A trace of worry and confusion showed in Marco's eyes, as if he were concerned about what might happen next.
Ron nodded lightly, his gaze becoming deep and distant, as though he could see through all appearances and reach the essence of the matter.
"King? Interesting. But if the Five Elders came personally, that means they really are getting anxious."
Then Ron slowly turned toward everyone.
A look of approval appeared on his face, his smile as warm as the spring sun, soothing the hearts of all those present.
"This operation was very successful. Good work everyone!"
His words were brief yet powerful, making warmth rise in everyone's hearts.
Jozu scratched his head and said with an honest smile, "If we're talking about who's amazing, You're the amazing one. You even predicted that the Five Elders would come."
"We really did hook a big fish…" Ron murmured softly.
His slender fingers unconsciously rubbed his chin as his thoughts returned to the tense moments before the battle.
Thinking back to that time, Ron, out of caution, had decided to have Whitebeard slow down the pace of the fight.
...
He had found Whitebeard and said, "There's no harm in dragging this battle out a little… I have a feeling there are still rats hiding in the shadows, watching us."
After hearing this, Whitebeard laughed loudly.
"Gurararara! You brat, always thinking too much! But… I'll play along with this act of yours!"
"Ron, that move of yours—'luring the snake out of its hole'—was brilliant." He gazed at the surging sea, filled with emotion.
"Not only did it draw out CP0, even the Five Elders personally stepped in."
"Hahaha! That old spider was furious because of you! You should've seen how miserable he looked when he ran away!"
...
Just as everyone was enthusiastically discussing the battle situation, the already gloomy and oppressive sky was suddenly torn apart by a blinding bolt of lightning.
It was as if a god had swung down a sword of judgment, instantly illuminating the battlefield, which had been so dark it was almost chaotic, until it was as bright as day.
Amid the flashing lightning, like a war god descending into the mortal world, Whitebeard's immensely towering figure strode forward with great steps.
On the Murakumogiri in his hand, mottled bloodstains glowed a chilling dark red under the electric light.
"Ron, kid!"
Whitebeard's booming and penetrating voice was like rolling thunder.
It easily pierced through the dense curtain of rain and echoed above the noisy battlefield.
"Good to see you're fine! We really miscalculated this time. That old spider actually got away!"
At this point, Whitebeard suddenly swung Murakumogiri.
The blade carved a sharp arc through the air, bringing with it a whistling gust of wind, as if he wanted to vent all the frustration and unwillingness in his heart.
Ron, however, remained calm and unhurried.
He slowly patted away nonexistent dust from his coat, the corners of his mouth lifting slightly into a faint smile.
"Captain, there's no need to dwell on it. Saturn isn't that easy to capture. Besides, all of the Five Elders possess the power of immortality."
Marco slowly withdrew the blazing flames of the phoenix.
His brows were tightly furrowed, and his eyes were filled with doubt and confusion as he asked.
"The power of immortality? What does that mean?"
At this moment, a fine drizzle gradually began to fall from the sky.
The raindrops were as dense as cow hair, gently striking the ground and producing a series of faint, crisp sounds.
Ron raised his head slightly, his firm gaze cast into the distance.
His eyes seemed to possess a penetrating force, easily piercing through the layers of rain as he looked toward the deeper, unknown mysteries beyond.
He slowly spoke.
"The abilities of the Five Elders are all Mythical Zoan types. These abilities are already extremely rare and powerful, but what they possess goes far beyond that."
"And based on the intelligence we currently have, they seem to possess the ability to regenerate endlessly…"
Ron's voice paused slightly, as if he were choosing his words carefully, before he continued.
"What's even more troublesome is that they appear to possess some kind of spatial teleportation technique between them, allowing them to move instantly between different islands. What does that mean? It means it will be very difficult for us to completely trap or eliminate them."
Hearing this, Jozu could not help scratching his head in confusion.
"Then why didn't Saturn use it just now? He was chased so miserably by Pops and the others. Logically speaking, wouldn't that have been the perfect time to use that spatial teleportation technique to escape?"
Whitebeard thoughtfully stroked the blade of Murakumogiri.
His rough palm slid gently along the edge, producing a low scraping sound.
He lowered his head slightly and pondered for a moment before saying, "Gurararara… Looks like this ability must have some kind of restriction. Otherwise, he could have used it to escape easily just now, and he wouldn't have been chased by us in such a miserable state."
Raindrops fell onto Ron's coat, making faint yet clear sounds.
Ron gently shook his head.
A few crystal-clear drops of water slid down the tips of his hair, and his expression became even more solemn.
"The exact restrictions are still unclear. It may require certain conditions to activate, such as a specific time, place, or some kind of ritual."
"It's also possible that using this ability consumes an enormous amount of energy. Given his condition at the time, he may not have been able to withstand the energy cost of using spatial teleportation again…"
Vista suddenly cut in.
"Could it be related to those black flames? I noticed that when Saint Saturn fled, the divine ring of flames behind him had dimmed quite a bit."
"Maybe there's some close connection between that spatial teleportation technique and the black flames. When the energy of the divine flame ring is insufficient, the spatial teleportation technique can't be used."
"No way. Isn't that just a sign of his awakened ability?"
"…"
Just as everyone was enthusiastically discussing the matter and offering their own opinions, the somewhat noisy atmosphere was suddenly broken by the sound of steady footsteps.
Who's-Who stepped forward slowly with firm, powerful strides.
Each step left a clear mark on the slightly chaotic ground.
When he arrived before Ron, he showed not the slightest hesitation.
He steadily dropped to one knee and performed an extremely solemn gesture of respect, his posture filled with reverence and devotion.
"Greetings, Lord Ron."
He raised his head slightly.
His red pupils flickered with a complex and profound light.
Within that light was both awe toward Ron's identity as a divine lord and a trace of expectation that was difficult to conceal.
Ron was clearly stunned for a moment.
Even Nami beside him was startled by this sudden turn of events. Her eyes widened, filled with surprise and confusion.
"Who's-Who? Aren't you one of the Beasts Pirates? Why…"
There was a hint of puzzlement and vigilance in Nami's voice.
She instinctively took a small step back, her gaze moving back and forth between Who's-Who and Ron.
"Why are you calling Ron 'Lord'?"
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