The moment Lucian Thorn finished speaking, faint golden flames suddenly ignited across the bodies of the Five Elders, each in their monstrous yokai forms.
The flames appeared harmless—no heat, no destructive force—merely flickering softly on Ushi-Oni's spider-like legs, Bakotsu's ribs, and Sunaworm's massive body.
"Hmph, petty tricks."
Mars, in his Itsumade form, scoffed with disdain.
To them—immortal beings—this kind of flame was less than a tickle. Not even worth extinguishing.
But in the next second, their expressions twisted.
The once-weak golden flames suddenly darkened—turning black—as if fed by some terrifying fuel!
A dreadful aura began to radiate from them, one that seemed capable of burning even the soul itself.
And then the pain began—
A searing, biting pain rising from deep within their cores.
This wasn't normal fire.
This black flame was scorching their very souls!
"What the hell is this?!"
Venus, still in his Bakotsu form, roared in shock and fury, swinging his massive bone claw at the growing black fire on his arm.
But the flame clung to him like a parasite—no matter how hard he struck, it only flared brighter!
"Damn it!"
A glint of savage resolve flashed in Venus' eyes. Without hesitation, he transformed his other claw into a blade—and slashed his own burning arm off!
Crack!
The giant bone arm hit the ground and was immediately consumed by the black flames, vanishing into a handful of ash.
But almost instantly, a new arm regenerated from the stump, flesh and bone reforming in an instant.
This was the gift their master had given them—undying regeneration.
Venus exhaled in relief—
—until his eyes shrank to pinpoints.
The newly regrown arm…
Burst into black flames once again.
"As if that's possible?!"
His voice cracked in disbelief.
And he wasn't alone.
All five Elders quickly realized the horrific truth.
Whether it was a severed leg or shredded wings, every time a new part regrew—
The black flame would return.
As if…
the flame had become part of their very being.
"Stop wasting your strength."
From above, Lucian looked down at them with a mocking smile in his golden eyes.
He didn't even try to hide the truth.
"This flame? A little souvenir I yanked out of hell just for you."
"It won't go out unless I want it to."
"It'll keep burning… until nothing's left but ash."
"I know you lot love your regeneration—your so-called immortality."
"So I made this little gift just for you."
"How's that? Like it?"
Everyone froze, shaken by his words.
A flame pulled from hell?
Tailored to destroy immortals?
What kind of cursed power was this?!
Among the Whitebeard Pirates, the look they gave Lucian shifted from awe to fanatical worship.
Too cool!
This was their comrade!
This cursed monster!
"BASTARD!!"
Saturn, in his Ushi-Oni form, let out a thundering roar—rage and madness eclipsing the fear within.
"You think this is enough to kill us?!"
"As long as we kill you—the caster—this flame will vanish!"
"Everyone, attack him together!"
In an instant, all five Elders reached agreement.
Together, they unleashed a terrifying burst of power—
Five black streaks of light shot toward Lucian from every direction!
Though the flames still consumed them, their massive vitality gave them a short window to act.
If they could just kill Lucian first—
BOOM!
They would use their full might to crush the mortal who dared to defy them!
"Shishishishi!"
Right on cue, a familiar laugh full of freedom rang out—
Two colossal hands, wrapped in Armament Haki, slammed down from the heavens!
"Gotcha!"
Nika Luffy, now towering larger than even the giants, snatched up Bakotsu Venus and Sunaworm Mercury mid-charge with ease!
"What the—?!"
The two Elders had been about to strike when they suddenly found themselves in the grip of massive rubbery palms!
They struggled with all their might, but the hands that held them—though soft—were backed by an overwhelming, irrational force they could not overcome.
"Let go of me!"
"Damn you!"
Venus and Mercury thrashed and screamed, striking Luffy's hands with everything they had—
—but every bit of force was absorbed and nullified.
"Shishishi! You two are kinda fun!"
Luffy paid no attention to their resistance.
Like a child with new toys, he began stretching and squishing them like rubber figures.
First stretching Bakotsu, then mashing Sunaworm into a ball.
"Shishishi! This is great!"
Laughing wildly, he tossed them up and smacked them back down onto the rubberized ground—
Bam! Bam! Bam!
He was playing with the World Government's top leaders like they were bouncing balls!
The Marines' collective worldview shattered.
The remaining Elders—Saturn (Ushi-Oni), Jupiter (Itsumade), and Mars (Fengxi)—watched their comrades being humiliated and went into a full-blown rage.
Abandoning their assault on Lucian, they redirected all their fury at Nika Luffy!
Spears, blades, fangs—
An island-level barrage of destruction rained toward him!
"Oi oi oi… your opponent is me."
Lucian's voice cut through the air, and in a flash, he stood between them and Luffy.
As Sun God Apollo, he calmly raised his right hand to meet their combined assault.
Divine Flame: Purification!
A blazing torrent of holy fire erupted from his palm—
BOOOOM!!!
An explosion shook the entire sky above Marineford, too immense for words.
The shockwave spread in rippling waves across the battlefield—
Blasting away clouds…
Even shaking the distant Gate of Justice!
Marineford was in ruins.
What remained of buildings, shattered warships, and the frozen sea—
All flattened under the force of the shockwave.
Even the naval fortress, the symbol of the Marine's authority, collapsed with a sorrowful groan, reduced to rubble.
Marineford…
was gone.
But at the center of the devastation—
A massive figure, previously hidden beneath the wreckage, was now exposed.
Even the figure itself seemed surprised to be revealed, and muttered:
"…You saw me?"
It wasn't loud, but everyone heard it.
Above, Lucian slowly lowered his hand, glancing at the figure with a knowing grin.
"Oh?"
"So you've arrived."
"Teach."
Before his words even finished—
A sinister, spine-chilling laugh echoed across the battlefield.
"Zehahahahahahaha!"
"Zehahahahahaha!!"
With that eerie laugh, the dust was swept away by an invisible force.
There—
At the dead center of the battlefield, between the Marines and Pirates—
A fat man with rotting teeth and three pistols at his waist grinned madly and laughed without restraint.
He was the one who triggered this entire war—
Blackbeard, Marshall D. Teach.
Behind him, more figures slowly emerged:
The towering "Great Battleship" The Saber of Xebec"Corrupt King" Avalo Pizarro"Heavy Drinker" Vasco Shot"Crescent Moon Hunter" Catarina DevonAnd…
…"Rain" Shiryu, former warden of Impel Down.