Aboard the colossal warship, the Ancient Weapon Pluton.
Rocks D. Xebec sat upon his high throne, his gaze fixed on the distant horizon toward the Holy Land, Mary Geoise. A faint, chilling smile played across his weathered features.
Everything was unfolding exactly as he had envisioned.
Rocks had long been aware of the existence of the eight Progenitors of the Celestial Dragons. Since faking his death decades ago, he had lurked in the shadows, unearthing the deepest, darkest secrets of the World Government.
Originally, he had expected the New Era Alliance's assault on Mary Geoise to force the Progenitors' hand, leading to a war of attrition that would leave both sides crippled. His plan was to wait for that moment of peak vulnerability before surfacing with Pluton to deliver the killing blow.
However, the Ninja Guild had exceeded his wildest expectations. Not only had they systematically executed the eight Progenitors, but they had also managed to bring down Imu—the true shadow ruler who commanded the Ancient Weapon Uranus.
Most crucially, the monstrously powerful figures within the Ninja Guild were now severely depleted, their bodies battered and their combat effectiveness at an all-time low.
"Lin Xuan... I truly must thank you," Rocks murmured, his smile widening. "Without you, clearing the path to the World Government's throne wouldn't have been nearly this simple."
His eyes flashed with a cold, predatory light. "As for you... you've served your purpose. Now, be a good stepping stone for my ascent."
With Pluton under his command, Rocks intended to erase both the remnants of the World Government and the exhausted Ninja Guild from the face of the earth. Once the dust settled, he would be the sole, undisputed King of the World.
"Captain, what are our orders?" Charlotte Linlin asked, her voice trembling with manic excitement. Beside her, Kaido and Golden Lion Shiki stood at the ready, their eyes locked on Rocks.
The forces of the Beast Pirates, the Big Mom Pirates, and the Golden Lion's flying fleet were all assembled on the massive deck, weapons drawn, waiting for the signal to ignite the world.
Rocks narrowed his eyes, a flicker of caution crossing his mind. "The World Government didn't just have Uranus. Mary Geoise hides a trump card even deeper than the Progenitors."
He stood up, his grin turning feral. "Man the main batteries. Target Mary Geoise. I want the entire city leveled. Leave no survivors—not a single Celestial Dragon, and certainly not the Guild."
Kaido and the others looked momentarily stunned by the sheer ruthlessness of the command.
"Mamamama! Now that is a plan I can get behind!" Big Mom cackled.
The thought of the Ninja Guild's leader being vaporized while in his weakened state delighted her. Both she and Kaido had lived in the Guild's shadow for too long, forced to restrain their subordinates to avoid provoking the mysterious organization. To see them wiped out in one stroke was a dream come true.
"Newgate is still down there," Shiki noted, his tone unreadable as he mentioned their former crewmate, Whitebeard.
"Edward Newgate?" Rocks snorted with disdain. "That fool enjoyed his bit of fame while the world thought I was dead. If he dies with the rest of the trash, so be it."
Shiki nodded, understanding the unspoken finality in Rocks' voice. Loyalty to old comrades meant nothing in the face of absolute dominion.
Rocks paused, a playful, cruel light dancing in his eyes. "Actually, let's start with an appetizer. I want to see exactly what this 'Pluton' can do—and I want those ants down there to feel the weight of their impending doom."
"Understood!" Shiki barked.
The deck of the ancient warship became a hive of activity. Massive, ornate cannons, dormant for centuries, groaned as they were calibrated and aimed.
BOOM!
The world seemed to fracture as Pluton's secondary batteries roared to life. The shockwave rattled the very fabric of space, a thunderous sound that felt like the heavens collapsing. A beam of concentrated destruction tore through the atmosphere, bridging the distance to the Red Line in a heartbeat.
CRACK—BOOM!
The impact was cataclysmic. A massive section of the supposedly indestructible Red Line disintegrated in a pillar of fire and pulverized rock. A ten-thousand-meter-wide gap was instantly carved into the continent, and the projectile continued its path, obliterating a distant island on the other side of the horizon before finally dissipating.
At the gates of Mary Geoise, the world went still.
"My God... is that the power of Pluton?"
"Look at the ship! They're turning the main batteries toward us! Do they mean to kill us all?"
"Run! We have to get out of here!"
Pandemonium erupted. The survivors of the previous battle, already traumatized, broke into a frantic, hopeless scramble for safety. But they had seen the speed of the attack; there was nowhere to run. The next volley would likely blanket the entire Holy Land.
Whitebeard's expression darkened. He hadn't expected Rocks to be this insane—to slaughter everyone, friend and foe alike, just to ensure total victory.
Yet, amidst the screaming crowds and the looming shadow of death, a strange pocket of silence remained.
The members of the Ninja Guild stood perfectly still. There was no panic in their eyes, no frantic searching for cover. They remained eerily composed, as if the mountain-leveling weapon pointed at their heads was nothing more than a minor inconvenience.
Whitebeard and his commanders froze, confused.
Why are they so calm? he wondered. Does Lin Xuan have one more miracle left in him?
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T/N:
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