"Oh, that brat is dead?"
Sensing Momonosuke's life force disappear, Nicholas smiled. Sparks of electricity danced on his fingertips before the massive lightning whip slowly dissipated in the air.
"Boom! Boom! Boom!"
A deep, drum-like sound echoed from within Zunesha, the giant elephant. The sudden death of the person it had waited for for centuries enraged the colossal creature. Eight hundred years ago, it had committed an unforgivable mistake. It thought it could find redemption through Momonosuke, but now it realized that redemption was impossible. It had sinned once more and lacked the time to wait for another opportunity.
Despite Zunesha's intense fury, Nicholas remained calm. He summoned a long blade, enveloped in lightning, which seemed to extend infinitely, forming a massive lightning sword in his hand. With a swift motion, he dashed under Zunesha.
"Electromagnetic Cut!"
The lightning blade's surface crackled with high-frequency vibrations, making it incredibly sharp. Nicholas thrust the blade into Zunesha's belly.
"Squish."
The sound of the blade piercing flesh echoed as the lightning sword sliced through Zunesha's aged, decaying skin and plunged into its flesh. The hundred-meter-long blade penetrated deeply, but to Zunesha, the wound was like a needle prick. Nicholas's attack, however, was far from over. Drawing from his past life's internet lore about fighting tigers barehanded, Nicholas gripped the sword's hilt and charged along Zunesha's belly toward its tail.
The lightning blade, acting like a sharp scalpel, split Zunesha's skin, fat, and muscles. Blood gushed from the wound like a waterfall, accompanied by Zunesha's mournful cries, which echoed across Wano and the surrounding seas.
...
In a nearby sea, a pirate ship was anchored.
"Captain, Zunesha is crucial for the final battle. Shouldn't we help? Nicholas has the power to kill Zunesha," Rayleigh said, arms crossed, watching the distant giant elephant's distress.
"Forget it. If Zunesha hadn't fought Nicholas, I might have intervened. But now, it's too late. Besides, I'm curious to see what surprises Nicholas has in store for me," Roger smiled, lost in thought.
"Set sail, boys! Next stop, Elbaf!"
Roger's voice boomed from the ship's bow. The Oro Jackson soon changed course, heading towards Elbaf. Roger had come to Wano to resolve the conflict between Nicholas and the Kozuki clan, considering their importance in the upcoming battle, and to seek the ancient weapons. But since he was too late, he decided to move on.
As the Oro Jackson departed, Nicholas's lightning attack detonated inside Zunesha. Instantly, countless bumps appeared on the elephant's surface. The Minks, including Nekomamushi, who had reunited with their people, watched in shock.
"It's over. Zunesha is dying."
"Our home is gone..."
Many Minks trembled, having felt the terrifying explosion within Zunesha. Despite Zunesha's enormous size, such an internal blast would undoubtedly be catastrophic.
"Uuuuu~~~~!"
Zunesha let out a mournful cry. From a high vantage point, it was clear that the giant elephant had fallen to its knees in the ocean. The sea beneath Zunesha had turned red with blood, attracting numerous ferocious Sea Kings, eagerly awaiting their feast.
This giant elephant, which had roamed the seas for over a thousand years, was now on the verge of losing its life in Wano, its journey coming to an eternal end. In its final moments, Zunesha gazed toward the distant sea, in the direction of the Final Island.
Over a thousand years ago, Zunesha had made a pact with a certain human at that very place. Once a partner to a legendary figure, Zunesha had rampaged across the seas, destroying islands. However, a colossal war that engulfed the world led to a tragedy due to its mistakes. Since then, Zunesha had sentenced itself to wander the seas aimlessly, avoiding any island and waiting for the arrival of the legendary person to achieve redemption.
But now, it was clear that it would never get the chance.
"Boom!"
Zunesha finally collapsed into the sea, sending massive waves skyward, submerging its back entirely. As the seawater receded from its back, Zunesha used its last bit of strength to rest its trunk on the edge of Wano. Its once-reviving eyes gradually lost their light again.
In the end, Zunesha lay dead in the ocean, its enormous back and the giant tree on it now standing above the sea's surface. Its colossal body transformed into a new island in the sea.
Days later, in Hakumai.
Simon pulled a newspaper from his coat, his expression slightly grave as he addressed Nicholas, "Captain, here's the newspaper from the past few days."
"So, what major event happened in the world during these days?" Nicholas asked, noticing Simon's serious expression.
Simon handed the newspaper to Nicholas, with a tone that hinted at disbelief, "Captain, you should see it for yourself."
"…"
Nicholas took the newspaper and opened it. The first thing that caught his eye was a headline related to Roger.
"Sank Enies Lobby, did he…"
Nicholas skimmed the headline and began reading the main article. Roger's action had undoubtedly dealt a severe blow to the World Government. Despite being the weakest of the three major World Government institutions, the complete destruction of Enies Lobby was a blatant affront. If the World Government failed to respond, its authority would be in jeopardy. The gradual erosion of its authority could lead to a total collapse of its influence over the seas.
Without dwelling on it, Nicholas continued reading the newspaper. Another section contained news about a Devil Fruit.
"Oh?"
Nicholas's gaze fixed on a photo of a Devil Fruit. He immediately recognized it as the one belonging to Shiki the Golden Lion.
"The Float-Float Fruit, huh…" Nicholas murmured, narrowing his eyes.
This Fruit's appearance was sure to trigger a bloodbath, simply because its previous owner was the legendary pirate, Shiki the Golden Lion.
As Nicholas kept reading, he came across the latest edition of the newspaper. Even Nicholas couldn't help but be taken aback.
The news was unbelievably shocking.
"Admiral Zephyr defects from the Navy and kills several Celestial Dragons…"