Chapter 84

Future chapters (15+) at patreon.com/FFAddict.

Additionally, I have many new works readers may be interested in. Go look, if you wish! 

083: The Emergence of Absolute Power

Boom!

Marineford, the Naval Headquarters was abuzz.

"Gurgling... If that's Mariejois, then that man must be the one who killed admiral Akainu?!"

In addition to urgently repairing the Den Den Mushi lines, the Marines were viewing the images of the Mariejois assault on projection screens. A man referred to simply as "Marine" appeared indifferent and unbothered by the Whitebeard Pirates.

Even though his image, engulfed in flames, had spread shock across the Grand Line and generated large bounties, his reputation was known to most. But the true extent of his terror—his combat strength surpassing any human conception—could only be appreciated when witnessed firsthand on the screen.

Powerful. Extremely powerful! This man dared to invade Mariejois alone, an event that has never happened in the history of the World Government. It was absolutely earth-shattering!

Furthermore, the man had killed the Five Elders, who held the supreme power.

"What will become of the World Government now?"

This day, known as the Summit War, captured the attention of every Marine, pirate, and civilian across the entire Grand Line and the wider world.

And there was one name, "Im," that emerged, causing widespread curiosity and concern. Even the Five Elders, who hardly ever flinched, had acknowledged this name several times.

Now, people were beginning to notice the name 'Im'—a name that seemed to make even the world's most powerful figures so cautious. What was behind this enigmatic persona?

Meanwhile, Mariejois was being torn apart by intense heat.

"Would it really be wise to broadcast these events to the public?" one of the Five Elders barked, his voice echoing amidst the chaos.

"No, making this public would be the worst decision. Everyone across the world will see the fate of fools who challenge us!" the bearded Elder snarled, gripping his cane.

An overwhelming aura erupted from him, his old muscles straining against his suit.

Then, the Five Elders activated the emergency 'lockdown wall' in Mariejois—a mechanism never before used. Boom!

"What's happening now?!" The onlookers outside Mariejois were shaken as the ground rumbled.

Metal plates, composed of a strong, heat-resistant alloy, developed by the World Government's Science Unit, emerged from the ground, enveloping the government buildings. This alloy could withstand even the fearsome power of Whitebeard's Gura Gura no Mi fruit.

As the imposing wall surrounded Mariejois, the aim was clear — to minimize the damage and prevent the intense heat from harming the sacred land, even if only for a moment.

The bearded Elder anticipated that the invasion would prompt various World Government agencies to respond without any explicit orders. They could dispatch troops to the World Government's aid. Considering the proximity of Marine headquarters, Enies Lobby, and Impel Down, reinforcements could arrive in an hour under normal circumstances—or even less if urgency demanded it.

The World Government, established atop the Red Line, always benefited from a strategic advantage, having never been breached since its inception. The notion was for any adversary or force attempting to breach the 'Holy Land' to become ensnared in an all-encompassing trap—a fate irrevocable even for the most formidable of the New World's Four Emperors.

Roar!

One of the bearded Elders with a birthmark on their forehead suddenly unleashed great power. His muscles bulged, his skin turned dark green, and his clothes ripped apart. He possessed a Devil Fruit power similar to the other Elder's, but his was Zoan, a type of Phantom Beast.

At that moment, Bai Ye arrived.

"Stupid people?"

Observing the indifferent stance of all the Elders, Bai Ye's own indifference deepened. He glanced at the blockade walls and then faced the transformed Elder, asking with a tone of disdain, "When did you start believing that I am destined to die here?"

Feeling the imposing aura from the Elder, Bai Ye's own fearsome Reiatsu intensified.

"You are so naïve. Why do you think I came to Mariejois alone?"

With overwhelming pressure that distorted space itself, the once impenetrable alloy dented and cracked severely.

"What?!"

The remaining Elders were struck with shock as Bai Ye spoke again.

"That's because... there are far too many insignificant people here."

With those cold words, the "blockade wall" could no longer withstand the immense, rapidly intensifying Reiatsu. It crumbled under the pressure, collapsing completely.

In an instant, countless dust, smoke, and high temperatures erupted like a tsunami. The high temperature swept through the entire Mariejois, and the outermost buildings of the 'Holy Land' collapsed in large numbers from the impact.

Boom!

Boom!

This accident resulted in the deaths of countless Celestial Dragons before they could even scream.

"Bastard, bastard! Stop!" The pupils of the Five Elders, marked with a birthmark on his forehead, shrank sharply as he let out a roar. Opening his mouth wide, he gathered some kind of terrifying energy, full of sharp teeth. Its power rivalled Kaido's signature skill, "Hot Breath," capable of destroying an island.

But this purple energy beam tearing through the sky was too slow and not powerful enough to challenge Bai Ye at this moment. Bai Ye lifted Ryūjin Jakka and with one swift slice, cut the beam in two. It blasted off into two separate directions behind him.

Boom!

Boom!

Two explosions shook the Red Line. Without delay, Bai Ye vanished from his spot using Shunpo and reappeared in front of the long-bearded Five Elder wielding a Space Devil Fruit ability.

"No... not good!" Cold sweat covered the long-bearded Five Elder's forehead.

"Stop it! Sinner!" The Five Elder with the birthmark sensed Bai Ye's intent. He opened his bloody mouth to bite down.

"Since you are willing to be someone else's dog, then you must look like a dog," Bai Ye said, as his flowing blade fell unhindered. He raised his left hand, and a golden blaze of lightning lit up, startling the Five Elder with the birthmark.

"What...! What kind of ability is this?!" The marked Five Elder's eyes widened in shock.

The moment Bai Ye's Ryūjin Jakka fell, dazzling golden lightning flashed with a destructive aura. A bolt of lightning almost ten meters in diameter pierced the sky and crashed into the forehead-marked Five Elder.

Boom!

The long-bearded Five Elder had exhausted himself trying to control Ryūjin Jakka and had no defense left. He died instantly, marking another loss among the Five Elders.

The Five Elders with the birthmark was blasted away, displaying strength and power far below his peers. It wasn't that he was weak; Bai Ye had grown stronger after several battles. Every fight boosted Bai Ye's power to new heights.

Had the Five Elders directly joined the "Operation Demon Slaying" siege, they might have caused trouble for Bai Ye. But in their current state, even if all Five Elders combined their efforts, the gap in combat power was blatantly clear.

In just a short skirmish, Bai Ye had claimed the lives of more than two Five Elders. This scene sent shockwaves around the world, and even Rayleigh, witnessing this, was shaken. He wondered if this man had the potential to shake the foundation of the World Government alone, a feat not even the Rocks Pirates or Roger could accomplish.

Then Rayleigh felt the sea level near Sabaody Archipelago drop again and realized the monstrous nature of the situation. But as the world believed Bai Ye could topple the government, Bai Ye halted his actions. In the sky above Mariejois, where all the clouds had been burned away, something was happening.

At the same moment, everyone on the first half of the Grand Line felt a faint breath of despair and destruction.

"What is that?!" people all over the world exclaimed, their faces changing rapidly.

Sengoku, at Naval Headquarters, felt a chill that he recognized. The same force had caused the tsunami threatening Marineford. If that power were unleashed on Mariejois, the first half of the Grand Line, the Calm Belt, and even the New World could be devastated.

The thought drove Sengoku nearly mad. It seemed the World Government was ready to sacrifice everything to destroy Bai Ye.

Across the world, everyone felt the tremors. At Mariejois, the surviving Five Elders felt an immense pressure coming from the sky. Lord Im was about to act, signaling the end of their last chance. If Lord Im didn't trust them to resolve the crisis, he would not have intervened, especially with the world watching the state of Mariejois.

The remaining Five Elders sank into despair, while Bai Ye stood calmly, feeling the power accumulating above. He had expected to see Im after defeating all Five Elders, but Im had appeared sooner. With Mariejois on the brink of destruction, Im's move was unsurprising.

Bai Ye's eyes gleamed indifferently. If the World Government had no other cards to play, their fate was sealed.