— Gorosei-sama, he... he's dead!
All the Marines were stunned. The highest authority in the World Government was gone so easily?
However, Saint Mars suddenly let out a brutal roar. His exploded head began to reform, and his huge wings flapped, stirring up a demonic wind. Black-purple Haoshoku raged across the entire field.
"My power is not something an insect like you can contend with."
Dense black-red lightning surged out, shaking the sea of clouds and changing the very color of the sky.
Everyone's expressions changed, and they subconsciously looked towards the center of the Haki.
To their surprise, Luffy was standing in place as if nothing had happened, having endured Itsumade's Haki impact head-on!
"Your Haki... is very weak!"
Luffy looked disdainfully at the massive monstrous bird.
A nearly equally powerful Haki shot into the sky, clashing wildly with Saint Mars's aura, unleashing a storm like purgatory.
It instantly suppressed Itsumade. With a furious Advanced Armament Haki, he punched forward!
"— How is this possible??"
Saint Mars couldn't believe it. How could a mere insect possess Haki that surpassed his?
"Boom!!"
The black-red Haoshoku lightning violently tore through Itsumade's body. Its massive form was sent flying hundreds of meters, crashing heavily into the ruins.
"— Saint Mars-sama!"
Sengoku shouted with a worried expression, but inwardly, he felt a bit smug!
You dared to scold me, but in the end, you're getting beaten just the same!
"— Zzzzzzt!"
"Bang!!"
Sengoku's golden body was heavily flung away by Luffy.
"Marco, Jozu, quickly take Ace and the others and leave, hurry!!"
Luffy's voice was extremely heavy. Big trouble... was coming!
Saint Mars had only just crossed the threshold of an elite Admiral. To say that every Marine Admiral was stronger than him was no exaggeration.
But with their near-immortality and their ability to gang up... no one in this great sea was an opponent for the Gorosei!
Clearly, his Haoshoku was not enough to break the Gorosei's immortality!
He glanced at his status panel.
[Haoshoku: 89.99]
Luffy sighed, his gaze becoming resolute. "As long as Ace and the others escape, no one can keep me here!"
Deep within the ruins, a black-purple demonic power swept across the heavens and earth.
"— Very good!"
Saint Mars's pupils were instantly filled with bloodshot veins.
There wasn't a single scratch on him, but... his fury had long since overflowed!
How many years had it been?
He didn't know how many years it had been since anyone dared to openly mock him, the highest authority in the World Government.
Saint Mars stared intently at the black-haired, red-clad youth not far away, laughing in his extreme anger.
"I must admit, your growth has indeed far exceeded my expectations."
"But you have no idea of the vast foundation of the World Government's eight-hundred-year rule."
Saint Mars spread his wings and muttered to himself,
"All of you, come here. nika must not be allowed to leave alive."
As his voice fell, the world suddenly changed color.
Black lightning bolts rose from the ground beside Satan Saint, intertwining and dancing on the ground, outlining black pentagram magic circles.
Blazing black lightning continuously swirled, and an unimaginable, eerie aura began to spread.
A total of four black magic circles simultaneously unleashed an extremely terrifying aura,
forcing everyone to bow their heads, their pupils rapidly constricting.
Massive and eerie skeletal warhorses, radiating an icy chill from hell;
Twisting, writhing sand worms, like giant earthworms, opening their spiraling, sharp teeth, secreting large amounts of mucus from their bodies;
Terrifying wart hogs with four tusks and spotted bodies, their skin gleaming with a black iron luster;
Spider-like black segmented long legs, huge and sharp bull horns;
Five monsters, radiating boundless oppressive power and evil aura, each surrounded by mysterious black smoke, simultaneously let out earth-shattering roars!
Horse Bone!
Sand Worm!
Hoo Fen!
Ushi-oni!
Itsumade!
All of them were the most terrifying and chilling monsters from myths and legends!
"Hey, hey, hey, what kind of monsters are these!?
"These are all things we've never seen before!"
Marines and pirates alike looked horrified, unable to stop gasping in shock.
Sengoku's face turned extremely grim. He never would have imagined that all of the Gorosei, the highest authority in the World Government, had descended upon Marineford!
They were not to be trifled with. The Gorosei viewed the world's people as insects... this war had already spiraled out of control!
Logically, he should have ordered the Marines to retreat, but... just then, a rough hand rested on Sengoku's shoulder.
"Sengoku, what exactly is going on?... How did these pieces of trash appear in Marineford!!"
Garp appeared beside Sengoku, blood still oozing from his forehead!
"To think that a mere seventeen-year-old brat would require all of us to appear!" Ushi-oni Satan Saint said calmly.
He suddenly narrowed his eyes, which glowed with an eerie red light like a demon's.
Evil Eye!
Boom!
Luffy's head suddenly exploded violently, producing billows of black smoke and flames!
Satan Saint revealed a satisfied smile. In his opinion, such a secret attack, even if it didn't kill, should at least severely wound!
Zzzzzzt!!
Almost riotous black-red lightning densely occupied the surrounding space.
The heavens and earth changed color, and the fierce winds were like purgatory.
The black-red Haoshoku thunderstorm was forcibly compressed by Luffy into a one-foot radius.
"— Then let me witness it!... The eight-hundred-year foundation of the World Government!!"
Visibly black-red lightning danced at his fingertips, causing the surrounding air to blur and distort.
He clenched his fist.
In an instant, it was as if he had transcended space!
A meteor-like punch landed directly on Ushi-oni's body.
Boom!
Compared to Ushi-oni's dozens of meters in size, Luffy's figure was as tiny as a mosquito.
But the power of that punch was immense.
Countless black-red lightning bolts surged into Ushi-oni's body all at once.
— Crack — Crack —
Ushi-oni's body shattered like porcelain, and bright red blood splattered out like rain!
Its massive body flew heavily backward, and the moment it landed, the soil on the ground splashed several meters high!
"How dare a mere ant be so presumptuous!!"
Saint Varcolica let out a violent roar, his massive limbs heavily stomping the ground.
His enormous body suddenly charged forward, and his pair of sharp, heavy tusks thrust heavily!
Purple-black Haoshoku was firmly wrapped around those incredibly sharp tusks!
Luffy's eyes narrowed. He quickly stretched his right hand backward, which rapidly expanded. Ryou Haki, Haoshoku lightning, and destructive lightning tightly intertwined, then he punched out!
[Thunder God: Ryou: Advanced Armament Haki: Elephant Gun]
Boom!!
A magnificent wave of air exploded in ripples.
Purple-black and black-red lightning erupted, shaking the sea of clouds!
However, unexpectedly,
Luffy's figure was knocked backward, and a trace of crimson blood seeped from the corner of his mouth.
'What powerful strength! What tough pig skin!!'
Luffy was alarmed.
Just then, an icy aura approached.
Luffy quickly leaned back, only to see a long blade, tens of meters long, carrying the chill of hell, graze past Luffy's body.
That strike seemed to freeze space. Powerful Haoshoku bloomed, streaking across the distant sky.
"Our power is not something an insect like you can contend with."
From underground, a giant sand worm burst forth, opening its abyssal mouth.
Red light flickered in Luffy's eyes. He spun his body, and endless lightning gathered in his hand.
Boom!
A black lightning pillar nearly a hundred meters in diameter instantly enveloped the sand worm.
Yellow-green mucus splattered upwards, and the Mongolian sand worm, which Saint Pito had transformed into, let out a piercing shriek, turned charred black, and then instantly exploded!
"— Whew!"
Luffy's forehead was covered in fine sweat. The extremely high-intensity battle that had lasted for most of the day was starting to wear him out!
Opposite him, five demonic figures stood tall.
It was truly outrageous!
Hoo Fen's defense, strength, and counter-armor!
Horse Bone's attack!
Itsumade's speed!
Sand Worm's corrosiveness!
Ushi-oni's eerie!
Most, most, most importantly... no matter what kind of injuries they sustained, the wounds on these five demons, as if crawled out of hell, healed rapidly in less than a few seconds.
Luffy slowly straightened up, looking mockingly at the Gorosei,
"I doubt anyone would have imagined that living above the clouds, like in paradise, were five unprecedented, monstrous devils!"
"In this world, hell is not underground, but in the sky!"