Boom!
The entire Mariejois shook violently.
Two colossal figures obscured the sky and sun. The stone-like titan, towering at three or four hundred meters, crumbled, engulfed by endless flames, melting away in moments.
"How... how is this possible?!"
"That's a power exclusive to Master Im!"
The Elder with the fluffy beard stared in shock, his voice trembling as his gaze fixed on the man standing amidst the inferno.
Meanwhile...
"Is this all the World Government has to offer? Relying on such 'inferior creations'?"
Bai Ye ignored the crumbling remnants of the so-called "God Attendants." His fiery eyes locked onto Im, who stood atop the Void Throne in the distance.
With a single sweep of Ryūjin Jakka, flames surged across Mariejois, consuming everything in their path.
"The ultimate power of the World Government... how disappointing," Bai Ye remarked. His voice wasn't loud, but carried an unshakable authority, amplified by his overwhelming Reiatsu.
Through the projection of the Transponder Snail, his words echoed across the Grand Line, reaching countless ears.
Though his tone seemed arrogant, his actions spoke louder. The man was standing alone against the full might of the World Government—and winning.
Witnessing this terrifying display of power, something far beyond human comprehension, the entire Grand Line collectively held its breath.
Could it be? Was a new era truly dawning?
Mariejois burned, the flames rising higher as the Red Line continued to collapse.
"What an arrogant fool," Im's neutral voice rang out, emotionless yet commanding. The tone carried an almost divine authority, impossible to ignore.
A chilling pressure descended over Mariejois.
BOOM!
Buildings in Pangaea Castle disintegrated under an overwhelming wind. The entire city trembled, unveiling an architecture unlike anything seen in the kingdoms of the Grand Line.
Suddenly, the entire population of Mariejois—CP0 agents, Celestial Dragons, and all—was forced to their knees.
It wasn't Conqueror's Haki. It was something far more primal, a terror etched into their very beings, leaving them powerless.
"Bastard! What is happening?!"
"We're the noble Celestial Dragons! We don't kneel like common slaves!"
The bloated Celestial Dragons struggled, their faces red with indignation. Yet, no matter how hard they tried, their bodies refused to obey. Even their voices were muted, reduced to internal screams of rage.
Watching this unfold, the surviving CP0 agents trembled, horror etched across their faces.
"Is this... God descending?!"
"If even the Celestial Dragons must kneel..."
Im ignored the chaos unfolding below.
His cold gaze remained fixed on Bai Ye, a flicker of visible annoyance crossing his otherwise emotionless visage.
"You've come this far, thinking you've achieved the dreams of those pitiful outsiders. You believe yourself capable of toppling everything," Im spoke, his tone growing colder with each word.
"But humans are inferior beings—always self-righteous, always delusional. And you... you are no exception."
Im raised his hand, and the trembling of Mariejois intensified. His indifferent eyes glowed with a light that seemed to pierce through reality itself.
"Inferior creatures will never defeat gods. The power of the divine is beyond comprehension, beyond reach."
Im clenched his raised hand into a fist.
Suddenly, time seemed to freeze across all of Mariejois.
The flames stopped flickering. The crumbling Red Line halted mid-collapse. Buildings paused in their descent.
Even the people—frozen in place, their fear immortalized in time.
Outside, the world continued as normal, the projections relaying the scene to everyone watching.
But within Mariejois, all motion ceased.
The world held its breath.
Then, without warning, an invisible shockwave exploded from Im's hand, shattering the stillness.
Time resumed. The flames roared back to life, the Red Line continued to crumble, and the city resumed its destruction.
Yet...
Through it all, Bai Ye stood unharmed.
The world watched in stunned silence.
"Time... time froze?" someone whispered in disbelief.
"This has to be a joke... that kind of power isn't human!"
Despair seeped into the hearts of everyone across the Grand Line.
At Naval Headquarters, Aokiji broke the silence.
"A monster... even if that thing isn't a god, it's as close as it gets," he muttered, his usually composed demeanor shaken.
The others—Sengoku, Garp, and even the most hardened Marines—fell silent, their faces pale.
Im...
The shadow behind the Five Elders. The true ruler of the world.
This being wasn't human.
Meanwhile, across the Grand Line, countless voices whispered the same realization.
"That's not human... it's a god."
Doflamingo, watching the events unfold, felt a chill run down his spine. He was grateful he had left the Holy Land.
The Empress of Amazon Lily, Hancock, stared at the projection in disbelief.
"Gods... gods are real?" she whispered.
Even the revolutionary leader Dragon clenched his fists, doubt clouding his usually steadfast determination.
But then...
BOOM!
Amidst the rubble of Mariejois, a figure rose.
Bai Ye emerged, his muscular form standing tall amidst the destruction.
"I didn't expect to be the underdog this time," he muttered, rubbing his neck.
The surviving Elder gasped, his pupils dilated in shock.
"He's... alive?!"
Bai Ye ignored him. His gaze fixed on Im.
"It seems the real battle starts now," he said, lifting Ryūjin Jakka.
The Elder shouted in rage.
"You bastard! Stop bluffing! Lord Im has already—"
"Silence."
Bai Ye's voice cut through the chaos like a blade.
He raised Ryūjin Jakka, flames swirling around him.
"You should feel honored. You'll witness the gates of hell before you die. Something no one else has seen before."
As he spoke, the flames intensified, the very air trembling under his power.
And so, the final battle began.