High above, the golden Susanoo stood tall, its hands swiftly forming seals.
"Wood Style: Wood Clone Technique!"
In an instant, identical copies of Lin Xuan emerged from his body, one after another, numbering exactly one hundred!
Before the hundreds of massive warships, these wood clones appeared small, almost insignificant. But as they scattered toward the edges of the Sabaody Archipelago, a radiant golden light enveloped each one.
It was the golden Susanoo!
Much like Uchiha Madara once overwhelmed the Five Kage in the ninja world, Lin Xuan's wood clones could also unleash the Susanoo. The difference? Madara summoned twenty-five, but Lin Xuan now commanded a full hundred.
As these hundred wood clones activated their Susanoo, transforming into towering giants over a hundred meters tall, the scene left everyone—both those present and those watching the live broadcast worldwide—utterly speechless with awe.
The commanders aboard the warships, who moments ago had boasted about crushing Lin Xuan and his allies, fell silent, their voices choked off. Across the world, people who had either pitied Lin Xuan's group or gloated over their impending doom were now struck dumb.
All of them shared a single thought: just one of Lin Xuan's Susanoo had already overpowered Admiral Sengoku, bringing unimaginable pressure to the Navy. Now, with a hundred of them—even if they only held a fraction of that strength—it was a terrifying prospect.
While the onlookers reeled from Lin Xuan's audacious display, the hundred golden Susanoo had already fanned out, surrounding the Sabaody Archipelago and standing firm in front of every warship.
Lin Xuan's voice rang out, bold and clear: "Come on, then! Show me everything you've got. Otherwise, you might not get the chance!"
His words snapped the stunned crews aboard the warships back to reality.
Yet, as they exchanged uneasy glances, no one dared speak. The Navy soldiers who had witnessed Lin Xuan's terrifying power earlier were especially tense, swallowing hard. With such a devastating move on the table, fighting now felt like walking into their own graves.
Of course, the decision wasn't theirs to make—it rested with the commanders on the lead ship.
On the flagship, Sengoku and the others turned their gazes to Fleet Admiral Kong, waiting for his orders.
Kong's lips twitched, his face a mask of frustration.
Seeing his expression, Sengoku felt an odd sense of relief. He was grateful Kong had personally taken command of this operation. Otherwise, the burden of making this impossible decision would have fallen on him. For a fleeting moment, Sengoku found himself oddly thankful for Kong's presence.
Kong's eyes locked onto Lin Xuan's mocking gaze in the distance, uncertainty gnawing at him. After a long pause, he turned to the others and asked, "What do you think? Should we fight?"
Sengoku and the others stared back, dumbfounded.
You're the commander of this Grand Demon-Slaying Order! Why are you asking us? If we could decide, would we have been waiting for your orders?
At that moment, a man in a peculiar white cloak stepped forward and addressed Kong. "Fleet Admiral Kong, once the Grand Demon-Slaying Order is launched, how can we back down? The Holy Land Mariejois is waiting for our report. Please make a decision swiftly."
Kong glanced at the man, recognizing him as the head of CP0, the World Government's elite intelligence agency, with strength rivaling his own. Clearly, this man hadn't witnessed the earlier battle or grasped the full extent of Lin Xuan's power, which explained his cavalier attitude.
Kong ignored him.
Just then, another CP0 agent rushed onto the flagship, shouting, "Report! We've just confirmed that nearly everyone on the Sabaody Archipelago has vanished, leaving only a handful of people behind!"
"What?!"
The news sent a shockwave through the command deck.
"Could it be… Lin Xuan's display was just a distraction to let the others escape?" Vice Admiral Tsuru ventured, her voice tinged with suspicion.
"But we've had them completely surrounded. How could they have gotten away?" another officer asked, baffled.
"Don't forget," Sengoku said gravely, "some of them have abilities to manipulate space."
His words painted a vivid picture in everyone's minds: Lin Xuan holding the Navy's attention out here while Uchiha Madara and the others used some kind of spatial technique to slip away from the Sabaody Archipelago.
The CP0 agents' faces darkened. They had been given strict orders to eliminate Lin Xuan and his group, yet now it seemed they hadn't even seen their true targets, who had all escaped.
Kong, meanwhile, felt an unshakable unease. "Investigate immediately," he ordered. "Find out where Uchiha Madara and the others have gone!"
The CP0 leader sneered. "That's simple. Capture this Lin Xuan and interrogate him. We'll have our answers soon enough."
His words drew admiring glances from the Navy officers, who looked at him as if he were some fearless warrior. The CP0 leader blinked, confused by their stares.
Why are they looking at me like that?
Before he could lead his team to apprehend Lin Xuan, a Den Den Mushi in his pocket buzzed to life. His expression shifted as he pulled it out and answered.
The next moment, his face paled, and he cried out, "Mariejois is under attack?! Understood, we'll head back to reinforce immediately!"
Almost simultaneously, Kong received the same report through his own Den Den Mushi.
A chill ran through him as a realization struck. "Why now, of all times? Could it be… Uchiha Madara and the others are the ones attacking Mariejois?"
The answer came quickly, confirming his fears, and the entire command deck erupted in stunned silence.
They hadn't fled—they had gone straight to attack the Holy Land Mariejois!
Moments ago, the Navy had assumed Lin Xuan's allies were running scared. Instead, they had left the Sabaody Archipelago not to escape, but to strike at the heart of the World Government.
Mariejois was currently vulnerable, its defenses weakened after diverting forces for the Grand Demon-Slaying Order.
"Move out! Return to Mariejois immediately to defend it! We cannot let the enemy succeed!" Kong barked, issuing the order without hesitation.
"What about the Demon-Slaying Order here?" one officer asked, dazed.
"Who cares about that now?!" Kong roared. "We can lose the Sabaody Archipelago, but if Mariejois falls, the World Government is finished!"
The gravity of the situation hit everyone hard. Orders were shouted, and the entire fleet turned, racing back toward the Holy Land Mariejois.
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T/N:
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