Meanwhile, in the Holy Land of Mary Geoise, within the Supreme Palace—
The Five Elders had convened.
Staring at the transponder snail broadcast, which had suddenly cut to static, their brows furrowed.
"What's going on? Kaido had just blocked that brat's meteor. I was looking forward to watching him run out of tricks—why did the feed suddenly cut?"
"Still, I didn't expect that brat to be hiding such a trump card. At least Kaido helped us test his limits. That's useful."
"And to think he managed to gather such a troublesome group—even Aramaki has joined him. To grow this powerful in such a short time… we never should've let him stay in Marine HQ."
"Send word to CP0. If Kaido defeats him, don't give him a chance to escape. Whoever brings back his head will be richly rewarded."
The voice was low, but carried absolute authority.
Saint Topman Valkyrie, Saint Marcus Mars, and Saint Shepherd Ju Peter nodded silently in agreement.
Only Saint Ethanbaron V. Nusjuro, cradling his sheathed blade, scoffed.
"Hmph. Ise, you're overestimating that brat."
"That last move was clearly his strongest. Kaido already blocked it."
"He's out of tricks. He won't escape. He's as good as dead."
"And you want CP0 to snatch his corpse from Kaido? That's a tall order."
"Snatch the corpse?"
Saint Jaygarcia Saturn (Ise) blinked—then burst into laughter.
"Haha! You're right, Nusjuro. If he can't be our blade, then let him become a cold corpse."
Saint Marcus Mars (Tres), tall and suited, laughed as well.
"Even though releasing Shiryu didn't slow him down much, those other escaped monsters should still weaken Marine HQ."
"Don't forget—once the SSG project is complete, we'll replace the Navy entirely."
"Tres is right," Nusjuro added.
"Once we control the power of ancient civilizations and command absolute loyalty, ruling the world will be easy."
"So let's start by weakening Marine HQ—beginning with that brat."
"I trust Kaido, but just in case he's hiding more tricks, send CP0 to finish the job. I want his head."
"I'm curious too—what kind of Devil Fruit lets him pull off all this?"
"Agreed," Tres said, his smile fading into a nod.
Saint Anthony and Saint Lapus nodded silently as well.
Seeing this, Saturn understood the urgency. Leaning on his cane, he slowly stood and said:
"Summon Maha. No matter what it takes, bring back that brat's corpse from Kaido."
"Understood!" the CP0 agent in the hall responded immediately.
Saturn waved him off, signaling him to leave.
He too was eager to see Luo Yu's corpse brought back.
But before he could sit down, the CP0 agent—just turning to leave—froze mid-step.
His body trembled. His face twisted in shock, as if he'd seen a ghost.
The strange sight made the Elders pause.
Nusjuro was the first to snap:
"What is it? News? Don't tell me you can't even retrieve the head of a defeated enemy."
"If so, we've wasted our time feeding you dogs."
The others said nothing, their gazes cold.
Then came the words that struck like thunder.
"N-no… Lord Nusjuro… terrible news. The second battlefield—Impel Down—has concluded. The new Marine Admiral, Luo Yu, fought Yonko Kaido of the Beasts…"
"The Marine Admiral won!"
"Kaido was struck down and sunk into the sea. The surrounding area was swallowed by waves. The Beasts Pirates are likely annihilated. The gears of the old era have shattered!"
"Maha and Spandam cut the broadcast to prevent mass panic. Please, the Five Elders must act quickly—this news will spread fast!"
The CP0 agent dropped to his knees, trembling, voice echoing through the palace.
CRACK!
Saturn's cane shattered in his grip.
He stared at the agent as if he'd seen a ghost.
"What did you say? Kaido was sunk? That brat won the second battlefield?"
"Find out immediately—what's his current status!"
"Nusjuro, prepare everything. No matter the outcome, proceed with the original plan. Sengoku was right—he's another Dragon. If we can't use him, he must be eliminated."
His words rang with killing intent.
Tres and the others stiffened.
They knew exactly what "the original plan" meant.
They hadn't expected it to be activated so soon.
But if Kaido—one of the Four Emperors—had fallen…
Then the old era had truly cracked.
Luo Yu, a newcomer, had done what no one else could.
He was now a threat to the World Government itself.
If he couldn't be controlled—he had to be erased.
"Don't worry, Saturn. I've been waiting to act. Since you've given the word, I'll move."
Nusjuro gripped his sword, his voice cold.
Meanwhile, at Marineford—
The massive harbor had become a ruin.
While Luo Yu battled Kaido, the Whitebeard Pirates had launched their assault.
The two sides clashed in a brutal, bloody war.
Amid the corpses and the cries of battle, Whitebeard himself fought on, bloodied and exhausted.
On the execution platform, Ace trembled violently.
He watched the price of his pride—the cost of his reckless defiance.
His heart was filled with regret and anguish.
"Pops—look out!"