A deathly silence took over the Island of God Valley. The darkness of the clouds covered the sky like a shroud, and an oppressive energy spread through the air.
Everyone present felt a pang of fear in their stomachs. They knew something was about to happen.
"What's going on?" they asked each other, their voices trembling. "What the hell is in those clouds?"
The energy emanating from the black shadow was palpable. It was a force so powerful that it could destroy everything in its path. The faces of those present were filled with awe and terror.
"Kong," Xebec asked from the ground, his voice surprisingly calm. "Is the World Government going to intervene against Hashirama?"
Kong shook his head, confused. "I don't know," he said. "The Five Elders didn't seem to have any intention of getting personally involved."
Xebec clenched his fists tightly. "Impossible," he murmured. "This must be the work of those old men from the Gorosei. Most likely, this is the World Government's secret weapon, one of the ancient weapons... Uranus."
His words caused a murmur among the members of the alliance. Some nodded in agreement with Xebec's theory. Others still couldn't believe it.
"So, this is the World Government's doing," said Sengoku, now in his human form.
"Hmph!" exclaimed Shiki. "It seems the World Government is finally playing their cards."
The tension was palpable. Everyone knew that the arrival of Uranus signaled a radical change in the course of the battle. The survival of the alliance was now in the hands of fate.
Amid the silence, two urgent voices resonated in the air: "Captain!" shouted Kaido and Linlin, appearing before the Thousand-Handed Buddha.
At first, both had thought victory was assured, but the sudden appearance of the dark clouds and the black shadow looming over the island changed everything. Their intuition told them that the target of that force was Hashirama.
"Run!" ordered Hashirama to his subordinates with a serious expression. "As the strongest in the world, I will never flee."
Hashirama wasn't lying. The presence in the sky gave him a sense of imminent danger. He knew he was the target, and escape was impossible.
"But..." Kaido and Linlin insisted, their faces filled with concern.
"Obey my order!" Hashirama interrupted firmly. Waving his hand in disapproval, he added, "Don't worry, I won't die. Even if I die, I can revive."
Hashirama's words left Kaido and Linlin stunned. They opened their mouths to protest, but their captain's penetrating gaze stopped them.
"By the way, Kaido," said Hashirama, changing the subject. "This Devil Fruit is for you."
From his pocket, Hashirama pulled out a small scroll. White smoke emerged from within and, as it dissipated, revealed a Devil Fruit. He tossed it towards Kaido, who was standing at the feet of the Buddha.
It was one of the Devil Fruits that the World Government had given him to lure him to the island. Besides the fruit, there was also a chest full of riches and a red-haired baby.
Hashirama had absorbed four Devil Fruits through his system, but this one he had reserved for Kaido. It was the Akuma no Mi, model Uo Uo no Mi: Seiryu.
He sealed all the riches in his scroll. As for the abandoned baby, he left it there, resigning its fate to luck.
"ALRIGHT!" exclaimed Kaido enthusiastically, catching the Devil Fruit. He grabbed Linlin's hand, and with clenched teeth, they both soared into the air and quickly flew away.
They did not argue with their captain's order. They knew that in this case, obedience was best.
----
After Kaido and Linlin's departure, Hashirama looked towards the sky with a slight ironic smile.
As a reincarnated individual, he knew that what loomed over the island did not come from the Five Elders, but from someone above them.
And as a One Piece fan in his previous life, it was evident what that meant. If based on the manga, it could be one of the ancient weapons or a new experiment by Vegapunk.
However, the arrival of this force seemed timely to him. After having suppressed the entire alliance so intensely, his strength was no longer at its peak.
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