"Nani!?"
"What the hell is that?"
"Holy crap!!"
"Don't come any closer… someone is going to die…"
Ivankov and the others froze in shock as a massive sand worm burst out from beneath the ground without warning.
Its enormous body crackled with pitch black lightning that danced violently across its surface, giving off a suffocating pressure.
Before anyone could react, the sand worm opened its grotesque mouth and swallowed them whole.
"W-where is this? Why is it so dark?" Ivankov's voice echoed in the pitch black space.
"Where else would it be? We are inside its stomach," Crow's voice came through his megaphone, sounding distorted in the enclosed space.
"NANI!!! Inside its stomach?" Ivankov grabbed his head, twisting his waist in disbelief. "So we got eaten just like that?"
Chaa~
Dellinger raised a light source, illuminating the interior.
Sabo stood still, his brows tightly drawn together. "This thing is not normal. I wonder if I can burn through it."
He turned slightly. "Everyone, stay back."
No one hesitated. They quickly retreated dozens of meters, already aware of what Sabo was about to do.
Sabo activated his Devil Fruit ability.
His body transformed into a Three Legged Golden Crow.
An overwhelming heat erupted instantly.
The temperature rose to a terrifying level, distorting the space itself. Even the surrounding structure began to warp as if it could collapse at any moment.
Ivankov and the others widened their eyes in shock. The heat alone felt like it would melt their skin, forcing them to retreat even further.
Sabo pushed his power higher.
The temperature surged again.
Sizzle… sizzle…
The sound of flesh being roasted filled the space as the dark red inner walls began to melt. Burnt flesh released a nauseating smell, while liquefied tissue dripped down and evaporated instantly into steam.
Within moments, the interior of the sand worm was completely melted through.
Ivankov and the others dropped out onto solid ground.
They quickly realized they had landed back on the streets of Mary Geoise.
Ivankov rushed to Kuma's side and checked him over before letting out a long breath.
"Finally out… I almost died just now, hee haw…"
He patted his chest, still shaken.
Crow looked down at the remains nearby. "What exactly is that thing? A Devil Fruit user?"
Half of the massive sand worm lay on the ground, the other half completely gone, clearly destroyed by Sabo's attack.
Sabo remained focused, staring at what was left.
Ivankov walked forward and kicked one of the scattered pieces. "Serves you right."
"Stop," Sabo said sharply.
Something felt wrong.
"You all need to leave now."
Molly nodded and began sinking into the ground.
Ivankov and the others followed, their bodies gradually disappearing beneath the surface.
As they descended, they noticed Sabo still standing there.
"Hey! Sabo! What are you doing? Move!" Molly shouted.
Ivankov added, "If we stay any longer, we are finished!"
Even Crow spoke with urgency. "We are exposed. That thing was only the beginning. Retreat now."
Sabo did not move.
His eyes stayed locked on the remains of the sand worm.
"Go. I will hold it off."
Ivankov frowned. "Hold it off? Isn't it already dead?"
Right then, something impossible happened.
The severed half of the sand worm began to regenerate.
Flesh grew rapidly, reconnecting and restoring the missing portion as if nothing had happened.
Ivankov rubbed his eyes in disbelief. "What… what is this?"
Dellinger removed his goggles, his expression stiff. "This is not normal…"
Crow remained silent, but his shock was obvious.
Sabo's voice grew firmer. "Leave. Now."
Molly reached out. "Stop wasting time!"
Sabo raised his voice. "You saw what it can do. If we stay together, you will only slow me down. I can move freely alone. Meet at Rulker Island."
His words were blunt and harsh.
Ivankov wanted to argue, but Crow shook his head.
"Trust him."
Molly clenched his teeth, then activated his ability and pulled everyone underground.
Sabo was left alone.
He stared at the fully regenerated sand worm.
Unlike the others, he knew exactly what it was.
Saint Peter.
One of the Five Elders, the God of Agriculture.
Its true form was this monstrous sand worm.
Sabo remembered what Rolan had told him.
The Five Elders were not mere rulers. Each of them possessed strength comparable to a Yonko.
Every one of them wielded powerful Conqueror's Haki.
More importantly, they could not die.
No matter the injury, they would recover.
Sabo had doubted it back then.
Now he was seeing it with his own eyes.
The air trembled as the sand worm's aura surged.
It grew stronger with each passing second, rivaling Sabo's own power and even surpassing it in certain aspects.
The worm fully restored itself.
A massive wave of Haki burst outward.
Crack.
Crack.
The air fractured like glass, and the space trembled violently.
Sabo narrowed his eyes.
"You are one of the Five Elders."
The sand worm's voice came out cold and disdainful.
"Insect, how dare you speak my name."
Its mouth opened wide, revealing rows of sharp teeth and a dark abyss within.
A powerful suction force erupted instantly.
Sabo was dragged forward, his claws carving deep lines into the ground as he resisted.
Buildings shattered and were pulled into the worm's mouth. Even the white stone tiles of Mary Geoise were torn up and dragged along.
Sabo tilted his head slightly.
Then he stopped resisting.
His body, along with the debris, was swallowed once again.
Darkness returned.
Sabo looked around, his expression tightening.
The inner walls were now coated with a thick layer of Armament Haki.
It was clearly meant to prevent him from burning through again.
He exhaled slowly.
"So you learned."
His body began to change.
The golden feathers turned crimson, then blindingly bright.
The temperature climbed even higher than before.
Then everything turned black.
The heat reached a terrifying peak.
The space melted again.
Sabo burst out onto the surface.
But everything had changed.
The ground around him, spanning hundreds of meters, had turned into molten lava. Not a single building remained intact.
The environment had become a burning hell.
Half of the sand worm floated within the magma.
Sabo knew attacking it directly was pointless.
It would just regenerate again.
He flapped his wings slightly, preparing to leave.
Then a voice echoed.
"Revolutionary insect… stay."
Sabo looked up.
His eyes widened instantly.