The events that transpired a thousand meters below the ocean's surface did not halt the world's progression.
Above, the tumultuous sea remained as tempestuous as ever, while on the towering Red Line continent, warfare raged with fierce intensity.
At the ruins of Fish-Man Island.
Giant magma pillars erupted from the planet's core, forming a forest of fire that connected to the base of the Red Line. Magma, channeled by Sakazuki's manipulation of the earth's veins, converged here and flowed outwards in a fan shape. This same magma, capable of destroying the entire New World, now surged into the Red Line, ascending upwards... just as it had at God Valley.
—
The Holy Land, Mary Geoise.
This realm, once home to the world's most powerful nobles, separated from the commoners they deemed beneath them, had lost its former glory. All that met the eye were shattered ruins. Hundreds of colossal ships had crashed through the rooftops of Mary Geoise's structures. Gunfire echoed throughout the city, and flames blazed everywhere. Revolutionary Army soldiers were locked in fierce combat with the guards of Mary Geoise.
The Celestial Dragons, who styled themselves as "gods," could only cower in emergency shelters, their rage spilling out in a torrent of words:
"Damn it!!!"
"How dare these commoners!!!"
"What were the Five Elders doing? They let these commoners reach here!"
"Are they tired of their positions?!"
"These mere commoners dare to judge gods!"
"Notify the Five Elders to capture them alive! I will torture them to death!!!"
"How dare they destroy my estate! Unpardonable!"
"Round them all up and turn them into slaves!"
CP agents cautiously soothed the Celestial Dragons, fearing any misstep that might lead to their own demise. Yet, a faint, almost imperceptible trail of footprints had appeared on the shelter's floor, right at the entrance.
*Hummm—*
A barely audible sound. A pale violet aura instantly spread throughout the entire shelter. To an observer outside, this refuge, packed with nearly all the Celestial Dragons and resembling a palace, would appear filled with people opening their mouths but making no sound. However, the Celestial Dragons and CP agents inside the barrier had yet to notice anything amiss.
At the entrance.
The original Seraphim-Mihawk materialized slowly. Following closely were the original Seraphim-Hancock, Whitebeard Jr., and several other copies. They linked arms with the Seraphim in front of them, connecting to the foremost Mihawk.
This sudden appearance stunned everyone within the shelter. Before any Celestial Dragon could fly into a rage and demand their execution, Seraphim-Mihawk drew the long sword from his back:
"Execute! Erase!"
*Swish—*
A streak of blade light flashed.
*Riiip—*
Countless severed limbs and heads flew through the air, blood spattering everywhere. Some Celestial Dragons, bisected by the blade, lay in a pool of gore, their entrails spilling out, appearing no different from the commoners they despised. All bled the same crimson blood, their bodies torn apart with such ease, their rolling heads on the ground demonstrating how fragile these beings who called themselves "gods" truly were.
"Ah—!!!"
"Guards!"
"Kill these commoners!!"
"Save me quick!!"
"My hand!!!"
"Damn it!!"
*Whoosh whoosh whoosh—*
The sound of laser beams filled the air. The Seraphim behind Seraphim-Mihawk's original form unleashed dazzling lights from their fingertips, sweeping across the ground. The energy explosions of the laser beams instantly silenced everything.
*Boom boom boom—*
Only the roaring explosions echoed. As laser beams swept through, continuous explosions erupted, and the scent of roasted flesh wafted through the air. Where the extremely high-temperature laser beams passed, the affected Celestial Dragons emitted a fragrant aroma. In mere seconds, their enraged shouts were replaced by pained groans.
*Whoosh whoosh—*
Faint sounds of air being cut echoed. The smoke from the explosions filled the area, providing an opportunity for the few surviving CP agents to attempt an assault on these strange figures. However, these Seraphim were once among the strongest on the seas, and even with reduced strength, these agents were no match for them.
Their mechanically augmented eyes, perceiving through magnetic fields, detected the direction of the attackers. Their modified brains instantly calculated their positions. Whitebeard Jr. Seraphim extended his hands towards the left, grabbing two attacking agents by the head and crushing them together.
*Crack—*
Under the immense force of Whitebeard Jr. Seraphim, the heads of the two surviving CP agents exploded like balloons, leaving no bone fragments. Their headless corpses fell to the ground.
Meanwhile, the CP agent who attacked Seraphim-Mihawk had no such luck. After scanning and sensing with his eyes, Seraphim-Mihawk's long sword flashed. One by one, agents appeared on Mihawk's blade as if teleporting. Their bodies were pierced, strung together like skewers, until the last agent was impaled. Looking at the six CP agents impaled on his long sword, Seraphim-Mihawk flicked his right hand.
*Riiip—*
The bodies of the impaled agents were torn apart like cloth, limbs and fragments scattering everywhere. They were ripped into stick-like shapes and lay writhing on the ground in agony. Their upper bodies remained intact, but they would bleed to death in a few seconds.
The Seraphim behind them each produced a large net and formed a line, advancing inwards. Amidst the fading cries of despair, they picked up the dismembered bodies recognizable by their Celestial Dragon attire, along with their heads, and tossed them into the nets.
—
The Holy Land, Mary Geoise.
*Swish—*
A streak of light flashed. From the collapsed, pristine grand hall, a colossal sword energy, nearly a hundred meters high, erupted, its expanding rift crushing forward. A sound of impact suddenly rang out. The immense sword energy jolted, deviating from its course, piercing through the Red Line continent and disappearing.
*Clang—*
The sound of two fists colliding. The sword-wielding Gorosei's attack had missed. The burly Gorosei followed up, his right fist imbued with dense Haki clashing with Garp's iron fist. Sweat beaded on the burly Gorosei's brow. A hint of shock flickered in his eyes; Garp's strength...
*BOOM!!!!*
The burly Gorosei was sent flying back. Garp stood firmly in place, his expression unchanged, as unmoving as a mountain. Behind him... Monkey D. Dragon's chest was caved in, a stab wound piercing his abdomen, nearly splitting him in two. He gasped for breath, struggling to recover. Not far away, several individuals with inexplicably powerful auras advanced, encircling them.
Mary Geoise town ruins.
Sengoku, the Fleet Admiral, and Sakazuki, who had transformed into a hundred-meter-tall golden Buddha, clashed with a punch.
*Dong—*
Like a bell tolling, the sound resonated through heaven and earth. Both staggered back several steps. At that moment, several CP agents in white suits and white masks appeared in an instant around Sakazuki, attacking him. The golden Buddha's eyes flashed with golden light. The hundred-meter-tall body moved faster than the CP agents, who were as small as ants. Before they could reach Sakazuki, his giant hand, moving as if teleporting, descended upon them. A deafening roar erupted:
"Buddha Shockwave."
A semi-transparent light shield enveloped the attacking CP agents. The intense, crushing force instantly halted them mid-air. A sense of extreme danger stimulated their nerves.
*BOOM!!!!*
The bodies of the agents in white suits were stained with blood from various wounds, and they were sent flying in all directions, unconscious. Sengoku stood at a distance and said to Sakazuki, his voice grave, "You are too irrational, Sakazuki."
"I wouldn't be surprised if Akainu appeared here, but I didn't expect it to be you two."
"Are you truly going to fight the World Government?"
A flicker of helplessness crossed Sakazuki's eyes. "I have no intention of opposing the World Government, but you know Dragon's identity, don't you?"
"He is Garp's only son."
"If you allow us to take him, I can persuade Garp to leave now."
Sengoku's face contorted in exasperation. "Do you think the mess he's made can be resolved so easily?"
"Mary Geoise is in ruins. If we let him go, the World Government will cease to exist."
"News of the Revolutionary Army leader Dragon causing havoc in Mary Geoise and escaping unharmed will spread throughout the world, and the World Government's authority will be utterly destroyed."
"That will lead to widespread chaos across the seas, as you well know."
Sakazuki said with a wry smile, "If Dragon cannot be rescued, Garp will surely not let this matter rest."
"I cannot stand by and watch Garp and Dragon die here."
Both men were helpless; the situation was clear to them. However, the conflict lay in the fact that Dragon, who had wreaked havoc in Mary Geoise, was someone the World Government could not afford to let go. The Gorosei had wanted to eliminate Dragon, the leader of the Revolutionary Army, for a long time. Now that they had the opportunity, how could they let it slip away? If Dragon were executed, the Revolutionary Army would crumble, and these commoners would pose no significant threat. The world would return to the World Government's control.
After a long period of confrontation, Sengoku finally sighed, "This is how it will be."
"I will go and try to persuade the Gorosei."
"And you must guarantee that Dragon will not appear on the seas again, and have nothing more to do with the Revolutionary Army."
"Only then is there any possibility."
Sakazuki nodded slightly and said solemnly, "Alright."
"I will go and persuade Garp and Dragon."
He had no desire to fight the World Government, and Garp was only here to save Dragon. As long as Dragon's issue was resolved, everything else would be manageable.
The two parted ways and walked towards their respective opponents.
—
Mary Geoise, amidst the ruins of the grand palace.
The Gorosei and the God Knights, who were engaged in battle, saw Sengoku and Sakazuki walking harmoniously, and the battlefield fell silent. All ceased their actions.
On the Gorosei's side.
As Sengoku approached, the members of the God Knights subtly surrounded him, but they did not attack. The sword-wielding Gorosei looked at Sengoku indifferently, his hand resting on his demonic blade.
"Why the pause?"
After all, who wouldn't be uneasy seeing their forces and the enemy's forces walking towards each other in apparent harmony?
Sengoku's brow furrowed, and he sighed lightly, "Sakazuki and the others have no intention of fighting the World Government."
"As long as Dragon is allowed to leave, they will withdraw."
"Furthermore, Dragon will never appear on the seas again, and they will cease all involvement with the Revolutionary Army."
The burly Gorosei snorted, "Do you believe that yourself?"
"To have reduced Mary Geoise to ruins, if we let them go, how can the World Government stand?"
"There is no room for negotiation on this matter."
Sengoku's expression turned serious, "But don't forget, Akainu hasn't arrived yet."
"If reinforcements arrive, the situation will likely be even more difficult to resolve."
"I doubt I need to tell you about the current strength of the Navy."
The sword-wielding Gorosei narrowed his eyes. Indeed... With the Navy's current strength, the World Government's reserves might all be depleted. If they could resolve the issue of these two first, a temporary strategy wasn't out of the question... They could always search for them later.
—
Garp and Dragon's side.
Sakazuki slowly approached, looking at Dragon, whose aura was gradually stabilizing. "How are you? Can you still move?"
Dragon shook his head. "I'm mostly recovered."
He took a deep breath and stood up, his body still bleeding. Sakazuki looked at Garp and Dragon and said solemnly, "I've agreed with Fleet Admiral Sengoku. As long as Dragon does not appear on the seas from now on, we can retreat now."
He omitted the conditions that followed, believing that a retreat was the priority, and other matters could be dealt with later. He glanced at the two. Garp's expression shifted slightly, but Dragon shook his head.
"I cannot leave."
"My soldiers are still fighting."
"I brought them here, and I cannot abandon them."
The distant Revolutionary Army soldiers were still fighting the Mary Geoise guards, their shouts clearly audible. Dragon's body began to transform into wind. Garp grabbed him, interrupting his elementalization, and said sternly, "Dragon."
Dragon took a deep breath and met Garp's gaze, then shouted, "Father!!!!"
A flicker of struggle crossed Garp's eyes, but he still did not release Dragon's hand. They remained locked in this stalemate.
—
The Gorosei, who were still in a dilemma.
Just as they were about to be persuaded by Sengoku... A large net bag suddenly fell from the sky, landing on the battlefield between both sides.
*Plop—*
The net burst open. Innumerable severed limbs and heads, clad in Celestial Dragon attire, exploded outwards with the impact, scattering in all directions. Everyone was stunned... Whether it was the Gorosei, the God Knights, or Sakazuki and Dragon and their group...
*Plop—*
*Plop—*
*Plop—*
Net bags filled with shattered bodies and heads continued to fall. The fragments of Celestial Dragon corpses piled up like a small mountain. Everyone lost the ability to think, rendered speechless. Until...
"Ah—"
A terrified scream echoed from mid-air, jolting everyone back to reality.
*Thump!*
A young man wearing a straw hat crashed into the pile of Celestial Dragon corpses. Realizing he was unharmed, he looked around in confusion. Feeling something sharp beneath him, he reached out and grabbed it.
"Ahhhhh—"
The Celestial Dragon's head in his hand was flung away. He jumped up, looking at the surrounding dismembered corpses: "Where is this?"
Garp, who had let go of Dragon at some point, stared with wide eyes, disbelieving. "Luffy!!!!"
When had Luffy's aura become so powerful? And this appearance... The straw-hatted youth, having matured into young adulthood, also heard Garp's voice. He looked towards the sound, a cold sweat trickling down his brow. "Grandpa!!!!!"
Thinking of Garp's loving iron fist, had his secret departure from the island been discovered! However, at this moment, two female screams echoed from the sky:
"Ah—"
"Ah—"
Hearing familiar voices, Luffy looked up sharply, a hint of surprise in his eyes. "Nami! Karina!"
His hands turned to rubber, stretching upwards to grab them. But Luffy vaguely felt something was wrong with his body, as if an immense power surged within him. But he didn't care about that for now, needing to grab Nami and Karina first.
Just as Luffy's hands were about to touch Nami and Karina.
*Bang bang—*
Both instantly exploded, turning into a mist of blood. Luffy froze, his arms retracting to normal, having passed through the blood mist. Feeling the damp warmth on his arms, Luffy stared blankly at the sky, as if debris from corpses flashed past his eyes.
Suddenly, a few small black dots fell into his view. It was Zoro, Sanji, and Zoro's two underlings... Luffy snapped back to reality, roaring, "Zoro! Sanji!!!"
Without time to think, his arms stretched infinitely, fingers spread open, like a giant net to cover the four of them.
*Bang bang bang bang—*
Another four explosions... But there was no time for him to react. Another scream of terror echoed from the sky:
"Ah—"
"Help me!!!!"
It was Usopp's voice... Luffy bent his knees, his aura surging, and white flames began to emanate from his body. "Stop it!!!!"
With an enraged roar, his hair turned into burning white flames, his eyebrows curved and extended unnaturally. He sprang up, appearing beside Usopp as if teleporting, reaching for him.
*Bang—*
Even with his awakening, he was still half a beat too late. His arm passed through the explosion and blood mist, grasping nothing.
Meanwhile, below, the Gorosei.
They were no longer thinking about the Revolutionary Army or the Navy's affairs. The moment Nika appeared, the sword-wielding Gorosei's pupils contracted. Following his gaze upwards, they looked from the angle below. The figure, perfectly aligned with the sun and emitting white flames, made the sword-wielding Gorosei shout in horror, "Kill him!!!!"