Like a spear of judgment from the abyss, they pierced towards Shanks from all directions, their power far exceeding the attacks on Kaido earlier, clearly viewing Red Hair as a threat that must be eliminated first!
However, facing this encirclement that could make an Admiral's expression change, Shanks' eyes were as calm as water.
He didn't even look at the trajectories of those fatal attacks, instead compressing and concentrating his Conqueror's Haki onto the blade of his famous sword, gryphon, in an unprecedented manner.
That wasn't Ryuo, nor any known Haki technique, but rather the very will of "conquest" transformed into a sharpness that could cut through anything.
"Divine Departure."
He softly uttered two words, and the gryphon in his hand drew a simple yet profoundly mysterious arc.
There was no earth-shattering explosion, no dazzling brilliance.
Only a sword light that could cut through everything, even forcing gods to evade, spread with the attack.
Tch—!
A clear sound of something breaking entered the ears of every top-tier expert present.
A thick spider leg, containing terrifying rules, snapped in response!
The dark cross section was as smooth as a mirror, and the severed leg fell to the ground, twitching twice like an ordinary object before becoming still.
The most shocking thing was—it didn't turn into black mist and reform as before, nor did it regenerate new limbs!
The "immortality" that had plagued Kaido and driven countless powerhouses to despair, under this one sword strike, seemed to have... failed!
"What?!" Kaido's dragon eyes suddenly constricted; even with some anticipation, witnessing this miraculous scene firsthand still greatly shook his mind.
Kizaru, observing from a distance, shed his playful expression, and the gaze behind his glasses sharpened.
Even Akainu, who had been watching coldly, unconsciously wrapped scorching magma around his fists, revealing his inner turmoil.
"Impossible!!!"
Satan Saint let out an undignified growl for the first time; he looked in disbelief at the severed section of his leg, where there was no sign of regeneration, only an unprecedented sense of "emptiness," as if the very foundation of that part's existence had been completely "erased."
For the first time in decades, even centuries, an attack had left an irreversible "scar" on him!
The atmosphere of the battlefield completely changed at this moment.
At the spot where Satan Saint's spider leg was severed, there was still no sign of regeneration.
This unprecedented "wound" inflicted by Shanks' "Divine Departure" instantly froze the battlefield's atmosphere.
The myth of absolute "immortality" was shattered, and a deeper sense of unease began to spread.
Satan Saint's massive spider compound eyes locked onto Shanks, churning with shock, anger, apprehension, and a century-old hatred.
He understood that Red-Haired Shanks, this man who inherited a terrifying will, was the biggest variable at hand, a "rule-level" threat that must be eliminated first.
As for Kaido... Satan Saint's massive body slightly retreated, with a calculating coldness.
He tilted his head, his gaze sweeping across the battlefield and landing on Akainu, whose body was surging with magma but who had yet to go all out.
His voice returned to its usual indifference, yet it carried an undeniable command and a hint of veiled probing:
"Akainu."
"This half-dead Kaido, I'll leave him to you."
"The Marine... must not disappoint the World Government."
These words were like a cold shackle.
"Half-dead Kaido" clarified the target's state, lowering the difficulty of the mission, and was also a reminder—the Marine had no reason to fail against a heavily injured Four Emperors.
And the words "World Government" and "disappointment" elevated this action to a matter of taking sides.
This was forcing Akainu to openly declare his stance in front of everyone.
Swish—!
Almost everyone's gaze focused on Akainu. Kizaru's lenses reflected light, showing no emotion; Aokiji's brows were tightly furrowed, his fists unconsciously clenched.
Akainu's face was covered with a layer of ice, so cold that there wasn't a ripple.
His resolute jawline was taut, and his gaze slowly shifted from Satan Saint's unquestionable face to Kaido in the distance, who was clutching his chest, panting heavily, his dragon scales shattered, yet his aura remained fierce.
A deathly silence permeated the air.
A moment later, Akainu said nothing, but nodded with extreme heaviness, yet undeniable clarity.
Boom—!
As he nodded, the ground beneath his feet instantly melted, transforming into a churning, scorching pool of magma!
That was not just a display of power, but also a signal, a decision!
He did not look at Satan Saint, nor did he pay attention to Shanks, but instead locked all his pent-up, unvented fury onto the enemy before him—Kaido of the Beasts.
The justice of clearing out pirates and the will to pledge allegiance to the Celestial Dragons were, at this moment, forcibly twisted and bound together.
A new deathmatch was on the verge of breaking out.
Satan Saint's cold gaze swept over Red-Haired Shanks like a physical entity, and the gryphon in his hand that could cut through "immortality."
The deliberation was instantaneous—a deathmatch with a rule-level opponent who could threaten his very essence was by no means a wise move, especially on this battlefield with an unclear situation.
He needed a chess piece to probe and to contain.
His gaze shifted, instantly locking onto the constantly flickering golden light on the other side of the battlefield—the Admiral, Kizaru.
"Borsalino." Satan Saint's voice carried an undeniable authority, piercing through the din of the battlefield, "You, go entangle Red-Haired Shanks!"
The order was given, simple and direct.
However,
Kizaru in the distance was "flustered" dealing with Zephyr's furious, Haki-infused fist, "Crushing Tornado."
Countless golden lasers collided and exploded with dark iron fists, making the battle appear intense and inseparable.
Hearing the order, Kizaru exaggeratedly sidestepped Zephyr's heavy punch; the laser and iron fist grazed past each other, plowing deep furrows in the ground.
He also quickly turned his head, his face still maintaining that inscrutable, nonchalant expression, and found time to speak helplessly:
"Oh~ This is really troublesome, Lord Satan Saint..."
"As you can see, Teacher Zephyr is extremely angry right now, and if I, an old man, get distracted even a little, I might get smashed to pieces..."
The implication: no time!
Before his words finished, as if to confirm them, Zephyr seized the opening of his "speaking while distracted," roared, and with immense force, slammed into Kizaru's hastily blocked arms!
Bang—!
Golden light exploded, and Kizaru, like a swatting fly, transformed into a streak of light, flying backward in an extremely "disheveled" manner, crashing through three ruined walls consecutively, raising a sky full of smoke and dust...
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