Gradually, the despair-inducing light began to fade.
When everyone tremblingly opened their eyes again, the sight before them shook their very souls. It was a scene they would never forget for as long as they lived.
The lush, vibrant island that had once stood there was gone without a trace.
In its place was a gigantic abyss, still melting and collapsing in on itself.
Scalding magma flowed along the edge of the pit, releasing terrifying heat, while the surrounding seawater seemed to be pulled by some mysterious force and poured madly into the newly formed crater.
The moment vast amounts of seawater touched the extreme heat, they vaporized instantly, sending up thick white fog that blotted out the sky and covered the entire area in a hazy veil.
The air was filled with the sharp stink of ozone and sulfur, mixed with a burnt smell that made people want to vomit.
Fine ash drifted down from the sky like black snow, landing on everyone's shoulders and faces, bringing with it a cold, hopeless feeling.
The deathly silence was finally broken by Whitebeard's hoarse yet majestic voice.
"Gurararara… The power of that shot is beyond imagination. It's ten times more terrifying than a full-force strike from my Tremor-Tremor Fruit!"
A trace of solemn awe appeared in his eyes, and Murakumogiri trembled faintly in his hand.
Kaido suddenly raised his head and downed an entire barrel of strong liquor, trying to use the alcohol to suppress the shock and excitement in his heart.
His body shook from overwhelming emotion as he muttered,
"This thing… If this thing fires at full power, it might really be able to blast straight through the Red Line!"
Fanatical light flashed in his eyes, as though he could already see future battles for domination unfolding before him.
Napoleon, the great sword in Big Mom's hand, seemed to sense its master's fear and let out a sharp wail.
"Mama! I'm scared!"
Big Mom's face was as pale as paper, and beads of sweat rolled down her forehead.
Ron quietly watched the still-boiling sea, his gaze deep and calm as he said softly,
"You should know that this was only a test shot at thirty percent power."
His voice was not loud, but it struck everyone's heart like a heavy hammer.
The moment those words fell, the deck sank into deathly silence.
Everyone froze where they stood, Ron's words echoing again and again in their minds, filling their hearts with fear and unease.
The glow across Pluton's hull gradually calmed, but that world-destroying strike had already been branded deeply into everyone's heart.
The terrifying power displayed by the Ancient Weapon finally made these Emperors of the Sea, who normally shook entire regions with their names alone, fully understand why the World Government feared and dreaded the Ancient Weapons so deeply.
They realized that beneath the seemingly calm surface of this sea, there existed power capable of overturning the entire world.
...
Mary Geoise.
It stood like the peak of power itself, suspended above the clouds.
Inside the Hall of Power, curling incense slowly rose and drifted like light, living gauze. Its delicate fragrance seemed to seep into every inch of the air.
Golden candlesticks stood on walls inlaid with brilliant mother-of-pearl like loyal guards, their flickering flames casting swaying light and shadow, decorating the entire hall with a dreamlike beauty while also giving it an indescribable majesty.
At that moment, the Five Elders sat solemnly around a round table made of century-old red rosewood, a treasure rarely seen in the world.
The table gave off an ancient, heavy aura, as though it carried countless histories and secrets.
Their expressions were focused and grave as they carefully discussed matters concerning the upcoming World Council. Every decision they made could affect the shape of the entire world.
Just as the atmosphere grew increasingly tense, the emergency communication Transponder Snail lying quietly nearby suddenly seemed to be filled with some mysterious force and opened a pair of blood-red eyes.
Those eyes burned like flames, instantly shattering the silence in the hall.
Then a blurred image projected from the Transponder Snail and hovered in midair, as if coming from some unknown world.
"Emergency intelligence! An anomaly has appeared in the waters of Wano—"
The slightly hurried voice of a CP0 agent had only just sounded when it was violently interrupted by a heavy rumbling.
The vibration seemed like an angry roar coming from deep within the earth, making the entire hall tremble faintly.
As the shaking gradually settled, the image suddenly became extremely clear.
The waters of Wano.
A shocking sight appeared before everyone.
Towering waves roared like furious beasts, surging wildly and crashing against everything in their path.
Amid those violent waves, an ancient city, like a giant beast that had slept for a thousand years, slowly woke and broke through the surface of the sea.
Its structures were massive and majestic. Time had left mottled marks across them, yet those traces only added to their mystery.
At the same time, waterfalls flowed upward against all reason, and the clouds were torn apart by that overwhelming force, revealing the chaotic, deep sky beyond.
At the center of that strange city, a pitch-black giant ship slowly emerged.
Its appearance seemed to steal all surrounding light, leaving only an oppressive, terrifying atmosphere behind.
Ghostly blue patterns flowed across the hull, flickering with eerie light like living things. They stung the eyes of everyone watching and filled their hearts with instinctive awe and fear.
"This is impossible!"
Saint Marcus Mars, the Warrior God of the Environment, widened his eyes, his face filled with disbelief.
The divine wooden staff clenched in his hand could not withstand the shock in his heart and snapped into several pieces with a crack.
Fragments scattered like falling meteors onto the luxurious Persian carpet, producing crisp sounds.
Veins bulged across his hands as he gripped the edge of the table tightly, barely managing to steady his swaying body.
His voice carried a tremor of despair.
"The seal on Wano… That was a seal Lord Imu placed personally, yet it has… it has been broken!"
Saint Ethanbaron V. Nusjuro, the Warrior God of Finance, reacted just as violently.
His tortoiseshell glasses slid from the bridge of his nose and fell onto the table.
In the lenses, Pluton's terrifying bow was reflected again and again, as though warning him of the danger to come.
He repeated mechanically,
"Eight hundred years… We searched for eight hundred years…"
Suddenly, he raised his head sharply, a flash of extreme panic appearing in his eyes.
"The contract hidden in the deepest part of the Celestial Dragons' treasure vault… the punishment clauses recorded on it…"