Saint Nusjuro and Saint Shepherd Peter showed clear surprise at Sabo's current state.
They had not expected the Revolutionary Army's Chief of Staff to possess Haoshoku Haki.
Peter glanced at Sabo with clear disdain and let out a cold scoff.
"An ant daring to dream of becoming a king. Where did you get that confidence?"
His surprise lasted only a moment.
There were countless Haoshoku users across the seas. Possessing it only meant someone had the potential to stand at the top, not that they would actually reach it.
Over the years, many who carried Haoshoku had still died at the hands of the World Government.
As someone who had lived for centuries, Peter had no reason to fear just because Sabo awakened this power.
What truly caught his attention was something else.
Sabo had managed to grasp Haoshoku infusion after taking a direct hit from him.
That level of talent was rare, even across hundreds of years.
Sabo lifted his head slightly and looked toward Ivankov and the others lying on the ground.
Using his Observation Haki, he could still sense their breathing and heartbeats.
They were unconscious, but alive.
A small weight lifted from his chest.
Then he stepped forward and charged straight at the two Gorosei.
Mid-air, he infused his pipe with Haoshoku Haki.
In an instant, violent red and black lightning surged around it, spreading outward with overwhelming force.
He closed the distance to Saint Nusjuro in a blink.
Nusjuro adjusted his glasses slightly, a sharp white gleam flashing across the lenses.
"Do not think that touching Haoshoku infusion allows you to stand against gods. You are still nothing more than an ant."
He drew his blade.
At the same time, Haoshoku Haki surged into it.
Black and red lightning burst outward, matching Sabo's presence.
With a single step, Nusjuro rushed forward.
The pipe and the blade collided before they even fully met.
Boom!
A heavy explosion echoed across the battlefield.
Lightning tore through the air as an immense shockwave spread outward, flattening everything in its path.
The pressure surged upward and split the sky apart.
For a brief moment, neither side gave way.
They stood locked in place.
Nusjuro's expression tightened slightly as he increased his strength.
Bang!
Both were forced back, sliding dozens of meters across the shattered ground.
Sabo steadied himself, his expression growing more serious.
The old man in front of him was no ordinary opponent.
Fighting him felt similar to facing Dragon.
And there were still four others like him within the World Government.
Alongside them were countless agents and soldiers.
For the first time, Sabo truly understood the scale of what they were up against.
Overthrowing the World Government would not be simple.
Nusjuro's expression darkened.
Being matched evenly by a young man in his twenties was something he could not accept.
Still, his face remained cold and dismissive.
"No matter what, an ant remains an ant. Ending you takes no effort."
The moment he finished speaking, Nusjuro transformed into his Bone Horse form.
At the same time, his blade was once again coated in Haoshoku Haki.
He disappeared and reappeared in front of Sabo almost instantly.
Sabo had been watching him closely.
The moment Nusjuro moved, Sabo reacted.
He raised his pipe, already coated in Haoshoku, and met the attack head-on.
Clang!
The impact did not produce a direct clash of metal. Instead, lightning surged wildly between them.
But this time, Sabo was at a disadvantage.
His Haki had already been heavily drained from the earlier exchanges.
Under Nusjuro's overwhelming force, he was pushed back step by step.
At the same time, the intense heat from his flames began to burn away the Haki coating Nusjuro's blade.
Nusjuro's expression sharpened.
Veins bulged along his forehead as he increased his strength further.
With a powerful strike, Sabo was sent flying.
He crashed into the ground thousands of meters away.
The impact resembled molten metal sinking into ice.
The ground melted instantly, and his body sank deep into it.
Nusjuro did not pause.
He kicked off the air with all four hooves and rushed forward again.
The moment Sabo climbed out of the crater, Nusjuro was already in front of him.
There was no time to recover.
Sabo raised his weapon to block.
Clang, clang, clang!
Their weapons collided repeatedly in rapid succession.
Dozens of exchanges happened in an instant.
As the fight continued, Sabo's expression grew heavier.
Something felt wrong.
No matter how long they fought, Nusjuro's Haki did not weaken.
It remained overwhelming, as if it had no limit.
Meanwhile, Sabo could clearly feel his own Haki nearing its end.
If this continued, defeat was inevitable.
What he did not realize was the truth behind it.
He was not fighting Nusjuro alone.
As Gorosei, the five elders could connect and share their Haki.
What he faced was the combined force of all of them.
Each one stood at the level of a Yonko.
Five of them together created an almost impossible wall.
Sabo's breathing grew heavier.
His movements slowed.
The lightning around him flickered, then began to fade.
As his final reserves of Haki ran dry, darkness slowly crept into his vision.
His consciousness began to slip away.
===
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