Not CP0?
Pangaea Castle, Hall of Authority.
"Are we really just going to let those two wreak havoc like this?" asked one of the Five Elders, his head scarred.
"No need to worry. Since that esteemed figure has spoken, it means everything is still under control," replied the chubby elder with the round hat and cane calmly.
"It's truly frustrating to be attacked right at our doorstep and yet be unable to do anything," muttered the bald elder as he gently stroked his treasured sword, seemingly soothing his growing killing intent.
"Creaaak—"
At that moment, the sound of the door opening echoed abruptly. Under the gaze of the Five Elders, a man in Celestial Dragon attire, but without the typical Celestial Dragon mask, walked in. Following him were several others dressed similarly, one of whom, with a black sword on his back, exchanged a sharp glance with the bald elder, the gaze of a true swordsman meeting its equal.
If Nicholas were here, he would certainly recognize this man, who was exchanging looks with the bald elder, as a familiar face.
"Gentlemen, we'll take it from here," said the leading man, neither humble nor overbearing.
"Though your strength is considerable, stopping those two is one thing, but killing them is another matter entirely," said the bearded elder with golden hair among the Five Elders, looking at them.
"You needn't worry about that," replied the man. After speaking, he and his companions put on masks. The man in the rear then opened a door in the air. They all entered one after another, and as the door closed, the air returned to normal, as if nothing had happened.
Meanwhile, on the almost hellish plaza, a door suddenly appeared in the air. A man, dressed in the same protective gear as the Celestial Dragons and wearing a mask with an abstract "7," rushed out. Another figure, similarly dressed but with an abstract "6" on his mask, followed closely behind.
Though their masks resembled those of CP0, it was clear these individuals were entirely different.
"This isn't a place for you to act so recklessly!" roared the man with the "6" mask, reaching towards Nicholas. In an instant, his arm bulged with muscle, and his hand transformed into a bird of prey's claw, covered in Armament Haki.
But Nicholas's figure disappeared in an instant.
"Oh, so you're not playing fair!" Nicholas's voice taunted as he reappeared, standing on the man's claw.
"What!" exclaimed the man with the "6" mask in disbelief.
"Giant Stone Snake!"
With a cold shout, the ground below Nicholas surged up, transforming into a massive stone python that coiled around him.
"Crush him! Giant Stone Snake!" commanded a man wearing a mask with an abstract "9." As he clenched his fist, the stone python tightened, but Nicholas's figure vanished.
"Door-Door Fruit!? Stone-Stone Fruit? No, the Stone-Stone Fruit was eaten by Doflamingo's subordinate, Pica. This must be a different fruit. And an Animal-type, perhaps Mythical or Ancient…" Nicholas muttered, analyzing the situation as he reappeared, his attention drawn to the open door in the plaza.
He could sense several presences inside and realized that the strange sensation earlier was due to the Door-Door Fruit. Was it possible that Bluno's Door-Door Fruit had ended up with these people?
As Nicholas reappeared in the distance, he quickly analysed the situation, but his attention was drawn to the open air door in the plaza. Through his observation haki, he sensed several presences inside and realized that the strange sensation from earlier was the Door-Door Fruit's power. So, Bluno's Door-Door Fruit had indeed ended up with these guys.
While contemplating, Nicholas raised his hand and unleashed a bolt of lightning, intending to shatter the stone snake chasing him. These strange newcomers and their Devil Fruit powers didn't surprise Nicholas much. After all, this was the center of power in the pirate world. If they didn't have some hidden aces, they would've been overthrown long ago.
Nicholas's lightning shattered the stone snake and then shot towards the man with the mask numbered "9." The man looked up at the approaching lightning, the brilliance reflecting off his mask. Through the mask's holes, his eyes showed no panic.
"Lightning Rod!"
Before the lightning could strike, a massive lightning rod appeared in front of the masked man, dispersing Nicholas's lightning. The giant rod then disintegrated into a cloud of iron sand.
Another Devil Fruit user—or rather, this was the power of the man with the "9" mask.
From the shadows, Dragon's eyes gleamed with interest. In just a few seconds, three different ability users had appeared, showcasing the deep resources of the World Government. Moreover, their attire indicated they were not part of CP0, suggesting they were a hidden force under the Celestial Dragons. Only the Celestial Dragons, above the colossal World Government, could gather so many Devil Fruits.
"Iron Sand Barrier!"
The cold voice of the "9" mask man rang out. Iron sand swirled in the air, quickly forming a cloud over Nicholas's head. Seeing the sudden iron sand cloud, Nicholas fell silent. Was this not similar to Gaara's sand manipulation from the neighboring world?
However, without storage scrolls and with limited iron resources underfoot, this iron sand cloud was hardly a real barrier. The "9" mask man knew this too. A skilled craftsman cannot make bricks without straw.
"My lord, we've arrived."
Just then, hundreds of slaves ran over, pushing carts and carrying large bags, all filled with black iron sand. "Perfect timing," said the "9" mask man, using his power to control the newly arrived iron sand.
"This is a true Iron Sand Barrier!" With the additional iron sand, the cloud expanded and extended iron spikes towards Nicholas. Watching the advancing iron sand, Nicholas briefly paused. Then, his right hand lit up with lightning, which he directed at the approaching iron spikes.
"Electrometallurgy!" The air grew silent as lightning burst forth. The iron sand barrier, now turned into a solid mass by the high temperatures of Nicholas's lightning, left the "9" mask man stunned. This wasn't the outcome he had expected.