"Find life in the midst of death?" one of the Five Elders questioned.

  "Do you think this will make us promise again, beyond simply angering us?" another added.

  "Even if you've kidhe Celestial Dragons, you won't escape death today!" decred Saint Saturn.

  At those words, the air turned heavy.

  Saint Saturn, Saint Ju Peter, Saint Mars, and the others coldly fixed their murderous gazes on El.

  Even though over a hundred Celestial Dragons had been abducted—some potentially direct desdants of the Five Elders themselves—the situation wasn't enough to make them abandon their pn to extermihe Fallen Angel Pirates.

  If anything, their resolve had only solidified. Today, they were determio elimihis threat entirely.

  El's astonishing potential, bined with his ing and audacity, had bee a threat too great to ignore.

  He was a madman willing to do anything, someone who couldn't be reasoned with—a man whose very existence was a danger.

  If they retreated now, allowing the Fallen Angel Pirates troup and gain strength, they risked fag the same humiliation iure. Would other enemies also dare to take Celestial Dragons hostage to manipute them?

  Of course not.

  "That remains to be seen..." El smiled faintly, raising his head to gnce around the isnd.

  With a motion of his hand, he gestured toward the Five Elders and their forces. "Are you certain you keep me here?"

  Instinctively, Saint Saturn, Saint Ju Peter, Saint Nasujuro, and even Steel Bone Kong and Sengoku followed his gaze.

  Their pupils tracted at the sight.

  Surrounding the isnd from all dires, tless Angel Homies soldiers and mounted beast knights riding pterosaurs and pegasi desded from the skies.

  Their numbers were staggering—easily over twenty thousand.

  Moreover, they were strategically spread out, avoiding trated formations that could be easily tered.

  "Roar... roar..."

  "Spsh..."

  Simultaneously, the sea surged violently.

  From the turbulent waters emerged a massive wave bearing an anthropomorphic demonic face, leering menagly.

  Alongside it, gigantic beasts surfaced—both Sea King-css and Sea Beast-css Homies, each over hundreds of meters in size and radiating ferocious energy.

  There were well over a hundred of them.

  The sight of these overwhelming forces caused even the Five Elders to teheir expressions darkening.

  Among the Holy Knights, CP0 agents, and Marine admirals, disbelief and unease spread like wildfire.

  "T-this..."

  "Is this the true power of the Fallen Angel Pirates?"

  "How could someone amass su absurdly powerful force?"

  Uhe Wover, which had received scattered intelligence from CP agents regarding the Fallen Angel Pirates' strength, Roger and his crew were stunned.

  Even Rocks, with his boundless ambition, found himself momentarily silenced.

  "Yahaha! What a spectacle!" Rocks muttered, his eyes flickering with a mixture of astonishment and unease. "No wonder you were able to storm Impel Down... sughtering every prisoner without b to recruit anyone."

  Though Rocks tried to mask his thoughts, deep down he felt a twinge of fear.

  If the Rocks Pirates were to face the Fallen Angel Pirates now, their ces of survival seemed bleak.

  "I know your queror's Haki infused with Devil Fruit powers suppress lower-tier Homies soldiers, but I'm not stupid enough to throw them all at you," El's grin widened as he leaned casually on his halberd.

  Standing tall, he stared down at Saint Saturn, Saint Valkyrie, and the rest of their forces with pyful arrogance.

  "While I admit that our overall strength is slightly inferior, I'm more than fident that we could abandon these Homies soldiers areat safely with the rest of the Fallen Angel Pirates!"

  Though the battle had only been going on for a short time, the Fallen Angel Pirates had already sustained signifit losses.

  Nearly half of their Queen-Css Homies—the elite "Seven Deadly Sins"—had beeroyed.

  More than ten Rook-Css Four-Winged Angel Homies had also been eliminated.

  Despite their teological sophistication, these angelic robots still had limitations that o be addressed.

  Without the presence of Blood Sve Howard Saint, a Mythical Zoan Angel Fruit user capable of healing the wouheir casualties would have been far worse.

  Although the Rocks Pirates and Roger Pirates were currently willing to assist, it was clear that if the tide turned against them, they would abandotlefield without hesitation.

  After all, they were only involved for personal gain, with no obligation to risk their lives for the Fallen Angel Pirates.

  Of course, from the very beginning, El had no iion of fighting the Wovero the bitter end.

  The move depended entirely on their choices.

  "Do you think this dispy of power will frighten us?" Hammons William's expression was cold, his voice steady and firm.

  "No, no. This isn't meant thten you..." El's smile remained unged as he shook his head, replying with calm assurahis is merely a proposal. Let us coexist peacefully for the few years."

  "Wishful thinking...!"

  "Do you really believe we'll give you more time to grow stronger?"

  The Five Elders, exuding murderous i, radiated an air of dominance.

  Through telepathic dialogue, they unanimously agreed: regardless of whether they could rescue the kidnapped Celestial Dragons, they could not allow El to tinue rising unchecked.

  They refused to promise again.

  El, unfazed, cpped his hands.

  The Five Elders and Wover forces exged uneasy gnces.

  "Spsh..."

  Several sea beasts s to the shore, their massive jaws opening wide.

  From their mouths emerged rge bubble-shaped Homies soldiers carrying a massive proje Den Den Mushi.

  The meical creatures quickly assembled a rge s on the beach.

  "Buzz..."

  The Den Den Mushi's eyes opened, and the s flickered to life.

  Projected on the s was the image of a t and majestic military fortress.

  The bold kanji for "Mariood promily oructure, exuding authority and grandeur.

  It was her than the Marine Headquarters, Marineford.

  "That's... Marineford?"

  "The Marine Headquarters?"

  "What is this supposed to mean?"

  The Five Elders' eyelids twitched, while Hammons William, Steel Bone Kong, and Sengoku couldn't help but grimace.

  A sense of foreboding swept over them.

  "You've sent a Homies army to attack Marineford?" Hammons William's voice was heavy with suspi and rage as he gred at El. "That's the Marine Headquarters! It's heavily fortified and brimming with soldiers. It's impossible for you to take it easily!"

  "Mamamama~!" Currently engaged in bat with Saint Denis, Linlin burst into mog ughter.

  "Send a Homies army to attack Marineford? Do you think we'd do something that foolish?"

  El smiled wider.

  "Ah, and by the way... this broadcast? It's being streamed live to the entire world. Now, please enjoy the grand fireworks dispy we've prepared!"

  "What!?" the Five Elders excimed.

  Bleam