...
The burning "Z" on the light screen finally dissipated.
This marked the complete conclusion of the chapter concerning "Black Arm" Zephyr and "Z."
In the Marine camp, some long-suppressed emotions surged forth.
Many soldiers' eyes turned red; they couldn't help but start sobbing quietly.
Zephyr's life—his glory, steadfastness, pain, loss, and ultimate end—interwove into a picture that was far too complex and heavy.
Even though his outcome was the inevitable result of his own choices, that resolute commitment to his beliefs right up to the end, along with the faint return to his "original aspiration" in the final moment, still earned the respect and sighs of countless people.
Sorrow and reverence, in this moment, transcended simple positions and right versus wrong.
"Hmph! Boring emotional resonance…"
Saint Shepherd Ju Peter watched coldly, his tone filled with unconcealed irritation and contempt: "Just the futile emotional outbursts of lowly creatures—even if these bugs are temporarily useful to us."
He—or rather, they—with their long lives and lofty perspectives, had long ago come to view ordinary people's joys, angers, sorrows, loves, hatreds, and passions as meaningless noise!
In their eyes, Zephyr's tragedy was perhaps merely an ordinary incident of a pawn slipping out of control and being cleaned up—hardly worth more attention than a minor policy misstep.
Saint Ethanbaron V. Nusjuro finally stopped wiping his demonic sword, folded away the snow-white cloth, and locked his gaze—sharp as an unsheathed blade—once more on Rayleigh in the distance.
He had no intention of letting the earlier swordmaster duel—interrupted by the light screen—end just like that.
"Whether the light screen will disappear later…"
He said coldly, his voice not loud yet clear enough to reach everyone's ears: "…does that mean… we can start again?"
These words acted like a lit fuse!
The other four Five Elders—including Saint Satan, who had only just recovered a bit of vitality and still wore a gloomy expression—simultaneously erupted with dangerous auras!
Though they appeared to be watching the light screen, they had already used this time to quickly communicate through some secret method and redeploy their tactics.
Their targets were clear, priorities sharp!
Saint Satan's primary target was no longer the troublesome Roger or Rocks, but the gravely wounded, near-death Monkey D. Dragon, along with the two whose identities had just been confirmed as "future calamities": Bartholomew Kuma and Emporio Ivankov!
Dragon was the Revolutionary Army leader; Kuma and Ivankov were future core members, both tied to "forbidden bloodlines" or "dangerous ideologies."
They must be completely erased before they could truly grow and reunite with Dragon!
By comparison, though Rocks posed a massive threat, he was currently in perfect condition, and the pirate alliance was a chaotic mix—not the ideal one-shot-kill target.
Pick the softest persimmon first!
The remaining four Five Elders would be fully responsible for pinning down Roger, Rocks, Whitebeard, Golden Lion Shiki, and other top-tier combatants, creating an opening for Saint Satan's "decapitation" operation.
The remnants of God's Knights would also throw themselves in at any cost to disrupt the battlefield!
The plan was set; killing intent was decided!
They only waited for that damned, variable-filled light screen to vanish completely!
The pirates and Revolutionary Army side were equally on full alert. The instant the "Z" light faded and the sky became "empty" again, Roger and Rocks almost simultaneously gripped their sword hilts, their auras surging!
Behind them, their crews—Whitebeard, Golden Lion, Big Mom, Kaido… all the powerhouses tensed, weapons in hand, Haki subtly flowing.
They too were waiting—for the other side to move first, or for whether the light screen had more to show. No one was willing to be mere fish on the chopping block!
Shakky, Gloriosa, and Eris carried little Shanks, little Shamrock, and little Teach to a relatively safe position.
Kuma stepped forward, using his still-youthful yet already tall and large body to firmly shield the gravely injured Dragon, along with Ginny and Ivankov, behind him.
He spread his hands; the unique paw-pad patterns in his palms glowed faintly. If the enemy dared charge…
He would unhesitatingly activate the Paw-Paw Fruit ability he had only recently obtained—even if his power was still weak, he would fight to the death!
Ivankov and Ginny clung together nervously; Ginny tightly gripped the hem of Kuma's coat. Though fear filled her eyes, she showed no intention of retreating.
Both sides faced each other across the shattered battlefield in silent confrontation. The air was so heavy it seemed about to drip; the pervasive killing intent was purer and colder than at any previous moment.
Time passed second by second; each felt stretched infinitely long. The tense atmosphere was like a balloon under constant pressure, on the verge of bursting.
However, the anticipated scene—of the light screen fully disappearing and battle erupting—did not arrive immediately.
The sky remained in a bizarre "vacant" state—neither showing images nor returning completely to normal.
"Hey!!"
An extremely impatient, almost frantic roar shattered the suffocating silence.
It was Golden Lion Shiki! Floating in midair, hands on hips, he tilted his head back and bellowed at the blank "sky screen": "What the hell are you playing at?! If you're gonna disappear, disappear already; if not, keep showing!
Give us a straight answer! Are we fighting or not?! If not, then show something else already—you're suffocating me to death!"
Shiki's outburst—utterly devoid of any strongman's dignity, pure venting—sounded especially jarring and even somewhat… comical in the silent God Valley.
But he wasn't directing killing intent at anyone in particular; it was more like complaining about a "program interruption."
And then something bizarre happened.
As if it really heard Shiki's "request," or perhaps following some predetermined "playlist"—
Not long after Shiki's words fell, that blank "sky screen" suddenly lit up again!
A soft yet bright light spread once more; new images began to form!
"Tch!"
From the pirate side came an irritated click of the tongue from someone.
But almost everyone, the instant the light appeared, reflexively—and somewhat awkwardly—reined in their surging battle intent and killing aura. Though weapons weren't fully lowered, tense muscles noticeably relaxed.
After all, no one wanted to experience again being forcibly pinned to the ground by that terrifying pressure.
Since the "program" had started again… might as well watch?
On the Five Elders' side, faces instantly turned extremely ugly—especially Saint Ethanbaron V. Nusjuro and Saint Satan, who had been about to strike; flames practically shot from their eyes!
This light screen was practically acting with malicious taste, appearing again precisely at the critical moment when they were about to act!
And it forcibly pulled the trigger on the war!
Still, though furious, facing that unknown, all-suppressing rule power, no matter how annoyed they were, they could only grit their teeth and endure for now!
They suppressed their boiling killing intent, faces dark, and once again turned their gazes to the light screen.
Wait! Keep waiting! They refused to believe this thing could keep playing forever!
In God Valley, the sword-drawn, bow-strung atmosphere suddenly stalled with the light screen's reappearance—like a pot of boiling oil temporarily covered with a lid.
Everyone's attention—willing or not—was once again drawn to that shifting light and shadow.
This time, the opening style was completely different from before.
No brutal battles, no tragic heroes, no heavy topics.
First came a lively, even somewhat seductively charming narration voice—tone relaxed yet passionate: "Dear pirate friends of all kinds—"
The voice echoed across God Valley, making many pirates unconsciously raise an eyebrow.
"No matter friend or foe, drink to your heart's content! Even setting aside positions and grudges can bring a different kind of fun~!"
"Our principle is: those who come are welcome; those who leave are not chased!"
"Here, with the greatest enthusiasm, I sincerely invite you all—"
The image suddenly burst into brilliance, showing what looked like a dazzling collage of extravagant posters, neon lights, and fireworks.
Huge wine cups clashed, mountains of gourmet food piled high, pirates of all kinds in bizarre outfits raised their glasses in celebration—against a backdrop of countless fluttering pirate flags!
"Come join this—the world's greatest pirate banquet!"
"A never-before-seen, one-of-a-kind event exclusive to us pirates…"
"The… Wor… ld… Ex… po!!!"
The narrator's voice reached a fever pitch, full of incitement!
Immediately after, four bold, domineering, golden-glowing characters slammed into the center of the light screen like heavy bombs—presented in exactly the same style as the earlier "Strongest Enemy Z" title!
This one likewise proclaimed an independent "special chapter": [Frenzy Operation!] (font blazing with flame and lightning special effects)
Frenzy, banquet, pirate grand gathering…
This stood in stark contrast to the tragic heaviness of the Zephyr arc!
Many pirates in God Valley had their eyes light up instantly; curiosity and an instinctive yearning for "excitement"—especially "banquets"—were hooked in a flash.
Even Roger looked intrigued: "Oh? A pirate World Expo? Sounds kinda interesting!"
Rocks narrowed his eyes, scrutinizing the celebrating pirates in the image, seemingly assessing what information or power might be hidden within.
The faces on the Navy and Five Elders' side grew even darker.
A pirate carnival feast? What exactly did this light screen… intend to do?
Was it promoting pirates' "freedom" and "joy" to mock Marine order? Or foreshadowing a major event that might gather massive pirate forces?
In any case, a new chapter had begun.
The pause button on God Valley's slaughter was pressed once again by this sudden "banquet invitation."
Everyone's attention was forcibly dragged into this unknown pirate frenzy preview called "Frenzy Operation."
Beneath the surface, the undercurrents of killing intent merely lurked temporarily, waiting for the next "intermission."
...
[Kiss kiss (づ¯³¯)づ]