The Outburst of the Five Elders!

The intense impact shattered the ground beneath Saint Ju peter's feet, while the massive hand of the golden Buddha pressed down on his head after the shockwave.

As blood spurted from his nose and mouth, Saint Ju peter was completely buried into the ground, vanishing from sight. The earth around them surged like a dragon turning over.

"What... The Gorosei has been defeated!"

"This is insane! The Gorosei was fighting Garp, and now Sengoku, the Fleet Admiral, launched a sneak attack!"

"This is war, and you still expect a fair one-on-one duel?"

"But what's happening now? Has the invincible Gorosei really fallen?"

"They're so powerful... Can we truly defeat them?"

"Quick, go support the Gorosei! We can't let those rebels harm him!"

Panic erupted among the ranks of the World Government forces. With Sengoku's intervention and the Gorosei's unknown fate, anxiety spread through their lines. The Gorosei were their high-level combat forces—if one of them fell, Garp and Sengoku could turn their strength toward overwhelming the rest of their forces.

After striking Saint Ju peter into the ground, Sengoku approached Garp, but he didn't revert from his Buddha form. Instead, his sharp gaze remained fixed on the shattered ground below.

Garp, equally serious, understood the situation.

Both of them were top-tier fighters of the seas, and they knew full well that their enemy wasn't finished yet.

Though Sengoku's sneak attack had severely wounded Saint Ju peter, finishing him off wouldn't be so simple. Their Haki detected a growing force underground.

"He's coming," Sengoku muttered.

In that moment, Saint Ju peter, muscles bulging, emerged from the ground with a powerful surge.

"He's stronger than before," Garp remarked gravely, noticing the enhanced aura surrounding the Gorosei. As a master of martial arts, Garp could tell that this fight had just become far more difficult.

"Is this the same kind of transformation as Imu's?" Sengoku wondered, his face tense. The sudden power surge of both the Gorosei and Imu had raised alarm. If other World Government fighters had similar power-ups, their allies would face serious trouble.

"I didn't expect this, but since we're old acquaintances, I'll finish you both today," Saint Ju peter said coldly, brimming with confidence from his newfound strength. He seemed sure he could handle both Garp and Sengoku at once.

Boom!

The Gorosei exploded with terrifying speed, breaking the sound barrier. By the time the sonic boom echoed, his Haki-infused fist was already crashing toward Garp's head.

In an instant, both Garp and Sengoku reacted, having anticipated the move. Garp narrowly dodged the blow, while Sengoku, still in his golden Buddha form, swung a massive fist at the airborne Gorosei.

The giant golden fist whistled through the air toward the Gorosei. Sensing Garp's evasion and seeing Sengoku's punch out of the corner of his eye, the Gorosei swiftly altered his stance. His body twisted mid-air, and the punch originally aimed at Garp swung like a pendulum toward Sengoku's strike.

At this moment, Garp, like a tightly wound spring, struck back at the Gorosei with a fierce punch of his own.

Forced to react quickly, the Gorosei blocked Garp's attack with his leg.

In a blink, offense and defense shifted.

Boom!

The clash of their attacks unleashed a powerful shockwave.

In the chaos, the three fighters clashed like lightning, their collisions sending terrifying blasts throughout the battlefield.

Meanwhile, another powerful presence emerged in a distant corner of Mariejois, following Imu and Saint Ju peter's transformations.

Hawkeye, gazing at Saint Nusjuro standing with his sword, readied his black blade Yoru, preparing for combat.

Saint Nusjuro, observing Hawkeye, held his sword at an angle. Though his stance seemed ordinary—even amateurish—it radiated an aura of immense danger, as if approaching him would result in instant death.

Hawkeye lowered his center of gravity, placing the back of his black blade against his left hand. His sharp aura expanded, cutting deep grooves into the ground around him as he prepared.

If Saint Nusjuro's aura was like an impenetrable mountain of blades, Hawkeye became the perfect, razor-sharp sword aiming to pierce it.

Saint Nusjuro's eyes flickered with recognition, as though he saw a younger version of himself in Hawkeye. But now, Hawkeye was even more skilled than he had once been.

With his stance complete, Hawkeye struck first, thrusting his sword toward Saint Nusjuro.

Even before the black blade reached him, the powerful sword force tore through layers of air, arriving at the Gorosei.

The sheer sharpness of the attack made Saint Nusjuro's brow twitch. In response, a sword glimmered in his eyes as his cursed blade Shodai Kitetsu moved.

Hawkeye didn't hesitate, continuing his advance.

As a swordsman, if one lost the will to charge forward, they were no longer worthy of the title.

Clang!

The two swords collided, sparks flying.

Their Conqueror's Haki-infused strikes clashed with explosive force, like two ferocious beasts trying to overpower each other.

The overwhelming strength of Saint Nusjuro's cursed blade surged through Hawkeye's sword.

Boom!

Hawkeye was sent flying by the strike.

At the same time, black and red lightning arcs crackled along Shodai Kitetsu's eerie blade.

With a swing of his sword, Saint Nusjuro unleashed a deep crimson slash at Hawkeye.

The blood-colored slash shot toward him at lightning speed.

In mid-air, Hawkeye swiftly braced his sword, blocking the slash at the last moment.

Clang!

The crimson slash struck Yoru, exploding into a brilliant flash of light.

Saint Nusjuro, holding Shodai Kitetsu, coldly watched as the explosion's smoke and dust engulfed Hawkeye.