"Flame Commandment: Fire Pillar!"
The move was cool, but as they say, without Conqueror's Haki to suppress it, this attack only amounted to light scratching for the Five Elders.
Even if it scorched their internal organs, they could still heal at an incredible rate.
Just like now.
The giant sandworm, Ju Peter, charged forward relentlessly, tanking Ace's flames and Byrnndi World's slashes from behind.
Ace also possessed Conqueror's Haki but hadn't trained it enough to infuse into his attacks.
"Damn it... That's not working either?"
He looked anxiously at the increasingly large sandworm mouth.
Ace could have canceled his attack now, transforming into flames to escape the sandworm's mouth.
But when he looked back at Luffy and the others, he immediately cast that thought aside.
'No, I can't go!'
Thinking this, he intensified the firepower in his hands, yet still couldn't inflict fatal damage on the sandworm.
"Ace!" x2
Seeing Ace about to be devoured, both Luffy and Whitebeard roared.
Luffy activated Gear Second at top speed, while Whitebeard kicked Sengoku away, risking exposing his back to charge upwards, his Murakumogiri raised high.
Unfortunately, one was too slow, the other too far away.
Ding-
At that moment, a clear sword chime sounded.
Everyone present felt a flash of illusory starlight.
The sandworm Ju Peter and the skeletal horse Nusjuro hadn't reacted yet, but the ox-spider Saturn, who had been knocked away by Bullet and could see the whole situation, widened his eyes as if seeing a ghost.
What did he see?
It was... a sword flash.
'So fast!'
"Mushou: Two Flash."
Naruto, who moments earlier seemed intent on slowly dismembering Warcury, had vanished from his spot.
Mushoukou's blade lightly grazed the necks of the giant skeletal horse and sandworm like an illusion.
The next moment, everyone saw the two previously troublesome Five Elders simultaneously lose their heads, the vitality in their eyes rapidly fading.
As for Naruto, his skin quickly changed from pale back to its original color. The overheated blade, from its extreme speed, was sheathed, the exceptional scabbard smoking from the heat.
As their heads fell, their bodies also rapidly reverted to human form.
This was different from the barely surviving Warcury, reduced to a pigskin, or the internally shredded Mars.
Everyone could clearly see the black, ominous flames appeared for only a moment before being suppressed again by the residual Haki.
The life force of the two was quickly fading.
Until their deaths, these two Five Elders, above millions, couldn't comprehend how they had died.
Perhaps Nusjuro, while being pushed back step by step by Naruto, had already felt the despair of dying here. But Ju Peter had never imagined being 'casually' killed alongside him.
'Damn it!'
'So unwilling!'
'I still have... I still have power... wealth...'
'Imu-sama...'
'Why... why didn't you save me?'
In their fading consciousness, both Five Elders mentally called upon their master.
Yet their call received no response.
As if they were never in that person's sight. Perhaps to Imu, the five of them were merely replaceable at any time.
And that was indeed the case.
[Warrior God of Finance] Saint Ethanbaron V. Nusjuro, [Warrior God of Agriculture] Saint Shepherd Ju Peter… confirmed dead!
Sengoku below was stunned, not understanding why Naruto displayed combat power far surpassing before.
'With such strength...'
He mentally swapped places with the two Five Elders and discovered with dismay that even he probably couldn't withstand that miraculous double slash.
However, Sengoku didn't know that Naruto himself was actually somewhat frustrated.
'Sigh... Still couldn't hold back. What if they hide and don't come out-'
Yes, he was still thinking about the God's Knights who tried to kidnap Hancock.
Although they failed, considering they had attempted it once, they might very well try again.
Naruto intended to send all the God's Knights, including the Commander, Figarland Garling, straight to hell.
The only thing he could confirm now was that his clone hadn't been harmed.
But because of that, Naruto couldn't obtain any related information.
If absolutely necessary, he might actively dispel the clone, but that could still fail to grab their tail and might even alert them.
"So... so amazing!"
"So strong!"
The rescued Zoro and Luffy both stared at Naruto in shock. Especially Zoro, as a swordsman, he felt that last move more deeply than Luffy.
Ace, seeing the crisis averted, just sighed with relief.
But the next moment.
Thump thump thump thump thump...
A series of thumping sounds rang out continuously.
Including Ace, Luffy, Zoro, Sanji, and even Chopper… none were spared, each receiving a large bump on their head.
"Ow!"
"Hurt!"
"Ouch!"
"Ah! Grandpa's fist again!"
"Fox-face mister! Why!?"
Perhaps out of habit from being disciplined, Ace obediently covered his head and squatted on the deck without a word.
In contrast, the blockhead Luffy actually dared to talk back.
What awaited him was a bump on top of a bump.
Looking at the pig-headed Luffy, Naruto finally let out a long sigh.
"Sigh… Whatever."
"You lot, get away from the battlefield now. Don't get in the way here."
His tone was quite impolite. Luffy instinctively wanted to retort but was swarmed by his crew members covering his mouth.
'Don't say any more, Luffy! You'll get beaten to death!'
Usopp and Nami tightly pinched Luffy's neck, rendering him speechless.
"And you too. Get back obediently and wait. I'll deal with them and then talk to you."
Ace didn't escape either, threatened by Naruto's pointed finger.
Faced with such a threat, the 2nd Division Commander of the Whitebeard Pirates wisely chose to back down.
This scene left Whitebeard below momentarily dazed, while Garp looked completely unfazed.
When it came to beating Ace, not even Garp was as skilled as Naruto.
After threatening the intruding rookies with a look, Naruto placed his hands under the Thousand Sunny's hull, applying the Ultralight-Weight Rock Technique.
"Off you go-"
Everyone watched as the ship shot across the entire battlefield at incredible speed, flying into the distance.
Meanwhile, Blackbeard, who had captured Ace, paid no mind to his whereabouts. His gaze, through a telescope, was fixed intently on the execution platform's direction.
More precisely, on the suddenly silent Saturn.
A suppressive aura suddenly emanated from Saturn's body. Immediately, a tall, slender black shadow draped over Saturn's large spider form like a curtain, resembling a silent lighthouse by the shore.
"What!?"
Bullet discovered his attacks against it sank like mud into the sea, completely ineffective.
Before he could react, an impact sent him flying.
Simultaneously, a door suddenly opened in the air.
Led by Garling, a group of God's Knights filed out. Naruto's clone, transformed into Hancock, was sandwiched in their midst, seemingly ready to be killed at any moment.
Saturn's own consciousness was rapidly suppressed after Imu's descent… or rather, he offered no resistance at all.
After adapting slightly to this body, Imu opened his ringed eyes, looking at Naruto.
"Uzumaki Naruto, truly an annoying fellow... Who knew these guys would be so useless, forcing me to personally intervene in the end."
Hearing this, the remaining Five Elders ignored their injuries, kneeling on the ground in fear, not daring to utter a word.
Their actions undoubtedly confirmed Naruto's earlier words.
Someone indeed sat upon the Empty Throne.
This person was the mastermind controlling the Five Elders from behind, the same shadow that controlled Rocks D. Xebec thirty-eight years ago.
At this moment, even the most steadfast Sengoku froze in place, uncertain how to react.
Other nearby Marines were similar, if not worse.
Only one figure suddenly took firm steps forward.
As he passed Sengoku, the Fleet Admiral finally reacted, quickly reaching out to grab his shoulder.
"What are you doing? Garp!"
But now, he could no longer hold Garp back.
As mentioned before, only Garp's own sense of justice could truly make him stop.
And only his justice could drive him into battle.
"What else? Of course, to flatten that guy!"
Garp said this without any hesitation or trace of reverence for the World Government or Five Elders… perhaps he never had such a thing to begin with.
Marine Vice Admiral, Monkey D. Garp, enters the battlefield!