Following the death of Saint Saturn, No. 5, Saint Peter, No. 4, met the same fate. His body disintegrated into black smoke, vanishing entirely, leaving no trace on the once-pristine grass.
The remaining three Five Elders stood frozen in disbelief.
"Saturn, Peter..." murmured Saint Nusjuro, his horse-like lower body trembling. For once, his usually stoic demeanor gave way to a flicker of sadness.
Saint Mars, silent and visibly shaken, felt fear creeping into his heart. As demons, they had believed themselves invincible—immune to the ravages of time and death. But Edie's abilities shattered that illusion, unveiling their mortality.
Saint Warcury, consumed by rage and fear, teetered on the brink of madness. The sudden, brutal loss of two of his immortal colleagues was too much for his pig-like mind to process.
Meanwhile, the serene back garden of Mariejois, filled with vibrant flowers and meticulously maintained foliage, was now witness to chaos. Kings, queens, princes, and princesses, who had gathered in fear and confusion, watched the unfolding carnage with wide, horrified eyes.
"Two of the Five Elders... dead?" someone whispered, their voice trembling with disbelief.
The realization struck like thunder. Two of the most powerful beings in the world had fallen before their very eyes. It was a moment destined to etch itself into the annals of history.
From a distance, Neptune, King of the Ryugu Kingdom, arrived with a group of rulers fleeing from the Great Hall. His voice rang out, desperate and urgent:
"Otohime! Get out of here quickly! The Holy Land is no longer—" His words faltered as his gaze landed on the three monstrous figures confronting Edie.
"The Five Elders?" he muttered, frozen in shock.
Beside him, Otohime turned, her expression resolute. "Dr. Edie has turned the tide. History will change today!"
Her voice carried hope, a stark contrast to the fear enveloping the onlookers. Despite the ongoing battle, she could already see the outcome—a revolution against the world's oppressive powers was within grasp.
Far away, ripples of energy surged across Mariejois as countless masters extended their Observation Haki, sensing the conflict. The once-invulnerable sanctuary was now a battlefield.
At Boundary Dome Generator No. 1, a tower-like structure resembling a lighthouse, two figures faced off.
Snake, a clone of Rocks D. Xebec and one of Edie's Earthly Branches, stood confidently. He had participated in the night raid on Mariejois two years prior and now faced none other than Saint Figarland Garling, Commander of the Knights of God.
"Another aura has vanished," Snake said, a smirk playing on his lips. "That sandworm—what's his name again? Peter? Honestly, the Five Elders have such forgettable names."
Garling, an elderly but formidable swordsman, clenched his jaw. The disappearance of Saturn and Peter's auras was inconceivable. As demons, their deaths were supposed to be impossible.
"Dead?" he muttered in disbelief.
Snake chuckled, his sword resting casually on his shoulder. "Dead. When Observation Haki can no longer detect their presence, it means they're truly gone. Unless, of course, you think they've mastered invisibility like Edie. Spoiler: they haven't."
Garling's expression remained cold, his mind racing. The Boundary Dome Generators—eight in total—were under simultaneous attack by Edie's Earthly Branches. The Knights of God were stationed at each, their mission to protect the generators, not the Five Elders, who were deemed invincible.
And yet, the unthinkable had happened.
"What cowardly trick did you use to kill them?" Garling demanded, his sword flashing forward in a deadly strike.
Snake parried effortlessly, his grin widening. "Cowardly? Please. If you think killing the Five Elders was cheap, you're more delusional than I thought. But go ahead, try me. You're welcome to kneel and beg for mercy. It might even be amusing."
The two clashed in a storm of steel, their blades sparking as divine fire erupted from Snake's form.
"You think I'll fall to you? After I finish you, I'll personally kill your so-called 'Heavenly Father!'" Garling snarled, his strikes intensifying.
"Hah! You?" Snake taunted, forcing Garling back with a burst of Haki. "Let's say, hypothetically, you somehow beat me. That still leaves you lightyears away from Edie. Me? I'm barely the fourth-strongest among us Earthly Branches. And trust me, the monsters ahead of you make me look like a warm-up act."
Garling's eyes narrowed, the weight of Snake's words sinking in.
Snake grinned, his confidence unwavering. "You'll never understand the true scale of our power. Usagi, the humanoid Ancient Weapon. Yin, the Admiral Fusion. And Daemon—the very essence of the Five Elders, forged into something far beyond your comprehension."
The storm of their battle raged on as the stakes climbed higher, with the fates of the world's greatest powers hanging precariously in the balance.
Pangaea Castle, Back Garden
The kings had arrived, followed closely by the Marines.
Edie glanced at the commotion out of the corner of his eye but paid it no further attention. He walked forward, step by deliberate step, toward the remaining three figures. His pace was measured, like a stroll, yet each step felt like a drumbeat echoing in their chests.
"Without immortality, your combat abilities are far weaker than they once were," Edie said, his voice calm yet cutting.
Saint Mars felt his heart pound under the weight of Edie's presence. A voice echoed in his mind—Saint Nusjuro urging him.
"Use your abilities!"
"I am!" Mars mentally replied, panic creeping into his thoughts. "But the plague can't infect him. His Haki is too strong!"
Suddenly, a loud explosion thundered from above.
Boom!
A section of the boundary dome protecting the Holy Land collapsed, though the gap quickly sealed itself. Yet, the barrier's defensive capabilities noticeably weakened.
"It seems one of the generators has been destroyed," Edie observed with a smirk.
Saint Warcury's heart sank. Each generator was guarded by a member of the Knights of God. For one to be destroyed meant that a knight had fallen. The situation was spiraling out of control.
The sound of approaching Marines offered a moment of hope, and Saint Mars seized it.
"Sengoku! Take action! Kill this man!"
Sengoku hesitated, his expression conflicted.
Vice Admiral Tsuru broke the silence, her voice heavy with disbelief.
"Five Elders, why are you hunting these kings? Just because your true identities are exposed, do you intend to slaughter everyone? If so, why should we aid you?"
Saint Warcury's response was furious.
"Betrayal? Marines, do you dare defy us?"
Saint Mars screamed, "Garp! Zephyr! Ignore the kings if you must, but Edie must die!"
Zephyr remained silent, while Garp simply grinned. He handed a bag of senbei to a little girl—Princess Vivi—beside him.
"Betrayal? Don't make it sound so harsh," Garp chuckled. "You're the ones standing against justice now."
The tension thickened until another deafening explosion erupted from the sky.
Boom!
A massive blue dragon descended, unleashing a fiery roar upon the dome. The powerful breath attack detonated against the protective shield, creating another explosion.
All eyes turned skyward.
Saint Mars's expression darkened.
"Earthly Branches...?"
The dragon's assault failed to breach the dome, but atop its head, Hancock stood confidently, twisting a ring on her finger.
"ROOM!"
"Chenlong, stay outside," Hancock commanded. "Everyone else, follow me. We'll assist Mr. Edie."
The spherical space she created expanded rapidly, phasing through the dome's barrier. In an instant, everyone on the dragon's back vanished and reappeared within the dome.
Midair, Momousagi drew her sword, Jinpira, and clashed with Tsuru, who countered with her Haki-coated palm.
"Long time no see, Gion," Tsuru remarked. "It's a relief to see you're in good spirits."
Meanwhile, Charlotte Linlin descended from the sky, delivering a crushing punch toward Sengoku.
"I've been waiting outside long enough!"
Sengoku transformed into a massive golden Buddha, meeting her attack with an enormous Haki-fueled palm. The collision of their Conqueror's Haki sent black lightning crackling through the air.
"Big Mom Pirates…" Sengoku muttered, his face grim. "How many reinforcements does Edie have?"
Boom! Boom! Boom!
More figures landed—Charlotte Katakuri, Smoothie, Cracker, and Jack the Drought from the Beasts Pirates.
Katakuri's trident extended from his body as he prepared for battle. Smoothie pointed her sword at the Marines, while Cracker summoned a legion of biscuit soldiers.
At the forefront stood Yamato, her mace in hand, grinning with anticipation.
The Marines were stunned. Zephyr muttered in disbelief, "How does he still have so many reinforcements?"
Thud! Thud! Thud!
Usagi and Yin landed behind Edie, kneeling in reverence.
"Lord Heavenly Father," they said in unison.
Hancock gracefully touched down beside Edie, her eyes scanning his form. "Mr. Edie, are you injured?" she asked, noticing his slightly damaged coat. Her expression darkened with fury.
"You... How dare you harm the man I love!" she declared. A surge of Conqueror's Haki erupted from her, surpassing her usual limits.
Edie stopped her before she could act.
"Calm down, Hancock. I'm not hurt," he assured her.
Her demeanor softened instantly, shifting from a wrathful queen to a doting lover.
"Don't worry," Edie said, his voice firm. "This will all be over soon."
Turning to Usagi and Yin, he gave the command. "Begin."
The two Earthly Branches moved without hesitation, their overwhelming power silencing the battlefield as they clashed with the remaining Five Elders.
Usagi, with her forked fish tail, moved gracefully on two legs, heading toward her target, Saint Mars.
Meanwhile, Yin's body dissolved into photons mid-stride, vanishing into the air. Reappearing suddenly above Saint Warcury, his left hand froze solid, unleashing a chilling frost that encased the massive boar in an instant. With his right hand ablaze with molten magma, Yin struck the frozen head of his enemy with a devastating blow.
"Dark Hound!" he roared.
Boom!
The punch shattered the ice, penetrating through Saint Warcury's head. The enormous beast was obliterated, its massive body reduced to fragments. At the same time, Daemon spread his skeletal wings and unleashed a torrent of black flames from his maw, engulfing Saint Nusjuro. The black fire consumed everything in its path, leaving no room for retaliation.
The three Earthly Branches displayed overwhelming power, suppressing three of the Five Elders in a single encounter.
Saint Mars wasn't spared. Usagi's punch landed squarely, leaving him dazed with stars spinning in his vision. Unable to fly properly, he stumbled mid-air.
"~…Wait! We can talk! Dr. Edie, I surrender…!"
Usagi paused mid-attack, tilting her head in confusion. "Sir, Heavenly Father, he says he surrenders! What should we do?" she called out, glancing around for Edie. But Heavenly Father was nowhere in sight.
"Idiot! Who would surrender?!"
Taking advantage of Usagi's distraction, Saint Mars fled the battlefield, soaring into the sky.
"You may have won this time," he yelled, "but this isn't over! I'll use the national treasure to destroy this world! When Lord Imu returns, we will reclaim everything!"
As he vanished into the distance, his voice echoed with desperation and malice. His only goal now was to escape and regroup, armed with the national treasure.
"Goodbye, human! Next time—"
"No more chances."
A cold voice rang out from above.
Saint Mars's pupils shrank in terror as Edie emerged from the void. With a swift slash of his blade, the Celestial Dragon's head was severed, his lifeless body plummeting alongside his mount.
On the battlefield below, Saint Warcury's frozen body crumbled into pieces, emitting thick black smoke as it reformed from the dark mist.
"It's useless!" Warcury snarled. "I'll rise again, no matter how many times you destroy me!"
Yin remained unfazed. The Frozen-Frozen Fruit in his arsenal perfectly replicated Aokiji's abilities, and the air around him chilled once more.
"No matter how many times you resurrect, I'll smash you into pieces," Yin declared as his magma-laden fist struck the boar again.
Before the blow could land, a voice interrupted: "Shambles."
In an instant, Yin vanished, replaced by Edie, who now stood before the frozen Warcury. With a casual swipe of his blade, Edie sliced the boar in two. The severed halves fell apart as Edie walked away, unbothered by the destruction left in his wake. Behind him, the ice shattered, and Warcury's agonized screams dissolved into the air as black smoke engulfed his remains.
Saint Nusjuro, having torn through Daemon's black flames with the First Generation Kitetsu, turned to face Edie. Sensing the approaching danger, he struck out with his sword.
Clang!
The silver light of Edie's blade intercepted his strike. Edie smirked. "Did I reveal my murderous intent?"
Nusjuro's cold eyes narrowed. "A single moment is enough to reveal everything."
As they clashed, the battlefield shifted. The defeated forms of Saint Itsu Shinten and Saint Warcury dissipated into nothingness. Nusjuro, the last of the Five Elders standing, refused to yield.
Edie's voice cut through the chaos. "Saint Gyūki Saturn. Saint Sandworm Peter. Saint Itsu Shinten Mars. Saint Fengxi Warcury. And you, Saint Nusjuro. Your combat abilities seem ranked in order, aren't they?"
Nusjuro's expression darkened. "Humanity's victory is only temporary. When Lord Imu returns, we will rise again!"
Before he could finish, Hancock appeared out of nowhere, her leg sweeping forward in a devastating arc. "Perfume Femur!" she declared as her kick connected. The impact turned part of Nusjuro's body to stone, shattering it instantly.
Edie seized the opportunity, driving his sword through Nusjuro's heart. "Eight years from now—February 27, 1520—remember that date. Your Lord Imu will follow you to the afterlife."
With those words, the last of the Five Elders disintegrated into black mist. The Celestial Dragons' reign came to an end, and the battlefield fell silent.
Humanity had claimed victory.