“Damn it, I let my guard down!”

  At the edge of the coast, amidst the smoky ruins, a massive, bloodied, monstrous bird staggered out.

  Though battered and covered in wounds, Saint Mars’s injuries began to heal rapidly, visibly regeing before everyone’s eyes. Filled with rage, Saint Mars roared hysterically:

  “Fallen Angel El!!!”

  His monstrous bird form emanated a sinister glow as strange, circur magic circles began to materialize around him on the ground. These enormous glyphs crackled with ominous bck lightning, radiating an uling energy.

  “What is that?”

  “Magic circles?”

  “Something’s emerging from them…”

  Both the Wover’s forces—prising the Holy Knights, Marine Admirals, and CP0 agents—and the Fallen Angel Pirates alongside the Roger Pirates stared in shod disbelief at the eerie formations.

  Their surprise soon turned into horror.

  From the glowing formations emerged colossal beasts of terrifying power, each radiating an overwhelming, oppressive aura:

  A massive demonic spider, adorned with straterns and ed with horns, its grotesque fadug fear.

  An enormous skeletal horse, emitting chilling frost, as if it had galloped straight out of the underworld.

  A giganti-like creature, its grotesquely elongated body equipped with serrated teeth, resembling a monstrous sandworm.

  A massive wild boar, covered in thick, mottled fur and armed with razor-sharp tusks, exuding a violent, primal menace.

  And finally, the bird-serpent hybrid, Saint Mars himself, with his avian head, feathered wings, and serpentine body.

  Five terrifying figures, all cloaked in bck smoke and emanating an aura of wiess, stood together like harbingers of the apocalypse.

  “What… What is this!?”

  “Four more beasts appeared just like that!”

  “Could they be… the Five Elders!?”

  Even the seasoned Holy Knights were shaken, their faces torted in disbelief. The grotesque spider bore an uny resembo the Elder of Defense Sce, Saint Saturn, fueling suspis that these monstrous creatures were, in fact, the fabled Five Elders.

  “The Five Elders, huh?”

  “These monsters are enough to send chills down anyone’s spine!”

  “Every one of them seems to have a Mythical Zoan ability…”

  “Tsk tsk, looks like the Wover’s true face is a nightmare.”

  Members of the Fallen Angel Pirates, including Tsuru, Linlin, Hajrudin, Cyril Oka, and Lady Demon Irene, couldn’t help but marvel despite themselves. Even though they were prepared, witnessing suightmarish creatures firsthand was a sight to behold.

  “Roger, I think we’ve walked into hell.”

  Faced with the t monstrosities, Silvers Rayleigh wore an uncharacteristically grim expression. Wiping away cold sweat, Scaban muttered nervously:

  “I never imagihe Wover’s strength would be so terrifying…”

  “No kidding…”

  Still squaring off against Garp, Roger adjusted his straw hat and grinned:

  “Heh-heh-heh, today’s been a real eye-opehese guys look more like pirates than we do…”

  Garp, uo hold back, blurted out his thoughts with a sneer. His ent immediately drew furious gres from several CP0 agents.

  “Garp! Stop saying such things!”

  Sengoku’s eye twitched as he grabbed his loudmouthed panion. Though he secretly agreed with Garp’s assessment, he knew better than to say it out loud.

  Amid the tension, Saint Mars’s eerie ughter echoed ominously:

  “Heh-heh-heh… Ha-ha-ha…”

  Amidst the ruins, thick smoke billowed, shrouding the surroundings. A low chuckle echoed from within, gradually growing clearer. With each step forward, a tall figure emerged from the shadows, apanied by increasingly arrogant and wild ughter:

  “The Wover… isn’t much, after all!”

  “Arrogant!”

  “Impudent!!”

  “How dare you!”

  The people of the Wover gred at Fallen Angel El, their eyes bzing with ahe Five Elders, transformed into various mythical creatures and demonis, stood together, their sharp gazes fixated on El.

  His t, winged figure exuded a anding presence. With fmes bzing behind his head, he seemed invincible, inspiring both awe and fear.

  “Impudent?”

  Returning to his humanoid form, El wiped the blood from his lips, his expression calm but filled with mockery. Looking at the monstrous forms of the Five Elders, he sneered:

  “Mere grains of sand… are not worth my attention.”

  With cold disdain, he tinued:

  “If this is all you’ve got, it won’t be long before that long-vat Empty Throne finally has its rightful ruler.”

  “Lunarian brat… c death!!”

  Enraged, Saint Saturn, transformed into the legendary Gyuki demon, locked his glowing red eyes onto El. With a powerful leap, he surged forward.

  But before he could strike, El’s fmes erupted, burning brighter than ever. He stood motionless, unfling.

  “Boom—”

  A dazzling explosion burst against El’s head, sending shockwaves across the battlefield. Yet, as the dust cleared, El remained unscathed, his expression calm.

  “Is this all?”

  El’s gaze fell upon Saint Saturn, his voice ced with ridicule:

  “A mere Five Elder? You ’t even scratch me.”

  “You…!”

  Saint Saturn’s face darkened, fury boiling over as murderous i radiated from his monstrous form.

  “Enough talk! Focus on eliminating the pirates first; then, we’ll deal with him!”

  The skeletal warhorse, shrouded in frost, began to transform. Its upper body became humanoid, while its lower body remained equine. Saint Nasujuro, the bald elder, uhed the radiant bde Kitetsu, his eyes narrowing as he zeroed in on the Fallen Angel Pirates.

  Without waiting, Nasujuro charged forward, his hooves pounding the ground as he headed directly toward the t giant warriors, who had transformed into a beasts.

  “g—”

  Sparks flew as sharp bdes cshed. A gust of wind swept through the battlefield as a shadowy figure appeared.

  A deadly scythe desded, blog Nasujuro’s attack.

  “Huh?”

  Staring at Irene, who now stood before him, Nasujuro’s expression darkened. Before he could react, a pierg scream echoed from afar.

  “Aaaah—”

  The sound of pain cut through the chaos. Everyone—Five Elders, Marines, CP0 agents—turheir heads, their faces filled with shock.

  “Boom!”

  A figure was sent flying like a onball, crashing through building after building, leaviru in its wake.

  “Saint Denis!”

  A member of the Holy Knights cried out in arm. The one who had been struck down was her than Saint Denis, the wielder of the Mythical Zoan Thunderbird form and the current ander of the Holy Knights.

  “Yahahahaha~ Did I keep you waiting?”

  From the shadows emerged a wild and ominous figure cloaked in a suffog darkness. This aura, like a malevolent mist, seemed to absorb all light, plunging the surroundings into an eerie gloom.

  Holding a lifeless, bloodied corpse in one hand, the newer tossed it aside casually. Rocks D. Xebec grinned as he addressed El:

  “Acc to our deal, the first oo make a kill cims the ability, right?”

  Bleam