Chapter 494: Securing the Rear
Dust churned, and fierce winds howled.
Behind the blindingly radiant golden light of Gild Tesoro, several figures stepped out from the smoke and dust one after another.
Light and wind intertwined, their auras as vast as crashing waves; familiar wills swept across the entire battlefield.
—Zoro, Kuina, Ivankov, and Karasu made their entrance.
They had all been directly "swatted" here from afar by Bartholomew Kuma using the power of the Paw-Paw Fruit.
VMM—!!
The moment Zoro landed, the earth beneath his feet instantly cracked!
He raised his head, his eyes quickly locking onto the massive pink-gold dragon fighting fiercely against the colossal sandworm ahead.
The battlefield, woven with dragon breath and swirling sand, reflected the burning battle intent in his eyes!
"Luffy—!!!"
Zoro roared. Drawing all three swords, his aura surged like a rainbow. With a stomp of his foot, he transformed into a spinning tornado of blades and charged into the fray!
"Santoryu: Kokoba - Madaragari (Three Sword Style: Hellish Tiger Hunt)!!!"
Sword light swept out like a hurricane, the three famous blades flashing with razor-sharp brilliance—
In an instant, a bloody gash spanning hundreds of meters was slashed across the sandworm's colossal body!
Tacit understanding.
Comrades.
Dragon and sword resonated together!
"Haha—!! Beautifully done, Zoro!!!"
Luffy roared. With a slap of his tail, he kicked up a hurricane, sending the sandworm's massive body flying once again!
—Meanwhile.
A streak of silver light tore through the firmament.
Kuina arrived weightlessly, gripping the "Wado Ichimonji," her aura piercingly cold.
Blood-red wings unfurled from her back—blood wings condensed from the power of the Vampire Fruit!
Dark red blood-aura churned behind her. She looked up at Saint Mars in his Itsumade form in the sky, her gaze as sharp as a blade.
"Leave that bird in the sky to Ace and me!"
Her blood wings swept across the sky, her figure soaring straight into the clouds like a bolt of lightning!
In the air, raging flames suddenly detonated. Ace had already taken to the sky, wreathed in fire, looking like a miniature sun!
"Entei: Rin Enzan (Flame Emperor: Ring Flame Slash)—!!!" Ace shouted furiously.
"Blood Moon: Zanku (Sky-Slashing Blood Moon)—!!!" Kuina echoed.
Striking from above and below, their twin blades swept out. Red and black light intersected, as flames and blood aura formed a massive cross-shaped slash in mid-air—
"BOOM!!!"
The meteor-like energy scattered Saint Mars's black flames, setting the sky ablaze once more!
Ivankov laughed loudly, his eyelashes trembling as he tilted his massive head:
"DEATH—WINK!!!"
Pink energy erupted instantly. With a powerful blink, the energy fluctuation turned into a shockwave of air pressure, completely dispersing the incoming sword auras!
"My, my! The atmosphere on this battlefield is truly scorching hot!"
He struck an exaggerated pose, spreading his arms and casting pink light waves.
In the sky, a flock of crows circled.
Karasu transformed into a pitch-black curtain of shadows. Countless crows condensed into a pair of wings, blotting out the sun and blocking the incoming beam attacks from the sky.
"The Revolutionary Army, now fully intervening!" Karasu's voice echoed in the wind.
The battlefield was thoroughly set ablaze with a new wave of frenzy!
—Right at this moment, Tesoro took a deep breath.
His chest heaved violently, and golden light burst from within his body.
"Roy... you actually made all of this happen."
He gritted his teeth and stomped his foot fiercely—
"BOOM—!!!"
The earth roared, and a deafening explosion echoed from behind him.
The sky suddenly darkened. The moment everyone looked up, they saw an entire golden landmass plummeting down!
"What is that—?!!"
"A colossal golden continent?!!"
That was the multi-billion-ton solid gold mass he had condensed from the entirety of Gran Tesoro using the absolute limit of the Gold-Gold Fruit's power!
It had been swatted all the way here by Kuma using the power of the Paw-Paw Fruit!
"RUMBLE—!!!"
The golden landmass smashed into the ground, shattering the island and kicking up monstrous waves across the sea surface!
The entire battlefield sank amidst the tremors, rock layers cracking and the sky collapsing!
"Gold-Gold Fruit—Perfect Fusion Form!!!"
Tesoro roared, raising both hands. Golden light erupted from his palms as the massive block of gold began to flow, rapidly fusing into his body and merging with his will!
VMM—!!!
Instantly, Tesoro transformed into a Golden Giant towering hundreds of meters high!
His battle armor flowed like molten gold, his giant eyes burning with fury. Every breath he took was accompanied by thunderous roars.
"Celestial Dragons—!!"
He raised that blazing golden fist, laughing maniacally as he roared: "Every last one of you can go to hell!!!"
"BOOM—!!!"
The giant golden fist crashed down, the shockwave expanding like a solar flare. The formation of the God's Knights was instantly smashed to pieces, sending rubble and flames shooting into the sky!
—Meanwhile, at the onset of the battle.
Far away from the battlefield, in various parts of the world, another equally massive force was quietly operating.
—Marine Headquarters, Marineford.
Inside the combat briefing room, alarms wailed continuously and red lights flashed.
Countless intelligence officers ran back and forth, the reports from signalmen weaving into a chaotic cacophony.
"Immediately initiate full deployment of—'Project Equilibrium Defense'!"
Sengoku's voice was like a booming bronze bell, instantly silencing the entire room.
Draped in his Fleet Admiral cape, his gaze was as heavy as a mountain. "We must prioritize the bigger picture and put our faith in them."
His voice carried an awe-inspiring, oppressive majesty.
"Our objective is not to join the war, but—to ensure that these seas are not completely swallowed up."
"Yes, sir!"
Following his order, Chief Staff Officer Tsuru and a lineup of Marine elites stood up, their eyes as sharp as eagles'.
Unfurling a map of the world, she relayed the directives:
"Form the 'New Generation Combat Squad' with Law, Nami, Sanji, Usopp, and Chopper at the core. They will be responsible for stabilizing order in the Grand Line and the New World."
Her voice was calm and precise, her fingertips tracing across the meridians and wind belts on the map.
"Assist seafaring vessels, maintain communications and supplies, and rescue civilians—"
"Even if Mary Geoise is destroyed, the world's sea routes must endure."
"The aftershocks of this war cannot be allowed to destroy any more innocent lives."
—On another front.
"Assault Squad, move out!!!"
The sea breeze whipped violently. Gion (Momousagi) and Tokikake (Chaton) stood upon the deck of their flagship.
Behind them, hundreds of elite warships led by Vice Admirals were primed and ready, their cannons aimed at the horizon.
Gion drew her famous sword, "Konpira," her gaze as cold as frost.
"Objective: Purge uprisings and remnant factions across all regions, and shatter the lingering poison of the World Government!"
"Those who need to be cleansed—leave none alive!"
"YES, MA'AM!!!"
Cannons roared as the warships cleaved through the waves.
The vast fleet of "Justice" sailed into the stormy seas, the Marine flags fluttering in the wind, like a declaration of a new era.
What was even more surprising was that Morgans's intelligence network was actually coordinating perfectly with the Marines—
Amidst this worldwide upheaval, Morgans sat in his office, staring at the final frame of imagery a News Coo had risked its life to send back—
It was the exact moment Mary Geoise was reduced to ruins and the Golden Giant smashed into heaven and earth.
"Gugugu..."
Staring at the screen, an exaggerated grin stretched across his beak.
"A new era... is truly arriving."
"This is—the news of a new era where even 'Gods' will be replaced!!!"
—At the same time.
On a remote, distant island, gentle waves lapped against the sandy shore, the wind carrying the scent of salt and pine.
A towering figure stood quietly by the sea, draped in a cloak, holding a well-worn Bible in his hands.
The man lowered his head slightly, his voice as gentle as ever: "...Thank goodness, you grew up safely."
It was none other than—Bartholomew Kuma.
Standing before him was a dark-skinned, burly man. He looked up at Kuma, his usual arrogant demeanor completely gone.
Staring at Kuma's inexplicably familiar face, and the giant child deep in his memories who had saved him and his mother, the two faces gradually overlapped in his mind.
As the sea breeze swept past, his throat tightened, and his voice trembled:
"Are you..."