The navy's emergency broadcast reiterated the announcement to the entire world.
Everyone felt the unknown oppression and began to act...
----
Holy Land, Marie Geoise.
The three-way standoff lasted for a moment before Sakazuki suddenly laughed:
"How dull..."
From that single blow, he could tell that it was impossible to deal with that guy.
The same went for the fostered idiot in the distance, utterly useless.
His body naturally reclined, and lava surged from the ground, forming a colossal rock for Sakazuki to sit upon.
Sakazuki's gaze swept across Marie Geoise, a place neither large nor small.
The Five Elders, the Holy Knights, Kong, Sengoku, Garp, Dragon, and the fostered Nika, as well as the person at the very center.
The remaining powerhouses in the world, openly speaking, were gathered here. As for the others, including the vermin within the navy, they had all been cleaned out.
Sakazuki looked towards the Five Elders and the person in the center, and said in a drawn-out tone:
"If he is your trump card, you will soon be able to rest in peace as you die..."
His gaze landed in the direction of the man wearing the crown.
The curly-haired Five Elder stepped forward, his voice stern:
"How dare you speak to Lord Imu..."
Sakazuki stared at the old man and flicked his finger.
Whoosh—
Boom!!!!!!!!!
The Five Elder wielding a sword had appeared before him at some point, his demonic blade held horizontally, blocking Sakazuki's finger gun.
The immense explosion silenced the curly-haired Five Elder's words. Cold sweat beaded on his forehead; if he died on the verge of victory, it would be a huge joke...
Sakazuki, seated on the lava boulder, said leisurely:
"Quite fast."
His gaze shifted to the curly-haired Five Elder, and he spoke:
"You dog-like creature."
"The last guy who dared to talk to me like that still has his head on display at Navy Headquarters."
The curly-haired Five Elder's eyes bulged with rage, and he was about to retort when the sword-wielding Five Elder in front of him raised a hand to stop him. He looked towards Sakazuki and said solemnly:
"What, do you intend to overthrow the World Government single-handedly?"
"Should I call you confident... or arrogant..."
"Sakazuki..."
He did not include Sengoku, Garp, or Dragon in his assessment. Given the near-peace talks earlier and the incident with the transformed Nika, Sakazuki was clearly not allied with them.
Everyone looked at Sakazuki, vaguely sensing that Sakazuki was somehow different now, as if some shackles had been broken.
His words were so sharp...
Sakazuki shook his head and said:
"I have suppressed the seas for decades."
"Those Emperors and Kings who once roamed the oceans are all dead."
"And I am still sitting here, so what do you think?"
The sword-wielding Five Elder narrowed his eyes:
"Then you are truly arrogant..."
Sakazuki smiled and said:
"Arrogant?"
"Perhaps."
"But none of you present today will leave alive."
"You are the world's last remaining refuse."
"Let my magma send you off..."
Imu's voice, shielded by the Five Elders and the Knights of God, rang out:
"I do not see in you any ambition to rule the world."
Hearing the commotion, the Five Elders quickly lowered their heads and stepped aside.
The mysterious figure named 'Imu' slowly descended and looked at Sakazuki.
Sakazuki said in a drawn-out tone:
"Of course, I have no desire to rule the world."
"But I have been displeased with all the people and things in this world for a long time."
His gaze swept over Sengoku, Garp, Kong, the Five Elders...
"Now."
His voice, chilling and ominous, rang out:
"They are all dead..."
However, the mysterious figure named 'Imu' still seemed confused:
"Is it merely for this reason?"
Sakazuki closed his eyes, and scenes of this world flashed through his mind...
"Is this not enough?"
"You cannot imagine the torment of someone who has fallen from light into darkness."
"So much torment that everything I see, I instinctively want to destroy, because it is too ugly."
"Because those filthy things fill my vision."
"There are ferocious pirates, self-righteous marines, self-indulgent nobles, and foolish nations..."
"But I had to endure them."
"I joined the army at twelve and have been walking on thin ice every day until today."
"Because I feared I would accidentally destroy them, preventing me from achieving my goal."
"Until today."
"I no longer need to restrain myself..."
"Because you, the last refuse..."
"Are about to die..."
He slowly opened his eyes, his gaze, a bizarre intermingling of extreme madness and reason, fixed on everyone.
A silence fell over them. The reason was crazy and utterly speechless.
Yes.
From the perspective of the people in this world, it was a speechless reason...
The people in Marie Geoise even wondered when Sakazuki had gone mad...
Even the mysterious 'Imu' was stunned by Sakazuki's words. Sengoku, standing with Garp in the distance, seemed to have a realization and said grimly:
"Then Kuzan and Borsalino..."
Sakazuki's eyes, a bizarre blend of madness and reason, suddenly retracted. He looked at Sengoku, and his indifferent voice echoed:
"That's right."
"I killed them."
"If you people weren't somewhat useful, I would have dispatched you long ago."
"A bunch of guys wearing the cloak of 'justice' and acting as they please, yet they dare to call themselves justice."
"Dithering, lazy, colluding with thieves and enemies, yet they dare to be called soldiers."
"A joke..."
"I can also tell you this."
"With the downfall of the Four Emperors and all of you present, the strong in this world will be thoroughly purged."
As Sakazuki continued his narration, the extreme madness surged into his eyes once more:
"Only a few small fry will remain."
"With a gentle press from me, I can crush them..."
Everyone was dumbfounded, looking at Sakazuki, whose expression on the giant rock was somewhat manic. They all thought of one word:
"Madman..."
But it was precisely because of this Sakazuki that no one dared to step forward.
Even the carefree Nika-formed Luffy showed a flicker of fear.
Unexpectedly, the mad Sakazuki suddenly regained clarity. A colossal magma sword, unprecedented in size, erupted from the ground of Marie Geoise, slashing towards Imu.
----
New World, New Marineford.
On the execution platform.
Carole looked at the deserted island and, through the Den Den Mushi in her hand, announced to the world:
"Citizens worldwide, please unite all available forces and overcome this crisis together."
"Navy branches worldwide must take the initiative to lead, ensuring the safety of every citizen in their vicinity. Do not hesitate to sacrifice yourselves when necessary; this is the navy's responsibility and obligation..."
Boom—!
Boom—!!
Rumble—!!!
The island shook violently, and the video feed abruptly cut off.
Global communications were severed, plunging the world into silence...
Carole stopped speaking, put down the Den Den Mushi, and turned to look in the direction of the towering Red Line.
The already red Red Line had become even more crimson, transforming into magma that continuously surged upwards, boiling the sea.
Bizarre water pockets bulged on the ocean's surface, and the islands on either side of the Red Line cracked and collapsed.
New Marineford slowly sank, all its buildings collapsing. Carole knelt helplessly on the execution platform, her hoarse, pained voice ringing out:
"Fleet Admiral Sakazuki..."
----
The Moon.
Endless thunderclouds enveloped the lunar surface.
Sote manipulated a dense array of receiving equipment, uniformly distributed across the moon, maintaining formation.
On the highest peak of the moon, empty nutrient solution boxes and scattered bottles littered the ground. Barrett hugged the Pluton's main cannon.
Roar—!!!!
Like the roar of an ancient demon god.
Barrett entered his spirit-hagoromo mode, his entire body glowing azure. He roared ferociously, his eyes crimson, growing rapidly. With the boost from the nutrient solutions, he transformed into a colossal blue giant hundreds of meters tall.
The Pluton's main cannon he held also grew in size, like the cannon of a star destroyer. Barrett raised his arms, holding it aloft, and aimed it at Marie Geoise.
Before him was a massive projection. As the cannon's angle shifted slightly,
The image displayed everything happening on the Red Line. Sakazuki suddenly manipulated magma, a colossal sword of lava slashing towards Imu.
Enel, transforming into lightning, raised his golden staff and fired bolts of electricity. Through the thunderclouds, he connected to Sote's equipment and the lightning that covered the moon.
Endless energy surged into his body. His form swelled several times over, his skin and muscles beginning to tear, blood flowing from his seven orifices. He forcibly inserted his golden staff into the charging chamber of Pluton's main cannon.
Blood stained Enel's eyes, and a mixture of tears and blood trickled down his face.
Enel seemed to have lost all strength and fell from the sky, but he raised his hand, trying to grasp the figure on the enormous blue planet in the sky, which seemed within reach:
"Uncle Sakazuki..."
His arm passed through the figure, revealing it to be merely an illusion...
Enel lost his sanity, his arm frantically grasping at the air:
"No!!!!"
The lightning that covered the entire moon.
In an instant, it fully charged the Pluton's main cannon, amplified hundreds of times.
In the projection before Barrett, above the Red Line, a terrifying black shadow appeared again with Sakazuki's attack...
Boom!!!!!
The Pluton's main cannon, imbued with infinite energy, fired.
This energy cannon, capable of piercing stars, grew larger and larger as it flew, aiming for the area above the Red Line, engulfing heaven and earth, leaving no escape...
Plop—
Barrett's legs gave out, and he collapsed to the ground, falling forward.
The hundreds of times amplification and the endless lightning had rendered even Barrett unconscious...
----
Holy Land, Marie Geoise.
The moment endless white light erupted from the starry sky, the individual named 'Imu's' pupils constricted, and he looked at Sakazuki:
"You're seeking death!!!!"
He had been tricked...
This guy's madness was all an act...
It was all to draw out...
Damn it!!!!
It was too late. The familiar sensation from the sky, even stronger by hundreds or thousands of times than eight hundred years ago, made escape impossible...
There was no struggle, because 'Imu' knew it was futile. Everyone knew their limits.
And that attack surpassed the limits of this world...
In the final moments of his life, 'Imu' stared intently at Sakazuki.
Over there.
His forward momentum halted, the colossal magma sword stopped abruptly.
Sakazuki's mocking voice echoed through Marie Geoise:
"I will use these forty-odd years of walking on thin ice..."
"To exchange for your World Government's eight-hundred-year foundation."
A malicious smile curled his lips:
"How about it?"
...
...
Boom————!!!!!!!!!
The very planet seemed to tremble and crack.
People on countless islands slumped to the ground, gazing in that direction.
The magma from the planet's core unleashed destructive power, and the energy in the sky annihilated everything. Caught in the clash between these two forces, Marie Geoise, along with everyone within it, was obliterated in body and soul before they could even react.
What was called the god 'Imu', the liberated warrior 'Nika', the world's strongest Armament Haki, the world's most powerful five individuals, all these titles became meaningless.
Under the explosive clash of such energy, no one could last for two seconds...
Nor was there any of the ridiculous back-and-forth of fairy tales.
Sakazuki had always used the most ruthless and thorough methods to eliminate his enemies.
Leaving no loose ends...