A fierce battle raged in Monster Paradise.
Apart from its Top Combatants, the Monster Legion had been all but wiped out.
Even those who had survived were frozen solid.
The Pighead Person army, the Chimera Ant Army, and some of the stronger Monster-Men had become ice sculptures, unable to move.
As for the rest, their lives had been snuffed out entirely.
As time passed, Meruem and the others found themselves in an increasingly desperate position.
Ulquiorra had lost a wing, brutally severed from his body.
Under attack from several powerful foes, Carnage Kabuto had let his guard slip. Garp's Iron Fist had snapped the great horn atop his head.
Meruem had also suffered considerable injuries.
Ten short minutes felt unbearably long.
In a battle like this, Haki and stamina drained fast.
For them, though, that was hardly the greatest concern.
Things had grown so dire that even Typhon's recovery seemed unlikely to change anything.
Still, they had absolute faith.
It came from deep within them—and it was blind.
The Hundred-Armed Octopus Shark had yet to strike. It had not found the right moment and waited like a patient hunter.
It knew that appearing rashly would do little to change the battle.
Remaining "invisible," it crept toward the battlefield at an exceedingly slow pace.
It searched for prey.
As time wore on, the World Government's Top Combatants began to suspect the Hundred-Armed Octopus Shark had lost control and fled.
After all, plenty of Monster-Men were still alive but had not joined the battle.
Those with fishlike traits that lived in the sea were especially wary. They watched from afar, not daring to approach, and some had already fled.
The fighters remained somewhat on guard, but as the battle dragged on, they gradually forgot about it.
"Two of you, go see how