The thundering sounds of the demonic giants prostrating themselves in surrender echoed continuously, just as Naruto had said earlier.
This scene not only made the faces of the God's Knights darken, but even the giants on their own side looked at each other in bewilderment, seemingly unable to comprehend what had just happened.
"Am… amazing. With just one strike…"
Ripley's eyes widened, forgetting to thrust her spear.
She looked at Naruto, who was still floating in mid-air, then lowered her head to look at her husband.
"Gaban, is this that very impressive junior you mentioned before? This is just too incredible."
Hearing his wife's words, Gaban wasn't in much better shape, also wearing a dumbfounded expression.
He had expected Naruto's entrance to be shocking, but not to this extent.
"Hah… haha, this kid has gotten stronger again."
The last time he had seen Naruto was when the Roger Pirates disbanded. After that, he had only learned about Naruto through newspapers or visiting old comrades.
The most recent was the 'big news' of the Marineford War. Back then, Gaban had simply remarked, "That Naruto kid has really grown into a fine man."
Since the newspapers hadn't detailed Naruto's battle process, and Elbaf didn't have any Den Den Mushi for broadcasting, Gaban had assumed that no matter how strong Naruto got, he would probably be at the level of an Emperor.
And that was him raising his estimation as high as possible.
Looking at it now, this was far from just a 'fine man'… this was practically a superman.
"Roooar!!"
The pinned demonic giants naturally wouldn't give up resisting, but no matter how they struggled or strained, the terrifying, invisible force pressed down on every inch of their skin.
The giants' massive size had become a burden.
Naruto, of course, hadn't forgotten about the God's Knights either. The same gravity was also applied to their bodies.
"So heavy!"
Maffey struggled to lift her arm.
They weren't crushed like the giants, but it certainly hampered their movements.
Fortunately, Gunko quickly figured out a way to counter it.
"Omnidirectional Arrow—"
The arrows composing her armor scattered rapidly, then slithered like snakes onto the other God's Knights, forming upward-pointing arrows on their bodies.
Instantly, most of the gravity acting on their bodies was canceled out by the opposing force. While not completely negated, it no longer hindered their movements.
"Not a bad ability. I remember you."
Naruto spoke as if recalling something trivial, making no move to stop their resistance.
"As for your masters… never mind, it doesn't matter. I'll find them after I deal with you."
He looked down at the God's Knights with a condescending gaze, the same way they once looked down on commoners from Mary Geoise.
Feeling that gaze, Gunko felt a surge of anger quietly rise.
Despite her usual cold, almost 'dazed' demeanor, that was only a display of 'humanity' reserved for her fellow 'World Nobles'.
—No, not even that. Only the 'noble ones' who were also God's Knights were considered her equals.
This wouldn't change even after suffering losses at Naruto's hands several times. Imu's brainwashing had penetrated her very being, burying the true self that once belonged to a princess of some forgotten kingdom.
The other God's Knights reacted similarly, even Sommers, that old degenerate, couldn't maintain his perverse smile, staring upwards with equal fury.
They wouldn't be this angry even if cursed, spat upon, or attacked with the vilest language.
Because those were just the powerless death throes of the lowly.
But Naruto was different.
He truly looked down on them.
It was an absolute contempt, regardless of strength or bloodline. Even just a casual remark or an offhand glance was enough to ignite fury in these individuals.
"Bastard! There's a limit to looking down on people!"
Maffey roared. Countless energy particles rapidly gathered near her mouth, forming a dazzling laser that shot towards Naruto.
Her roar was like a war drum. The other God's Knights each unleashed their abilities, all targeting the blasphemer in the sky.
Facing those straightforward slashes and energy blasts, Naruto didn't even dodge, simply ignoring them.
However, he noticed a certain God's Knight subtly activating their Devil Fruit ability. His figure vanished from everyone's sight in an instant, as if teleporting.
Direct attacks were easy to handle, but the bizarre powers of some Devil Fruits were troublesome, especially without knowing their basic principles.
Common knowledge ranked Devil Fruits with Logia above Paramecia, with Zoans last.
For most sea-faring powerhouses, certain ancient or mythical Zoans were actually considered the most formidable.
But for Naruto, who had already transcended mortal limits in both body and energy, neither a Zoan's physical enhancement nor a Logia's manipulation of natural disasters posed a threat.
At this point, Paramecia fruits with bizarre, logic-defying abilities were the most dangerous.
Almost the instant Naruto vanished, a pale purple light wave swept across the spot he had just occupied.
"Tch!"
The purple-haired knight wearing a mask clicked her tongue quietly. That great sinner's intuition was too sharp.
She was the [Rotation Human] who had eaten the Kaiten Kaiten no Mi. (T/N: Rotate-Rotate Fruit.)
Unlike Buffalo, who could only spin his own torso into a propeller to become a human vehicle, she was more similar to Foxy of the Noro Noro no Mi, able to emit special rays through her attacks. (T/N: Slow-Slow Fruit.)
An opponent hit by her Rotation Ray would start spinning uncontrollably. Anyone with poor balance would lose their ability to act from dizziness without her needing to lift another finger.
And even if one could resist the dizziness, the spinning couldn't be stopped, making it difficult to attack or evade.
In the split-second exchanges between experts, such a flaw was fatal.
But if it didn't hit, then it was all for nothing.
"Don't be so impatient. I'm not your opponent."
This time, Naruto's voice came from behind them. When the knights turned, they saw the squirrel Ragnir, who had hidden somewhere earlier, now held in Naruto's arms. The hole pierced in its waist had been healed by Naruto.
Ragnir hadn't wanted to be touched by a human like Naruto.
—In fact, it wasn't just humans… even other giants were unacceptable.
It was a stubborn creature, essentially a weapon. Aside from its owner Loki, Ragnir disliked being handled by anyone else.
Of course, its opinion didn't matter. The key was that the squirrel's speed and strength were insufficient to escape Naruto's grasp, so it was forced to stay put for the treatment.
Whoosh—
A sound of extreme speed tearing through the air.
It was Shamrock. His fury and hatred could no longer be contained.
Cerberus reformed in his hand as a shattered blade, but black flames burned in the gaps between the fragments, just like those in the magic circle.
This was Imu's power.
Imu had not only restored Shamrock's body but had also granted him even greater power.
The cost was the scars on Shamrock's body that could never be erased. Even if he cut off a limb and regenerated, the scars would follow like a persistent curse.
"Die! Sinner!"
Almost the same scene as last time in Impel Down.
Shamrock greeted Naruto with a Conqueror's Haki slash.
But unlike last time, Naruto didn't draw his weapon.
Crack…
With just two fingers, Naruto pierced through the Haki coating Cerberus, precisely pinching the blade.
Even the black demonic flames spreading from the blade couldn't burn him.
"I told you, I'm not your opponent… see, they're here."
Almost the moment Naruto finished speaking, a massive shadow emerged from the thunderclouds Ragnir had summoned earlier, silently floating above everyone's heads.
Simultaneously, dozens of figures dove down from the island's edge, heading straight for their position.
Shamrock recognized the most familiar figure among them at first glance.
Shanks.