Soon, Sanji and the others began transporting the dismantled fusion reactor.
Vegapunk gathered his satellites, grabbed Kuma's memory drive, and rushed out of the laboratory at full speed with a tied-up York in tow.
Just as they reached the entrance, they ran head-on into Allen.
"What's the situation? Were you attacked just now?"
Facing Allen's inquiry, Sanji nodded in response. "Yeah, it was the CP0 agents who eavesdropped on us in Wano Country. Fortunately, nothing serious happened."
Hearing this, Allen glanced at the edge of the cloud island, which had been left in ruins by the dragon breath. His Observation Haki couldn't detect any auras; clearly, the enemy had already fled. If he guessed correctly, it was Lucci and Blueno.
Allen warned, "I ran into those guys down below earlier. They've all been marked by Imu and turned into immortals. It's highly likely they'll attack again."
"Immortals?!" Sanji couldn't help but be startled by this revelation.
Allen then looked at the massive furnace they were dragging behind them and asked, "What is this?"
"This is the fusion reactor used to create the Mother Flame."
Vegapunk stepped out from the group, walked up to Allen, and extended his hand on his own initiative. "I finally get to meet you in person, Francis Allen. Nice to meet you, I am Vegapunk."
"Yo, little old man." Allen eyed Vegapunk with an amused gaze, reached out, and grabbed him by the back of his collar, lifting him up like a chick. "Isn't this the same Dr. Vegapunk who scammed me out of dozens of tons of gold back in the day?"
"What do you mean scammed you out of your gold? It was a transaction with a clearly marked price," Vegapunk said, spreading his hands and shrugging. "Don't forget about that Artificial Azure Dragon Fruit. Although I don't know how you found out about it, I specifically left it there waiting for you to take it. If anything, you should be thanking me."
"Well, thanks for that." Allen let go and set him back down, then shifted the topic. "Stussy said you want to join us. Care to explain that first?"
"Well, the enemy of my enemy is a friend I can cooperate with. The World Government wants to kill me, and the only ones who can protect me from them are pirates or the Revolutionary Army," Vegapunk said bluntly. "Although cooperating with pirates is highly risky, you just happen to be rich."
"You really don't hold back, do you? Let's go. Get the stuff on the ship first, we'll talk about the rest later." Saying that, Allen turned around, preparing to lead them away.
But right at that moment.
*Buru~ Buru~ Buru~*
The sound of a Transponder Snail suddenly rang out. Allen paused, pulled the Transponder Snail from beneath his black pirate coat, and answered it.
"Hey! Things have gone terribly wrong, Allen!"
"Marco?"
Hearing the panicked shout from the receiver, Sanji stepped up from behind, sharing a look of confusion with Allen.
"Hold on, Marco. Where's Ace?"
"Ace is still unconscious. We just managed to escape from Elbaf," Marco said, his tone grave as the Transponder Snail mimicked his grim expression.
Allen and Sanji frowned upon hearing this, firing off questions in rapid succession. "Escaped? What exactly happened?" "Were you attacked? What's the situation in Elbaf?"
Meanwhile, in the New World—the waters near Elbaf.
A white whale-shaped battleship sailed slowly across the sea. On the deck, a crowd of injured pirates lay or sat, their faces etched with exhaustion. Even the division commanders were wrapped in numerous bandages.
On the deck, Marco sat on a wooden barrel, holding the Transponder Snail with an extremely solemn expression. "A few days ago, after leaving Wano Country, we met up with Ace's younger brother, the Straw Hat Crew, on Hachinosu."
"Yesterday, we contacted the Red Hair Pirates and set off after learning they were in Elbaf. However, by the time we arrived..."
"It was as tragic as hell itself...!!"
Marco unconsciously clenched his fists, closed his eyes, and squeezed the words through his teeth. "Elbaf was attacked by Imu!"
"What did you say?!" The Transponder Snail displayed a shocked expression.
"Hey! How do you know it was Imu? And weren't the Red Hair Pirates in Elbaf?!"
"We were just as surprised at the time." Marco opened his eyes, let out a long breath, and said, "When we arrived, Elbaf had already completely fallen. All the giants on the island had been transformed into demon warriors by Imu."
"Other than Imu, there shouldn't be anyone else in the world capable of such a thing. As for the Red Hair Pirates..."
"After we entered Elbaf, we discovered that they had also fallen under Imu's Black Shift Domination."
Marco lowered his voice, speaking grimly. "If it were just the giants, we could have handled it. But with the Red Hair Pirates added to the mix, we were no match at all."
"Ace is now severely injured and unconscious. We barely managed to escape with our lives. The entire crew was almost wiped out in Elbaf."
"We had just agreed to meet up yesterday. I never expected the place to be attacked by Imu, and for even the Red Hair Pirates to..." Marco gritted his teeth and held his forehead.
On the other end of the Transponder Snail, on Egghead's cloud island.
"Knowing the news of our impending alliance, the World Government definitely wouldn't just sit still. Although we anticipated this, I truly didn't expect even the Red Hair Crew to fall."
"Now the World Government has not only gained the power of the war kingdom Elbaf, but they've also turned a powerful enemy like the Red Hair Pirates into their own fighting force..."
"Sounds like we're in massive trouble now."
Allen and the others wore heavy expressions. Hearing this news from Marco undoubtedly placed immense pressure on their upcoming actions.
"Are they trying to divide and conquer us right now? If that's the case, could Totto Land also be..." Sanji couldn't help but think of Kaido's crew, who had gone to Totto Land to find Big Mom.
Allen shook his head, deducing, "It shouldn't be. After all, they just waged war against Elbaf and the Red Hair Pirates yesterday. Even if Imu and the Holy Knights acted together, it wouldn't be an easy victory."
"Besides, there are two Four Emperors in Totto Land right now. Imu just finished a massive battle; they wouldn't be in such a rush to make a move there so soon."
"If it were me, I would first rally the transformed Red Hair Pirates and Elbaf warriors, then join forces with the Marines to launch an offensive against Totto Land. That would be the best choice."
"True. After all, the escaped Ace and his crew, along with us, could still potentially go support Totto Land. The enemy should have taken that into consideration as well," Sanji nodded thoughtfully.
"So, are we going to rendezvous with Ace's crew now, or..."
*Rumble!!*
Before Sanji could finish his sentence, a massive explosion suddenly echoed through the sky!
The expressions of Allen and the others changed. They abruptly looked up, only to see several bolts of black lightning violently striking down upon the town. The entire sky suddenly became turbulent!
A terrifying aura appeared out of thin air, exactly identical to when Lucci's group had descended earlier!
"Did the World Government send more reinforcements?!"
"Let's go!" Allen shouted urgently, leading the group as they rushed out immediately.
In the modern town on the island, Lucci stood at the edge of an open clearing. Black lightning struck the ground in front of him, igniting a massive blaze of black flames!
The black flames spread rapidly, drawing a mysterious pattern. In the next instant, five powerful auras suddenly descended!
*Boom!!*
A powerful wave of Conqueror's Haki rippled outward. Immediately after, a deep voice echoed from within the black flames:
"What is the situation, Lucci? Is Vegapunk still alive?"
"Apologies. I failed to contact York and the Seraphim, resulting in Vegapunk making immediate contact with the Demon Lion Crew. He is now under their protection," Lucci replied, kneeling on one knee and bowing his proud head toward the roaring black flames.
"Hmph! Useless."
Accompanied by a cold shout, the black flames on the teleportation array gradually dissipated, revealing five massive, grotesque figures.
The massive commotion here also caught the attention of Nami and the others in the town. They hurried over from a distance, immediately witnessing this shocking scene.
"...!"
"Are they monsters... or demons...?"
"What a repulsive aura..."
Atop a tall building, Gin, Nami, Robin, and the others frowned as they stared down at the plaza.
Kid curled his lips into a wild grin, stepping forward from the back with a cold sneer. "Tch, the Holy Knights again? We just took care of five, and now five more show up."
In the plaza, the five figures each possessed a distinct form.
There was an old man with the lower body of a spider and the upper body of a human, sporting two bull horns on his head—an image resembling the mythical Ushi-oni.
There was also a skeletal centaur wielding a long blade; a giant boar with a pair of massive tusks protruding from its mouth; a colossal sandworm with rough skin, stretching hundreds of meters long; and a black-winged monstrous bird with a serpentine tail.
"No... those aren't the Holy Knights..."
Looking at those terrifying, demon-like figures, Robin unconsciously clenched her fists. Beneath her solemn gaze hid a trace of panic.
"They are... the Five Elders...!!"
"Huh?" Kid's eyes widened slightly upon hearing this. He looked at Robin in disbelief and pressed, "The Five Elders who hold the highest authority in the World Government are these kinds of freaks?"
"I'm not sure either. This is my first time seeing them in this form, but..." Robin's eyes locked onto Saturn. "I would never mistake that voice from earlier. He is Saint Saturn of the Five Elders!!"
"Is that so? Sounds like you have a grudge against him." Kid's lips twisted into a savage grin as he fixed his gaze on the Five Elders. "Whatever they are, they're the rumored Five Elders who control the World Government. No matter what, I'm going to fight them!"
With that, he leaped forward, charging out without a second thought.
At the same time, the Five Elders clearly noticed their arrival and turned their heads to look at them one after another.
Saint Saturn's eyes were filled with contempt, his tone dripping with disdain. "Mere ants dare to act so insolently before us."
"Are those the Demon Lion's subordinates? It seems the other Holy Knights have already been eliminated," the skeletal horse said coldly, a chilling glint flashing across his glasses.
"I'd say other than Lucci, the rest of them weren't fit to serve God anyway," the giant sandworm remarked impatiently.
"Let's erase them first. We can discuss the rest when we return," the giant boar said, its eyes filled with killing intent. It then opened its massive maw, raised its head to the sky, and let out a resounding roar!
"ROAR!!!"
A powerful wave of Haki, accompanied by black lightning, rippled outward. The roar quickly echoed through every corner of the entire city.
*Beep! Beep! Beep!*
Far away in the streets on the other side, a dense barrage of electronic sounds rang out continuously as the standby Pacifistas were activated one after another!
Meanwhile, on the other side, fierce winds raged through the plaza. Black lightning ravaged the surrounding buildings, blasting countless fragments that were swept away by the gale.
"Hey, hey! What kind of move is this? A sonic attack?" The oncoming gale and Haki impact forced Kid to halt his steps. He raised his arms to shield his face, glaring fiercely at the giant boar.
"Everyone! Look over there!" a pirate suddenly shouted in alarm, pointing at the nearby streets. One burly Pacifista after another leaped from the rooftops, charging toward them!
"It's the Pacifistas!"
"What's going on? Were they activated by that sound?!"
"We really should have destroyed them earlier."
The pirates voiced their concerns with heavy expressions.
Gin swept his gaze over them, roughly estimating their numbers. They should have more than enough manpower to handle them, so he quickly ordered, "Demon-level executives, move out! Intercept all the Pacifistas outside the plaza!"
"Yes, sir!!"
"They're just clunky robots! As long as we watch out for their lasers, they're nothing hard to deal with!"
"Leave it to us, Captain Gin!"
Receiving the order, the fierce-looking pirates shouted and charged out one after another!
Nami turned to look at Robin, placing a hand on her shoulder to comfort her. "Are you okay, Robin? It's fine to leave this place to us."
"No, I'm fine." Robin shook her head and patted Nami's hand. Her gaze fixed firmly on Saturn as she said, "I'm joining the battle too. I want to finish him off with my own hands."
"In that case... let me lead the vanguard."
Gin let out a low shout and leaped from the building. Activating his Buccaneer bloodline, his muscles bulged, and his body expanded in mid-air to over six meters tall!
*Bang!!*
Gin's feet violently slammed into the ground. He leaned forward, bent his knees into a half-squat, and pushed off with explosive force, his entire body shooting forward like a human cannonball!
"Hundredfold Multiply: Demon Giant!!"
A strange purple light shimmered across his body as his frame began to expand once again. In the blink of an eye, his height reached nearly thirty meters, resembling a muscular giant!
"The More-More Fruit user, Gin the Demon Man..."
The demonic boar's eyes darkened. It scraped its hind hooves against the ground twice, then broke into a wild sprint on all fours, charging forward with its two massive tusks coated in Conqueror's Haki!
"Destructive Cannon Hammer!!"
Gin roared, swinging his twin tonfas horizontally with vicious force!
*Bang!!!*
The massive, pitch-black iron hammers collided heavily with the giant tusks, erupting into a ring-shaped shockwave. The glass of the surrounding high-rise buildings was completely shattered and blown out by the impact!
"Hey! That was the opponent I had my eyes on first, you bastard! Seriously!" Kid shouted at Gin in annoyance. He then turned his gaze toward the half-human, half-spider Saturn. "You ugly old geezer, you'll do just fine."
*Swish!*
Just as he spoke, a black shadow swept over his head. Robin, with pitch-black wings sprouting from her back, said without looking back, "Sorry, Kid. I'm taking that one."
"Hey! Do none of you understand the concept of first come, first served?! Damn it!" Kid couldn't help but grit his teeth and growl.
At that moment, Nami descended from the sky. "Knock it off, idiot. Aren't there still three left? Pick two for yourself."
"Huh? Why do I have to deal with two?"
*Bonk!!*
Nami unceremoniously whacked him on the back of the head with her Clima-Tact, snapping, "Nonsense! Are you expecting a young maiden like me to take on two?"
Kid gasped in pain, clutching the large bump forming on his head with both hands. He glared angrily at Nami, grinding his teeth in fury. "You damn stinking woman! I'll take all three of them!"
"Suit yourself." Nami crossed her arms over her chest and turned her head away in annoyance. "Don't blame me for not helping when you get beaten to death later. Tch."