At seven o'clock in the morning, a massive shadow gathered over Dressrosa.
At the same time, Imu, on the Red Line, stared blankly in the direction the weapon was heading.
He seemed to see the path the National Treasure was taking—and in fact, he did.
The power residing within Saturn and Nusjuro allowed him to clearly perceive their actions, even though he was no longer in Mariejois.
Yes, he was no longer in Mariejois.
The strike had succeeded. Now he would face the wrath of Caelan and Joyboy. He would not die as the king of the world, but in utter humiliation.
So he fled, choosing to hide and wait for a chance to return.
As long as Caelan's lifespan ended, he could once again be the supreme god.
In a secret place on the Red Line, inside a stronghold left behind by the Lunarian tribe he had once annihilated.
He monitored the overall situation using the powers within Saturn and Nusjuro.
At this moment, the two were moving forward, a screen displaying the progress of the National Treasure.
Flying through the sea of clouds, its speed was astonishingly fast, even faster than Borsalino, who was known to travel at the speed of light.
"This is the National Treasure's ability, the most powerful weapon from ancient times. Its speed is unimaginable, and its power overwhelming," Saint Nusjuro remarked emotionally as he watched the centerline of the National Treasure move. "Even if he foresaw it with Observation Haki yesterday, there's no way he can match its speed."
"Without him, Dressrosa is doomed," Saint Saturn leaned on his cane. Despite being on the verge of achieving a great victory, his mood felt inexplicably heavy. "We are pulling out the dragon's claws."
"Yes, we're pulling out the dragon's claws."
"But a dragon doesn't only have claws and fangs. It possesses unparalleled strength and dragon's breath that can destroy everything."
Saint Nusjuro understood Saint Saturn's thoughts, and his heart suddenly sank.
It was true that Dressrosa was Caelan's base, but it was just that—a base.
Even with millions of soldiers, hundreds of vice admirals, and seven or eight admirals, what would it matter?
If, by eliminating Caelan, the resistance against the World Government doubled, they could still smile and accept it.
Destroying Dressrosa was merely cutting off the dragon's claws.
The dragon itself remained invincible and capable of rage beyond imagining.
They were about to face a being consumed by fury, and their chances of surviving were slim.
Lord Imu, what exactly is your plan? Are you really choosing to flee?
Silence fell between the two as time passed, and the National Treasure finally arrived above Dressrosa on the screen.
At eight o'clock, golden sunlight poured down, and Dressrosa, the island of eternal spring, basked in its warmth.
By eight thirty, the sky suddenly darkened. A massive shadow blocked out the sun.
Uranus, one of the three ancient weapons, a terrifying instrument capable of destroying an entire country, had arrived in Dressrosa.
Countless citizens were terrified, looking up at the sky in confusion.
"Why did it suddenly get dark?"
"Something's blocking the sun. What could be that big?"
They couldn't see Uranus's form clearly, but they could instinctively feel they were in grave danger.
Looking up at the sky felt like witnessing the end of the world.
They didn't know if it was just their imagination, but the air felt heavier, and their heartbeats quickened uncontrollably.
"Uranus, the National Treasure, activate."
Saint Saturn issued the order from the Holy Land, then silently watched the screen alongside Saint Nusjuro.
"This is the National Treasure's final attack. Without infinite energy, it will take a long time to recover."
"Long enough that the World Government would be destroyed by Caelan before it could regain this level of strength."
At the same time, Imu continued to observe the National Treasure's movement over Dressrosa through the powers of Saint Saturn and Saint Nusjuro.
This was the National Treasure's swan song. Who knew how long it would take to shine again?
It would obliterate the world's most prosperous nation in a single blow—a spectacular display, like fireworks.
Above Dressrosa, the moment Saint Saturn's command was issued, a colossal eye of the storm formed instantly.
A red light source ignited like a second sun, exuding an unmistakable aura of destruction.
The creatures on the ground were filled with terror.
Dressrosa was the headquarters of the Neo Navy. Here, it was common to see vice admirals and admirals. Occasionally, one could even witness Caelan fighting in the coliseum.
These people were well-informed. They understood that some mysterious, powerful force was attacking Dressrosa.
And it seemed this was a crisis far beyond what anyone could handle.
Frightened, the civilians turned to the Neo Navy with desperate hope.
"Don't be afraid. With us here, everything will be fine."
Zephyr, Sengoku, and a group of admirals had already gone to various parts of Dressrosa to reassure the people.
"It's Admiral Zephyr!"
"It's Admiral Sengoku!"
"With the Neo Navy led by Lord Caelan still here, we'll be okay!"
Seeing these major figures remain calm and orderly, the civilians felt reassured.
They were protected by the Neo Navy's strong shield. No danger could reach them.
Still, the ominous red sun in the sky made them uneasy.
Before today, none of them had ever seen anything so terrifying.
No, they had seen something just as terrifying—the God Slayer Spear Caelan used to defeat the World Government, during a live broadcast half a month ago.
Was this new crisis on par with Lord Caelan's strongest move?
"This is the World Government's trump card. It's terrifying," Zephyr muttered, staring at the strange phenomenon in the sky. Cold sweat trickled down. "Even though Gion warned us, our Observation Haki still can't calm the unease."
Those most sensitive to danger weren't the ordinary people, but the powerful ones who had mastered Observation Haki.
Now, it was as if the god of death were whispering in their ears. Their Haki screamed for them to run.
A weapon in the sky had rendered a high-ranking admiral completely powerless.
"That is the National Treasure, an ancient superweapon capable of destroying an entire country with a single strike," Sengoku said solemnly. "This is the World Government's final trump card. In front of it, we are no different from ordinary people."
Zephyr sighed. "First, the immortal Five Elders, and now ancient weapons."
"The World Government is truly unfathomable."
He was genuinely terrified by their methods.
Before rising to the top, he had thought the Marines made up most of the World Government's power.
But only by becoming its enemy could one understand how terrifying it really was.
Even if the two Marine factions joined forces with both Revolutionary Armies, they still wouldn't be a match.
If Caelan hadn't descended from the sky like a miracle, who knew how long the World Government's reign would have lasted?
At that moment, the red sphere in the sky completed its power-up and burst into a radiant blaze.
It was as if a second sun exploded in the sky. Infinite light and heat condensed into a beam, raining down upon Dressrosa.
Zephyr and Sengoku, still speaking, felt as though their throats had been grabbed. Their Observation Haki was ringing with ceaseless alarm.
Unimaginable terror. A terror that could destroy everything.
But their shock was far from over.
A massive golden divine light surged up from the ground and pierced the sky.
"Commander Caelan is taking action."
The golden pillar of light came later but arrived first. In an instant, it pierced the clouds and collided with the National Treasure's strike.
Silence.
The greatest sound is the one without voice.
There was no explosion, yet the ears of countless people across the seas buzzed endlessly.
The golden and red beams of light only clashed for a moment before the golden beam shattered the red one high in the sky, tore through the atmosphere, and rushed into space.
In the heavens, layers of ripples spread outward. All the clouds were swept away.
The sky cleared.
"If those environmental protection ambassadors from my past life saw this, they'd probably scold me to death."
Caelan muttered softly, feeling the intensified ultraviolet rays.
Including the Battle of Marineford, this was his second time breaking the atmosphere, making yet another "contribution" to global warming.
He gently shook his head and dismissed the irrelevant thought.
With the aid of his Conqueror's Haki and magic power, he expanded his aura and shouted in a voice filled with majesty:
"From this moment on, we begin the full assault against the World Government."
(To be continued.)
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◇ One bonus chapter will be released for every 200 Power Stones.
◇ You can read the ahead chapter on Pat if you're interested: p-atreon.c-om/Blownleaves (Just remove the hyphen to access normally.)