Take Ochoku, for example.
His was one of the largest Pirate Crews in the New World, second only to the Emperor-level crews. Ochoku's strength was no less than that of an Emperor.
If given the chance to become one of the Emperors, would he let it slip by? Then there are Big Mom and Kaido, both of whom harbor immense ambitions.
They've long coveted the territories of the Whitebeard Pirates and naturally wouldn't miss this opportunity.
Even though they had briefly allied before.
So, whether the Whitebeard Pirates escape today or not. Their downfall is already inevitable!
Most importantly, the high-ranking officials of Marine Headquarters, whether it's Fleet Admiral Sengoku, Admiral Akainu, or commanders like Gin, have all achieved remarkable military feats.
These accomplishments are enough to secure them opportunities for promotion.
More importantly, when Whitebeard shouted those words, the live broadcast signal was abruptly cut off!
This means that regardless of whether Marine Headquarters ultimately chooses to fight or adopts a conservative approach, the outside world will be unable to learn the truth.
In other words, even if they decide not to engage the remnants of the Red-Haired Pirates and the Whitebeard Pirates, the world will remain unaware, and thus, the authority of the World Government and the Marines will not suffer any damage.
Moreover, this war has already succeeded in killing Whitebeard and Marco, and Ace will be executed as planned.
Therefore, the prestige of the World Government and the Marines will not only remain unaffected but will also be greatly enhanced.
Thinking of this, the scales in everyone's hearts gradually tilted.
They had already made their decision internally, waiting only for Red-Haired Shanks to arrive before proceeding accordingly, allowing everything to fall into place naturally.
"Tsk, tsk!"
Lancelot observed everyone's expressions and couldn't help but let out a strange laugh.
At that moment, an earth-shattering roar erupted as Jozu exerted his strength, pushing away the remnants of the naval port wall that had been pressing down on him.
As the debris rolled aside, Jozu emerged and walked straight toward Kizaru.
Jozu appeared somewhat disheveled at this moment, breathing heavily.
It was clear that enduring Kizaru's full-force attack had drained a significant amount of his stamina.
Just then, the commotion from this side struck like a thunderclap, successfully capturing Lancelot's attention.
The corners of Lancelot's tightly pursed lips could no longer be restrained and curled upward slightly.
He thought to himself, 'It seems this war is destined to come to an end. In that case, before it concludes, if I can take down another powerful Devil Fruit ability user, that'd be even better!'
With this in mind, Lancelot decisively executed Rokushiki—"Soru"!
In a flash, his figure vanished like a ghost, disappearing without a trace from beside Sengoku.
"Huh?"
Sengoku couldn't help but show a look of surprise once again.
However, as a seasoned veteran, he quickly grasped Lancelot's movements.
He immediately understood Lancelot's intention and not only refrained from intervening but secretly felt pleased.
After all, for Sengoku, every member of the Whitebeard Pirates eliminated was a gain.
Lancelot's action undoubtedly presented him with an excellent opportunity.
When Lancelot reappeared, he had already teleported to stand firmly beside Kizaru and Jozu, who were locked in a standoff.
"Oh!"
Kizaru suddenly sensed a powerful presence beside him. He turned his head in surprise, a flicker of doubt flashing in his eyes.
In contrast, Jozu's reaction could be described as exceptionally intense.
Like a beast startled from its slumber, he instantly entered a state of high alert.
His body tensed, fists clenched, adopting a defensive posture ready for battle.
His eyes were fixed intently on Lancelot, filled with vigilance and hostility, as if Lancelot were his mortal enemy.
This reaction was even more intense than when he faced Kizaru, the Navy Admiral.
Kizaru is among the top-tier combatants of the Marines, his strength astonishing.
Yet, when facing Lancelot, Jozu displayed such an extreme reaction, which clearly indicates the status and level of threat Lancelot holds in his mind.
Kizaru took in Jozu's reaction, and a sense of displeasure welled up within him.
After all, he's a distinguished Navy Admiral, yet Jozu seemed to regard him with such disregard, which struck a blow to his pride.
However, despite feeling somewhat irritated, Kizaru didn't immediately take action against Lancelot.
The reason was simple: Lancelot's strength was evident, and Kizaru had some understanding of his capabilities.
Moreover, just moments ago, Kizaru's full-powered strike had failed to breach Jozu's defense, while Lancelot had succeeded with a single blow.
This forced Kizaru to acknowledge Lancelot's strength.
At this moment, Lancelot shifted his gaze from Kizaru to Jozu.
The corners of his mouth lifted slightly, revealing a faint smile, and he said to Kizaru, "You felt it, didn't you?"
Kizaru's brow furrowed slightly, as if somewhat dissatisfied with Lancelot's words, but he nodded nonetheless, indicating he understood Lancelot's meaning.
Seeing this, Lancelot focused his attention entirely on Jozu.
His gaze grew sharp, as if it could pierce through Jozu's body and see into his very thoughts.
"Then, before that guy arrives, let me finish him off!" Lancelot's voice was cold and resolute, carrying an undeniable determination.
He continued, "Although the downfall of the Whitebeard Pirates is already an irreversible fact, a strong opponent like this remains a threat. If we can eliminate him, we mustn't let him live!"
Upon hearing Lancelot's words, Kizaru raised an eyebrow slightly but didn't immediately object.
He understood Lancelot's meaning well.
If he continued to engage Jozu himself, the likelihood of successfully defeating him before Shanks arrived was slim.
However, if Lancelot were to take over, the situation might be different. Although this approach could be seen as somewhat disrespectful, it was an undeniable reality.
After some consideration, Kizaru finally nodded, agreeing to Lancelot's proposal.
Seeing this, a satisfied smile appeared on Lancelot's face as he softly said, "Thank you!"
Before the words had faded, he suddenly activated his Zoan ability.
In an instant, an astonishing transformation occurred.
A layer of golden dragon scales rapidly grew over Lancelot's body, shimmering brilliantly under the sunlight.
At the same time, his hands transformed into sharp dragon claws in the blink of an eye, as if capable of tearing through steel with ease.
Moreover, a pair of majestic dragon horns sprouted from Lancelot's head, making him appear even more imposing.
This wasn't all.
Lancelot's body muscles began to swell high, as if filled with boundless power.
His stature even grew slightly taller in the process, giving off an overwhelmingly oppressive feeling.
Facing such a formidable Lancelot, Jozu clearly dared not let his guard down.
This time, he'd learned his lesson and didn't give Lancelot any time to gather his strength.
In an instant, Jozu pushed off with both legs, shooting forward like an arrow from a bow, his entire body moving with lightning speed.
In the blink of an eye, he was right in front of Lancelot, throwing a punch without hesitation, aiming straight for Lancelot's face.
"Hmph!"
Seeing this, Lancelot let out a cold laugh, then extended his dragon claw to meet it head-on.
With pinpoint accuracy, he caught Jozu's fist.
Then, with a backward pull, he flung Jozu aside.
Jozu crashed heavily onto the ground.
Before Jozu could even react, Lancelot exerted force once more, hurling Jozu high into the air.
Then, Lancelot pushed off with both legs, propelling himself skyward.
Crackle, sizzle...
Purple electric currents, like agile serpents, danced between Lancelot's dragon claws, flashing with dazzling brilliance.
Instantly, Armament Haki surged like turbulent waves, wrapping around the dragon claws in the form of Ryuō.
This added another layer of imposing might to the already gleaming dragon claws.
However, this was only the beginning.
Under the astonished gazes of the onlookers, a mysterious force resembling black lightning suddenly appeared, streaking across like a meteor in the night sky, landing with equal precision on the dragon claws.
At this moment, three powerful forces converged on the dragon claws—lightning, Armament Haki, and Conqueror's Haki.
These three intertwined and resonated with one another, forming an unprecedented, formidable presence.
But this was far from over.
Suddenly, a chilling Demonic Energy erupted from Lancelot's body—the power of the Sacred Sword awakening.
At the same time, a terrifying Sword Intent swept over like a violent storm, sending shivers down everyone's spines.
"No-Sword Style—Dragon Thrust!"
With Lancelot's furious roar, this move gathered the ferocity of lightning, the resilience of Armament Haki, the dominance of Conqueror's Haki, the Demonic Energy of the Sacred Sword, and the sharpness of Sword Intent.
He fused these five powers together in a near-perfect manner, as if they were originally one.
This strike was like a bolt of lightning from hell, tearing through the sky and hurtling straight toward Jozu.
The energy contained within this blow was terrifying, as if it could destroy the entire world.
And this wasn't even accounting for the immense power brought by the two Lineage Factors within Lancelot's body.
The stacking of these forces elevated the power of this move to an unprecedented level.
This was undoubtedly Lancelot's strongest attack, its might surpassing ordinary imagination.
Hiss!
Even Kizaru, a seasoned veteran standing on the sidelines, couldn't help but feel his scalp tingle and pressure mount like a mountain when faced with such a terrifying strike.
His eyes widened as he watched this world-destroying move, thinking to himself in awe, "This guy's strength is truly terrifying!"
At this moment, Kizaru finally realized that Lancelot was no longer some up-and-coming rookie.
Lancelot's strength was now on par with his own, perhaps even surpassing it.
However, at this moment in the air, Jozu had no time to ponder these issues.
His face turned pale as paper in an instant, and his eyes nearly bulged out of their sockets.
The reason was none other than the harrowing experience of being severely wounded by Lancelot's earth-shattering strike last time.
It remained vivid in his memory, instilling in him a deep fear and indelible psychological trauma toward this technique.
After all, this was the first time his ability had been broken so easily!
And now, Lancelot's move was clearly even more powerful than before—how could he not be terrified?