The battlefield shifted in an instant, and now the battle lines were clear!
Luffy, relying on his Nika Form, single-handedly
held off Itsumade (Saint Mars, who had fallen gravely wounded but was not dead), Sandworm (Saint Shepherd Ju Peter), and Fengxi (Saint Warcury)
-three immortal members of the Five Elders!
His massive white rubber fists, outrageous bodily transformations, and wildly imaginative attacks
briefly left these three Elders, accustomed to overwhelming others with power and brute force, scrambling as he kept them locked in battle.
Meanwhile,
Gern faced the combined assault of Blackbeard Marshall D. Teach, Ox Demon (Saint Saturn), and Horse Bones (Saint Nusjuro) alone!
"Get over here!!!"
Blackbeard seized the moment when Gern slowed slightly after dodging another spray of Saint Saturn's venom, activating the black hole in his left hand again!
"Black Vortex!!"
Terrifying suction tried to drag Gern toward him, creating an opening for his allies to land a killing blow!
"Poison Waterfall!" Saint Saturn, in his Ox Demon form, acted almost simultaneously, spewing another stream of venom to block Gern's possible escape routes!
Gern's eyes turned cold. Faced with the combined assault of suction and venom, he neither dodged nor blocked. Instead-
"Face your king!! You three bastards!"
Dark-purple Conqueror's Haki erupted thunderously from him!
This Haki was no longer mere pressure. It was utter contempt for everything!
A king could do anything!!
Facing Gern's fully unleashed Conqueror's Haki,
Blackbeard, who bore the brunt of it, felt even his soul tremble!
Memories of Golden Lion's slash years ago and Gern's terrifying attacks with Conqueror's Haki Coating surged back.
That overwhelming terror, practically a deep-seated psychological scar,
made Blackbeard cut off his Black Vortex almost instinctively, heedless of everything else.
Then he rolled clumsily sideways, putting as much distance between them as he could,
terrified that Gern