Chapter 18: The Fist of a Saint — The God Who Bleeds
The screen didn't fade; it shattered like glass. The shards of the past were swept away by a sudden, violent broadcast from the future—the Egghead Incident. The leaden grey atmosphere was gone, replaced by the clinical, cold neon of the island of science.
[System: Establishing Authority — Who are the Five Elders?]
[Definition: The Warrior Gods of the World. The highest-ranking Celestial Dragons. The hidden hands that have steered history for 800 years.]
The Introduction: Saint Jaygarcia Saturn
As the screen showed the demonic, spider-like entity towering over the battlefield, a list of titles scrolled in blood-red text across the bottom.
* Name: Saint Jaygarcia Saturn.
* Title: Warrior God of Science and Defense.
* Sin: The architect of the Pacifista project and the man who turned a father into a toy and many more.
> [Morgans]: "KWA! Look at that monstrosity! That's not a human in a suit! That's a monster from the darkest depths of the ocean! The World Government is led by demons! THE TRUTH IS OUT!"
> [Random Marine]: "I... I've been taking orders from that? I thought the Elders were just wise old men... SQUEAK! (I feel sick...)"
> [Sengoku]: "SQUEAK! (The world was never supposed to see his true form. This is the end of the Navy's image... SQUEAK!)"
>
The Scene: The Moment of Retribution
The broadcast focused on the present moment in that future timeline. Jewelry Bonney was pinned under Saturn's massive, venomous leg. The Elder was gloating, his voice a distorted rasp that vibrated through the screens of every home in the world.
"You are just a bug, Bonney. Like your father. A sacrifice for the greater progress of the world."
Suddenly, the air in the broadcast changed. The sound of a heavy, mechanical footstep echoed. A shadow fell over Saturn.
Kuma was there. He shouldn't have been. He was supposed to be a mindless slave on the other side of the world. But his Buccaneer blood, fueled by 47 years of stored agony and a father's love, had overwritten the Government's programming.
The Feat: The Saint's Last Strike
Kuma didn't use his Paw-Paw Fruit. He didn't use a laser. He pulled back a massive, metal fist. The Haki coating it was so dense it looked like a black hole was forming around his arm.
[The World's Heartbeat:] For three seconds, every person in the world stopped breathing.
BOOM!!!
Kuma's fist connected with Saturn's face. The impact was so violent that the "Warrior God's" head was nearly twisted off his neck. One of Saturn's horns snapped like a dry twig. The demon-spider was sent flying through three titanium-reinforced buildings, leaving a trail of black blood and broken rubble.
> [Whitebeard]: "GURARARA! That's it! HIT HIM AGAIN, BRAT! Show that Old-Man what the fist of a human feels like!"
> [Marshall D. Teach]: "ZEHAHAHA! Look at the 'God' roll in the dirt! He bleeds just like anyone else! Kuma, I take back everything—you're the most terrifying man I've ever seen!"
> [Eustass Kid]: "YES! Break his face! Kill the bug! If a machine can do it, we can do it too!"
>
The Global Reaction: The Silence is Broken
The common people weren't just watching anymore. In the East Blue, the South Blue, and the Grand Line, people began to cheer. They weren't cheering for a pirate; they were cheering for a Father.
> [Random Citizen #99]: "He did it! He hit the one who took his wife! GO KUMA!"
> [Nami]: "That's for Ginny! That's for Bonney! Smash him into the sea!"
> [Monkey D. Luffy]: (Still silent on Sabaody, but his eyes are locked on the screen, a small, grim smile finally appearing on his face.)
>
The Aftermath of the Punch
The screen showed Saturn slowly rising from the rubble, his face a mess of regenerating flesh and fury. But the damage was done. The "invincibility" of the World Government had been shattered by a single, Haki-clad fist.
[System: The Peak of Emotion has been reached.]
[System: Initiating 'The Sovereign Trials' for Rank 47.]