Kizaru slowly turned around.
Before him, Xiano, Kuma, and Jack had somehow appeared in a triangular formation, surrounding him with icy expressions.
How did they all get here?
His pupils contracted as he instinctively glanced around.
All he saw was...
Two God Riders immobilized under Kuma's Bear Paw;
Sentomaru and all the Pacifistas completely wiped out;
The naval fleet led by Zephyr blocked at the shore by an unknown blind Swordsman, unable to advance;
And himself, encircled by four powerhouses, led by none other than...
"Tch, this is a real mess..."
Kizaru's face fell as he stared miserably at the black-haired young man before him. Just as he was about to speak, Xiano's fist—wreathed in black-red lightning—smashed toward him without hesitation!
Galaxy Impact!
BOOM!!!
The punch, blazing with a cross-shaped flash of dark-red lightning, struck Kizaru square in the chest, slamming him into the ground. The impact instantly collapsed the earth for hundreds of meters, forming a massive crater.
Amid the dust...
Kizaru lay sprawled, vision blurred, blood trickling from his lips. He coughed violently several times before barely regaining his senses.
As he struggled to rise, Xiano's foot pressed down on his chest.
A cold voice rang out:
"I can't stop you if you try to run—I can't match your speed. But as a Navy Admiral, that'd make it pretty hard to explain things to your superiors, wouldn't it?"
"So if I were you, I wouldn't move right now."
Kizaru narrowed his eyes, studying the man pinning him down. After a long silence, he finally spoke:
"Where's Shamrock? I don't see him."
Killed?
No... impossible.
Though as an Admiral who clawed his way up from the bottom through blood and battle, he had little respect for these pampered God Riders—
—men who'd never faced life-or-death struggles, granted Undying Bodies, yet lacked tempered willpower or conviction.
Even so, Saint Shamrock's strength was not to be underestimated.
That Xiano could overpower him, forcing him into a corner, was expected. But to completely defeat him in such a short time? Impossible.
Unless...
A thought flashed through Kizaru's mind, his expression shifting.
"He fled."
Xiano's indifferent voice cut in:
"The moment things turned against him, he abandoned his comrades and ran. The vice-captain of the God Knights, yet lacking even the courage to fight to the end. No wonder Red Hair despises working with them."
So that's it...
Kizaru let out a bitter chuckle. In that case, it seemed he had no other choice...
Thud.
As if finally pushed past his limit, Kizaru's eyes rolled back, his head lolling to the side as he lost consciousness.
"He passed out just like that?"
Jack blinked in disbelief, crouching to poke Kizaru's cheek before looking up suspiciously. "Boss, you think he's faking?"
"Idiot."
Kuina wiped blood from her lips and kicked him irritably.
Xiano ignored him, withdrawing his foot as his gaze shifted to the two God Riders restrained by Kuma's Bear Paw in the distance. "Let's go. We have business to finish."
He stepped out of the deep pit and walked unhurriedly toward Gunko and Qilingom. Sensing the footsteps, Gunko raised her head in fury and shouted sharply:
"You lowly scum! What do you think you're doing? This princess warns you one last time—"
Slap!
Xiano backhanded her, cutting off her words mid-sentence, then grabbed her by the throat with one hand and dragged her to the center of the clearing like a dead dog.
Qilingom received the same treatment from Kuma, and soon both were forced to their knees side by side.
"Those two over there seem to have woken up too. Bring them here," Xiano said, glancing into the distance.
"Got it, boss."
Jack grinned savagely and strode off. Moments later, he returned, dragging Charloss and Pulming along.
"Kneel properly!"
Jack delivered a vicious kick to the backs of their knees, forcing them down. The kneeling Celestial Dragons now formed two neat rows of four.
But their expressions told different stories.
Charloss and Pulming were already trembling like leaves, tears and snot streaming down their faces in terror.
Gunko and Qilingom, though equally disheveled, still burned with resentment and defiance in their eyes—along with a hint of...
"Disdain, is it?"
Xiano smirked coldly. "Even now, you still believe your Undying Body can't be broken?"
"And why shouldn't we?!" Gunko snarled, her face twisted with rage. "This is the true power bestowed upon us by the gods! Break it? As if you mere mortals could!"
"Kuma."
Xiano tilted his head slightly.
"Understood, Captain."
Kuma stepped forward, his right hand outstretched as he pressed it against Gunko's arm. The power of the Paw-Paw Fruit activated instantly, transparent ripples spreading from his palm.
Hum!
In an instant, the pentagram mark on Gunko's arm vanished. A swirling mass of dark purple energy was forcibly ejected, writhing and shrieking piercingly in the air before dissipating into nothingness.
In Kuma's hands, the Paw-Paw Fruit had been honed to its limits—capable of repelling injuries, repelling pain, and naturally, repelling even...
"Imu's mark."
"N-no! Impossible!" Gunko stared at her smooth, unblemished arm in horror. "How could this be? And how do you know our master's name? Only the core members of the God Riders should— Huh?"
She froze mid-sentence.
Suddenly, the pentagram mark reappeared on her arm—identical in color, size, and position to the original.
"Pfft—HAHAHAHAHA!!!"
Gunko threw her head back and laughed, her voice dripping with mockery and triumph:
"See that, you filthy worm?! You actually thought you could break it? Dream on! Even if you erase the mark temporarily, it will always return! This is the power of our God race—something you inferior creatures will never comprehend!"
Her laughter cut off abruptly as Xiano suddenly leaned down and gripped her chin.
"Oh?"
His gaze was eerily calm, as though he had expected this all along.
"Then... what about this?"
As he spoke, Kuma repeated the process, ejecting the pentagram mark once more with his ability. At the same time, Xiano acted—his eyes flashing crimson as black-and-red lightning erupted around him. His Conqueror's Haki materialized into a tangible force, wrapping around Gunko's entire body.
This time, the mark did not return.
"Just as I thought."
Xiano smiled faintly as he looked down at Gunko. "Well? Still laughing now?"
By merely using Kuma's ability, the undying mark was repelled, only to regenerate rapidly, endlessly.
Excessive use of Conqueror's Haki could temporarily suppress the regeneration, but it couldn't erase the undying ability.
So, combine the two.
Before the Conqueror's Haki dissipated, the so-called Undying Body would, just like this, completely fail!
"The mark... where's the mark..." Gunko stood dumbfounded, muttering the words over and over.
Xiano ignored her. Together with Kuma, he performed the same treatment on Qilingom nearby before slowly straightening up and sweeping his gaze across the surroundings.
At the center of the battlefield, only a few of them remained standing.
But farther out, at the edges, countless eyes were fixed on them from all directions.
Tourists and civilians who had fled earlier but now crept back, the Marine soldiers held back by Fujitora, the Supernovas gradually regaining consciousness, and the reporters clutching Den Den Mushi or cameras—
All of them were staring intently at the clearing.
What was happening?
What were they about to do?!
Could it really be…?
Some covered their mouths, some trembled on weak legs, but most simply widened their eyes, not daring to blink, afraid they might miss the next moment—one that could very well go down in history.
"Seems the audience is even bigger than I imagined."
Xiano nodded in satisfaction, took a deep breath, then curled his lips into a smirk as his voice suddenly boomed:
"Hey, world! Right here, right now—you're all watching me, aren't you?!"
"Then keep watching!"
His right hand reached for the Greatsword on his back, slowly drawing it out. As cold steel gleamed, his voice, resonant as a great bell, rolled outward in all directions—
Echoing across the entirety of Sabaody Archipelago, across the seas, and through every live broadcast screen!
"—The real show is only just beginning!!!"
...
Marine Headquarters, Marineford.
Thud!
Sengoku's face darkened to the extreme as he slammed his fist onto the table, sending splinters flying. Beside him, Tsuru sighed wearily, setting down her cup of black tea and massaging her temples in silence.
...
The New World, atop a certain whale.
A skeletal figure with an afro and a thin old man in tropical attire stood slack-jawed, utterly stunned. Across from them, a silver-haired old man missing an arm clenched his fist, his breathing growing ragged.
...
The Kingdom of Cherry Blossoms, where snow fell thickly. Kureha leaned against the doorframe, tilting her head back for a swig of liquor before exhaling a long, amused sigh.
...
City of Seven Waters, in the dead of night. In the mayor's office, Iceberg froze mid-nose-pick, staring dumbly at the screen, his head tilted in disbelief.
...
Inside the Red Airship, Morgans flushed red, letting out an uncontrollable, shrill shriek: "It's happening! It's finally happening! As expected of that man—he's really going through with it!"
Huff… huff…
Breathing was becoming difficult…
But it didn't matter!
This gamble, this adventure—all of it was worth it!
...
Shing!
The Greatsword was finally unsheathed!
"Just now, many of you must have seen it—how even so-called gods bleed, how they wail, how they grovel and beg, reduced to pitiful wrecks."
Xiano tightened his grip on his sword, step by step advancing toward the four Celestial Dragons. "But what a pity—some people are born with soft bones, knees that love to kneel, still believing these creatures are inherently different from us! Special! Noble! Divine! That they should naturally reside high above the clouds!"
"Tch, what utter nonsense. Where exactly is the difference?!"
He suddenly turned his head, laughing wildly. "Open your eyes wide and watch closely! These so-called gods—they die when killed. And pigs that die this easily, do they even deserve the title of gods?!"
With those words, he swung his blade fiercely, aiming straight for Gunko's neck!
"No!!!"
Gunko let out a piercing scream, her eyes finally filling with unprecedented terror. She struggled frantically, but her body, suppressed by both Conqueror's Haki and Bear Paw, couldn't move an inch.
Swish!
The blade flashed, and Gunko's head soared into the air. Blood gushed like a fountain from her severed neck as her pupils rapidly dilated. Her head rolled across the grass, tumbling a few times before coming to a stop.
This time, no black mist emerged. No regeneration.
Her headless corpse twitched a few times before finally going limp, collapsing to the ground like a pile of mud.
"Gunko!!!"
Beside her, Qilingom's eyes nearly burst from their sockets as he let out a heart-wrenching roar. He struggled desperately to stand, but Jack, grinning viciously, pinned him down mercilessly.
"Your turn."
Xiano turned to Qilingom, his Greatsword dripping with blood, his eyes devoid of any mercy.
"Stop! You mad dog! Do you have any idea what you're doing?!" Qilingom screamed hysterically. "Killing Celestial Dragons, killing members of the God Knights—the entire World Government will hunt you to the ends of the earth! You, your comrades, your territory—all of it will—"
Swish!
Another flash of the blade, and Qilingom's head, too, fell to the ground.
His unfinished words were forever trapped in his throat, never to be spoken. Even as his head came to rest, veins bulged across his face, his lifeless eyes glaring furiously at the sky.
"I'll be waiting."
Xiano gave his right arm a slight shake, coldly flicking the blood from his blade as Qilingom's headless body toppled backward.
Whoosh~
A hot sea breeze swept across the clearing.
The entire area was deathly silent, so quiet you could hear a pin drop.
Whether it was the Marine soldiers or the onlooking civilians in the distance, everyone held their breath, eyes wide as they witnessed the scene.
A World Noble… truly beheaded in public?
Descendants of the creators, just like that… dead just because someone said so?
Executing a Celestial Dragon…
And in front of the entire world.
This was the first time in eight hundred years!!!
"N-no… no…"
Charlia Palace and Pulmin Saint collapsed to the ground, their pants already soaked. They stared at the two headless corpses, then looked up at Xiano, their eyes overflowing with terror.
"Please, sir, sir! Spare me…" Pulmin Saint sobbed, no longer even feeling the agony of his severed arm as he kowtowed frantically, his forehead thudding against the ground.
"Earlier, I offered money, but you didn't care! But I have more—so much more! Name your price, sir—anything!"
"The Devil Fruit, the treasures collected by our family, my dozen wives, my collections—everything, I'll give it all to you! If you're still not satisfied with the killing, I can go back and tie up my parents to offer them to you as well!"
--Enjoying the story? Want more chapters? Check out my Patreon and support me for 40+ advance chapters.
Just search for "LegendaryTL" on Patreon!"
Thanks!