At the outskirts of the Land of the Gods—the once opulent, immaculate residential district of the World Nobles—now lay transformed into a blood-soaked hell.
Gern Reginald Sigmar slowly drew the black blade Bahuang from the throat of an elite CP0 guard, a spray of warm blood bursting forth as he did.
He swept his gaze across the surroundings.
Agents. Guards. Even private soldiers of the Celestial Dragons clad in extravagant finery…
Corpses were piled like mountains. Severed limbs lay scattered everywhere.Almost none of the bodies were intact.
Sticky blood pooled into streams, soaking into the priceless marble flooring.The stench of iron was so thick it made the stomach churn.
A mountain of corpses. A sea of blood.This—was all it amounted to.
Gern casually flicked the blood droplets from his blade and looked toward the distance, at those who trembled violently with fear yet were still being driven forward by orders—endlessly flooding in like insects.
A cold, mocking smile curled at the corner of his lips.
"Heh… looks like Sengoku's negotiations went pretty well, huh."
He knew it perfectly well.
Aside from the first two unlucky Knights of the Gods, not a single other member of the order had shown themselves again.Even Figarland Garling Saint, whom he had heavily injured, had not returned for revenge.
The World Government had clearly made some form of concession—attempting to buy time with the lives of these expendable grunts, or perhaps… to satisfy part of his appetite for slaughter as a display of "sincerity."
After all, the World Government had an endless supply of this kind of "thing."
Just as Gern was about to ignore these cannon fodder entirely and continue pressing deeper toward the core of the Land of the Gods—
His Observation Haki suddenly caught something different.
A presence.
A completely distinct, alien Haki appeared ahead.
"…Oh?"
Gern halted instantly.
He turned his head slightly, his gaze piercing through the drifting smoke toward the source of that aura.
Not far away, a figure stood quietly.
The man was abnormally tall and powerfully built, still ramrod-straight despite his age. Thick body hair covered him, a deep scar cut across his left cheek, and his head was crowned with wild, fluffy white curls. A matching white beard framed his face.
He wore an impeccably tailored black suit, black trousers, and a white dress shirt, paired with a deep-purple tie.In his hand, he leaned on a cane.
But most striking of all—
Were his eyes.
Cold. Indifferent.As though all things in the world were nothing more than ants beneath his feet.
One of the Five Elders.
The Warrior God of Science and Defense—Jaygarcia Saturn.
Saturn first cast a detached glance over the blood-drenched hell Gern had created. Only then did his gaze settle fully on Gern as he spoke, his voice slow and frigid.
"Gern Reginald Sigmar."
Gern looked at the Five Elder who had personally appeared. His brow creased faintly, his tone carrying a hint of amusement.
"Jaygarcia Saturn…How rare. To think one of the Five Elders would trouble himself to come in person.
"What is it—did you come to bring me a gift?"
Saturn ignored the mockery completely and continued in that emotionless voice, as though stating an immutable law.
"Bartholomew Kuma…is a mixed-blood of the Buccaneer race."
He paused. His cane tapped lightly against the ground, producing a dull thud.
"I hear he has taken refuge under your banner."
Gern's eyes sharpened instantly.
Saturn went on, his tone coldly absolute.
"But that race, from the moment of its birth, was destined to exist only as slaves.
"This is a bloodline curse they can never escape.It is the unchanging rule of this world.
"You…cannot protect him."
As Saturn spoke words steeped in racial contempt and icy finality, the cold smile on Gern's face only deepened.
He had already guessed what the old monster intended to say—and to do.
"So…"Gern's voice dropped, becoming lethally dangerous."You're not planning to hand him over after all, huh… you old bastard."
"The Buccaneer race does not deserve freedom," Saturn repeated, leaving no room for doubt.
"…Is that so?!"
Gern raised his left hand and unfastened the clasp of his Justice cloak.
Whoosh!
The white Marine Admiral's cape was caught by the wind, billowing before drifting away.
Then his right hand seized the collar of his black shirt—and tore it apart.
RIP—!
The fabric was instantly shredded by vibration, exploding into countless scraps that fluttered down, revealing the powerful torso beneath—etched with scars both old and new.
Every single scar was a medal earned through brutal battle.
Gern's left hand opened slightly.
Countless pure-white particles of high-frequency vibration began converging wildly, emitting a spine-chilling hum.
His right hand tightened around Bahuang.
Dark-purple Conqueror's Haki lightning erupted once more.
The sky dimmed.
Arcs of violent, dark-violet Haki lightning crashed down wildly around Gern.
Centered on him, the ground began to quake violently—splitting, cracking apart!
The surrounding air let out a tortured wail, thin fractures spiderwebbing through it as if space itself were about to shatter!
Saturn's cold, indifferent eyes locked onto the black blade in Gern's hand—
That sword, madly devouring Haki and radiating an ominous, baleful glow.
His brow furrowed tightly.
A flicker of something exceedingly rare appeared in his gaze.
Wariness.
This sword…
He remembered it all too well.
Back then, its previous wielder—another lawless madman of overwhelming strength—
Had used this very blade to slaughter his way through countless barriers, even once breaching the forbidden "Chamber of Flowers", alarming the supreme existence—Imu-sama.
Though the final outcome of that incident was unknown, the mere fact that it had happened had carved an indelible shadow into the hearts of the few top figures who knew the truth.
And now—
This murderous blade had reappeared, wielded by someone just as insane… perhaps even stronger.
And it was aimed directly at the very core of Mary Geoise.
Saturn's thoughts were violently interrupted by the overwhelming killing intent and shockwaves surging toward him from Gern.
There was no time to hesitate.
Facing the full, unrestrained eruption of "Heavenquake" Gern, even a Five Elder dared not underestimate him!
"Hmph… stubborn fool."
Saturn let out a low, inhuman snort.
In the next instant—
His massive body underwent a horrifying transformation.
Dense black clouds—like miasma from the abyss itself—erupted from within him, instantly coiling around his form!
His body rapidly expanded, swelling grotesquely larger.
His abdomen bulged outward, round and bloated, taking on a strange, dark hue.
The muscles of his upper body knotted and ballooned. His skin grew rough and rock-like.
From both sides of his head, two massive, curved horns burst forth—twisted, feral, and glowing with eerie light!
His face became savage and monstrous, black smoke pouring from his mouth and nostrils with each breath.
And his lower body—
Completely abandoned its human shape.
Transforming into the bristling, multi-jointed form of a spider, covered in coarse hairs and razor-sharp limbs.
Zoan-type · Mythical Beast Model · Ushi-Oni · Hybrid Form.
Gern looked at the transformed Saturn and let out a cold laugh, the killing intent in his voice nearly solidifying.
"To be honest…
"All the filthy, disgusting things you old monsters have done…"
"They really make me sick."
"Enough that even we—who once judged everything solely by strength…"
Gern leaned forward slightly, settling into an attack stance, his words spat out one by one with thunderous force.
"Think that—"
"Beating you to death with a single punch—"
"Doesn't even count as a breakdown of combat power anymore!!!"