The moment the Five Elders teleported in, black lightning pierced through the castle, radiating toward the Heaven World above and the Underworld below!
The Giants of Elbaf couldn't help but drop their tools and stare toward the castle.
BOOM!
A massive roar erupted from that direction, as if the entire castle had been detonated. Even from a great distance, one could feel the overwhelming sense of power surging from there!
"Wha... what is happening?!" One Giant's eyes widened, looking toward the castle in shock.
"My King!"
"Has something happened?!"
"Impossible, didn't the King say we were about to join the World Government?"
Thud!
Giants closer to the source suddenly rolled their eyes back, foaming at the mouth as they collapsed unconscious! Meanwhile, the royal guards rushed out of the castle, shouting: "It's terrible! His Majesty has been controlled!"
"!"
In the Underworld, Loki, who still hadn't emerged from the shadow of Rocks' death, felt this intense Haki. Despite his eyes being covered with cloth, a look of visible shock appeared on his face.
"Prince! Something is wrong!" Giant guards stumbled over, panicked. "His Majesty has been controlled by the World Government! Please leave with us now!"
"What?!" Loki flared up in rage! He already harbored resentment toward them for killing Rocks, but since his father Harald was cooperating with them, he had no choice. Now, hearing this, old and new grudges surged together. He roared: "Who's running?! I'm going to go kill those World Government bastards!"
Loki was still young, but because he inherited the bloodline of the Ancient Giants, he already had the power to subdue the great beasts of the Underworld at birth. Now, having grown, he was terrifying. Though only twenty-nine—effectively nine years old in human terms—the elite guards of Elbaf couldn't stop him. He broke through their line directly!
"Prince!" Pushed down by Loki, the guards scrambled up to stop him, but they couldn't catch him. They could only watch as Loki charged toward Aurust Castle.
BOOM!
Inside the castle, Beltz faced Harald and three of the Five Elders alone, while the strongest, Saint Warcury, and Liltotto (as Saint Jaygarcia Saturn) faced Shiki.
Both were under immense pressure. Though Beltz faced more enemies, including the powerhouse Harald, his burden wasn't the heaviest. Under Imu's control, Harald couldn't exert much power. While gaining Imu's strength made him stronger, his own consciousness was fighting back so hard that most of that power couldn't be manifested.
Shiki, however, was having a hard time. Beltz had told Liltotto earlier that there was no need to hold back. Except for using Vollständig, she was using her true skills. Her alone was enough to keep Shiki busy; adding the "harder than iron" Warcury made it nearly impossible for Shiki to cope. Furthermore, after devouring Saint Ju Peter, Liltotto gained the ability to communicate telepathically with the other Elders, allowing for perfect coordination with Warcury.
In the pirate world, teamwork can produce incredible combat power. Roger and Garp defeated a "Demonized Rocks," and Law and Kid defeated Big Mom. Teamwork allows one to defeat enemies stronger than themselves. Beltz had previously dominated them through raw strength and a "first-encounter kill" surprise, but in a prolonged fight, he would have struggled. Since Liltotto was not weaker than Shiki, Shiki's defeat seemed predictable.
Beltz, meanwhile, couldn't break Harald's immortality. He could kill the Knights of God, but not Harald. Once Shiki fell, it would be everyone against Beltz! Even so, Beltz didn't use the Conqueror's Haki Knot. He was waiting!
The Five Elders were here, so who else was he waiting for? Imu! He knew Imu could remotely possess the Elders. If they couldn't take Elbaf for a long time, would Imu intervene personally? He didn't see Imu act at the Holy Land, but here in Elbaf... he might appear!
"Father!"
As Beltz clashed with Harald, a voice from the distance made the King's blade slow down. Loki ran in, hammer in hand. Seeing Harald locking blades with Beltz, he cried: "Father, what are you doing?! Who are they?!" Looking at the three monsters (the transformed Elders) beside Harald, Loki's body tensed.
"Loki... you came too." Harald was pushed back by Beltz's blade, falling after several steps. He twisted his neck as if nothing happened and said, "I feel great now, like I can do anything!"
Beltz felt a twinge of pity looking at Loki. In the original timeline, it should have been Loki who finished Harald. This kid would be powerful in the future. If Harald had lasted until Loki grew up, Elbaf's combat power would be unthinkable.
"You're Loki, right? Don't believe Harald's words; he's being controlled by the World Government!"
"Hahaha!" Harald laughed suddenly. "Controlled? No! I've never felt so refreshed!"
"Beltz... I'll let you go for now. Once I eat that legendary Devil Fruit, I'll settle the score with you!" Harald stood up, abandoning the fight with Beltz to sprint toward another room—to eat the Devil Fruit passed down through Elbaf's heritage!
"!" Beltz's pupils dilated. He had to give chase. He couldn't let Harald's strength increase further!
"Is it that easy?" Saint Marcus Mars (as Itsumade) spat a blast of fire. Beltz sliced through the flames, but Saint Jaygarcia Saturn (Gyuki), Saint Marcus Mars (Itsumade), and Saint Nusjuro (Bakotsu) stood in his way, blocking his path!
Without using Vollständig, Beltz couldn't crush the Elders like he did at the Holy Land. Moreover, having learned from the last time, the Elders were no longer underestimating him; they were going all out from the start!
"Ah!" Loki tried to stop Harald from reaching the fruit but was kicked away. The current Loki had no hope of stopping him.
Sigh, I guess I have to do it early. I just hope Imu still shows up!
Beltz sighed and fully activated his Schrift! Using Subconscious combined with Conqueror's Haki, he launched a peak-intensity strike aimed directly at Harald's soul! The thoughts carried by the Depths Covenant that were eroding Harald's mind were suppressed by Beltz's consciousness. He had been providing "psychological therapy" to Harald precisely for this moment of total eruption!
In that instant, Harald regained consciousness! He skidded to a stop, looking at his hands.
"This..."
"You don't have much time," Beltz barked. "You have five minutes of clarity at most. After that, Imu will control you again!"
"Five minutes... that's enough!" Harald roared. "I'll help you kill them! In the final minute, you kill me!" Harald spun around and slashed at Saint Marcus Mars!
Mars didn't expect Harald to turn coat so suddenly and was hit. However, Harald was still in a state of inner conflict—the blackened consciousness was now fighting the clear one. He couldn't use his full power. The strike carried only a fraction of Haki; it wounded Mars, but the Elder recovered quickly.
"Loki!" Harald shouted while swinging his blade. "Leave this place! You are the future hope of Elbaf! When you grow up, eat the inherited Devil Fruit!"
"Father!" Loki cried, seeing his father normal again. "Has it really reached the point of no return?!"
"Yes! After this, make all the stupid things I did public! Let everyone know how foolish I was! I am the stupidest King in Elbaf's history!" Harald wept while fighting the Elders, almost screaming: "My life is over in this moment!"
"You... bastard!" Saint Jaygarcia Saturn had been sliced into three pieces by Beltz in succession. These Haki-infused attacks caused him pain, but Beltz didn't stop, continuing his assault! Mars and Nusjuro tried to stop Beltz but were blocked by Harald. The three Elders grew anxious. Time was tight; if this continued, everyone in Elbaf would know what was happening. They had to stop the news from spreading, or they would never control Elbaf even with Harald.
"I'll stop the spread!" The fastest, Saint Nusjuro, tried to break away from Harald and Beltz to fly off. But while he was fast, Beltz was no slower! Beltz instantly blocked the Bakotsu, slashing down! Nusjuro, frustrated, swung back. Shodai Kitetsu radiated powerful Haki—it was even infused with Conqueror's!
CLANG! Black lightning exploded. Among the Elders, Nusjuro's strength was top-tier. Though he was knocked back by Beltz, the impact forced Beltz back a step as well!
"Why haven't they been killed yet!"
The voice of Imu echoed in Saturn's mind. Saturn responded mentally: "Harald somehow regained consciousness and turned against us. If this continues, it might attract the entire military force of Elbaf."
"That will not do!" Imu said. "Mu does not allow such a thing to happen!"
Poof!
Just as Beltz and Harald were about to strike the two Elders, a terrifying Haki—the one Beltz had been hoping for—erupted from Saturn! This Haki instantly surged out of the castle, piercing through the farthest reaches of Elbaf! It was even more horrifying than the Haki clashes from before!
In the distance, the hard-fighting Shiki was stunned. "Wha... what is this?" Liltotto also looked over. It was her first time seeing Imu's power. It was truly terrifying!
"This... is Imu's Haki!" Harald was shocked. "How... how could you come here?!"
Currently, a mass of darkness appeared atop Saturn's head, writhing as if a person were riding on him.
"This farce ends now." Imu looked past Harald to Beltz. "Regardless of who you are, you die here today."
However, Beltz broke into a smile.
?! Not only did the Elders and Harald not understand why he was smiling, but even Imu was confused. You see me and you can still smile?
"I've been waiting for you, Imu!" Beltz said deeply. "From this close, how about a taste of a long-lost Haki?!"
He pulled the Conqueror's Haki Knot from his shadow.
"Goodbye!"
He had no intention of fighting Imu directly—what if the opponent one-shot him? Using the ultimate trump card the moment they appeared was the safest move!
Release!
Imu seemed to realize something the moment they saw the knot. A tentacle extended, piercing toward Beltz instantly! But before it could reach him, Beltz had untied the knot!
BOOM! CRACKLE!
Incredibly thick, powerful black lightning released with Beltz at the center, instantly overwhelming the Haki Imu had just released!
~~!!
This black lightning surged out of the castle in an instant. No, the castle was nothing—it surged through the entirety of Elbaf!
Rumble...!
In that moment, the very sky itself split open!