Gusts of wind swept across the land.
Countless canyons and barren mountains collapsed, while crack after crack stretched to the horizon, their depths unfathomable.
Trebol and the others grabbed onto whatever solid objects they could, but the shockwaves still sent them flying.
They had only just managed to catch their breath after being suppressed by Gild Tesoro's Conqueror's Haki, and now the aftershocks of the attack had struck them.
They had all taken a beating, to some degree.
They were still a long way from the top of the pyramid.
Just one person's Conqueror's Haki had been enough to pin them down, which showed just how vast the gap was.
They weren't putting themselves down.
Even their young master and their sister could only be considered close to the top of the pyramid. They were still a ways off from the very strongest.
It was disheartening.
Still, Trebol, Marigold, and the others believed that their young master and their sister would become the strongest in time. All they lacked now was time.
"Did it work?"
Covered in dust as they climbed out from the rubble, Diamante and the others looked toward the center.
Smoke and flames soared into the sky over there.
Billowing dust had already blotted out half the sky.
On several rocky pillars, Borsalino, Axos, Doflamingo, and Hancock stood in succession. The howling wind whipped at their hair and coats, and every one of them wore a grave expression.
Each exuded the bearing of a mighty fighter.
Black-red lightning occasionally flashed down from the cloud-covered sky.
The entire area was filled with a suffocating presence and will.
Thud, thud, thud!!!
As everyone waited to see the outcome, the sound of firm, ringing footsteps came from the dust that had yet to settle.
The moment those footsteps sounded,
Hancock