The situation in the Holy Land was not particularly severe.
Which also led to the Five Elders and even Saint Figarland not taking this seriously.
Even treating the attack on the Holy Land as the fuse of internal strife.
But in just 30 minutes, this land suspended atop the world was completely pulled into an earthly purgatory.
It was not scattered sparks, but a sky-covering sea of fire that devoured everything.
Powerful Haki collisions tore the space apart, the clash of top-tier powerhouses destroyed buildings, and those reckless pirates ignited the flames.
The entire Holy Land, from those majestic buildings symbolizing power to the luxurious mansions where the ordinary world nobles lived, all wailed and collapsed in flames.
Thick smoke billowed, covering the originally azure sky of the Holy Land.
Most of the Celestial Dragons had evacuated to safe areas, only a few unlucky ones died in this chaos.
The slaves of each house were all freed by Dragon, and the oppressed slaves burned, killed, and plundered everywhere, venting their rage.
The ordinary world nobles living in the Holy Land were instead the ones in bad luck.
The guarding forces protecting the Celestial Dragons were already insufficient, let alone anyone protecting them.
If they originally had some strength it was fine, but without strength, it could only end in broken families and deaths.
"The wind is rising!", At the top of a building not yet fully engulfed by flames, a figure in a black robe stood like a statue.
Dragon stood with his back to the churning smoke and fire behind him, his slender figure unmoved in the strong wind.
His gaze was deep and heavy, reflecting the sea of fire below, yet without a trace of excitement or ecstasy, only a sober recognition of reality.
He knew this wouldn't be so simple, wouldn't go so smoothly.
Even though now the Holy Land was engulfed in fire everywhere, the losses of the Celestial Dragons and the World Government were not large.
Destroying more buildings, killing more ordinary guards and noble, for the massive machine that is the World Government, it's only superficial wounds, not of much significance.
And this, even after they already had intel on the Holy Land, and most of the top-tier forces had left the Holy Land to trouble Whitebeard.
Yet with less than one-third of the defensive power, they were already stuck in a stalemate.
As long as the World Government's rule isn't shaken, in just a few decades, it will recover its vitality.
So Dragon had always believed that only by killing as many Celestial Dragons as possible could the World Government be truly wounded.
If the rulers are gone, when this generation of strong people passes, the World Government will have no successors.
"Come on, let the fire burn more fiercely," With Dragon's low murmur, a vast power surged from within his body, merging with the surrounding natural wind.
The fire below seemed to be pulled by some mysterious force, instantly becoming more violent. Flames rose dozens of meters high, like angry dragons, sweeping deeper into the Holy Land.
He already knew where the Celestial Dragons were gathering.
Though there was a powerhouse protecting that place, it caused a vacancy among strong fighters within the Holy Land.
As long as the others succeeded there, he could head over at the fastest speed and kill them all.
Time was on their side.
———
On the sea, Rosse had just assembled the fleet and left Marine Headquarters.
Before he got too far, someone blocked his path.
The ship that intercepted them wasn't large, with only two people on board.
"Saint Rosse, give me some face. How about waiting here?", Red-haired Shanks stood at the bow, blocking the navy fleet's way.
"Give you some face?", Rosse also stood at the bow, looking at Shanks with a half-smile.
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[Figarland Shanks]
[Power Rating: A+]
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To have this rating before the age of 20 was enough to prove Shanks' talent.
'But to stop me here, isn't that a bit too arrogant?'
'At the very least, send an S-rank to give my bones some activity.'
'Or did the planner think, as long as he has an excuse, I wouldn't get involved?'
"Is this your own intention, or Figarland's?", Rosse looked calmly at Shanks. He didn't believe Shanks didn't know his own lineage.
It's just that knowing his identity, he made a willful choice different from the family.
Roger's trainee crew, a son of the Figarland family, plus having considerable talent himself, he indeed had the qualifications to roam freely on the sea.
"This is my own decision, it has nothing to do with Figarland!", Shanks said in a deep voice, eyes locked on Rosse.
He couldn't see through Rosse, but he still took on this task.
Rayleigh and the others made a choice, though not particularly wise, he still chose to respect it.
With his identity, it wasn't suitable to appear in the Holy Land, but stepping out to stop Rosse, he felt there was no problem.
Though Rosse had many brilliant feats, even single-handedly defeating multiple Whitebeard commanders, he too was a young generation powerhouse.
The two were about the same age, Shanks didn't think he was any worse than Rosse.
"Since it's your own choice, then I don't need to give you face," Before Rosse's words finished, his figure had already appeared on Shanks' ship.
Since he wanted to stop him, he should be ready to be used as a sandbag.
"So fast...", Shanks' pupils suddenly shrank.
His fully released Observation Haki couldn't even catch the slightest trace of Rosse approaching.
Rosse's speed was already much faster than Bullet he'd seen before, perhaps only Rayleigh and Roger could compare.
The premonition of death instantly struck. He didn't even have time to draw the "Gryphon" at his waist.
He could only rely on battle instinct, barely raise his arm, and attempt to block Rosse's terrifyingly powered punch with Armament Hardening.
"So pathetically slow," A trace of disdainful sneer appeared on Rosse's face.
Just as Shanks barely lifted his hand, Rosse's fist suddenly accelerated again, easily breaking the sound barrier, carrying a force like splitting mountains and crushing forests, and smashed hard into Shanks' face.
BOOM!!!
A terrifying impact loud enough to rupture eardrums exploded on the deck.
It wasn't the muffled sound of flesh and bone, but more like the clash of steel and mountains.
Shanks' entire body flew backward like a cannonball launched from a trebuchet, instantly flung off the ship.
His body drew a straight sonic wave through the air, carving out a long white scar on the sea's surface, eventually becoming a distant black dot disappearing into the vast ocean.
Just one punch, Roger's trainee, the new era's famed powerhouse Shanks, was casually sent flying like that.
With not even a sliver of room to resist.
But Rosse also knew, this punch wasn't enough to defeat Shanks.
It went so smoothly just now mainly because Shanks underestimated him too much.
A+ level strength could still be his punching bag for a while.
Moreover, Shanks' companion, he wasn't weak either.
Rosse turned with a smile and looked at another figure holding a sword and standing on guard, speaking slowly, "We meet again. Your name is Mihawk, right? The one who was once defeated by Gion."
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