Upon hearing this, the two children beside him fell silent, their eyes flickering with uncertainty.
However, the silence didn't last long, and the burly boy spoke up:
Don't worry, Ginny!
"We can definitely do it! We can definitely escape the control of those Celestial Dragons!"
These words were intended to comfort the pink-haired little girl, but they also contained a sense of being spoken to oneself.
Having been slaves of the Celestial Dragons for so long, they knew that escaping their control was no easy task.
But no matter how small the hope, they will try!
Even in death, they would rather die than return to their former days as slaves!
These three were, of course, Ginny, Emporio Ivankov, and Bartholomew Kuma in their childhood.
They had stumbled upon this extremely hidden underground cave by sheer chance after running into the forest.
The entrance to the cave was covered with weeds, so you wouldn't notice it unless you looked closely.
Of course, it's useless for those who have mastered powerful Observation Haki.
Because whether it is a human, an animal, or any other living thing, it has its own unique aura.
As long as there is a presence, it can be detected by Observation Haki.
Unless a person dies and becomes a corpse, devoid of their own breath, then there is nothing to fear.
But since we're already dead, there doesn't seem to be anything to be afraid of!
After a while, Bartholomew the Kuma suddenly stood up and said to the two of them:
"You wait here! I'm going out to check the situation!"
"Staying here indefinitely isn't a solution either!"
After saying that, Kuma prepared to stand up and go out to take a look, but Ginny immediately blocked his way and whispered:
"No!"
Although the voice was soft, the firmness in its tone was undeniable.
Ginny's little face was full of seriousness as she looked at Kuma and said earnestly:
" Kumachi! It's too dangerous outside! What if something happens to you if you go out?"
"But..."
"No buts!"
As soon as Kuma started to speak, Ginny interrupted him again, clearly determined not to let Kuma go out to check the situation.
Ginny continued:
"I used a stolen Den Den Mushi a month ago to inform the outside world about what was going to happen on this island. I'm sure a lot of pirates will come!"
"After all, any one of those Devil Fruit could easily cause a bloodbath!"
So all we can do now is wait patiently!
"The best time to escape will be when those pirates have muddied up the waters on the island and the World Government is too busy to pay attention to us!"
"That's right! Kuma! Ginny makes a lot of sense!"
"We'll have a better chance of escaping once those pirates who came here for Devil Fruit start fighting the World Government!"
Ivankov, who was standing nearby, also spoke up.
"Okay! I understand!"
Hearing what the two said, Kuma nodded.
He was too impatient before, which is why he suggested going out to find out what was going on.
He was certainly aware of Ginny's actions in spreading the word and luring the pirates here, but the problem was...
So much time has passed and there's still no sign of any disturbance up there!
--
At this moment, somewhere in the God Valley.
Here, a high platform has been erected using trees, and on the platform sits six glittering golden treasure chests!
These are the prizes for this contest to slaughter the indigenous people: six Devil Fruit that can be considered God Level!
Below the platform, a large number of CP0 officers were stationed to protect these Devil Fruit.
Not far from the high platform, the Five Elders, Garp Kong, Sengoku, and other elites of the Navy were all gathered there.
They had been here for some time, but had not sensed any pirate presence; it was eerily calm.
They might find this situation normal given the previous massacres of Indigenous people.
But the problem is, this time is different!
The prizes for this competition were never this generous in the past, and there was no leak of information about it.
So this seemingly normal situation is actually the abnormal one!
"What's going on? Aren't the Rocks Pirates coming?"
Sengoku walked up to Garp and asked in a low voice.
But Garp didn't answer him. Instead, he lowered his head and pondered, his fists clenching unconsciously.
"Um?"
Sengoku looked puzzled at Garp's expression; being taciturn was not his friend's style at all!
Just as Sengoku was about to ask for the reason, he suddenly felt the sky darken, as if the sunlight was being blocked by something. He couldn't help but look up curiously.
The others followed suit, making the same gesture and displaying the same expression.
"!!!"
"What... what's going on?"
Zephyr looked up at the sky and spoke with a face full of horror.
A huge meteorite appeared above them, encompassing the entire area they were in.
The flames generated by the meteorite's high-speed friction sent shivers down their spines.
Suddenly, Saint Nusjuro, one of the Five Elders, reacted immediately, and the Kitetsu I was drawn from his waist.
Before anyone could react, a dazzling blade of light shot out and hurtled towards the meteorite.
After unleashing this blade of light, the Kitetsu I slowly returned to its sheath, Saint Nusjuro revealed a disdainful smile on his face.
"Has it finally arrived? Unfortunately, this attack seems rather weak and ineffective!"
In Saint Nusjuro's eyes, a mere meteorite was nothing more than a showy object, posing no threat whatsoever to him.
He only needs one strike to cleave the meteorite in two...
"How is this possible?!"
One second Saint Nusjuro was imagining himself splitting the meteorite in two with a single strike, the next second his eyes widened in disbelief and he let out a strange scream.
The blade he confidently unleashed only managed to leave a gash a few meters long and several meters deep when it struck the meteorite above him.
This knife mark seemed so insignificant compared to the meteorite, which was several kilometers in diameter.
Only for a moment was Saint Nusjuro reacted immediately, shouting to those around him:
"Hurry! Let's attack together!"
As soon as he finished speaking, the Kitetsu I was drawn again, its blade instantly turning black, and it no longer made a casual slash as before.
Instead, he lowered his stance, channeling all his strength into the blade in his hand, and then unleashed a blade of light far more powerful than before.
Seeing this, the others also joined in, unleashing their own powerful attacks.
In an instant, blade strikes, shockwaves, and fist energies all hurtled towards the meteorite above, and judging from their trajectories, these attacks all ended up landing in the same spot.
Those who could stand here were no weaklings; they had naturally witnessed the damage that Nusjuro had caused to the meteorite.
Therefore, they instantly assessed the situation!
If everyone's attacks were all scattered and aimed at this meteorite, it would be impossible to shatter it.
They'll have to smash it down then!
Only by concentrating the attack on one point can we have a chance to destroy this meteorite!
In the midst of these thoughts, numerous attacks bombarded the meteorite.
"Boom!"