-----
-----
Why did every person appearing in these videos seem stronger than the last?
Even if he managed to come back from the dead… what if he still couldn't beat any of them?
It never crossed Uchiha Madara's mind that the worlds shown in the videos didn't even belong to the same dimension as his own. In his view, after his death, the world must have undergone some earth-shaking transformation, a brand-new era of monsters rising to power.
For the first time, the arrogant warlord began to reconsider.
"This won't do. The timing of my resurrection… needs more careful planning."
He intended to return and build a new world of peace. But there was no way he would allow himself to be reborn only to realize he lacked the strength to fulfill his grand ambition.
For a man as proud as him, that kind of failure would be a humiliation worse than death.
Not far away, Senju Hashirama was watching the video too—only he burst into laughter.
"Whoa! I've only been gone a few decades and the world outside the ninja lands has gotten this interesting? There are monsters everywhere!"
But then a trace of worry crept into his expression.
"So the outside world has grown this terrifying… Tsunade, you'd better be careful…"
After all, she carried the future of Konoha on her shoulders as the Fifth Hokage.
The World of One Piece — Marine Headquarters
"This ability…"Sengoku folded his hands beneath his chin and glanced at the man beside him. "Akainu, could you unleash an attack of that scale and power?"
Sakazuki (Akainu) fell silent for a moment before slowly shaking his head.
"I can cause destruction across a similar range. But casually? Like it's nothing? No. That's impossible."
"I thought so." Sengoku inhaled deeply, his expression darkening. "This video series keeps pushing the ceiling higher. Are we really heading toward battles that break through the sky itself… toward fighting actual gods?"
His tone was steady, but heavy.
These videos had broadened the Marines' horizons, yes—but they'd also left behind tension, fear, and an unsettling sense of powerlessness.
The gap in strength was a chasm.
So vast that if one of those top-tier beings ever crossed into their world… the One Piece world would have no means of resistance.
They would either be enslaved—or crushed outright.
No chance of victory.
"The Marine special training program has been fully deployed, Fleet Admiral!" someone reported urgently. "If we start preparing now, it's not too late!"
"Monkey D. Garp!" Sengoku barked. "You're going back to train the new recruits as well!"
Vice Admiral Tsuru studied Sengoku's face carefully.
There was no fear. No panic. No hesitation.
And that satisfied her.
He was the Fleet Admiral—the pillar holding up the entire Marine force. As their leader, Sengoku could not allow even a flicker of doubt to show.
The Video Continues
On screen, the man clad in papal robes gazed down at the devastated Sanctuary below and burst into wild, manic laughter.
"Hahahahahaha!!"
The sound drilled into the ears like demonic whispers. Down below, Shiryu and the others who were battling stone statues instantly tensed, staring upward at the figure looming like a dark god.
"What intoxicating power…" the Pope murmured.
"I never imagined strength could surge like this."
His deep voice trembled with barely restrained ecstasy. His eyes locked onto the golden serpent mark coiling across the back of his hand. It didn't look like a tattoo—it looked like a divine brand burning with holy fire.
He was completely intoxicated by the overwhelming might coursing through him.
Those dark eyes shimmered with satisfaction… and greed.
Below, a short-haired girl in purple trembled as she looked up at him.
"Y-You… are you really the Pope?"
He glanced down coldly, the disdain in his eyes absolute.
"The Pope? Do I look like him to you?"
Before the words even finished echoing, dazzling golden light erupted from his body. In the next instant, that gold was swallowed by a roaring turquoise flame that seemed to scorch the very air itself.
When the flames faded, the face hidden in shadow was finally revealed.
The Golden Saint of Gemini.
Saga.
"That's right!" he declared arrogantly, his voice shaking the heavens. "I am the Golden Saint of Gemini who commands the stars—Saga!"
The World of Saint Seiya: Legend of Sanctuary
At that very moment, every Gold Saint watching the image froze as if struck by lightning.
Then the silence shattered.
They leapt to their feet. Their Cosmo exploded outward in an instant as they charged straight toward the Pope's palace.
Deep within the grand hall, the man who had always stood as the supreme authority—the Gemini Saint, Saga—was also watching the floating "heavenly screen."
The brutal truth had been exposed.
His face went pale as stone cracking apart.
Yes, his strength stood above most. That much was undeniable.
But he wasn't arrogant enough to believe he could suppress all the Gold Saints at once. Not in a direct confrontation.
Worse still—
He had yet to obtain Athena's divine Cosmo.
His grand design to dominate the world was far from complete.
How could this happen?
Just because of some mysterious "heavenly screen" that appeared out of nowhere… the secret he had buried for years was ripped into the open in the most ruthless way possible.
"Saga—!!!"
"Boom!"
The massive doors of the Pope's palace exploded inward under a terrifying force. Charging in at the front was the Leo Gold Saint, Aiolia, his eyes blazing red with fury.
"How dare you barge into my palace? What do you think you're doing?!"
Though a storm raged inside him, Saga forced himself to maintain the dignity of the Pope. His voice thundered through the hall as he rebuked the nine uninvited intruders.
"Drop the act, Saga! Get down here!"
Aiolia pointed straight at the figure seated on the throne, rage boiling over. In his mind flashed the image of his brother, Aiolos, framed and hunted to death years ago, along with the bitter realization of how long he himself had been deceived. The humiliation and grief ignited into a blaze that nearly consumed him whole.
"Saga? Didn't Saga die in the line of duty fifteen years ago?"
Saga feigned confusion. But his gaze kept drifting through the crowd, searching, calculating—until it stopped on the one person he feared most.
The Virgo Saint, Shaka.
He still looked like a delicate young man. But the title "the man closest to God" was no exaggeration.
Saga knew it well. If he could seize Athena's Cosmos, Shaka would no longer be a threat. No—none of these insects combined would amount to anything but dust before him.
The cruel reality, however, was that he had yet to obtain that divine power. Worse, he wasn't even certain where Athena was.
"Tell me, Saga," Shaka said calmly, his voice resonating like an ancient chant. "Why did you betray us?"
He stepped forward without hesitation.
Then—
His eyes, always closed, opened.
A deep hum vibrated through the air.
Killing intent flooded the entire palace, thick and suffocating, as if divine judgment had descended.
…
Far away, in another world, Mason had no idea that a video he casually uploaded had triggered a long-brewing catastrophe in Sanctuary ahead of schedule.
He was fully focused on his backend analytics. A new administrator challenge had just appeared, and the reward was outrageous.
Administrator Challenge: Upload ten videos. Total views must exceed twenty million.
Reward: Choose one—Space Manipulation or Time Manipulation. Plus one hundred High-Grade Immortal Marrow-Cleansing Pills.
If he said he wasn't tempted, he'd be lying. Whether it was space or time, either ability would guarantee him absolute footing in this rapidly changing, danger-filled world of surging spiritual energy.
…
Back in the video, Sanctuary's story continued.
When the golden form of Gemini fully revealed itself, the five Bronze Saints—Shiryu included—were struck speechless.
"Sixteen years ago, I failed… But thanks to you, I was able to steal Athena's vast and sacred Cosmos!"
A colossal phantom of the Gemini Gold Cloth rose behind Saga, blotting out the sky like an oppressive god.
His violent Cosmos surged outward, powerful enough to tear apart dimensions.
"Ah!"
Athena cried out as the overwhelming pressure flung her backward. She slammed hard onto the unforgiving ground.
In front of her, Shiryu and the other Bronze Saints roared, burning their Cosmos to the limit as they desperately resisted the crushing force threatening to shatter their minds.
"In the end, your power would only bring destruction to Sanctuary. From this moment on, I, Saga, shall become the new ruler of the universe!"
His laughter shook the heavens. Then his murderous gaze locked onto the fallen Athena.
"And now, powerless as you are, you have no value left."
Twin illusions—symbols of good and evil—materialized at his sides. Two devastating spheres of Cosmos energy formed in his palms, radiating annihilation.
Slowly, inevitably, the two energies began to merge.
"Athena—become the sacrifice for my grand dominion!"
In that split second, a massive pressure crashed in from the side. With a thunderous boom, a figure streaked in like a meteor and smashed a fist directly into the merging energy sphere.
The collision of two ultimate forces triggered an explosion beyond S-class levels. A shockwave twisted the air itself as it tore outward in all directions.
Saga and the attacker—Pegasus Seiya—were blasted away at the same time.
The heavens changed. Dark clouds sank low, heavy as lead, draping Sanctuary in a suffocating, apocalyptic gloom.
Burn, my Cosmos!
Athena awakens. Mythical beings descend!
Saga struggled to his feet.
But Seiya was faster.
He blurred into an afterimage, crossing the distance in an instant. His right fist shot forward like a cannon, carrying the force to shake the earth, aiming straight for Saga's chest.
That punch carried everything—defiance, fury, faith.
It was no longer just a technique. It was the deadliest blow Seiya could unleash.
The impact thundered.
His fist struck true.
The shockwave from the exploding Cosmos leveled what remained of the surrounding ruins. This blow contained every ounce of Seiya's stored power—along with the divine energy Athena continuously poured into him.
The palace grounds trembled violently, reduced to scorched earth under the overwhelming surge.
And yet—
Saga simply raised an arm.
He blocked the punch.
He actually stopped Seiya's all-out, life-or-death strike with a single arm.
"This… Athena's divine Cosmos?"
Saga narrowed his eyes, greed flashing within them as he savored the familiar, intoxicating power.
"A mere Bronze Saint who hasn't even reached Silver… You're nothing more than a recipient of Athena's charity."
Suddenly, Saga moved.
His punch was nearly light-speed.
The world-shattering blow sent Seiya flying like a rag doll.
"Don't get carried away!"
Saga roared like a beast. His body flickered, chasing down the airborne Seiya in an instant.
Fist. Kick. Elbow. Knee.
In less than a second, dozens of precise, merciless strikes rained down.
The Pegasus Cloth could no longer withstand the devastation of a Gold Saint's Cosmos.
Crack.
Two-thirds of the shining breastplate shattered, fragments scattering across the battlefield.
Seiya spat blood, eyes wide with agony as his body hurtled uncontrollably through the air.
He slammed into the ground again and again, each impact leaving a massive crater.
Finally, he crashed into a half-collapsed stone pillar. The grating sound of bone scraping against bone made it hard to listen.
He coughed up more blood.
Still, his iron will forced him back to his feet.
Saga approached slowly, like death itself. In his eyes, this reckless Bronze Saint was already a corpse.
"Bastard…"
Seiya struggled to lift his right arm, trying to strike again.
But the moment his Cosmos began to ignite, a golden current filled with crushing pressure spread violently through his body.
It felt like being struck by ten thousand tons of force.
Seiya dropped to one knee, clutching his right arm in unbearable pain.
"....."