"Mr. Dragon, we're about to be smashed to pieces!"
Sabo clung to the mast with one hand, his body swaying wildly as the ship careened through the water. Staring at the massive boar looming ever closer, a sliver of panic pierced his heart as he shouted to the unshakable figure of Dragon on the deck.
Dragon's expression was incredibly grim. He had never imagined Imu would go to such lengths, deploying three of the Five Elders at once.
"Hold on tight!"
"Let the gales blow even more fiercely!"
Sweat beaded on Dragon's brow. After a moment of silence, he roared to Belo Betty, Sabo, and the others on deck.
In an instant, a furious wind rose from the surface of the sea. The wind swept up the seawater, spinning it into a powerful vortex. The hurricane sucked more and more water into its eye before flinging it out with accelerated force, quickly forming a monstrous tidal wave that surged straight toward the Vind Vrama.
As for Saint Topman Warcury in his Fengxi form, he was currently battling the hurricane. This raging tempest, like the ocean itself in a fury, relentlessly pulled Saint Warcury toward its eye.
Roar! The giant boar roared incessantly, crackling with arcs of black and red lightning as Saint Warcury pitted his Fengxi form against the natural disaster.
This was Dragon's countermeasure.
As a Logia-type user of the Gale-Gale Fruit, Dragon could not only become the element of wind itself but also control air currents, generate gales, and create hurricanes. Earthquakes, volcanic eruptions, and hurricanes were the three most terrifying natural disasters, each capable of destroying entire nations.
Dragon was an incredibly powerful man.
The hurricane he conjured was terrifying in its might. Even the colossal, dozens-of-meters-tall Fengxi form couldn't hold out for long and was ultimately sucked into the eye of the storm, temporarily resolving the crisis aboard the Vind Vrama.
All that remained was for the massive wave to push the Vind Vrama to Pluton's side.
"That's Mr. Dragon for you!" Belo Betty exhaled a puff of smoke, a thrilled smile spreading across her face.
"Mr. Dragon..." Sabo looked at Dragon with pure adoration. In the young man's world, this man would always be an invincible, all-powerful figure.
Seeing this, Saint Marcus Mars could no longer remain idle. He transformed into his giant Itsumade form, a monstrous bird, and flapped his massive wings, breathing a torrent of fire toward the Vind Vrama.
Screech! A piercing cry echoed through the air.
"Circular Wind Wall!"
Having dealt with the threat of Saint Warcury, Dragon remained completely unfazed. With a sharp shout, he swept his hands before him, and a vacuum wall of wind materialized above the Vind Vrama, firmly blocking the fiery breath.
Boom! The searing flames crashed against the vacuum wall, producing a series of muffled explosions. A powerful shockwave sent sparks flying everywhere, scattering them across the sea, but it could not breach the barrier. Below, the Vind Vrama remained unharmed.
Crash! A moment later, with a loud impact, the Vind Vrama slammed into the steel hull of Pluton and slowly came to a stop.
Under the force of the wave, even Pluton deigned to shudder slightly.
"Let's go!"
At Dragon's command, a gust of wind enveloped everyone on deck, carrying them toward the deck of Pluton. This was a technique Ryuuto often used as well—propelling oneself forward with the kinetic energy of the wind.
'To think the leader of the Revolutionary Army has become this powerful!' Saint Mars thought to himself as he flew, utterly shocked by Dragon's performance.
Then again, it was to be expected. At sea, even the Five Elders couldn't use their full power.
"Roar!" Saint Warcury let out a furious bellow as he burst from the eye of the hurricane, his massive form charging across the water's surface toward Pluton.
Saint Warcury wasn't about to let Dragon go so easily. Just because he couldn't win at sea didn't mean he was no match for Dragon on solid ground.
Saint Mars and Saint Shepherd Ju Peter also transformed into blurs of motion, rocketing toward Pluton's deck at incredible speed.
And so, the deck of Pluton became the final battlefield.
On the deck, Saint Garling and Kaido were locked in a ferocious clash. Their strength was so evenly matched that it was impossible to determine a winner. Only the violent arcs of black and red lightning erupting around them bore witness to their fiery battle. A fight like this wouldn't conclude for days, if not nights.
But then, Dragon appeared.
Thud! Thud! Thud! With a series of heavy landings, Dragon and his group touched down on Pluton's deck. Caught completely off guard, they were immediately sent stumbling by a shockwave from the battle between Garling and Kaido.
"Garling, stop Dragon! He has what Lord Imu needs!" the giant boar bellowed in a human voice, shouting at the Saint who was facing off against Kaido.
"How interesting! Things are getting more and more chaotic here." An amused expression crossed Garling's face as his gaze fell upon the familiar figure.
"Dragon?" Kaido was completely surprised by his arrival.
The three of them, who had first met in God Valley, were now unexpectedly reunited on Pluton.
Of course, Dragon was just as shocked. Was this it for him? In front of him stood the Commander-in-Chief of the God's Knights and a Yonko, while behind him were the immensely powerful Five Elders.
Thud! Thud! Two more figures landed. Saint Mars and Saint Ju Peter had also arrived on Pluton's deck.
Now they were truly trapped.
"Dragon, hand it over! Or you'll all die here today!" Saint Warcury, in his Fengxi form, roared in a booming voice.
"Never!" Ivankov, the Okama King, immediately rejected his demand.
"Then we'll just have to kill you!" With a roar, Saint Mars unleashed a torrent of scorching flames that rushed toward Dragon and his comrades.
Boom! Morley slammed his hands on the deck, manipulating the steel plates into a massive shield that firmly blocked the flames. As the commander of the West Army, Morley was the user of the Push-Push Fruit, allowing him to reshape the ground as if it were clay.
Roar! Seeing this, Saint Warcury charged forward, stamping his foot on the deck and brandishing his sharp tusks as he rammed toward the group. His own body was his greatest weapon.
Saint Ju Peter also transformed into his Sandworm form, whipping up a sandstorm as he bore down on them. In an instant, the two colossal beasts attacked with terrifying might.
"Spread out! Mr. Dragon, leave this to us!"
Belo Betty shouted, pulling a flag from her back. As she spoke, she activated her Pump-Pump Fruit ability, boosting everyone's speed and strength considerably.
The army commanders and officers immediately scattered in all directions.
Sweating, Dragon nodded and rushed toward the ship's interior. His most important mission now was to place the Mother Flame into Pluton's energy chamber.
Boom! As Saint Warcury and Saint Ju Peter attacked, the battle erupted. The revolutionaries were thrown into a chaotic melee, desperately fighting against the three Elders.
It was worth noting that Saint Garling had taken advantage of Kaido's distraction, becoming a blur as he followed Dragon into the ship's hold. By the time Kaido noticed, he chose not to pursue. After all, their objectives were completely different. Garling's goal was now to capture Dragon and seize the Mother Flame, whereas Kaido was more concerned about his three All-Stars and Yamato.
Bang! After a final glance at Sabo and the others on deck, Kaido stamped his foot and vanished into Room Number 3.
Meanwhile, on the open sea, Nekomamushi and Inuarashi were rowing with all their might in a small boat. But after the recent storm, they seemed to be even farther from Pluton. In fact, if Zunesha hadn't blocked the worst of the hurricane, their small boat would have capsized.
But Nekomamushi and Inuarashi would not give up.
Seeing Pluton and Wano Country receding into the distance, a powerful surge of energy erupted from within them. Their small boat suddenly picked up speed, cutting through the waves as it closed in on Pluton. Their fighting spirit was practically ablaze.
As for Room Number 3, Jack was already frozen into an ice sculpture, motionless. King was starting to show wounds. Queen was in even worse shape; his modified left arm was gone, and blood streamed from the corner of his mouth.
Saint Nusjuro, however, was in much better condition, with not a single wound on his body. He was immortal, after all. The three All-Stars' mastery of Haki was not yet enough to truly injure Saint Nusjuro and his immortal body.
But under King and Queen's relentless assault, Saint Nusjuro was growing winded. This was not only due to the excessive use of Haki but possibly also related to the energy cost of his immortal regeneration. Nevertheless, Saint Nusjuro was confident he could take Queen out of the fight within the next hour.
"Damn you, ants! Die!"
Saint Nusjuro's eyes narrowed. His towering Bakotsu form charged toward Queen, unleashing a powerful wave of chilling frost. This cold air had the power to freeze anything.
"Not good!" The white light of the attack grew brighter in Queen's vision, and he panicked. He immediately curled into a ball, intending to use his spinning flesh to withstand Saint Nusjuro's strike.
Schwing! Suddenly...
A flash of black and red lightning erupted, and a figure appeared in an instant, materializing right between Saint Nusjuro and Queen.
A towering figure stood there, his face dark and grim.
"How dare you do this to my subordinates! Roaring Thunder Bagua!"
With a furious roar from Kaido, his kanabo, Hassaikai, moved in a flash, unleashing a boundless storm of black and red lightning. The air crackled and hissed with the explosive release of Conqueror's Haki.
"Kaido? What are you doing here? Where's Saint Garling?"
For a moment, Saint Nusjuro's mind filled with questions. But he had no time for answers. His forward momentum was unstoppable, and he crashed directly into Kaido's club.
Bang! A massive shockwave blasted outward, followed by a torrent of black and red lightning. A white figure was sent flying—it was Saint Nusjuro.
"Lord Kaido!" Seeing this, Queen uncurled his round body, immediately fell to his knees, and then scrambled to hug Kaido's leg, wailing loudly.
"Lord Kaido, if it weren't for you, I would've been a goner!" Queen's voice was heart-wrenching. It was enough to make any listener weep.
Meanwhile, Saint Nusjuro was propelled by immense force, crashing through a wall and into Room Number 4.
King watched Saint Nusjuro's figure disappear, then flapped his wings and landed gracefully beside Kaido, respectfully greeting him. "Lord Kaido!"
Kaido simply nodded at them both before turning his gaze toward Room Number 4, where Yamato was.
Back on the deck, the situation was dire. For all their varied and strange abilities, the four army commanders were simply no match for the overwhelming Haki of the Five Elders. They were already wounded and looked to be on the verge of collapse.
"You still haven't given up? Are you going to sacrifice your lives for Dragon's ambition? Pathetic ants!" Saint Warcury mocked Ivankov and the others from on high, sneering at their audacity.
"So what if we do? What's wrong with giving our lives for our ideals!" Belo Betty, propping herself up with one hand, glared up at Saint Warcury, her defiant voice ringing across the deck.
Her words fueled the anger in the others as they glared at Saint Warcury, Saint Mars, and Saint Ju Peter.
"This is nothing but the pointless persistence of ants! They will never understand the power of gods!" Saint Mars scoffed, flicking his long beak.
'Mr. Dragon, this is as far as we can go,' Sabo thought, lying defeated on the deck, his eyes gazing blankly at the sky.
Just then, a sound cut through the air from the distance.
The sound grew louder, closer, and faster. Within a breath, everyone saw two figures rapidly approaching through the sky.
"Ivankov! Everyone! Sorry, I'm late!"
...