When the Five Elders returned to the Holy Land of Mary Geoise, they were so severely injured that they were on the verge of losing consciousness.
Even now, they still couldn't quite believe what had happened.
Taking advantage of Lin Xuan's absence from the island, the five of them had joined forces to launch a surprise attack on the Sabaody Archipelago—yet it had ended in such a disastrous outcome!
The Ninja Guild had now completely taken shape, becoming a force to be reckoned with.
However, when they saw the devastated state of Mary Geoise, their expressions changed instantly.
Very soon, they learned that not long ago, Lin Xuan had led the entirety of Impel Down in a direct assault on the Holy Land, even forcing Im out into the open.
The moment they heard this, the already gravely injured Five Elders nearly fainted from sheer rage!
They truly hadn't known about this. Back when they were fighting Konan, Lin Xuan had cut off their live broadcast feed. As a result, they were completely unaware of what had happened afterward.
Now that they finally understood the full sequence of events, their fury exploded—they were practically itching to kill someone.
This was going too far!
They had ruled the world for so many years without ever suffering such humiliation, yet now the Ninja Guild had reduced them to this sorry state.
"The world will fall into chaos!" one of them growled.
The long-bearded Elder snorted coldly. "It's not without hope. As long as we ask Lord Im to personally take action and kill Lin Xuan, the Ninja Guild will collapse into nothing."
The others nodded in agreement.
The Ninja Guild was indeed powerful now, but they could all see that everything hinged on Lin Xuan. If Lin Xuan died, the guild would be nothing to fear.
Thus, without even stopping to tend to their injuries, the five hurried toward the deepest part of the ancient city to seek an audience with Lord Im.
No matter what, they could no longer allow the Ninja Guild to grow unchecked. Otherwise, the World Government itself would be in grave danger.
Only Lord Im could resolve this.
…
While the outside world was in an uproar over recent events, life within the Ninja Guild remained calm and orderly, just as always.
There were less than seven days left until the Ninja Guild's World Conference.
On this day, a massive ship quietly departed from Alabasta, its destination the Sabaody Archipelago.
That same day, another enormous vessel, wrapped in a protective bubble, left Fish-Man Island—heading in the exact same direction.
Over the following days, more and more nations and factions set out, some openly, others in secret. Yet all of their destinations were astonishingly the same: Sabaody Archipelago.
There was no doubt about it. Lin Xuan's livestreamed assault on Impel Down—followed by his brazen attack on Mary Geoise—had finally pushed many who had been hesitating to make up their minds.
At the same time, the World Government quickly received the news and dispatched fleets to intercept those heading to the conference.
However, the Ninja Guild also sent out squads of ninja from Sabaody, moving to meet and escort the incoming delegates, providing protection along the way.
Under the guard of the Ninja Guild's elites, not only did the government fleets fail to stop them, they also suffered significant losses.
One fleet, in particular, encountered members of the Whitebeard Pirates en route—and was completely wiped out.
…
The Grand Line, on a nameless island.
Lush with trees and utterly tranquil, the island was far removed from the noise and turmoil of the world, as if everything beyond its shores had nothing to do with it.
But on this day, two uninvited guests shattered that peace.
Boom!
A burst of flame erupted, and a figure was sent flying from the distance, crashing heavily into the ground.
It was a black-haired, freckled young man, badly wounded. He glared angrily at the man approaching him and said coldly, "Teach, even if I die today, I'll kill you here!"
Standing opposite him was a dark-skinned, thickset man with a crude appearance and several missing teeth.
"Ace, I possess the power of the Dark-Dark Fruit now," the man laughed loudly. "It suppresses your abilities completely. You're no match for me!"
These two were none other than Fire Fist Ace and Blackbeard, Marshall D. Teach.
Although the war at Marineford had broken out earlier than expected, the two of them had still inevitably crossed paths.
Not long ago, Ace had bid farewell to his old man, Whitebeard. Despite Whitebeard's attempts to dissuade him, Ace had insisted on hunting down Blackbeard.
Because of the two major wars, Blackbeard hadn't yet captured Ace to become one of the Seven Warlords, but he had already gathered a group of formidable companions around him.
When the two sides met at sea, a fierce battle erupted almost immediately.
Ace's side was outnumbered, and in the end, they were overwhelmed. Several of his companions were killed, leaving Ace alone to be chased by Blackbeard to this island.
By now, Ace was nearly exhausted. Without another word, he gritted his teeth and unleashed everything he had left.
"Flame Commandment: Fire Pillar!"
Scorching flames blasted from his arms, roaring toward Blackbeard.
Blackbeard laughed loudly as dark matter surged over his body. He reached out with one hand, rapidly absorbing the incoming flames.
In moments, the fire weakened, then vanished completely, swallowed by the darkness. Ace's expression shifted slightly.
"Ace, I told you—you're no match for me!" Blackbeard jeered.
At the same time, he seemed to lose his patience, deciding to finish Ace once and for all. The darkness around him erupted again.
"Dark Vortex!"
Vast shadows spread across the ground, forming a massive black hole that began devouring everything around it. Ace's body started sinking rapidly.
But just then, an impatient voice rang out:
"Who gave you permission to make such a racket here?"
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T/N:
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