Boom...!
Boom...!
The 'Holy Land' Mariejois.
At this moment, facing Im's raised hand that seemed to pierce the very fabric of the sky above Mariejois, Bai Ye's indifferent eyes flashed sharply.
Then, a pillar of fire erupted violently from beneath Bai Ye's feet, surging upward.
Its coverage expanded rapidly—20 meters, 30 meters, 4,000 meters!
Suddenly, the collapsed and melted red soil—the surface of the continent near Bai Ye's feet—was lifted into the air!
An endless sea of flames, blazing with unimaginable intensity, surged violently, connecting the ground to the sky. The scorching heat, as fierce as a hurricane, swept wantonly through Mariejois.
At its center stood Bai Ye, bathed in flames as hot as 6,000 degrees, rivaling the surface temperature of the sun.
In his right hand, he held Ryūjin Jakka, unwavering.
There was no fear in his gaze—none of the awe or terror the Five Elders displayed before Im.
Instead, his eyes reflected a singular resolve:
Whether god or man, their fates were all the same. They were destined to be cut down.
The next moment, Bai Ye raised Ryūjin Jakka, ready to strike.
"Bd! Bd! Stop that sinner!"
"The attack of Lord Im must not be interfered with!"
The Five Elders, kneeling before the projection of Im, saw this and their expressions changed drastically.
"Roar!!"
From the rubble of shattered buildings, the Five Elders with the birthmark on his forehead rose abruptly, ignoring his injuries.
Seeing Bai Ye dare to point his blade at Im, he gritted his teeth and whispered fiercely, "I'll stop you, vile sinner!"
Purple-black energy began to gather again within his sharp-toothed mouth.
In mere seconds, the energy condensed, completed, and released, tearing through the ground and sky as it streaked toward Bai Ye, standing amidst the inferno.
The explosion tore through Mariejois with earth-shattering force.
"Direct hit!" the Five Elders with the birthmark exclaimed, a flicker of hope crossing his face.
However—
As the energy dissipated, Bai Ye emerged, unscathed.
His muscular figure stood firm, completely untouched by the devastating attack.
"...H-how can this be?!"
The Five Elders with the birthmark froze in place, his expression twisting in disbelief.
Bai Ye, bathed in flames, turned his sharp gaze toward the Elder.
"You should think twice before uttering wild words," Bai Ye said coldly, raising Ryūjin Jakka.
"That would only expose your incompetence."
"You...!" The Elder's pupils contracted as he gritted his teeth, trying to respond.
But before he could utter another word, Bai Ye's blade swung down.
"Let it burn," Bai Ye uttered softly, yet his voice carried an undeniable finality.
The Elder's expression changed drastically.
The flames—so hot they rivaled the sun—surged forward like an unstoppable wave. Countless bright sparks filled the air, engulfing everything in their path.
The Five Elders with the birthmark instinctively tried to retreat, but it was too late.
The orange-red inferno swallowed everything in an instant.
Wherever Ryūjin Jakka struck, nothing remained—ashes, and only ashes.
Before the Elder could even scream, the raging flames consumed him entirely.
Boom!
A violent explosion rocked Mariejois as the flames roared to the heavens.
Soon after, the remaining Five Elders watched in horror as their comrade, the one with the birthmark, was reduced to nothingness. Not even bones remained.
The Five Elders with the shaggy beard trembled. His face, pale with fear, whispered, "Is the temperature...too high? Even the wind...explodes! Damn it!"
His heart raced in terror. "How terrifying is the temperature near that sinner?!"
Meanwhile, Bai Ye turned his attention back to the projection above Mariejois.
He could feel the destructive power brewing in the skies.
"Next," he said coldly, his gaze fixed on the mysterious figure, "it's your turn, Im."
Im remained eerily calm, unmoved by the death of one of the Five Elders.
There was no shock, no surprise—no emotion whatsoever.
Those crimson eyes reflected only indifference, detachment, and a condescending disdain for all in this world.
The death of the Elder, in Im's eyes, was nothing more than the loss of a replaceable servant.
"What a self-proclaimed god," Bai Ye muttered, a look of disdain flashing across his face.
Suddenly, countless bolts of lightning illuminated the sky above Mariejois.
The entire sky seemed to shudder violently as if the very heavens were being pierced by divine will.
The sky sagged ominously, stretching over Mariejois and even the Sabaody Archipelago below.
Under the suffocating gaze of countless onlookers, 'God's Sanction' began to descend.
Blinding light filled the heavens, radiating a destructive power that dwarfed everything in existence.
Even the strongest forces in the world—the Four Emperors, the Marines, and beyond—watched in awe and terror.
"Is that... the true power of the World Government?!"
"That... That's no ordinary power! It's something only a god could wield!"
As the searing light enveloped the entirety of Mariejois, countless people felt their hearts sink, as though they were nothing more than ants before a divine being.
In the midst of the devastation, Bai Ye stood firm.
"Have they adjusted the attack specifically for me?" he muttered, noting the concentrated energy aimed at him.
This time, the destructive force was condensed into a beam hundreds of meters thick, aimed directly at him. The destructive power was on a level far greater than anything before.
Even so, Bai Ye remained unfazed.
His grip tightened around Ryūjin Jakka as flames continued to surge around him.
The shaggy-bearded Elder, still trembling, realized what Bai Ye intended to do.
His voice trembled in disbelief as he muttered, "That lunatic... Is he planning to face Lord Im's attack head-on?!"