At this moment, Grün Goss no longer bore even a trace of the elegance and nobility he once radiated. His once-luxurious clothes were now tattered and torn, riddled with holes and rips, their original style and color unrecognizable. His meticulously groomed hair and beard had fallen into chaos, leaving him looking more like a beggar than a lord.
"Hmph! Very well. You insolent fools have managed to amuse me. But the fun ends here. Now, I will show you what true divine power feels like!" Grün Goss snarled through gritted teeth. His words were icy and sharp, as if they could freeze a person solid in an instant.
Then, an astonishing transformation unfolded before their eyes. Dense, gleaming scales began to erupt across his body, growing rapidly under the skin and covering every inch of him. Simultaneously, his body expanded, twisting into a monstrous, beastly form. In the blink of an eye, a colossal black dragon appeared before Da Pan and the others, measuring over fifty meters long, its massive wings spreading wide enough to blot out the sky.
The black dragon exuded billowing black smoke. Its terrifying head bore glowing red eyes like molten fire, and it spewed streams of searing red flames from its maw, as if attempting to incinerate the entire world. This was the fearsome power granted by the mysterious Devil Fruit Grün Goss had consumed the Mythical Zoan-type Dragon Fruit, Hellfire Dragon Form.
The dragon's immense presence was suffocating, pressing down like a mountain upon Da Pan and his companions. Even Da Pan, whose strength approached the pinnacle of king-class fighters, felt the weight of its oppression, his breath quickening. The others, weaker by comparison, were even more shaken. Klee's body trembled under the intense pressure, as fragile as a candle in the wind, on the verge of being snuffed out.
At that moment, Fiona, who had been unconscious, awoke pale-faced under the crushing aura. But before she could fully regain her senses, a deafening roar shattered the air above them: "Ants, prepare yourselves for divine judgment! Hellfire Pillars!"
With that roar, the Hellfire Dragon opened its massive jaws, unleashing a torrent of blazing fire. The ground trembled violently as the earth itself seemed to fracture under the assault. In an instant, massive pillars of fire, each over a meter in diameter, erupted upward like volcanic blasts, their destructive force overwhelming.
Da Pan and the others scrambled to evade the deadly pillars, their faces pale with shock. Fiona, weakened from prior injuries, moved sluggishly, while Klee, frail and untrained, struggled to dodge. The infernal columns threatened to crush them all, and Fiona felt an unbearable surge of defiance.
Her eyes widened as the flaming pillars approached. Memories of the figure who had reignited the light in her life flashed in her mind. She had yet to properly thank him. Was she truly about to die here? No she could not accept this fate! So much left undone, so many words unsaid…
A surge of indomitable power erupted from Fiona. She let out a bitter laugh, unable to believe that in her final moments, she had awakened the legendary Conqueror's Haki. But it was too late; even this immense power could not alter the fatal trajectory toward her.
Fiona's companions watched in agony as the towering flames surged toward her and Klee. Yet just as the pillars were about to strike, a mysterious spatial energy swept in from all directions, enveloping them. Under its effect, their bodies became ethereal, as if merged into another dimension.
The devastating fire pillars passed harmlessly through them. Fiona and Klee remained unscathed, leaving their friends staring in astonishment.
This miracle had been meticulously prepared in advance by Eli Winters. Fully aware of the dangers ahead, he had laid down this contingency to protect them. With the safety measure successfully activated, Fiona and Klee were saved.
In moments, the mysterious spatial energy whisked Fiona and Klee away, leaving only an empty battlefield and stunned onlookers.
"Eli Winters really left a contingency for us!" Philina cheered, her bright voice ringing through the air. Her eyes shone with relief and joy as she watched her sister and Klee gradually fade into the spatial energy, knowing they were safe thanks to his foresight.
The Hellfire Dragon's roar tore through the air again, its terrifying visage twisted by rage. Grün Goss could not fathom how his seemingly foolproof attack had been effortlessly nullified. The crushing frustration burned in his heart, and the immense wings on the dragon's back whipped up a ferocious storm of wind. The blast slammed into Da Pan and the others, tossing them like leaves in a gale, their footing lost.
Philina, caught off guard, was swept into the vortex and hurled toward a towering Hellfire Pillar. Though she knew Eli Winters had left a protective mark on her, fear surged uncontrollably as the destructive column drew near. Her body trembled under the shadow of impending death.
At the last moment, a mysterious spatial energy surrounded her, whisking her safely away before the pillar could touch her.
Grün Goss's dragon flapped its massive wings, generating a windstorm, and lunged toward Da Pan and the others with incomprehensible speed. Its razor-sharp claws struck toward Simon. Caught off guard, Simon raised his trident to block, but his strength was no match for the infernal dragon. A sharp crack ran down the trident as the claw tore through, leaving a bone-deep, shocking wound. Blood sprayed like a crimson flower blossoming in the air.
As the dragon prepared to engulf Simon with its flames, the same spatial energy once again saved him, vanishing him from sight.
Grün Goss erupted in furious roars, unable to allow his prey to escape. He lunged toward Dotai, repeatedly striking him, but every attempt to finish him off was thwarted by the timely intervention of the spatial energy.
One by one, the others were evacuated safely by Eli Winters' powers. Only Da Pan remained, facing the enraged Grün Goss alone.
"Ha! You ugly lizard, let's see if you can withstand my strongest strike!" Da Pan's heart steadied as he prepared his ultimate move, determined to test the dragon's might.
Grün Goss, furious at failing to kill Da Pan immediately, bellowed, his twisted face burning with rage. "You pests may have escaped today, but mark my words! I will personally eradicate every last one of you arrogant fools someday!"
Da Pan's expression remained solemn, radiating unwavering resolve. He gripped his Panlong Staff, channeling immense energy into it. A dazzling aura enveloped the weapon, and the surrounding space trembled under the sheer force.
When his aura peaked, Da Pan roared, "Staff Technique Ultimate Divine Avoidance!" He swung the staff with all his might. The colossal shadow of the staff, imbued with earth-shattering power, slammed toward the Hellfire Dragon.
Grün Goss's dragon raised its massive head, opening its jaws and converging a torrent of energy into a blinding beam, attempting to intercept Da Pan's strike.
Yet the staff shadow, unstoppable, pierced through the dragon's attack, striking its massive body. With a dull crash, the dragon staggered back, blood spewing from its maw. Though its legendary body was resilient, Da Pan's strike had dealt it significant damage.
The dragon's attack continued toward Da Pan, but he smirked, showing no sign of defense. "Next time, lizard, I won't lose to you."
At that moment, the spatial energy transported Da Pan to safety.
"Ahhh!" Grün Goss unleashed frenzied attacks, impacting other battlefields.
Schneider Saint, fighting Hawkeye, heard the maddened roars of his brother, realizing the gravity of the situation. He abandoned his fight with Hawkeye and rushed to aid his brother.
Meanwhile, members of the Holy Knights battling Brokey and Donly could not defeat them, though the two were holding back. Despite their strength, Brokey and Donly had no desire to fully antagonize the World Government or the Celestial Dragons, knowing peaceful lives would be impossible afterward.