The balance of the battlefield tipped visibly with the arrival of Steel Bone Kong's iron fist.
The tide of war, once slipping away, seemed to be back under the Navy's control.
Yet Nika Luffy, with his absurdly broken Sun God Nika abilities and his ever-present waves of Conqueror's Haki, was actually pushing back Akainu and Saint Saturn.
Add in two Whitebeards, and a Peak Rayleigh...
This terrifying power forcibly reversed the tide again!
The battle once more descended into a stalemate!
Holy Land, Mariejois.
Inside a room, the remaining four Five Elders were staring intently at the massive Den Den Mushi projection. Their expressions were so dark it looked like ink might drip from their faces.
"What the hell is Saint Saturn doing?"
"Just one damn Straw Hat, and he's pushed us to this point?!"
"We can't wait any longer."
The burliest Elder, with long white curly hair, slammed his palm down on the table.
"Nika's power must be erased! This is the first time in 800 years we've had this chance!"
"Contact Saint Saturn. Open the teleportation circle. We're going in—personally!"
Marineford.
Saint Saturn's enormous spider lower body suddenly trembled. For the first time, a violent ripple appeared across his typically emotionless face.
"Saint Saturn, open the teleportation circle. We're coming."
He jerked his head up, gaze bypassing everyone and locking precisely onto Akainu and Steel Bone Kong.
"Sakazuki! Kong! Hold them off for me!"
The voice wasn't loud, but it left no room for refusal.
Akainu and Kong froze.
Hold them off?
Before they could react, that ominous black aura erupted from Saint Saturn once again, like a volcanic eruption!
Dark arcs of electricity crackled madly, more violently than ever before.
Everyone in Marineford froze in place.
Everyone—Navy or pirate alike—turned in horror toward the monster at the center of the battlefield.
BZZT! BZZT! BZZT! BZZT!
Four deep, simultaneous hums echoed.
Behind Saint Saturn, four pitch-black magic circles, identical to the one he arrived in, manifested in midair before the eyes of all.
Each circle spun with a pitch-black vortex at its center, like a bottomless hole into the 18th layer of hell.
A pressure four times greater than when Saturn first descended engulfed the island. It chilled the soul.
"What... what is that?!" a Marine rear admiral screamed in terror.
"It's just like when Saint Saturn arrived! Don't tell me…!"
Moments later, the black light faded.
Four figures stood silently within the magic circles.
A bald swordsman in samurai robes wielding the Shodai Kitetsu.
A golden-haired man in a sleek suit, handsome and elegant.
A tall, thin man with drooping whiskers.
And the tallest of them all—an old man with a map-shaped scar across his forehead.
The highest authority in the World Government.
The Five Elders.
All present.
For the first time in history—all of them had arrived!
"Th-the F-Five Elders… a-all of them?!"
A Marine soldier's weapon clattered to the ground. His knees buckled, and he collapsed in worship.
"Oh God! The gods have descended!"
"We've won! There's no way we can lose now!"
After a brief stunned silence, the Navy side erupted into thunderous cheers and celebration!
A dreamlike scene—the Five Elders, apex rulers of the world, mobilizing just to exterminate one pirate!
Such honor! A sure sign of victory!
The Navy's morale skyrocketed to unprecedented heights!
"Commence purging."
The Elder holding the Shodai Kitetsu, Golden StarSaint Ethanbaron V. Nasujuro, spoke coldly.
Before the words even finished, his body began to distort.
A shroud of black mist enveloped him. When it cleared, a massive warhorse made entirely of bones and wreathed in cold, eerie flames stood in his place.
Bakotsu .
"For the order of the World Government!"
The tall and thin Elder, Saint Shepherd Ju Peter, stretched his neck infinitely. His body morphed into a monstrous sandworm sprawling across the earth!
"Nika must be eliminated!"
The golden-haired Elder, Saint Marcus Mars, spread his arms. His body transformed into a massive bird-demon whose cry pierced the soul as it soared into the skies!
Itsumade!
"This is the will of the Government!"
Finally, the Elder with the scarred forehead, Saint Topman Warcury, swelled in size, transforming into a vicious, tusked, ferocious boar!
Fengxi!
Gyūki, Bakotsu , Sunaworm, Itsumade, Fengxi—
Five powerful yōkai, their aura alone enough to drown the world, had now assembled!
Center of the battlefield.
The two Luffys had merged into one, standing shoulder to shoulder, staring down the five monstrous forms in front of them.
"Straw Hat boy."
From the Five, the warhorse—Bakotsu , Saint Topman Warcury—spoke. His voice grated like grinding bones, icy and shrill.
"Today, you die here."
The moment his words dropped—a figure appeared.
Bathed in roaring flames, he stepped in front of the two Luffys in an instant.
Ace!
"Fire Fist Ace," said Warcury flatly. "You still insist on throwing your life away?"
"Leave now, and we'll spare you today."
Ace grinned, his white teeth gleaming through the flames.
"Luffy is my brother."
"If you want to touch him..."
"You'll have to step over my corpse first!"
"Well said!"
"Gurararara..."
Two mountain-like figures landed at Luffy's back, one to each side—each gripping a massive Naginata.
Two Whitebeards!
The Five Elders' gazes shifted.
This time it was the Golden Star, Saint Marcus Mars, who spoke with a tone of persuasion.
"Whitebeard, let's make a deal."
"If you withdraw now with your crew and stop interfering in our execution of Straw Hat Luffy, not only will you leave unscathed…"
"You can take Fire Fist Ace with you. The Navy won't stop you."
"And more than that..." he emphasized,
"The World Government will permanently revoke the bounty on Ace."
"Moreover—we're willing to grant part of the New World territory, currently held by the Navy, to your Whitebeard Pirates."
"How about it? Think it over?"
Silence.
All eyes turned to the two Whitebeards.
The offer was tempting.
Not only could they save a son, but they'd gain massive territory. A dream deal.
"Gurararara..."
The past Whitebeard, in his prime, laughed first.
"Tempting, huh? What about me now?"
The slightly older Whitebeard also grinned.
"Yeah. It's tempting."
Then suddenly—both smiles vanished. Their eyes turned sharp as blades.
"But don't forget!"
"You bastards up on your thrones—don't forget!"
The two Whitebeards roared as one, their voices shaking the heavens:
"I am Whitebeard!!"
BOOM—!!
Two identical, origin-shared waves of Conqueror's Haki erupted from their bodies like invisible shockwaves!
Black lightning tore across the skies. The very air of Marineford twisted violently under the weight of their will!
Countless Marines foamed at the mouth and collapsed like dominoes!
"Damned Whitebeard—incorrigible!" Saint Marcus Mars roared in fury.
"You bastards better not forget about me either."
A lazy voice echoed.
Peak Rayleigh, holding his longsword, strolled over to Luffy's side and stood tall.
"And me!"
Zoro appeared, his aura weakened—clearly having fought a fierce battle—but still wielding all three blades, eyes sharp as ever.
No one knew when his duel with Hawk Eyes had ended. The World's Greatest Swordsman was nowhere to be seen.
"And us!"
"You didn't think we'd miss this, did you?!"
As those words fell—
Blue flames of the phoenix erupted skyward!
Marco!
Petals of sword light blossomed like flowers!
Vista!
Diamond Jozu.
The remaining division commanders of the Whitebeard Pirates, along with countless allied pirates, converged into a single force, standing firmly behind Luffy, Ace, and the Whitebeards!
Their choice was clear.
"You...!"
Saint Marcus Mars, trembling with fury, had red eyes blazing atop his massive boar head.
"Are you all seeking death?!"
The air froze with killing intent.
Just as blades were about to clash—
A light-hearted voice echoed from above:
"That's not quite fair."
"Why assume it's us seeking death… and not you?"
Everyone—including the Five Elders—snapped their heads upward.
Floating just below the clouds, calmly overlooking the battlefield—
Lucian Thorn.
He grinned wide, flashing white teeth.
"Hey now. After all this fighting..."
"Don't tell me you forgot about me?"