and the others had regretted accepting this mission long before Ash and White Lion Sali ever returned.
Who could have imagined that a subordinate force connected to a mere Shichibukai would conceal so many monsters capable of matching Admirals and Emperors?
By the time they realized the danger, escape was already impossible.
Every desperate attempt to break free had only ended with them being blown apart.
Without Imu's power sustaining them, they would have died countless times already.
Then, in the midst of the battle, Junko suddenly froze.
Her body trembled slightly before she stopped moving altogether.
Fidel and McKinley naturally seized what looked like the perfect opportunity.
One gathered crackling lightning in his hand.
The other condensed a razor-sharp wind blade from a raging cyclone.
Together, they launched a simultaneous attack.
Boom!
An overwhelming burst of Haoshoku Haki erupted from Junko's body like a tidal wave, instantly sending both men flying into the distance.
Even White Lion Sali, Pini, Youki, and the others, all of whom had witnessed countless displays of overwhelming Conqueror's Haki, were visibly shocked.
"Who exactly is that woman?" White Lion Sali muttered with a frown. "Her Haoshoku is even more terrifying than Red Hair's or Whitebeard's."
"It's probably... about half as strong as Ash's, right?" Kirk said uncertainly.
Hearing that completely unintentional compliment, Ash nodded with obvious satisfaction.
Even so, he made no move against the woman now floating in the sky.
He wanted to see exactly what had happened to this member of the God's Knights who had suddenly undergone such a dramatic change.
The answer came almost immediately.
After forcing Pini and Youki back with desperate attacks, the Figarland father and son turned toward Junko and bowed respectfully.
"Lord Imu!"
As she looked around, Imu's gaze swept across the battlefield.
She saw the dismembered and sealed members of the God's Knights.
She saw the Dawn Faction standing around as though they were merely enjoying a spectacle.
The next instant, an even more terrifying wave of Haoshoku Haki exploded outward.
A pair of black, demonic wings unfurled from behind her back.
"Resistance will not be tolerated."
Her icy voice echoed across Hachinosu.
"Imu shall show you... the dominion of God."