At this moment, Redfield, Tsuru, and Tokikake—who had been fighting fiercely just moments ago—fell into a temporary stalemate.
Chaton and the others stared at Elior in shock.
It had to be said: the scene of Elior trampling on Black Viper's headless corpse while holding his severed head was horrifying even to fighters of Tokikake's caliber.
The image was simply too terrifying.
Then, under everyone's gaze, Elior casually threw Black Viper's head into the air. As it fell, Elior kicked it away without hesitation.
The head flew off like discarded trash.
The sight sent chills through the battlefield.
Immediately after, Elior crouched down and placed his right palm against Black Viper's back.
No one understood what he was about to do.
But Elior was plundering Black Viper's Devil Fruit ability.
The Devouring Power activated instantly.
A surge of decaying energy was forcibly stripped from Black Viper's corpse and flowed into Elior's body through his right hand.
At that moment, Elior clearly felt a power filled with decay, corrosion, and death.
"This ability is indeed a special Paramecia… but it's unsuitable for me—and even more unsuitable for my women."
The sensation was like touching a corpse that had been rotting for a long time: putrid, crawling with insects, thick with stench.
That was the feeling.
Because of that, Elior had no interest in keeping this power.
Moreover, possessing the system, Elior firmly believed it would grant him abilities far stronger than Devil Fruits in the future.
There was no doubt about that.
Unless it was an ability he truly desired—
Abilities related to space or time, for example.
But clearly, Black Viper's withering ability was not one of them, nor did Elior intend to give such a power to any of his women.
However, Ryokugyu's Woods-Woods Fruit was different. That was an ability Elior could consider seizing—for an important woman.
"What did he just do?!"
"What's that dark-red aura?!"
"I don't understand it… but it feels incredibly unsettling!"
"That monster… he's terrifying!"
The Marines watched Elior from afar in fear, utterly unable to comprehend that he had just plundered Black Viper's Devil Fruit ability.
Whoosh!
Elior straightened up and looked directly at Tokikake.
In the next instant, he vanished.
"Tsuru! Watch out!"
She shouted in alarm, instantly realizing Elior was targeting Tokikake.
Before Tokikake could react, Elior's fist smashed directly into his face.
A dull explosion followed, accompanied by the sickening sound of facial bones shattering.
The next second, Tokikake was sent flying uncontrollably, hurled hundreds of meters away.
Along his trajectory, he crashed through dozens of Marines—including a Giant Vice Admiral.
The sheer ferocity of Elior's punch was undeniable.
If not for Tokikake's formidable physical resilience, his entire head would have been obliterated.
"Damn it! Elior!"
Tsuru had completely lost her usual composure.
Today, Elior seemed like a blood-red demon, cutting through the battlefield without resistance, slaughtering not ordinary soldiers—but the top combat forces of Marine Headquarters.
Yet even now, his condition remained terrifyingly perfect.
How could Tsuru possibly remain calm?
"If you want to get to him, step over my corpse first!"
Redfield stood in front of her, blocking her furious advance.
Meanwhile, Elior had already disappeared once again.
As for who he was pursuing — there was no need to guess.
With Garp, Zephyr, and Black Viper all dead, there were even fewer obstacles left for him.
The Marines were plunged into deep grief.
Many of them began to feel that this war had been a mistake from the very beginning.
Could they truly defeat a monster like Elior?
Did a being more terrifying than him even exist in this world?
"Doflamingo—begin."
On the other side of the battlefield, Elior had already appeared behind Doflamingo.
Doflamingo, who had been deliberately holding back for some time, immediately understood the signal.
Elior's sudden appearance sent nearby Marines scrambling backward in fear.
"H-Hey! Doflamingo, what's going on?!"
One of the Shichibukai beside him turned in shock, instantly realizing—
The relationship between Doflamingo and the Yonko Elior was far from simple.
"It's nothing," Doflamingo replied calmly. "You're just about to die."
Spurt!
In the next instant, a massive string coated in Armament Haki, shaped like a fox's tail, erupted from the ground and pierced straight through the Shichibukai's body.
The attack was completely unexpected.
That Shichibukai had never imagined Doflamingo would turn on an ally.
After all, he believed they stood on the same side.
"Y-you…"
The Shichibukai, Kurosawa, stared in disbelief as pain exploded through his abdomen and his life rapidly drained away.
His body had been nearly split in two.
Rip!
Countless massive threads surged upward, slicing through the air—
And Kurosawa was torn apart into pieces.
"King, how was that?"
After finishing him, Doflamingo knelt on one knee before Elior, bowing respectfully.
The sight stunned countless Marines—and even pirates.
"What the hell?!"
"Doflamingo…"
"His loyalty to Yonko Elior…"
"It's obvious! Doflamingo is a traitor — he's a subordinate of Yonko Elior!"
Panic spread through the Marine ranks, and the remaining Shichibukai were terrified.
After all, Doflamingo was no ordinary fighter.
"Let's begin," Elior said calmly.
Ignoring the chaos, he leapt into the air.
Doflamingo slammed his palm onto the ice and let out a low roar.
"White Waves!"
In an instant, the frozen battlefield transformed into a raging sea of white strings.
Endless oscillating waves of razor-sharp threads swept across the ice, engulfing countless Marines in their path.