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Saint Shepherd Ju Peter's near-shattered, limp Ox Demon form struck the hearts of all the Five Elders like a silent yet deafening tolling bell.
Fury, disbelief, and a trace of astonishment they themselves refused to admit instantly overwhelmed any intention to continue the fight.
"Whoosh!" "Whoosh!" "Whoosh!" "Whoosh!"
Four breaking-air sounds rang out almost simultaneously.
Saint Mars in his Itsumade form endured a sweeping dragon tail strike from Kaido, using the force to withdraw. With a flap of his wings, he retreated rapidly.
Saint Warcury (Houki) ignored Whitebeard's pursuing slash. His tusks plunged fiercely into the ground, upheaving massive rocks as barriers while his enormous body rolled backward.
Saint Nusjuro (skeletal horse) clashed swords once more with Rayleigh—sparks flying—before his figure blurred into an afterimage and withdrew sharply.
Saint Shepherd Ju Peter (sandworm) was even more direct: his gigantic body plunged straight back into the earth, only to burst out again from a distant point.
In the blink of an eye, the several fiercely contested battle zones suddenly separated.
The Five Elders, carrying their remaining aura of might, quickly converged near where Saint Saturn had collapsed, joining the likewise retreating remnants of God's Knights.
They once again formed a formation that, though battered, still exuded an inviolable presence.
The pirate side also tacitly pulled back a distance.
Key members of the Roger Pirates and Rocks Pirates swiftly gathered around their respective captains. Whitebeard, Kaido, Big Mom, Golden Lion, and the others also approached with grave expressions.
Giant King Harald dragged his massive sword. He glanced at the opposite side—the Five Elders radiating murderous intent yet filled with uncertainty—then looked at Rocks beside him…
In the end, he led his giant companions to the flank of the pirate camp, signaling his stance.
Saint Saturn's Ox Demon form was visibly wriggling and healing: shattered bones knitting back together, torn flesh regenerating—but the process was noticeably much slower than before.
Purple-black blood continued to seep from newly formed cracks.
More critically, the light in his inhuman beast eyes had scattered, leaving only instinctive spasms of pain…
Clearly, the combined strike from Garp, Roger, and Rocks had not only devastated his body but had also temporarily plunged his consciousness into deep chaos.
"Damn you, Roger!!!"
At that moment, a roar filled with humiliation and rage exploded from the edge of the battlefield.
Saint Garling—covered in dust, armor shattered, clear bloodstains on his lips and the bridge of his nose—shot out from a distant pile of ruins like a cannonball.
He charged straight toward Roger with sky-piercing killing intent!
He had been struck head-on by Roger's "Divine Departure" earlier and had only just regained consciousness and mobility.
But just as Saint Garling reached the midpoint of his furious charge, his gaze swept across the five figures opposite—partially restored to human form yet still unmistakably battered and furious…
His charging posture froze abruptly.
"This… what the hell is going on?!"
Saint Garling's pupils contracted. He let out a low, incredulous gasp.
How had all the Five Elders arrived here—and been beaten to this state?
Just how badly had the situation in God Valley deteriorated?
"A bunch of ignorant trash! How dare you profane the dignity of the World Government!"
Saint Nusjuro barely maintained his human form, his face ashen. Shodai Kitetsu hummed incessantly in his hand; the killing intent in his eyes was almost tangible.
Ignoring Saint Garling's shock, he prepared to issue the order for an all-out assault—no matter the cost—even if it meant paying an additional price, they had to eliminate the enemy…
Right at this razor-edge moment, when the next clash was about to erupt—
"Buzz!!!"
A low hum that seemed to resonate directly in the depths of everyone's souls arrived without warning!
Immediately after, the enormous light curtain in the sky—which had briefly dimmed—suddenly erupted with a radiance far more intense and blinding than any previous time!
The light did not scatter diffusely but flowed, intertwined, and raced along predetermined paths as though alive. In an instant—
A far more complex, vastly larger barrier pattern, exuding an indescribable aura of antiquity and majesty, centered on the light curtain and once again enveloped the entire God Valley!
This time, the barrier's edges were no longer vague halos but near-tangible, semi-transparent walls flowing with strange runes!
At the same time, an indescribable, perfectly rounded, and terrifying pressure—as though the entire sky had collapsed—crashed down!
"Ugh!"
"What… what is this?!"
"I… I can't move!"
This time, the intensity and targeting of the pressure far surpassed anything before!
The first to bear the brunt were the just-reassembled Five Elders, Saint Garling, and all the remaining God's Knights members!
They felt as though an invisible mountain had slammed down on them. Knees buckled. Except for the strongest Five Elders who barely held a half-kneeling posture, Saint Garling and most God's Knights members were brutally pressed flat against the ground.
Their faces were glued to the cold, filthy earth; they couldn't even lift a single finger!
Then the pressure spread like a tide, instantly sweeping over the entire pirate camp as well.
"Cough!"
Rocks let out a muffled grunt. The ground beneath his feet cracked inch by inch. He gritted his teeth and resisted, yet still bent slightly at the waist.
Roger's expression was equally grave. His feet sank deep into the earth. Conqueror's Haki instinctively flared outward to resist, yet the moment it touched that invisible pressure, it was effortlessly smoothed away.
Whitebeard, azure dragon Kaido, Big Mom, Golden Lion…
Every one of these powerhouses, without exception, was forcibly suppressed by this sudden force.
Their movements became extremely sluggish; their faces were filled with horror.
However, there were exceptions among them. Shakky, Gloriosa, Stussy, little Shanks, little Shamrock, and others were not suppressed.
Though they also felt difficulty breathing and restricted movement, they did not appear to be in great distress.
They seemed to be in a state of some kind of "exemption" or "observation."
Rayleigh was the first to figure out how to counter it.
The moment he stopped resisting, rapidly withdrew all killing intent, battle intent, and hostility, and adjusted his state of mind to near-peaceful observation…
The heavy pressure bearing down on him receded like an ebbing tide, quickly weakening until it vanished entirely!
"Roger! Gaban! Everyone!"
Rayleigh immediately shouted a warning, his voice piercing through the suffocating pressure: "Restrain your minds! Suppress hostility and battle intent! This power targets 'combat will'!"
Rayleigh's reminder shone like a lighthouse in the darkness.
Roger took a deep breath, closed his eyes. When he opened them again, the blazing fighting spirit in his gaze had been withdrawn, leaving only profound calm.
Rocks let out a "tch" and withdrew his killing aura.
Garp unclenched his fist. Whitebeard lowered Murakumogiri. Kaido restrained his dragon might…
Everyone consciously began suppressing their surging emotions and combat instincts.
As their mindsets shifted, the terrifying pressure enveloping the entire field indeed began to rapidly fade.
On the Five Elders' side, sensing the change in pressure—though filled with humiliation and confusion—they immediately followed suit and desperately restrained their hostility.
Saint Garling felt so stifled he could vomit blood. He had just gotten up to take revenge, only to be inexplicably pressed flat again before he could act.
And now he had to force his own rage back down!
He was truly about to explode…
"Rumble rumble…"
After a low, resonant hum, the massive barrier enveloping God Valley gradually stabilized and turned semi-transparent.
That soul-shaking pressure completely vanished, as though it had never existed—leaving only heavy, survivor-like gasps across the field and deep wariness in everyone's hearts.
The lingering transformation features on the Five Elders faded amid flickering black arcs, returning them to the appearance of elderly men in tattered suits.
The unconscious Saint Saturn was also forced out of his Ox Demon form, reverting to the bald, cane-holding old man. Supported by Saint Warcury, he remained dazed and groggy.
"This power…"
Saint Warcury brushed dust from his suit, his face extremely ugly. He looked up at the now-stabilized, silently floating light curtain. For the first time, undisguised confusion and profound wariness appeared in his eyes.
"…completely beyond reason…"
"Powerless… I actually feel this powerless!"
Saint Mars leaned against a broken stone pillar, breathing slightly heavily. His usual cold arrogance was replaced by exhaustion. He stared fixedly at the light curtain: "What exactly… is this thing?"
Saint Garling's face was ashen. He said nothing, only feeling that today was the most stifling, most absurd day of his long life.
Just as everyone's attention—whether shock, wariness, or rage—was firmly drawn to the reappearing light curtain…
On the light curtain, the previously empty screen suddenly lit up with stable color.
However, this time's scene was completely different from any previous one.
The first thing that met everyone's eyes was not any familiar scene or character.
But an enormous letter occupying nearly half the screen—rough in style and extremely impactful!
"Z"
Below this gigantic "Z" were several smaller lines of text in a distinctly different style. Though many couldn't understand the specific meaning,
The unique layout and the words "Theatrical Version" revealed an information nature utterly different from the previous "future memories."
"What… is this?"
Roger frowned tightly—the first to sense the anomaly.
No prior story, no continuous narrative. The light curtain seemed to have switched to an entirely different "channel."
Just as Roger grew curious, the scene began to change.
The roar of cannon fire, the screams of Marine soldiers, the piercing clash of blades…
A montage filled with the aura of war and destruction flashed rapidly. Then the image froze amid billowing smoke and flames.
At that moment, a tall, burly figure—yet appearing exceptionally heavy and weary—staggered out from the swirling dust and firelight.
When the figure's face gradually became clear in the frame…
"Hiss—!!!"
A collective sharp intake of breath instantly rose from the Marine camp!
Garp, Sengoku, Tsuru… every Marine soldier's gaze turned as though magnetically drawn—staring in utter shock and horror—straight toward the person beside them.
Zephyr!
The figure emerging from the smoke in the image was unmistakably Zephyr!
What left Garp and the others utterly dumbfounded, almost unable to think, was that in the scene—
Zephyr's arm from the shoulder down… was completely gone!
In its place was a massive mechanical prosthetic limb gleaming with cold metallic luster—complex in structure, brimming with power and an aura of destruction!
"Ze… Zephyr??!!"
Tsuru cried out in shock. Garp's mouth gaped wide enough to fit a fist; his eyes bulged round.
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