"Thorne Ashveil… did Ashveil just kill one of the Gorosei?"
"They're the rulers of the world! I thought each one was a living legend, but… he killed one instantly?!"
"It's not that the Gorosei were weak, it's that Ashveil's strength is beyond comprehension! I didn't even see what happened—one moment the Elder was standing, and the next… his head was gone!"
Across the seas, even Red-Haired Shanks, one of the Four Emperors, stood frozen in disbelief. He remained at the bow of the Red Force, eyes fixed on the broadcast showing the fallen Gorosei. Silence hung thick around him.
Benn Beckman, Lucky Roux, and Yasopp were all equally stunned, their mouths wide open in shock.
"Shanks… didn't you say the Gorosei were stronger than Garp?" Beckman asked, his cigar slipping from his lips and falling to the deck. "How could someone like that be decapitated so easily?"
Lucky Roux dropped his drumstick, and Yasopp's wide eyes flicked between his captain and the screen. Everyone turned toward Shanks. He was the one who had once said the Gorosei's power was beyond imagination. That's why they'd believed the kimono-clad Elder's sudden ambush would at least gravely wound Ashveil.
But what happened was the complete opposite. Thorne Ashveil had taken the full force of a Gorosei's strike head-on—and emerged completely unharmed. Then, in an instant, he countered and killed one of the Five Elders.
The entire crew was speechless.
Shanks took a slow breath and finally spoke. "To be honest, this outcome… even I didn't expect."
"I thought Ashveil's limit had been reached. Surrounded by Kaido, Big Mom, Garp, Sengoku, Kong, and the Admirals—his defenses shattered—and then the Gorosei's ambush on top of it all…" He clenched his fist slightly. "I thought surviving would be a miracle. But to think he not only survived… but countered with such devastating power."
"There's only one explanation: the Gorosei haven't grown weaker. It's Ashveil who's far stronger than we ever imagined."
Shanks' eyes gleamed with awe. "We underestimated him completely. Thorne Ashveil is far beyond anything our world has ever seen."
The crew fell silent again, the weight of his words sinking in. Then, one by one, they turned back to the massive screen, their curiosity burning brighter than ever. No one could predict how this war would end.
---
Meanwhile, on the open seas, the Revolutionary Army fleet raced through the waves. Dragon watched the live broadcast, his expression mirroring Shanks' shock.
"The Gorosei… the very Elders our movement has feared for decades—Ashveil just killed one of them?"
Beside him, Sabo nodded rapidly, eyes wide. "Dragon-san, do you think Ashveil's strength has already surpassed Rocks D. Xebec?"
Ivankov was the first to respond, folding her arms with a serious look. "Does that even need to be asked, Sabo? Ashveil's talent and power are both above Rocks!"
"For thousands of years, countless pirates have attacked Marineford, but no one—no one—has ever managed to kill a Gorosei! And yet, Thorne Ashveil did it. Even killing one Elder is enough to shake the foundations of the entire world!"
Sabo swallowed hard. "His strength… it's beyond anything I imagined."
Dragon nodded slowly. "No matter how this war ends, Ashveil has already ascended to a realm no one has ever reached. Thorne Ashveil will be remembered by future generations. He represents a new era—a spirit of rebellion that will never die."
---
Across the Grand Line, excitement rippled among the Supernovas.
"Ashveil… that guy actually killed a Gorosei! Those are the highest powers in the world!" Kid exclaimed, his grin wild with adrenaline.
Killer stared at the screen, awe in his voice. "He's a real monster. No matter how this ends, I'll never forget that name—Thorne Ashveil."
To them, he had proven that even the gods of the world could bleed. If someone's strength reached his level, they could slay Elders—and maybe even topple the Celestial Dragons themselves.
Bonney's lips parted in shock. "One of the Gorosei… dead? Ashveil actually did it! That same Ashveil who slaughtered Marines at Sabaody Archipelago without hesitation… now he's killed a Gorosei." Her expression shifted from disbelief to excitement. "A new era has begun."
---
Back on the battlefield, as the kimono-clad Elder's severed head stopped rolling across the frozen ground, the remaining four Gorosei snapped out of their stupor.
"Saint Nusjuro!"
The other four Elders—Saint Marcus, Saint Topman Warcury, Saint Shepherd Ju Peter, and Saint Jaygarcia Saturn—roared in unison, fury twisting their aged faces.
"This can't be! You were a Gorosei—how could a mere mortal erase you so easily?!"
Though Saint Nusjuro had been the least skilled in Conqueror's Haki Infusion among them, his strength still stood at the peak of the world. To see him fall in a single strike shattered everything they believed.
"Damn it! We'll avenge him!"
Their battle intent erupted at once. The air shook. The four remaining Elders unleashed their Conqueror's Haki simultaneously, their eyes glowing crimson as demonic pressure swept across the frozen battlefield. The ice beneath them cracked. Even the distant Moby Dick, anchored far outside the combat zone, trembled under the violent wind pressure.
"Pops! The Gorosei are serious this time!" Marco shouted over the roaring wind.
Whitebeard's face darkened. The combined force of four Elders' Conqueror's Haki rivaled even Ashveil's.
Doflamingo's usual grin faltered. "Those ancient monsters are moving together. I really don't know if Ashveil can win this…"
Nearby, Boa Hancock's proud composure wavered. The overwhelming aura of the Elders made her chest tighten. Their presence reminded her of the cruel Celestial Dragons who once enslaved her. But when her eyes fell on Ashveil's back, the fear slowly melted into something else—trust.
---
Whitebeard slammed his great naginata into the deck, his own Conqueror's Haki rising like a storm to push back against the pressure.
"My sons, prepare yourselves!" he thundered. "If things go wrong, the Whitebeard Pirates move together. We'll protect Ashveil no matter what!"
His voice echoed across the ice, carrying with it the resolve of a legend. Whatever happened next, the world would never be the same. Because Thorne Ashveil had already done the impossible—he had slain a god.
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