!
In the waters near the Red Line, the crew of another ship was similarly shaken by that staggering surge of Haki.
Aboard the Oro Jackson!
"Hey, hey, hey, what's going on here?" Roger felt the Reiatsu and widened his eyes in disbelief. "That Haki is no joke. Don't tell me someone is raiding the Holy Land again?"
"Impossible. There's no clash of Haki, just a pure, singular expansion."
"What do we do now?" Oden had been sailing with the Roger Pirates for several years now. They had been searching for the Poneglyphs and had successfully found three of the Road Poneglyphs.
Finding those three hadn't been difficult; with Roger's Haki and his ability to hear the Voice of All Things, they could pinpoint their locations. But the final Road Poneglyph remained elusive, as if it were sealed away or hidden by something. They found the first three in a single year, but they had spent the last five years searching for the fourth to no avail.
It wasn't until recently that they heard a rumor: the Great Pirate Big Mom had once possessed a red Poneglyph! Of the roughly thirty Poneglyphs, only these four red ones served as the roadmaps they needed.
But Big Mom had been missing for years. Roger had gone to Whole Cake Island, her former territory, but found nothing. After further investigation, they realized her disappearance was the work of the World Government! They had secretly captured Charlotte Linlin and, naturally, must have taken the Poneglyph with her to keep the secret of the Final Island hidden.
Knowing this, the crew had set a course for the Holy Land. They weren't planning an open assault; before the Battle of Sphinx, the world viewed the Celestial Dragons as high-status weaklings. Even the Roger Pirates thought so. But at Sphinx, the World Nobles had deployed an incredibly powerful woman—one capable of defeating Shiki and Newgate combined.
With Newgate's whereabouts still unknown, the world had ceased its mockery of the "World Nobles." Roger had come hoping for a chance to "steal" the Poneglyph, but upon arrival, they were met with this erupting Conqueror's Haki.
Crackle!
The Haki continued to intensify until it reached a terrifying zenith. At this moment, the Five Elders of both worlds completed their fusion.
Since the Wandenreich's Five Elders were spiritual entities—clones created from the originals' blood and Imu's power—the integration was seamless. As their power peaked, the magic circles vanished, and the dimensional rift slowly closed.
The five men felt a visceral, surging power within their bodies.
"This... this is..." "Such incredible Haki..." "It feels like being reborn!" "Is this the power Lord Imu has bestowed upon us?" "The power of a true... God."
The Five Elders sighed in awe. Even after wielding global authority for centuries, they couldn't hide their joy as they looked at their hands.
"I have granted you greater strength," Imu's voice echoed in their minds once the fusion settled. "Now, gather more strong individuals for me. I require more soul contracts."
"Lord Imu, we shall extinguish all candles that still flicker for you," the Five Elders said respectfully.
With their power boosted, they were ready to act. The World Government's reputation had been battered recently. Their "Three-Pronged Plan" years ago had been derailed by Beltz and Shiki. The Op-Op Fruit was lost, Whitebeard was missing, and only Kaido had succeeded in capturing Big Mom. While they spun Sphinx as a victory, it wasn't enough to restore their full prestige.
Five years ago, when the Giant Chimera was born, they wanted to launch a war, but Imu had refused, citing insufficient combat power. Now, another five years had passed, and their own strength had been elevated. It was time to launch a war of extermination against the resistance!
Imu severed the connection, leaving them to their own devices. The Elders immediately began deliberating.
"Piracy has become increasingly rampant, especially Shiki's Golden Lion Pirates. They are expanding aggressively in the New World." "With Whitebeard gone, only Kaido competes with him, but Kaido's territory isn't even a quarter of Shiki's. I hear even Whitebeard's remnants have joined him. Shiki now controls nearly half of the New World."
Saint Saturn spoke first: "I suggest we strike the Golden Lion first and wipe out the largest pirate force."
"I think that's too aggressive," Saint Warcury said calmly. "The Golden Lion Pirates are strong, and they have the backing of the 'Great Kingdom' represented by Beltz. A sudden strike could trigger a total world war. Compared to Shiki, the Roger Pirates are our immediate concern. Roger is searching for the Poneglyphs; we must end the lives of anyone who seeks that forbidden knowledge."
"Roger is no threat," Saint Nusjuro countered. "The fourth Road Poneglyph is in our hands. He can never reach the Final Island without it. As long as he can't complete the set, he isn't a danger."
He continued, "However, another force has risen rapidly in recent years."
"You mean... the Freedom Fighters?"
"Correct. Their leader is Garp's son. Since leaving the Navy, he's been inciting revolutions. Though small now, his ideology is dangerous. I suggest we kill the little rats operating in our rear."
"I know of them. Ginny, who escaped the Holy Land, and Kuma are both with Dragon."
"Hmph. Saint Garling's son is reportedly in their hands as well. What a disgrace."
"Lord Imu asked for the soul contracts of the strong. The Freedom Fighters are just a rabble. What do they matter?"
The Elders argued fiercely. Some wanted to crush Shiki; others wanted to capture Roger; others wanted to deal with the Freedom Fighters. Finally, one voice cut through.
"What about Elbaf?"
Saint Peter said: "That nation has turned its back on us. Though Harald is no longer there, he fought against us for the Op-Op Fruit. Elbaf has made itself our enemy. There's no need to wait; let's invade Elbaf now. If soft tactics couldn't bring the giants under our thumb, we will use absolute force to make them submit!"
The other four nodded. Elbaf was an excellent target. The World Government had coveted the giants' military might for centuries. But Elbaf was the "Strongest Nation" for a reason. Giants have long lifespans and the blood of Ancient Giants; every generation produces powerful warriors. Because they live so long, one powerful generation can overlap with the next, sometimes resulting in several ancient-level warriors existing at once. Combined with their "combined strike" techniques, the Government hadn't dared move against them for centuries.
It wasn't until Harald appeared that they saw an opening, but that ended in failure. Now, the World Government's combat power was at an all-time high. A direct assault on Elbaf was finally viable!
The Five Elders reached a consensus: they would go to war with Elbaf!
"The Navy will be the vanguard, with the Knights of God as support," Warcury stated. "If an unexpected variable appears, we will use the Abyss arrays to join the fray personally."
Nusjuro added, "Simultaneously, order Kaido to attack Shiki's territory. Keep Shiki's attention on Kaido so they don't interfere."
"Kaido might not hold out against Shiki and Beltz together."
"Beltz hasn't been seen in years. He might be stuck in the 'Great Kingdom' like Liltotto. If he doesn't show up, Kaido can hold out for a while. If Beltz does appear, we'll deploy Charlotte Linlin."
"Agreed."
"Approved."
The Five Elders had finalized their plan, unaware that Keiko had heard every word.
She had used the Enrakyōten to copy the abilities of the Ichimonji. While Ichimonji isn't a standard Zanpakutō, Keiko used the Age-Age Fruit to "distort the future" into one where she could replicate its powers. Ichimonji controls "Black," and the Elders had been surrounded by black demonic energy and wore black suits. Through that darkness, Keiko observed everything.
Learning of the invasion of Elbaf, her mind began to race. If she intervened personally, she could easily repel them, but she didn't want to reveal her full strength yet. Her display in the Seireitei was seen as a temporary state. For this battle, she could fight, but it would be best to end it quickly, as she did before.
She needed more than just herself. She wondered how Loki was doing in Elbaf—had he eaten that legendary Devil Fruit yet? Even if he had, he wasn't at his peak. Loki, Harald, and Erensig combined still might not be enough.
Keiko looked down and saw Roger and his crew on the sea below.
Perhaps they could...
In an instant, Keiko appeared on the deck of the Oro Jackson. The crew was still debating whether to infiltrate the Holy Land when a girl suddenly materialized before them.
?!
There were no women on the Roger Pirates. Seeing a beautiful woman appear so suddenly, they felt no lust, only extreme caution. None of them had sensed her arrival! She was incredibly fast.
And since they were so close to the Holy Land, they immediately thought of the Battle of Sphinx. A woman had defeated Whitebeard there. Was this her?
Roger immediately went to draw his sword, Ace. But Keiko vanished and reappeared instantly beside him, pressing her hand down on his right wrist to keep the blade in its sheath.
Keiko looked at Roger calmly and said softly, "Don't be agitated. I am not your enemy."
Roger's pupils dilated! If he had missed her the first time because he was distracted, this time he had been staring right at her! And yet, she was still too fast. She had pinned his wrist before he could even react. He tried to pull his sword out, but her hand possessed a monstrous strength that completely belied her slender appearance.
It was as if a mountain were pressing down on him, making it impossible to even draw his blade.