Marineford.
Naval Headquarters.
"Goo, gurgle…"
"Is that Mariejois? Is that the man who killed Admiral Akainu?!"
As the emergency maintenance of communication lines continued, numerous Marines watched in disbelief. The scenes of the assault on Mariejois were projected on screens, filling their eyes with shock and fear.
A lone man stood amidst the chaos, unbothered by the Whitebeard Pirates or anyone else. The same was true for the Whitebeard Pirates—many had heard of this man before, a name that shook the entire Grand Line.
But hearing was one thing.
Witnessing the devastating power of this man—beyond the comprehension of a mere "human"—was another. Only now, with their own eyes, did they understand the terror he embodied.
Too powerful.
Alone, this man dared to invade Mariejois.
This was an event unprecedented in the history of the World Government—an assault on the very core of their power! Not only that, but the Five Elders, the highest authorities in the world, had already fallen at the hands of this man.
"What will become of the World Government…?"
This wasn't just a question for the Marines or the pirates—it was the question the entire world was now asking.
The Grand Line, the New World, every corner of the globe was focused on this "world-shaking" event.
And one name echoed louder than the rest:
"Im?"
Who was this person?
The name "Im" had surfaced several times during the battle, and the Five Elders had reacted to it with extreme concern. Now, the world was starting to notice.
What power or mystery lay behind the name Im, that it could command such attention from the rulers of the world?
Mariejois.
Amid the crumbling remains of the Holy Land, chaos reigned.
"Do you think revealing what's happening here to the world is a good idea?!" one of the Five Elders, with a shaggy beard and scars on his face, roared as he leaned on his cane.
"No!" another Elder barked back. "That would be the dumbest thing we could do. Look! If we let the world see this, they'll witness the consequences of opposing us!"
The shaggy-bearded Elder tightened his grip on his cane, the metal bending slightly under his grasp. His muscles bulged under his suit, his rage palpable.
"Activate the emergency lockdown! Raise the walls!" he ordered.
Boom!
Metal panels, developed by the World Government Science Corps, rose from the ground. These special alloys were heat-resistant, cold-resistant, and capable of withstanding the strongest attacks in the world for a limited time. Even Whitebeard's Shockwave Fruit powers couldn't completely destroy them.
The Five Elders hoped these walls would buy them enough time to eliminate the man who dared to challenge their authority.
But the man, Bai Ye, stood amidst the destruction, his expression indifferent.
"Stupid people?" Bai Ye's voice was calm, yet his words cut deep.
His gaze swept over the so-called impregnable blockade walls. Then, his eyes met the panicked Five Elders, and he spoke with disdain:
"When did you get the illusion that I must die here?"
The air grew heavier. The oppressive aura of Bai Ye's spiritual pressure twisted the space around him, and the walls—designed to resist the strongest forces—began to crack.
"What?!"
The Five Elders' collective shock was evident.
"You're naive," Bai Ye continued, his voice colder. "Do you know why I came to Mariejois alone?"
Boom!
The pressure increased, and the once-impenetrable walls buckled, then shattered.
"Because there are too many insignificant insects here," Bai Ye said, his voice dripping with contempt.
As the walls collapsed, waves of fire and destruction swept through Mariejois. The outermost buildings of the Holy Land were reduced to rubble, and countless Celestial Dragons perished in the flames before they could even scream.
"Stop! You monster!" one of the Five Elders, with a birthmark on his forehead, roared. His body began to transform—his muscles swelled, and his skin turned dark green. He was a Zoan Devil Fruit user, a mythical beast form.
But his transformation was too slow.
Bai Ye raised his blade, Ryūjin Jakka, and swung it with deadly precision. The energy beam the Elder unleashed was split in two, the pieces detonating harmlessly behind Bai Ye.
With a flash of speed, Bai Ye appeared before another Elder, the one with a long beard.
"No… No!" The long-bearded Elder's voice trembled with fear.
"Since you choose to be someone else's dog," Bai Ye said, his blade poised, "then you should act like one."
A golden blaze of lightning gathered in Bai Ye's left hand.
"What… What kind of power is this?!" the Elder with the birthmark stammered.
"Hadō #63: Raikōhō!" Bai Ye declared.
The golden lightning surged forward, piercing the sky and slamming into the Elder with devastating force.
Boom!
The long-bearded Elder couldn't withstand the combined might of Bai Ye's blade and Hadō. He fell, lifeless.
This devastating display of power shook the entire world. Even Rayleigh, watching from the Sabaody Archipelago, was stunned.
"Can this man… Can he truly achieve what the Rocks Pirates and even Roger could not?"
Rayleigh's heart pounded as he considered the possibility:
A lone man, shaking the foundations of the World Government itself.
But suddenly, Bai Ye stopped.
No—something else had happened.
Above the crumbling remains of Mariejois, the sky darkened, and an oppressive force descended upon the battlefield.
"What is that?!"
Around the world, people stared at the projection screens in shock. Even Sengoku, back at Marineford, felt a chill run down his spine.
"No… The World Government wouldn't… They wouldn't dare!"
The air carried the faint, familiar weight of despair—a power capable of affecting the entire Grand Line.
The Five Elders, still alive, froze in terror.
"Lord Im… is making a move," one whispered.
The battle wasn't over.
For Bai Ye, this was just the beginning.