Immediately after, a cold command echoed from Mary Geoise. "Resume construction of the Tequila Wolf bridge at any cost!"
All of this stemmed from Imu's fury. The colossal bridge had been under construction for centuries. Although work had halted eight years prior due to resistance from the Revolutionary Army, the structure was a true marvel of engineering.
Imu's original goal was to connect the Four Seas to Mary Geoise. The plan was simple: build a massive transoceanic bridge linking the East Blue, South Blue, West Blue, and North Blue in a continuous loop. As the bridge would inevitably cross the Red Line, it would create a direct land route from Mary Geoise to all four seas.
Of course, that was merely one of its uses. For Imu, the bridge served a much deeper purpose. He needed to reclaim His power!
Recent events had left Imu feeling unsettled. From the awakening of the sea to Ryuuto's assault on Mary Geoise with Raigo, He could feel the world slowly slipping from His grasp.
The future had become unknowable.
The sea-spanning structure, also known as the Bridge of Despair or the Slave Bridge, had already connected the East Blue to the South Blue and the West Blue to the North Blue. All that remained were the final segments between the East and North Blue, and the West and South Blue. Completion was only a few decades away.
But Imu could wait no longer.
With this command, the Marines began to cooperate, throwing countless slaves with grievous sins onto the Bridge of Despair to serve as laborers. The World Government also started cracking down on non-affiliated nations, actively capturing their citizens to serve as slave labor for the bridge's construction.
In a short time, the entire world began to spiral into a state of chaotic madness.
And all the while, unnoticed by the common people, the sea level was steadily rising. A crisis born from the ocean itself now loomed over the heads of all humanity.
Imu was the one most aware of this. The construction of Tequila Wolf was one of His countermeasures.
Not only that, but other butterfly effects were taking place. On one hand, the Marines were frantically capturing pirates to use as laborers on the bridge. On the other hand, pirates were now targeting the bounties offered by the Justice Guild. After all, with Ryuuto being a Yonko certified by Morgans himself, many rookie pirates were willing to take the chance.
But for the moment, none of this had anything to do with Ryuuto.
He was currently lying on a simple wooden bed with a grayish-brown mattress. The room was sparsely decorated, with bare marble walls and only a few candlesticks for light. Ryuuto slowly opened his eyes...
"Hm? Where am I?" The first thing Ryuuto noticed was the unfamiliar surroundings.
"You're awake!"
As if hearing him stir, a brown-skinned woman with straight bangs rushed into the room.
"You're... Ahiru?" Ryuuto instantly recognized her by the pink mechanical prosthetic on her left arm. "Does that mean... I'm in Baltigo?"
Ryuuto couldn't help but guess, since the most likely place for Ahiru, the Vice-Commander of the East Army, to be was the Revolutionary Army's headquarters.
"Erm... you seem to know more about us than I expected!" Ahiru said, her eyes curiously sizing him up.
"Lady Betty found you yesterday, but she had to leave for a mission. Before she left, she asked me to take good care of you!" Ahiru explained after a brief pause.
"I see. Thank you so much! I suppose I don't need to introduce myself, then. I'm sure you already know who I am," Ryuuto said gratefully.
The two then left the room and made their way toward the main hall.
"Ahiru, is Dragon here?" Ryuuto asked as they walked, observing the architectural style around him. He finally couldn't resist asking. After all, since he had killed Garp, his relationship with Dragon had become incredibly delicate.
"Mr. Dragon hasn't been seen for some time! Not only that, but the other commanders are all out on missions as well. There are hardly any people left here right now," Ahiru replied after giving Ryuuto a deep look.
The two then arrived at the main hall. Only three people were inside: Sabo, Hack, and Koala.
"Ryuuto, let me make some introductions!" Ahiru began, pointing to each person in turn. "This is our martial arts instructor, Hack. He teaches everyone Fish-Man Karate. This is Sabo, one of our younger members who's improving very quickly. And this is Koala, our logistics manager."
Then Ahiru looked at the three of them, her expression making it clear that Ryuuto needed no introduction.
"Ryuuto!! Thank you!!" Koala shouted, rushing forward with an excited expression.
The reason for her gratitude was, of course, the fact that Ryuuto had moved the entirety of Fish-Man Island to the surface. At the same time, Hack also cast a grateful look in his direction.
Just by meeting them, Ryuuto had already earned the friendship of two.
"Hahahahahaha, it was nothing at all!" Ryuuto said, waving his hand modestly.
Sabo was still in a state of amnesia, unable to remember his childhood. At this moment, he was extremely curious about Ryuuto. This man was truly incredible. He had not only caused a huge commotion at the Summit War but had also moved Fish-Man Island from the bottom of the sea.
Ahiru watched this scene with a smile.
After some more small talk, Ryuuto decided it was time to leave. Coming to Baltigo had been a complete accident, and back on Skypiea, Hancock, Nami, and Vivi were surely still worried about him.
Accompanied by Ahiru, Ryuuto went to the surface and saw the island known as the Land of White Soil. The island was a vast white desert composed of a special type of white rock. Its climate was extreme, with constant, violent sandstorms. This harsh natural environment served as a natural barrier, making it extremely difficult for outsiders to find or approach.
Just as Ryuuto was about to take out the Vivre Card from his pocket, suddenly... A wave of energy rippled through the sky above.
Massive dark clouds began to gather, with flashes of purple light flickering within them.
"What a fateful encounter," Ryuuto's lips curved into a meaningful smile as he thought to himself.
Ahiru stared at the sky in shock. She had no idea what was about to happen, but the intense energy fluctuations in the air created an immense pressure that made her feel extremely uncomfortable.
Then, within the dark clouds, a giant purple pentagram appeared. It was Imu's teleportation circle! But the scale of this circle wasn't as exaggerated as the one at Fish-Man Island. Ryuuto deduced that it was most likely one of the Five Elders being teleported over.
Ryuuto's guess was indeed quite reasonable. The reason was simple: since Imu intended to restart the construction of the Bridge of Despair, He worried that the Revolutionary Army would cause trouble again, so He decided to strike them first. After all, Baltigo, located in Paradise, was an easy target.
As the pentagram activated, a powerful burst of Conqueror's Haki erupted, and countless streams of black and red lightning shot downward... In an instant, the sky changed color. The white rocks on the ground cracked, and the Revolutionary Army headquarters groaned as if on the verge of collapse.
"What's happening?" With a sharp cry, Sabo, Hack, and Koala ran out, followed by numerous Revolutionary soldiers.
Screech! From within the pentagram, eight thick, black spider legs emerged, surrounded by wisps of black flame clouds.
Another powerful blast of Conqueror's Haki instantly erupted!! The Revolutionary soldiers on the ground felt as if their minds had been struck by a heavy blow. The terror, transcending physical limits, caused them to faint on the spot.
"What is this power?! It's too strong!" Sabo's eyes went blank, sweat pouring down his forehead.
"It's Conqueror's Haki!!" Hack's face turned grim as he glanced at the soldiers lying all over the ground.
Koala was also struggling to endure, her hands clenched so tightly that blood was starting to seep out.
"What is this thing? It's terrifying... it makes you feel like you can't even fight back," Ahiru said, slowly raising her left hand to aim at Saint Saturn in the sky. Her expression was grim. Then, she turned her gaze to Ryuuto beside her.
"Ryuuto will do something, right?"
"After all, he's a great pirate with a bounty of 3 billion Berries!"
Ahiru placed all her hope in Ryuuto.
Below the pentagram, the Ushi-Oni form of Saint Saturn was about to fully materialize before everyone. Ryuuto decided he could wait no longer...
Stomping hard on the ground, he unleashed countless golden sparks of lightning. As he shot upward, he rapidly transformed into his lightning plasma state...
By the time he reached the sky, he had transformed into his 3-meter-tall Thunder God form, his entire body a mass of golden lightning plasma.
Screech! A torrent of golden lightning erupted from Ryuuto, piercing the very air and leaving behind the smell of burning ozone.
"Just in time, Saint Saturn!!"
"Thunder Abyss: Thousand-Blade Rend!"
With a sharp cry, Ryuuto drew the sword Kuilong from his waist, unleashing countless dazzling golden slashes in an instant.
This move was an evolution of his original "Thunder Abyss: Thousand-Thorn Spear," but it had been changed from lightning arrows to slashes.
Screech!! The sky-filling golden slashes had completely liquefied, cutting through space itself as they surged toward Saint Saturn with terrifying power.
"What? How can I run into Ryuuto even here?!" Saint Saturn's mood soured the moment he saw Ryuuto's figure. He had just come here for an easy victory. Who would have thought that the missing Ryuuto would appear here?
Everything Ryuuto had done at Mary Geoise was still fresh in his mind. This made Saint Saturn feel a bit intimidated.
But he had to fight back. Saint Saturn's face darkened. He met Ryuuto's slashes head-on, his eight black spider legs, wreathed in flame clouds and coated in a massive amount of Conqueror's Haki.
BOOM!! BOOM! BOOM! In an instant, the powerful collision of their attacks painted the entire sky in two different colors. Golden lightning and black-and-red Haki clashed continuously. A powerful shockwave swept outward, sending the white sands of Baltigo flying into the air.
"So strong! Is this their true power?" Sabo watched, mesmerized. From that moment on, a seed of ambition was planted in his heart. He didn't want to be as powerless as he was now. The next time, he would be the one standing at the pinnacle of the world.
Ahiru stared blankly at the sky, a thought crossing her mind. "If Ryuuto hadn't been here, all of us would have been finished today!"
"Saint Saturn, are you prepared to die?"
"Perhaps this time, it will be you who falls!" Ryuuto said coldly, holding his sword horizontally.
"What? You insignificant ants actually managed to kill Lord Imu?!" Only then did Saint Saturn realize the final outcome of the battle at Mary Geoise! His heart pounded in his chest, his mind reeling with disbelief.
BANG!!
As the golden lightning plasma and Armament Haki were consumed, the two opposing forces in the sky slammed into each other, creating a massive explosion. Countless waves of energy flooded the sky.
On the ground, sand and stones flew everywhere, making it impossible for anyone to open their eyes.
"Stare!" Hidden behind the blinding light of the explosion, Saint Saturn's eyes turned blood-red as he stared directly at Ryuuto. This was his ability, allowing him to immobilize others with his gaze.
DUM!!
However, the only response he received was the crisp beat of a drum. The sound was like a clap of thunder, instantly shattering his ability and sending an invisible shockwave slamming into his body.
For a moment, he felt his own energy fall into disarray. The sensation was extremely unsettling.
It made him remember what had happened at Mary Geoise...
"No, I can't keep fighting! If Ryuuto forms that giant thunder drum, my life will be forfeit." Saturn's mind raced. The thought of retreating had already taken hold.
With Ryuuto here, there was no reason to continue the fight. No one wanted to throw their life away.
In an instant, beams of light shot from Saint Saturn's eyes, blasting toward the people on the ground below.
BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!!
Countless red projectiles rained down as Saint Saturn aimed directly at Ahiru, Sabo, and the others.
"You bastard, Saint Saturn! Picking on the weak!" Ryuuto couldn't tolerate this. He swung Kuilong repeatedly, blocking Saturn's attacks.
While Ryuuto was occupied, a purple pentagram began to form at Saint Saturn's feet.
Seeing this, Ryuuto understood Saturn's intentions.