At this moment, in the Holy Land of , within , Imu gazed down at Wano Country through a massive magic circle. A cold glint flickered in his eyes.
"Eight hundred years ago, this country should have been erased."
As his voice faded, the colossal flying ship suspended above Wano began to shift. From its circular hull, countless crystalline energy cannons extended outward, each one humming as it gathered power.
"Not good, run!" Queen shouted immediately, his voice filled with alarm.
But in the face of absolute power, resistance was meaningless.
In an instant, the muzzles flared with blinding light. From afar, a vast white pillar descended from the heavens and struck the land of Wano. The impact was instantaneous. Everything touched by that light was annihilated, reduced to nothing.
The beam endured for dozens of seconds before it gradually faded.
When the light vanished, so did Wano Country.
The violent shockwave alone was enough to shatter the outer Nation Protecting Wall. With thunderous explosions echoing across the sea, the immense wall collapsed piece by piece. The freshwater that once filled Wano's isolated basin surged outward, pouring into the ocean in a roaring flood.
The land that had stood for centuries was gone.
Above, the flying ship slowly retracted its cannons. One by one, the crystalline barrels folded back into the hull. The vessel then ascended, retreating into the magic circle until it completely disappeared.
Wano Country had been wiped from the map.
Back within Pangaea Castle, seated upon the Void Throne, Imu spoke in a voice devoid of emotion.
"The dragon pulse is weakening."
Saint Jaygarcia Saturn bowed deeply. "Please be assured, Lord Imu. We have already secured the scientist. He has successfully developed a new energy source capable of replacing the dragon pulse. However, production remains limited. Once the energy becomes sufficient, it can replace the dragon pulse entirely and eliminate certain troublesome individuals on your behalf."
Imu did not respond. He simply turned and walked away, his figure vanishing into the shadows.
Only after his departure did the Five Elders rise slowly from the ground.
Saint V. Nusjuro looked toward Saturn. "Has the Mother Flame truly been completed?"
Saturn nodded. "Yes. Vegapunk reported a few days ago that the Mother Flame has been successfully created. However, the current quantity is far too small. The materials required are extremely rare, and the extraction process demands multiple special energy substances. Even with the greatest mind in the world, mass production cannot be achieved quickly. It will take time."
The other elders exchanged glances.
"As long as we control the energy," one of them said calmly, "destroying the Three Emperors Alliance will not be difficult."
Far away on Whole Cake Island, the banquet continued for over three hours before finally ending. The primary reason was simple, Big Mom was exhausted. After eating her fill, she only wanted to sleep.
They had battled the Marines for seven or eight hours earlier that day. Now, with food and drink settled in their stomachs, fatigue swept over everyone at once.
Big Mom waved her hand dismissively. "That is enough. Thank you all for your support. Totto Land must be rebuilt, so return to your territories."
Kaido grinned. "Worororo, how cold. Already chasing us away."
Big Mom shot him a glare. "Drop the act, Kaido. When we formed this alliance, we agreed to provide unconditional support if the Marines attacked. And yet your forces arrived the latest. I have not even settled that score."
Kaido shrugged. "This old man came as fast as possible."
Big Mom snorted. "Take a mirror with you this time. We will connect through the Mirror World. If the Marines attack again, support will arrive faster."
"Worororo, no problem," Kaido replied without hesitation.
At that moment, dozens of pirate ships approached from the horizon. King descended from the sky and landed beside Kaido.
"Kaido, Jack and the others have arrived."
Kaido's grin widened. "Good. Have them prepare for departure."
Yamato crossed her arms and huffed. "They show up only after the battle is finished. I think you wanted to use this chance to weaken the Phoenix Pirates."
Kaido's eye twitched. "Good thing I married you off. When you were with the Beasts Pirates, you never cared this much."
Yamato smirked deliberately. "I belong to the Phoenix Pirates now. You cannot control me anymore."
Kaido snorted and looked away. There was no point arguing further. He had already gained powerful combat strength through this alliance.
"Sak, Ulti, prepare to leave."
Marco spoke calmly. "We will return through the mirror as well."
Just then, the transponder snail on King's body began to ring.
King answered immediately. "This is King."
A panicked voice came through. "Lord King, it is terrible. Wano Country is gone."
King's brows tightened. "Explain clearly. What do you mean gone?"
"A giant flying ship appeared above Wano. It released a massive energy beam. Wano was destroyed instantly. Nothing remains. Even Onigashima and the Nation Protecting Wall were struck by the shockwave. The wall collapsed. Onigashima is mostly ruined."
King's voice sharpened. "What?"
The surrounding leaders had already heard everything.
Kaido snatched the transponder snail. "Destroyed? What about Queen? The factories?"
"It is all gone!" the pirate shouted. "Lord Queen's fate is unknown. The factories are destroyed. Wano has completely vanished. We survived only because we were on the outer edge of Onigashima. Even then, many were blown into the sea by the shockwave. We do not know who lived."
Kaido's expression changed dramatically. "You said a giant flying ship. What did it look like?"
"It was circular. It emerged from something like a massive magic circle. After firing the beam, it disappeared. It was as if it had never existed."
"Uranus," Kaido growled. "This must be Uranus."
He had only just discussed the Ancient Weapon with Marco. He never imagined the World Government would act so quickly, nor that their target would be Wano.
With a single strike, his stronghold had been erased.
Rage surged through him.
In the next instant, Kaido transformed into his massive azure dragon form and
shot into the sky, flying toward where Wano once stood.