Roger burst into a boisterous laugh at the sight before him.
Winking playfully at Steel Bone Kong, he turned to Rayleigh and shouted, "Rayleigh, do you see that? This is the power of the New Era Alliance! Regardless of whether you're an enemy or not, we won't stand by when lives are on the line. Once they're saved, if they still want to fight, we can just beat them to death then!"
His voice was thunderous, carrying across the battlefield so that every person present heard him clearly.
The World Government officials turned various shades of crimson, their faces flushing with a mix of shame and fury, yet they found themselves utterly speechless. Steel Bone Kong looked as though he wanted to charge over and tear Roger apart, while Sengoku and the others wore expressions of profound complexity.
Roger's words were abrasive, but they weren't wrong. They were currently being shielded and saved by the very "enemies" they sought to destroy. Meanwhile, the one they had pinned all their hopes on—Lord Imu—was the very reason they had been plunged into such mortal peril.
RUMBLE!
The violent collisions above continued unabated. Great fissures spider-webbed across the Red Line as the sky itself seemed to shudder under the pressure of the conflict.
The battle raged for what felt like an eternity until—
BOOM!
A sudden, ear-splitting explosion rocked the air. A figure plummeted from the clouds like a falling star, trailing smoke as they slammed into the massive ramparts of the Holy Land, Mary Geoise. The impact was so great that an entire section of the reinforced stone wall collapsed into rubble.
Every eye on the battlefield snapped toward the wreckage. Hearts leaped into throats.
Is it over?
Who won?
A heavy, eerie silence descended over the plateau. Everyone held their breath, staring intensely at the settling dust. As the haze cleared, a mangled figure was revealed amidst the broken masonry. Drenched in blood and looking utterly wretched, the figure lay broken.
It was Imu.
A second later, breaking the stunned silence, Monkey D. Luffy let out a massive, cheering laugh. "It's that weird old guy! Hahaha! I knew Uncle Uchiha and the others would win!"
Nami, startled by his sudden outburst, didn't hesitate to smack him upside the head, driving his face into the dirt. "Read the room, you idiot!"
Her scolding broke the spell. The other pirates began to cheer wildly, and the members of the Ninja Guild allowed themselves triumphant smiles.
However, as Lin Xuan and his team descended from the sky, the cheers died in many throats.
Uchiha Madara, landing nearby, felt his eye twitch at Luffy's words. Uncle Uchiha? He was certainly old enough, but being called "Uncle" by a brat like that felt... irritating.
The crowd's attention shifted to Lin Xuan, and the atmosphere shifted from celebration to shock. Konis and Boa Hancock paled, their expressions twisting with concern. Konis immediately began sprinting toward him.
Lin Xuan's upper clothing had been completely incinerated. His torso was covered in jagged wounds, and he was soaked in blood. He looked incredibly frail, swaying on his feet as if a stiff breeze might knock him over.
The Guild Master was heavily injured!
The onlookers were stunned. In all the wars they had witnessed, Lin Xuan had always appeared untouchable, moving through chaos with an air of invincible calm. This was the first time they had seen him bleed—and he wasn't just bleeding; he looked half-dead.
To defeat Imu, the cost had been staggering. This was undoubtedly the most vulnerable Lin Xuan had ever been. Beside him, even Uchiha Madara and the others looked worn down, their reanimated bodies showing signs of severe damage and exhaustion.
"So this is the power of the Ancient Weapon, Uranus..." Roger and Whitebeard breathed in unison. They understood Lin Xuan's strength better than most, and seeing him in this state drove home just how terrifying Imu truly was.
Among the World Government ranks, Steel Bone Kong and Sengoku felt a crushing sense of despair. Lord Imu had fallen. The war was over, and the World Government had lost. Even if Lin Xuan was crippled, the Ninja Guild still had plenty of fighters left. Mary Geoise was defenseless.
In the midst of the tension, Jiraiya glanced at Lin Xuan, his eyes narrowing as he took in the "horrific" wounds. Wait... something isn't right, he thought. I know the Guild Master is a master of Medical Ninjutsu. Why hasn't he even attempted to close those gashes?
He paused, then discreetly shifted his consciousness to the "Hokage World Chat Group" in his mind. After a quick glance at the messages, his lips twitched into a microscopic smirk.
This Guild Master... he's far too sinister.
Immediately, Jiraiya's face transformed into one of frantic worry. He sprinted toward Lin Xuan, shouting commands to the others to form a defensive perimeter. The Ninja Guild members reacted instantly, surrounding their "weakened" leader with grim determination.
"Buzz—!"
Just as everyone believed the curtain was falling on the era of the World Government, a low, mechanical hum vibrated across the ocean. The sound grew into a roar that resonated in the very bones of those standing on the Red Line.
Heads turned toward the sea.
"What is that?" someone screamed.
In the distance, a gargantuan shadow emerged from the mist. It was like a floating mountain of steel, cutting through the waves with predatory speed. The sound of grinding metal and massive engines filled the air, radiating an overwhelming pressure that made the hair on everyone's neck stand up.
As it drew closer, the veterans of the old era—Roger, Whitebeard, Kong, Sengoku, and Garp—felt their blood run cold. Roger and Garp, in particular, looked as if they had seen a ghost.
Whitebeard's eyes widened to the size of saucers, his voice a disbelieving rasp.
"How is this possible... That's Rocks' ship?!"
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T/N:
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