The relentless explosions of natural elements and Haki shocks turned the entire island and the surrounding sea into a living hell.
Top-tier fighters battled each other or joined forces, with no fixed opponents; everyone attacked whoever was nearby.
Meanwhile, the weak could only flee in panic. The Marines, still focused on their mission, saw the pirates of the New World retreat first, their battered ships fleeing in disarray.
Having witnessed the fierce battles between over a dozen Emperor-level powerhouses, the threat of death completely overtook any greed they might have had.
The brutality of the war far exceeded their initial expectations. In such circumstances, forget about stealing the prize—surviving the ordeal was uncertain!
Many pirates fled at lightning speed, leaving only a few truly strong individuals hanging on, waiting for the perfect opportunity to snatch the treasure.
On the prize platform, Saturn, leaning on his cane, gazed down grimly at the chaotic battlefield below.
Even though the Marines and the Holy Knights hadn't gained control, he had no intention of joining the battle yet.
In his original plan, he intended to wait until the pirates were worn out, then swoop in to capture them all at once.
Saturn had already prepared to wait for days, but an urgent message from Mary Geoise left him restless:
The Revolutionary Army, led by Monkey D. Dragon, was taking advantage of the weakened forces and launching a frenzied assault on Mary Geoise.
Currently, they had broken through the outer defenses and were advancing toward the main city!
While Saturn didn't care about the survival of the ordinary Celestial Dragons, his real concern was Mary Geoise itself, as it was tied to the core authority of the World Government. Even a hint of destruction would deal a fatal blow to their rule!
The battle at the Nation of Gods needed to end quickly so that he could return to support Mary Geoise and crush the Revolutionary Army.
"You've certainly exceeded my expectations, Zyhark..."
After weighing the pros and cons, Saturn decided to stop holding back. As he took a step forward, his aura surged rapidly.
In one-on-one duels, top-tier fighters always push themselves to their peak, keeping their spirits, energy, and will in perfect harmony.
Especially in a large-scale battlefield like this, where a single misstep could lead to being struck down by a sudden opponent.
Though many of the strong fighters noticed Saturn's movements, they didn't have the time to react.
In such a scenario, Saturn, who had never fought publicly before, had a significant advantage!
Buzz!
A black flame cloud emerged as Saturn transformed into a spider demon, using his mysterious ability to freeze time on everyone except the Marine forces.
A strange ripple swept across the battlefield, and for a brief moment, everything fell into deathly silence.
Even though Saturn was powerful, he couldn't control dozens of Emperor-level fighters with just a glance.
However, even a brief second in a top-tier battle is enough to create terrifying, even lethal consequences!
Kaido and Big Mom were hit head-on by Sengoku's Buddha Shockwave and Zephyr's Black Arm strike, coughing up blood;
Whitebeard's Quake Punch and Aokiji's Ice Spears pierced through Golden Lion and Barrett's chests, blood splattering;
Garling's sword slashed through Rayleigh's defense, leaving a deep, gruesome cut;
Led by Galres, the Holy Knights inflicted varying degrees of injuries on Zyhark, Kanna, and Escanor;
The Shichibukai also suffered fatal blows from Vice Admirals Smoker and others, with blood flowing from their mouths and bodies.
Though the pirate forces managed to break free of Saturn's power after a second, they found themselves at a severe disadvantage as the Marines capitalized on their momentum, pressing them hard into a corner.
In the blink of an eye, Saturn, one of the Five Elders who had ruled the world for 800 years, had completely shifted the balance of power with just a glance, securing victory in his grasp!
At this rate, the defeat of the pirate forces was only a matter of time.
But Saturn wasn't satisfied with this outcome. His sinister eyes narrowed, and he vanished in an instant.
When his grotesque spider form reappeared, a Haki-infused spider claw pierced through Zyhark's back!
That's right—his primary target was the one who had sparked this great war: Zyhark!
The other pirates who came for their own interests didn't matter. They could be dealt with later; in fact, their presence only served to highlight the greatness of the World Government.
But Zyhark was different. This young man, whose rapid growth even terrified Saturn, had to die today!
"Zyhark, I told you, I gave you a chance."
Saturn, expressionless, pulled out his spider claw, letting the spurting blood splatter onto his face.
The severely wounded Zyhark staggered, collapsing to the ground, seemingly completely incapacitated.
"Lord Zyhark!"
Seeing this, Hancock went into a frenzy, her rage reaching its peak.
"Get out of my way!!!"
Red lightning flashed as her Haki-infused leg kicked away three Vice Admirals, shattered Crocodile's sand crocodile, and smashed Doflamingo's glasses. She charged straight towards Zyhark's battlefield.
A crimson wave of magma shot towards her, turning into a ferocious dog that pierced her chest.
Even after taking Akainu's devastating blow, Hancock remained unfazed, using her powerful Haki to repel Sakazuki as she pressed on.
At this moment, only one thought occupied the Pirate Empress's mind:
To tear the Celestial Dragon Elder into pieces!
However, even with her burst of strength, how could she possibly break through the defense formed by several Admirals?
By the time Hancock, bleeding from head to toe, reached Zyhark's side, she could no longer stand and collapsed to the ground.
"Boa Hancock, I know your past. Over ten years ago, you should have disappeared from this world."
Saturn's eyes twitched as he looked down with disdain at Hancock, who was crawling toward him in a fury.
From Saturn's ambush to Zyhark's critical injury, and Hancock's near death, everything had happened in the blink of an eye.
It was so fast that everyone—both Marines and pirates—were momentarily stunned.
Kanna, Escanor, Rayleigh, and others were filled with rage and were about to unleash their full power when Zyhark, wobbling but standing up, raised his hand to stop them.
"Saturn, it seems you've finally revealed your ability."
Zyhark, bloodied, smiled confidently as though he had expected this all along.
This inexplicable confidence made Saturn, who thought victory was certain, furrow his brow slightly.
Knowing how unpredictable Zyhark was, a sense of unease crept into his heart.
"Then, allow me to show you my ability!"
To Saturn's shock, Zyhark, who was on the brink of death, slowly raised his hand and snapped his fingers.
Time Reversal!
In that instant, ripples appeared in space, and a mysterious energy began to spread.
What happened next was visible only to Zyhark: the battlefield rewound at an astonishing speed.
The blood on Hancock's body flowed backward, and she moved back through the Admiral's defense to her original position.
Saturn's spider claw retracted from Zyhark's back as he stepped back, once again standing on the prize platform.
Boom! Boom! Boom!
The battlefield erupted with the sounds of explosions once again.
Time had returned to ten seconds earlier!
Ignoring the dizziness from using such a large amount of energy, Zyhark, wielding lightning and surrounded by magma blades, spoke loudly for all to hear:
"Everyone, listen! Saturn is about to make his move!"
Buzz!
At that exact moment, the spider Saturn unleashed his freezing ability.
However, thanks to Zyhark's warning, the impact of the sneak attack was minimal.
The top fighters like Kaido and Big Mom were prepared, and although they momentarily faltered, they suffered only minor damage, easily blocking their opponents' attacks.
What was meant to be the turning point of the battle was thus easily neutralized.
"Is this Future Sight Haki? Damn you, Zyhark!"
Saturn's expression changed drastically. "No, how can he react so quickly in such chaos?"
After more than 800 years of experience, Saturn had long mastered Future Sight.
But how could Zyhark, in the midst of battle and distractions, see further ahead than him?
Even Kaido and Big Mom hadn't sensed anything!
Was it a racial talent?
Given Zyhark's array of abilities, Saturn quickly came to this conclusion.
But before he could think it through, the attacks of Kaido, Big Mom, Golden Lion, and Barrett came raining down, forcing him to evade with all his might!
"You old bastard, hiding in the shadows to launch sneak attacks!"
"Everyone, stop the infighting! Let's take down this old man's head first!"
"Agreed! Damn it, if it weren't for Zyhark's warning, I'd have been blasted away by Sengoku's shockwave!"
"Who would've thought I'd owe my life to that brat Zyhark…"
As the pirates charged at him with a united front, Saturn's calm demeanor crumbled, his face turning green with anger.
And this was precisely why Zyhark had chosen to use his trump card—Time Reversal!
With his ability to grow stronger with every battle, Zyhark wasn't worried about his stamina running out, but the same couldn't be said for Saturn.
The pirates that gathered here all had ulterior motives, and it would've been impossible to make them unite against an external foe through regular means.
But now, the situation had reversed!
This trade was definitely worth it!
The strong ones on the pirate side, now having a common enemy, fought as one, breaking through the Marine defense lines and pressing on toward Saturn's head!
The scales of victory began to tip in Zyhark's favor.
This super battle, destined to shake the entire world, had officially reached its boiling point!
At the same time, on the Red Line, at the Celestial Dragon Holy Land, Mary Geoise.
"Charge! Bring down those damn Celestial Dragons!"
"You bastards, do you know how long I've waited for this day?!"
"Hahaha, those pitiful screams are music to my ears. Witnessing such a wonderful sight makes dying worth it!"
With hurricanes clearing their path and the Okamas dancing gracefully, the Revolutionary Army, led by Dragon, stormed through the outskirts of Mary Geoise.
The helpless Celestial Dragons wailed, unable to escape the cold fate of the sword, even as they knelt and begged.
These scumbags probably never imagined they would ever breathe in the "dirty air" of the outside world, or that…
They would be slaughtered so cruelly!
With the entire Holy Knight squad deployed, the meager defenses of Mary Geoise were utterly incapable of stopping the Revolutionary Army's commanders.
However, Dragon's expression grew increasingly grim.
During a secret conversation with the Sea Restaurant, he had learned from Zyhark the horrifying secret of the Empty Throne.
He knew that apart from the unknown number of Elders, Mary Geoise was also home to the unimaginable power of the true ruler of the world—Imu!
Compared to the dangers that lay ahead, their current victory seemed insignificant.
As if to validate Dragon's fears, as they approached the core of Mary Geoise, Pangaea Castle, a devastating energy beam was unleashed.
In an instant, the Revolutionary Army suffered heavy losses, nearly half of their forces wiped out!
"Don't overestimate yourself, Monkey D. Dragon."
Amidst the smoke and fire, several enormous figures emerged at the gate of Pangaea Castle.
And in the depths, an even larger, more menacing creature loomed!
"All those still conscious, remain on high alert—the real battle for liberation begins now!"
Dragon's eyes were bloodshot, his hurricanes roaring.
No matter how many comrades fell behind, he would never stop.
From the moment he decided to attack Mary Geoise, he had already made the resolution to die for this cause!
...
At a relatively hidden and desolate port in the Nation of Gods.
A group of pirates quietly landed, advancing toward the central battlefield along the rocky terrain.
"Hey! Teach, what's the point of sneaking around like this? Why not charge in directly and let them see the might of Whitebeard?"
Whitebeard Pirates Fourth Division Commander Thatch, holding his weapon, complained impatiently.
"Taking the treasure right under those self-righteous fools' noses will prove our strength even more," Blackbeard, leading the way, responded with a sly grin.
In addition to these two, several division commanders and captains of subordinate crews had also come to the Nation of Gods.
With Whitebeard's permission, these powerhouses couldn't wait to fight, feeling disdain for Teach's sneaky approach.
When did the Whitebeard Pirates ever need to keep such a low profile?!
In response, Teach put on his signature, goofy smile to placate the restless crowd.
Risking everything against those monsters, just to uphold Whitebeard's name?
What a joke! His goal from the very beginning was...
That Devil Fruit!!
(End of Chapter)
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