After easily dealing with the Marine commanders guarding the perimeter, Blackbeard Teach bypassed the main battlefield and stealthily made his way behind the prize platform.
Saturn, who should have been there, had been punched away by some unknown attack and lay sprawled in the distant ruins, with several of his spider legs broken.
It was the doing of several Four Emperor-level forces going all out against him!
Even though the World Government had Admirals to counter them, several among these forces harbored hesitation and doubt in their hearts.
In terms of pure willpower, the pressure they had to bear was far greater than that of the uninhibited pirates!
And so, Saturn could not avoid getting beaten severely in the end.
If it weren't for his unparalleled resilience, he would likely have been finished here!
"Zehahaha! The legendary strongest fruit is right in front of me!"
Teach, who had been lying in wait within the Whitebeard Pirates for years, was certainly not going to miss this golden opportunity.
His greedy eyes fixed on the four treasure chests placed on the platform—he was just one step away from realizing his dream!
With his long-held wish within reach, Teach trembled with excitement, an insidious smile revealing his true nature at the corners of his mouth.
However, the other captains of the Whitebeard Pirates didn't notice this obvious detail.
Because someone had already noticed them!
Scalding magma spread across the shattered ground, a cloak with the word "Justice" billowing in the hot, oppressive air approaching step by step.
"That's Marine Admiral Candidate Akainu, Sakazuki?!"
The members of the Whitebeard Pirates were immediately on guard, clutching their weapons tightly.
Although Sakazuki wasn't yet an Admiral, his terrifying strength and suppressive power demonstrated in the New World had long reached Admiral level.
He was a force strong enough to contend with the Four Emperors and the Shichibukai!
"Whitebeard Pirates? When did you stoop to such sneaky behavior?"
Standing amidst the sea of magma, Sakazuki's eyes were cold as he glared at Teach and his companions.
The only reason he discovered them was pure coincidence—he just happened to be the closest to the prize platform.
Scanning the group, and confirming that the world's strongest man wasn't present, Sakazuki took another step forward, approaching the Whitebeard commanders.
"Let us, the Whitebeard Pirates, give this monster Marine brigadier a fight!"
The Sixth Division Commander, Blamenco, grinned, pulling out a massive mallet from his opened chin.
He was a user of the Paramecia-type Pocket Fruit.
"Heh heh, this is exactly what we should be doing here!"
The Seventh Division Commander, Rakuyo, swung his meteor hammer, fearlessly meeting Sakazuki's gaze.
Faced with an opponent of Admiral level, the Whitebeard commanders showed intense combat enthusiasm.
To them, only by fighting with all they had could they do justice to the Whitebeard mark tattooed on their bodies!
With a shout from the Fourth Division Commander Thatch, the group charged forward, unleashing all their strength towards Sakazuki.
The fierce battle erupted instantly.
There was no doubt that the Whitebeard commanders, each a renowned powerhouse, were not weak by any means.
But the gap between a Four Emperor commander and an Admiral-level powerhouse was too vast to be bridged by combat experience or numbers.
Especially without Phoenix Marco and Diamond Jozu present!
Soon, the commanders and captains were beaten back by Sakazuki's violent magma punches, with a dozen of them pushed into a disadvantageous position.
If Teach, who had hidden his true abilities and once injured Shanks with his combat skills, had joined in, they might have been able to hold their ground, but that was not going to happen.
As always, his goal was only the Yami Yami no Mi.
The commanders were merely disposable pieces from the very beginning!
Without hesitation, Teach turned his back on his former comrades and sprinted towards the nearest treasure chest.
Whether it was sheer luck or the mysterious power of the Devil Fruit choosing its owner, Teach managed to find what he sought.
He split open the locked chest's hard shell, and the purple fruit, marked with swirling black vortex patterns, was revealed.
Teach's breathing grew erratic as he grabbed the Devil Fruit with both hands.
How many years had it been?!
Since learning about this fruit in the Devil Fruit Encyclopedia until now, how many years had passed?
Now, he finally had the fruit that would allow him to become the strongest in the world!
"Zehahahaha!!"
Tears filled Teach's sinister eyes as he bit into the fruit, laughing loudly.
Boom! Boom!
The sound of a violent magma explosion drowned out his laughter. Seeing the prize eaten by a pirate right before his eyes, Sakazuki's face darkened.
With overwhelming destructive power, he drove back the Whitebeard commanders, charging towards Teach with intense killing intent.
"Commander Thatch! Save me!" Teach put on a pitiful expression, fear evident as he called for the nearest commander to help.
Having successfully felt the power of the Yami Yami no Mi, there was no way Teach would allow himself to remain on a battlefield like this, where death lurked at every corner.
His top priority now was to escape as quickly as possible by any means necessary!
Thatch, the Fourth Division Commander, held his shipmates in high regard. Although he felt uneasy about Teach's fleeting sinister expression, there was no time to dwell on it.
With his weapon covered in Haki, he quickly stepped in front of Sakazuki, taking the brunt of the magma fist.
Sakazuki remained expressionless, his right arm erupting with magma, intensifying the force of his punch.
In an instant, Thatch's small figure was completely engulfed by the scorching magma.
"Thatch!!!"
The sudden situation caught the commanders off guard, and just as they were about to assist, a number of Marine commanders appeared to intercept them.
At the same time, more pirates swarmed in.
These vicious individuals had come to the Nation of Gods for one purpose: the rare Devil Fruits on the platform.
With none of them having obtained anything, they could still unite, but now that the prize had been taken, there was no way they would continue to work together—they all charged towards the remaining prize.
Amidst the chaos, abilities and Haki raged wildly.
Amid the fiery glow of magma, Thatch continued to hold on.
"So this is the power of an Admiral candidate? It's truly overwhelming..."
Despite being on the brink of collapse, Thatch's face showed no trace of panic or despair.
Because behind him, apart from the Whitebeard commanders being held back, was his family—Teach, who had just gained incredible power!
"Zehahaha! I finally got the strongest power!"
As if oblivious to Thatch's plight, Teach laughed heartily, his hands raised high, cloaked in darkness.
"Teach, I can't hold on much longer! Use your new power while this guy can't move!" Thatch called out.
Then, as he glanced sideways, he was stunned.
"Thanks, Commander Thatch. I'll leave it to you to hold him off a bit longer."
Following his disbelieving gaze, Teach turned and ran without hesitation, showing no intention of coming to help!
"Teach!!!" the Whitebeard commanders shouted angrily.
They couldn't understand or accept it—the normally kind and cheerful Teach...
Was actually someone who didn't care about his family's safety!
A battlefield was called a battlefield precisely because of its extreme brutality and the despair that individual strength alone could not change.
In the end, the Magma Hellhound shattered the Haki-covered weapon, piercing Thatch's chest.
Thatch fell, his vision blurred by blood, reflecting Teach's distant back.
As the shouting around him faded, the entire world slowly turned dark...
Away from the prize platform, Zyhark, using a 300-million-volt thunder spear, drove back Figarland Galres, regrouping with his companions, including Hancock, Kuma, and others.
Although he noticed what was happening with the Whitebeard commanders, even if he wanted to help, he had no strength to spare.
The earlier use of Time Reversal had already drained a considerable amount of his energy, and his opponent was none other than the vice-captain of the Holy Knights—a force equal to Galring!
It seemed that, after all, a similar scene would still play out...
Zyhark sighed heavily.
Looking down at the panting Kanna and the weakening Escanor, he released his Kenbunshoku Haki, covering the entire island.
The evacuation of the Nation of Gods' residents was almost complete. Though some casualties were inevitable, the majority managed to escape this hell, taking refuge inside the island whale, Laboon.
Under Aqua's command, the Sea Kings escorted Laboon into the deep sea.
Moving tens of thousands of people was a major operation, and before Laboon and the Endless Dream ran out of oxygen, they would first land on Fish-Man Island.
After the battle at the Nation of Gods ended, further plans would be made.
At this stage, the primary goal was to inflict as much damage as possible on the World Government's forces while ensuring a safe retreat!
"Everyone, prepare to retreat!"
Zyhark's body erupted with blinding lightning, activating the storm clouds floating high above.
Boom!
Suddenly, thunder roared, and thick, jagged lightning bolts illuminated the entire island, crashing down with deafening blasts.
The electric arcs condensed into high-pressure black spheres, brimming with destructive energy.
Using Kenbunshoku Haki to control the miniature thunder attacks aimed at Saturn and the Holy Knights, Zyhark was about to release his lightning-charged hands when a flash of red appeared deep in his eyes.
Every hair on his body stood on end; this was a feeling of extreme danger—something he had never felt before!
Whoosh!
Two strange lights flashed, rippling through space as they rushed towards the charged thunder orbs.
Boom! Boom! Boom!
Thunder exploded across the sky, destroying all the high-pressure black spheres!
"After committing such unforgivable crimes, did you really think you could get away unscathed?"
"You foolish brat, you've truly disappointed me..."
Amidst the explosions, two monsters, wreathed in black flames, approached slowly, ignoring the residual Haki attacks that struck them.
Despite their transformed appearances, their distinctive mustaches and katanas made it easy to identify them as...
Izambaron V. Nasjurou and Topman Vachuli!
Apart from Saturn, there were two more of the Five Elders on the Nation of Gods battlefield!!
Zyhark's heart sank, cold sweat beading on his forehead.
When he landed on the island earlier, he had scanned it using his Kenbunshoku Haki.
There had been no trace of these two.
Did they have a way to block their presence? Or had they arrived from Mary Geoise just now?
There was little time for Zyhark to ponder as Saturn, in his spider form, followed behind them.
The legs Saturn had lost in the pirate brawl had completely regenerated, and even his face bore no fresh wounds or bloodstains!
"Let them fight over the prizes, they were of no real importance anyway."
Realizing that it would be impossible to capture all the pirates in a short time, Saturn decisively chose to abandon the prize and focus entirely on Zyhark.
Even if the other pirates escaped, they could be dealt with later. To be precise, the World Government had a subtle interest in keeping some of these rogues around.
But Zyhark and his companions were different—their unrestrained slaughter of the Celestial Dragons had shaken the foundations of the World Government's absolute rule, and they all had to be eliminated!
Hearing the command from one of the Five Elders, the Marines fighting against the pirate powerhouses were stunned.
Sengoku and Zephyr, realizing Saturn's intentions, hesitated, unsure of what to do.
They knew that the Sea Restaurant crew's actions, while brutal, were not "evil"—in fact, from a certain perspective, the crew was even more deserving of the title of "justice."
That was why Sengoku and Zephyr had fought so fiercely against Kaido, Big Mom, and the Golden Lion—they truly didn't want to kill Zyhark and his group!
"What's this? Even my orders are being ignored? Marines!" Saturn noticed Sengoku and Zephyr's hesitation.
Upon hearing this, the two Admirals sighed deeply, their expressions darkening.
The World Government's rule was far from just, but it was indeed an indispensable force for maintaining the relative peace of the world.
Without the vast resources and funds provided by the World Government, even the Marines wouldn't be able to maintain the most basic peace!
With two Admirals stepping forward, Akainu, Aokiji, Kizaru, Smoker, and others abandoned their opponents and moved behind them.
Led by Galring and Galres, the Holy Knights followed closely, encircling the Sea Restaurant crew.
With no troublesome opponents getting in their way, the pirates were naturally thrilled, continuing their frantic scramble for the remaining treasure.
In the end, Kaido and Big Mom obtained a Mythical Zoan-type fruit, the Golden Lion and Barrett acquired a Logia-type, and a lucky pirate from the New World seized a Paramecia-type!
With the prize winners decided, the pirates immediately scattered, retreating in all directions.
These cunning individuals had no intention of fully severing ties with the World Government!
Thus, an unprecedented crisis descended!
Zyhark and his companions now faced an unstoppable lineup of three members of the Five Elders, five Admirals, two Holy Knights commanders, four Shichibukai, and countless Marine elite commanders...
A hopeless lineup!
(End of Chapter)
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