On the molten shoreline ahead, a massive bone centaur emerged.
It towered dozens of meters high, its lower body formed from the skeletal structure of a giant horse, while its upper body was that of a bald old man wearing glasses.
Every bone in its body emitted a heavy, oppressive aura.
In his hand, the old man held a long sword that gave off a faint glow.
Sabo's pupils shrank the moment he saw him.
He recognized him instantly.
One of the Five Elders, the God of Finance and War, Saint Nusjuro.
Sabo's expression hardened.
Behind him, the sand worm, Saint Peter, was still regenerating.
Escaping Mary Geoise without a fight was no longer realistic.
Saint Nusjuro glanced at Sabo, then at Saint Peter's reassembling body, a hint of surprise flashing across his face.
Among the Five Elders, they understood each other's strength well.
For Saint Peter to be injured to this extent meant one thing.
Their assessment of the Revolutionary Army's second in command had been completely wrong.
This young man carrying a water pipe was already comparable to a Yonko.
They had underestimated him.
A faint smile appeared on Nusjuro's face.
No matter how strong the enemy was, fear was not something the World Government entertained.
Eliminating threats like this had always been their specialty.
Without another word, Nusjuro stomped forward.
His massive frame shot toward Sabo at extreme speed.
At the same time, his blade was coated in powerful Conqueror's Haki.
Black and red lightning burst around the sword, filling the air with crushing pressure.
"Conqueror's Haki…"
Sabo spread his wings and pulled out the water pipe from his back.
His Devil Fruit activated, turning the pipe red hot.
At the same time, he coated it with powerful Armament Haki.
The combination of heat and Haki created a terrifying presence.
Nusjuro closed the distance instantly.
He raised his sword high, then brought it down in a single, decisive strike.
Sabo met it head on.
Bang!
The sword and the pipe collided.
Black lightning exploded outward.
A violent shockwave spread from the point of impact, tearing through everything around them.
The magma surged wildly, and the remaining structures collapsed under the pressure.
Sabo's face tightened, veins bulging.
The force behind the blade was overwhelming.
Even using his full strength, he could barely block it.
Nusjuro was equally surprised.
He had not expected Sabo to stop his attack.
As Nusjuro increased the Haki on his blade, the pressure intensified.
Sabo could no longer hold his ground.
He was blasted backward, sliding dozens of meters before stabilizing himself mid air.
Sabo reverted to his human form, his expression serious as he stared at Nusjuro.
This opponent was different from Saint Peter.
His attack power was far more direct and overwhelming.
A frontal clash would not favor him.
Sabo understood his objective clearly.
He did not need to defeat them.
He only needed to buy time for Ivankov and the others to escape.
With his speed, only a few people in the world could catch him, Kizaru, Rolan, Kuro, and Enel.
As long as the others got out safely, he could leave whenever he wanted.
Still, facing one of the Five Elders now was valuable.
Understanding their strength would be crucial for future battles.
Defeating them, however, was unrealistic.
These monsters were effectively immortal.
Even fatal damage meant nothing to them.
If given enough time, Sabo wanted to uncover their weakness.
Nusjuro narrowed his eyes.
Sabo's strength had already exceeded expectations.
More importantly, he still had room to grow.
If left unchecked, he would become a serious threat to the World Government.
At that moment, Saint Peter fully regenerated and rose once more.
Sabo frowned slightly.
He remembered asking Rolan about the Five Elders' immortality.
Even Rolan did not have a clear answer.
Only that it might be connected to Imu.
Even now, facing two of them, Sabo felt no fear.
With his speed and flames, he could avoid being cornered.
Suddenly, Saint Peter lifted its massive body and plunged straight into the ground.
Sabo frowned.
"Oi, you oversized worm, I am your opponent. Running away?"
The only response was the tail disappearing beneath the surface.
Sabo immediately took to the sky, wings spreading wide as he kept distance from the ground.
He was wary of a sudden attack from below.
Nusjuro did not give him any time to think.
With a burst of speed, his hooves created a sonic boom as he shot into the air.
In moments, he was above Sabo.
His blade came down again.
Sabo raised his pipe to block.
Clang!
Sparks flew as metal met metal.
The impact forced Sabo downward at high speed.
The ground rushed closer.
Sabo twisted his body, deflected the force, then flapped his wings hard and vanished, reappearing far away.
Nusjuro's attack continued downward.
A massive crescent slash tore into the ground.
It split the earth effortlessly, leaving behind a deep trench.
Sabo barely glanced at it.
His attention was locked on the ground.
Something was wrong.
"Impossible…"
The Five Elders did not need to retreat or prepare attacks.
There was no reason for Saint Peter to disappear like that.
And yet, it had not resurfaced.
A bad feeling crept in.
Sabo activated his Observation Haki, extending his senses deep underground.
Before he could fully track it—
Boom!!
The ground exploded.
Saint Peter burst out again.
Sabo's eyes widened.
Inside the worm's body, something was moving.
Struggling.
Violent explosions echoed from within.
Then voices reached his ears.
"Hell Wink!! Death Wink!! This thing is tough!!"
"Crow's Airplane!!"
"Quantum Cannon!!"
"Ivankov, I can't push it!"
Sabo's expression darkened instantly.
Those voices…
===
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