On the battlefield, Sword Saint Bickley's roars echoed relentlessly. The Second Elder of the Gorosei, stationed below, was visibly terrified.
The high-pitched, unsettling cries from the sky combined with Bickley's grotesque, feral appearance left him in shock. Though Saint Mars had met Bickley before, he had always exuded an aura of aloofness, extreme mystery, and calm.
Now, the Sword Saint resembled either a child lost to madness or a frenzied lunatic. Saint Mars could think of only two beings capable of driving Bickley to such a state: Imu and Ashveil.
Marine high-ranking officials, including Sengoku, Kong, and Garp, furrowed their brows, all gazing skyward with shock.
"This… this is a Celestial Dragon? Why does he seem like a monster?" Garp blurted out, his straightforward nature unable to contain his disbelief.
Sengoku quickly tugged his arm, signaling him to remain silent.
Garp's frown deepened. Were the Celestial Dragons he had always protected truly so despicable?
Vice Admiral Tsuru stepped forward, her voice low.
"Just now… Sword Saint Bickley said that anyone who sees his face must die."
"That naturally includes us… Sengoku," she added.
Sengoku froze. The Celestial Dragons he had long served intended to eradicate the Marines.
Garp's anger boiled over.
"What kind of wretched Celestial Dragons are these? I've always despised them, but now I see—they embody the darkness of this world! I will not let them live!" he bellowed.
The Whitebeard Pirates also stared skyward in shock.
"Celestial Dragons… could they really be like this?" murmured Whitebeard, Edward Newgate.
Golden Lion Shiki, cigar in mouth, smirked with disdain. "Yes, the true face of the Celestial Dragons… I've long wanted to overthrow this world ruled by them."
For centuries, the Celestial Dragons had propagated the idea that their bloodline was unmatched in nobility. But now, that claim seemed hollow, a facade masking true evil.
Among them, one Celestial Dragon, Doflamingo, observed with a troubled expression. Though he was a Celestial Dragon himself, he knew his lineage and appearance were far removed from Bickley's monstrous form.
"I once stayed in Mary Geoise," Doflamingo said solemnly, "and none of the Celestial Dragons I met looked like that. Yet there is one lineage I never encountered… Imu's lineage. Their status surpasses that of ordinary Celestial Dragons."
Marco, nearby, frowned. "Only one lineage?"
"Yes. Imu's bloodline. Rarely seen, rumored to possess godlike power… yet now, I see the truth. They are nothing but usurping devils," Doflamingo stated bluntly.
On the battlefield, Bickley's Holy Sword continued its swings, yet Ashveil remained unharmed. His Super Conqueror's Haki Defense absorbed the attacks with ease, at most creating a faint ripple.
Ashveil's lips curled in a disdainful smile.
"What kind of pitiful transformation is this? You made yourself grotesque, yet your strength remains weak," he said calmly.
Bickley's fury ignited. "Damn you, Ashveil! I will tear you apart with my own hands!"
He lifted his Holy Sword, merging Haki and holy light to create a bizarre spatial anomaly. With a mighty swing, Bickley unleashed a space-devouring slash directly at Ashveil.
Ashveil narrowed his eyes. The Sword Saint's defensive technique had now become an offensive one—and it was terrifyingly effective.
The slash consumed the space around it, leaving a void of pitch-black emptiness in the sky.
On the ground, the Whitebeard Pirates and observers widened their eyes. Even Ashveil's Super Conqueror's Haki was being tested in ways they had never seen.
"Even Ashveil's Haki… can it be nullified by this energy?" Marco muttered in disbelief.
Empress Hancock stomped her feet anxiously, but she could do nothing. Her power was irrelevant against the scale of destruction unfolding. Any intervention could jeopardize Ashveil's battle.
Garp's worry was evident. He did not wish for Bickley to succeed. Moments ago, Bickley had vowed that anyone who saw his face must die.
"Sengoku, pay attention," Garp warned. "If Bickley wins, he becomes our enemy. He's released so many attacks already, and after defeating Ashveil, he will be in a weakened state. If we gather our forces, maybe we can strike him down."
Sengoku clenched his fists. "Garp… you fool!" Yet he had no choice. The one he had served for so long was now little more than a rebel in this world.
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