As the battle between the God Knights and Thor continued, the difference in strength became clearer with every passing minute.
Even though the God Knights had already started taking Thor seriously, none of them could truly compete against him.
His mastery of haki, his strange but effective devil fruit abilities, and the overwhelming force behind every move he made turned their coordinated attacks into something that looked more like a group of dolls being tossed around.
They fought with full intention to kill him, yet the more they pushed, the more it became obvious that they were outmatched.
Gunko, who was known among them as a devout blade of God, stepped forward to support the others.
Her devil fruit ability was considered versatile enough to be used in almost any combat situation, but even with her joining the assault, nothing changed.
Every attempt she made to redirect one of Thor's blows ended with her getting pushed back harder than before.
"What is the matter, Mr. Holy Knight? Is that not what you call yourselves? Do you only know how to kill defenseless slaves but scramble the moment you meet a real challenge?" Thor said.
He spoke calmly, even casually, as he grabbed Saint Garling's head and crushed it with his hands.
He then threw Garling's limp form toward Sommers, who had been preparing another attack with his devil fruit ability.
Thor turned toward Gunko next. She was trying to stand but still bleeding from the impact of Thor's earlier strike.
She had attempted to redirect it using her ability, but she had failed miserably.
Seeing her struggle, Thor spoke again. "You do not have the same immortality that they have. Should I take that as you not being the same as them?"
Gunko did not bother answering. Instead she created a spinning drill-shaped arrow and launched it at Thor.
He dodged it with ease and shifted Mjolnir into its axe form. It was instantly coated in haki, the weapon looking heavier and sharper as Thor lifted it.
He swung it toward Gunko. Her face tightened with fear. It was the first time she had felt genuine danger in her life.
She reacted at the last moment, using her ability to slip to the side, but it was not enough. Thor still managed to slice off her left arm.
Before she could even process the loss, Thor struck her again with the back of the axe, smashing her into the ground and forcing blood to spill out of her mouth.
The other God Knights felt their situation worsening. Their wounds, which usually healed quickly thanks to their special bodies, were beginning to recover slower and slower.
It was clear Thor had figured out the weakness in their supposed immortality, and because of that, every exchange they attempted became harder and more dangerous.
Sommers, who was only just getting up, summoned multiple thorned vines from beneath the ground.
His intention was to catch Thor off guard. However, before the vines could fully form or stab upward, the entire area of ground froze solid.
Thor did not even look at Sommers. The simple change in temperature was enough to show that Thor was now responding instinctively.
While Thor fought the God Knights, the rest of God Valley had fallen into chaos.
In different parts of the island, the members of the Rocks Pirates and the Roger Pirates were clashing over the treasures scattered around.
Because Thor had intervened earlier, Shakky's rescue had gone far smoother. Without Sommers interfering, there were fewer complications.
Elsewhere, Dragon continued moving through the battlefield with the twin brothers still secured in his arms.
Newgate knew where Rocks was and caused as much noise as possible. He intended to keep the Marines' attention fully on him instead of letting them reach Rocks.
His loud presence and uncontested strength made the Marines hesitate, giving Rocks more room to move freely.
Garp, elsewhere on the island, stood still as he stared at a group of bodies lying on the ground.
They all wore shirts with marks on their backs. They were clearly civilians. Garp held a Den Den Mushi with an afro-shaped shell in one hand.
"I do not understand it. This is not justice. Do you have any idea what is happening, Sengoku?" Garp asked with a heavy expression.
The voice of Sengoku came from the Den Den Mushi. "I have heard rumors. There was someone who spoke about these matters openly, but he suddenly disappeared." Sengoku answered, sounding troubled.
Garp's expression darkened even further. The longer he looked at the bodies, the more his frustration grew.
Meanwhile, Borsalino was searching for a ship where he could store the devil fruits he had collected earlier.
Ivankov and Kuma followed close behind. Both of them looked exhausted from everything that had happened on the island.
"Do you want to come with us? I know we are pirates, but it seems a little better than whatever is going on in this island," Borsalino said to the two of them. His tone was casual, but there was a small sincerity hidden behind his words.
"Thank you for saving us. I do not know what that woman would have done to us," Ivankov said with his usual enthusiasm, giving Borsalino a grateful look.
"Yes, thank you. But we have our friends on the other side of this island waiting for us. We do not want to leave them behind," Kuma added. His voice was calm but firm.
Borsalino looked at them both. The smiles on their faces, despite everything they had gone through, made something inside him shift.
Their determination and refusal to give up impressed him more than he expected. His usual laziness faded for a moment as he made a quick decision.
"I will help you rescue your friends. You ate a devil fruit earlier, right? The one with the paw-shaped pattern?" Borsalino asked. Kuma nodded.
Borsalino then began explaining the abilities of the fruit based on what he remembered from the encyclopedia he had read.
After that, Borsalino created multiple solid-light clones to carry the treasure chests he had gathered. With that done, he lifted both Ivankov and Kuma.
The three of them moved across the island once again, this time with the clear intention of rescuing as many civilians as they could before the situation grew even worse.
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Meanwhile, Saturn stood on top of the mountain, silently watching the different battles taking place across God Valley.
From that vantage point he could see the clash between Thor and the God Knights, the scattered fights between pirates and Marines, and the general destruction spreading through the island.
Even with his composed appearance, Saturn's posture was tense. His eyes narrowed as he monitored every development, waiting for the moment he had been instructed to act.
Inside his mind, a voice spoke clearly, as if standing right beside him.
"Is the prince of Elbaf captured, Saturn? He shall be the one to bring my army of giant soldiers into existence."
It was the same voice that had been guiding him since he first became part of the highest authority. Saturn stood perfectly still as he answered, choosing each word with extreme care.
"His battle is currently taking place against the Knights of Gods, O Great One. However, it seems they are at a disadvantage. It appears that the reputation of the prince of Elbaf is not to be taken lightly."
Saturn's tone held nothing but strict respect, as if the simple act of responding required absolute precision.
The voice in his mind grew colder.
"Someone has died among the ranks of the Knights. Such incompetence is unacceptable. Prepare for the ritual. I shall handle this personally."
Saturn's expression shifted slightly. It was only a small change, but for someone as controlled as him, it might as well have been a full display of shock.
Even so, it did not matter. His body reacted instantly. His eyes changed into a deep red color, spirals forming within the irises, perfectly matching the eyes of Imu.
A sudden burst of strange haki erupted from the center of the island.
It spread outward like a shockwave, carrying an unnerving sensation that made the air around God Valley feel heavier.
Thor, being extremely sensitive to anything related to haki, reacted immediately.
His head snapped toward the direction of the burst. For a brief moment, his focus slipped.
That brief moment was enough.
Maffey saw the distraction and moved instantly. She struck with everything she had, her sword fully coated in armament haki. Without hesitation, she drove the blade straight into Thor's chest, aiming for the one place she believed could slow him down, even if only for a second.