The reaction of the Five Elders upon receiving the intelligence was identical to that of Bogard, Sengoku, and Kongutter disbelief. They found it hard to credit that a child under ten could possess such power.
However, they reasoned that he might only look young while actually being quite old; after all, there were many special Devil Fruits that could alter one's age.
Regardless of whether he truly was that age or merely disguised as such, the Five Elders had to find a way to deal with him. He had killed a Celestial Dragon, which meant he harbored no reverence for the World Nobles. Such a mindset combined with such strength made him far too dangerous. He had to be eliminated immediately.
Thus, the Five Elders promptly notified CP0 and the Holy Knights. Had his strength been merely at the level of an Admiral or a Yonko, they would have let CP0 and the Navy handle it. But the boy's power likely surpassed even the Four Emperors.
After all, old Garp, as annoying as he was, still possessed undeniable strength. If not for that, the Five Elders would have dealt with Garp long ago for all the trouble he caused.
The fact that this boy could one-shot both Garp and Kizaru meant his strength was terrifying. Therefore, the Holy Knights had to be deployed. If even they could not resolve the situation, their only choice would be to go to Imu and have Uranus judgment passed upon Qiu Xia.
Meanwhile, after thrashing Garp and Kizaru, Qiu Xia was no longer in the mood to "lie flat." He pondered his situation. "I beat Garp and Kizaru, so the Navy and the World Government will definitely send new people after me. Although I could hide elsewhere, running forever isn't ideal."
"I've been idle for a year now, and my bones are getting a bit rusty. I might as well trade a few blows with the Navy and the Five Elders. Of course, I can't be careless, or I might end up in a ditch. I'll find a small island first to set up some formations. That way, if I can't win, I can at least make a clean getaway."
Relying on his powerful Divine Sense, Qiu Xia quickly found a suitable target. Upon arriving at the deserted island, he began refining Formation Flags and Formation Plates to prepare for the grand battle.
While Qiu Xia made his preparations, the Navy and the Five Elders began their deployment. From the Navy's side, Akainu, Aokiji, Chaton, Momousagi, and Zephyrfive powerhouse figureswere dispatched.
From the World Government, CP0 sent two Admiral-level agents, and the Holy Knights deployed four more of the same caliber. Even the Commander-in-Chief of the three armies, Kong, went along.
With nearly ten Admiral-level experts and two Yonko-level combatants in Kong and Garp, Sengoku and the Five Elders felt that even if Rocks D. Xebec were reborn, they could beat him back. No matter how strong that brat was, even if he surpassed Rocks, he couldn't possibly be a match for a force of this magnitude.
As the group set off for the East Blue, Garp and Kizaru began their recovery. Garp's injuries weren't too severe; he just needed to lie face-down for a day or two. Kizaru, however, had nearly been "ended" by Qiu Xia's hammer.
Even if he recovered, his fertility would be affected, and he'd likely have to hold himself steady just to use the bathroom, lest he accidentally urinate on his own shoes.
When Kizaru finally woke up and understood his condition, his face turned so dark it was as if he'd changed his name from Yellow Monkey to Black Monkey. Not only was his face grim, but his killing intent was off the charts. Any normal man in his position would have reacted the same way.
"That damned little beast! I won't let you off! I'll cut you into a thousand pieces! I want you to suffer a fate ten times worse than mine!" The more Kizaru thought about it, the angrier he became, until the blood rushed to his heart and he passed out again.
When he woke up once more, his hatred was tempered by the knowledge of the Navy and the Five Elders' plan. Knowing that reinforcements were coming improved his mood significantly.
He broke into a cold sweat thinking about how he had almost rushed out in a fit of rage to seek revenge on his own. He had been one-shot by Qiu Xia before; if he went now, Heaven only knew what his end would be. He might not even know how he died.
He had to stay calm. Once the support arrived, it would be time for his revenge. Whether he killed Qiu Xia or captured him, there would be plenty of time to torture him. Thinking of this, Kizaru began nursing his divine body while waiting for the reinforcements.
Because of Qiu Xia's strength, Kizaru and the others didn't dare get too close. They simply sent messages to the various Marine branches in the surrounding areas, telling them to monitor Qiu Xia's movements. If they saw him, they weren't to stop him, only to report the direction he was heading.
Three days passed in a flash. The support team arrived successfully, and the group set off for Qiu Xia's location. Since Qiu Xia hadn't moved farstaying on a deserted island near his previous positionit didn't take long for the fleet to arrive. They found Qiu Xia lying on the beach, leisurely eating grilled fish and fruit.
Having confirmed the target, the group moved forward and surrounded him. Qiu Xia continued to eat his fish at an unhurried pace, acting as if he hadn't noticed them at all.
"Brat, you actually dared to lay a hand on the Celestial Dragons, the representatives of God. You must be tired of living. If you don't want to suffer, surrender now. It might save you a beating!" Kong shouted, looking at the relaxed Qiu Xia.
Qiu Xia didn't reply, continuing his meal with an air of indifference. This attitude infuriated everyone present. Two members of CP0 didn't bother with words and launched an immediate attack.
CP0 moved with incredible speed, almost like teleportation, appearing right in front of Qiu Xia. They swung their fists at him, but Qiu Xia merely tapped the ground and sprang up. He tilted his body to dodge one attack and pushed the other agent's hand aside with a casual flick of his wrist.
With the CP0 members leading the charge, the others joined in. However, because they were so tightly packed and feared friendly fire, they mostly used Taijutsu or small-scale techniques. Facing this crowd of attackers, Qiu Xia moved like a butterfly, darting back and forth and dodging every strike with ease.
Dodging the simultaneous attacks of so many Admirals and two Yonko-level fighters was shocking enough, but what was truly hard to accept was that Qiu Xia was still eating his fish while he did it. He didn't look serious at all; it looked like he was playing.
Soon, the entire grilled fish was gone. Qiu Xia tossed the fish bone aside, and the lazy look in his eyes sharpened. His sluggish movements suddenly accelerated as he unleashed a killing move from the Mo Family Fist.
"AHHHHHH!"
Under Qiu Xia's strike, a Celestial Dragon member of the Holy Knights let out a scream like a slaughtered pig.
Except for Momousagi, everyone present was a man. Seeing the miserable state of that Holy Knight, they all shuddered, feeling a sudden chill between their legs. Their hearts pounded with fear.
"Take this! Secret Technique: Hundred-Shot Groin-Ripping Hand!"
After dealing with the first knight, Qiu Xia's speed increased again. He moved so fast that the crowd couldn't react. Even Garp, who had used Observation Haki to see a future where he was hit, couldn't move out of the way in time.
"AHHHHHHHH!"
As Qiu Xia unleashed this move, every man on the sceneexcluding Momousagiinstantly became a "high-voiced expert." Even a hardened soldier like Akainu turned pale from the pain, and Kizaru, who was already injured there, almost knelt straight onto the ground.
As for Momousagi, the only woman, the Groin-Ripping Hand naturally had no effect. So, Qiu Xia used another "ultimate technique" he had learned from Wei Xiaobao. The move was executed so fiercely it nearly "crushed" its target.
"Vulgar! Shameless! How dare you use such despicable tactics!" Momousagi shouted at Qiu Xia, her face flushed with rage and her eyes wide with fury.
Qiu Xia smirked. "Baseness is the password of the base, and honor is the epitaph of the honorable! Taijutsu Secret Technique: One Thousand Years of Death!"
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