Meanwhile, the battle between Golden Lion and Aokiji has reached a fever pitch.
"Lion - Thousand-Cut Valley!"
The Golden Lion brandished his twin swords, unleashing dozens of massive golden slashing waves, each powerful enough to tear apart a warship!
The crisscrossing slashes blocked all of Aokiji's evasive routes.
" Two Thorn Spears!"
Aokiji clenched his fists, and the cold air condensed into dozens of sharp ice spears, which shot towards the slashing wave.
The collision of ice and slashing strikes produced a series of explosions.
Ice shards and fragments of the slashing attack flew everywhere, leaving the surrounding buildings riddled with holes.
" Glacier... Thrust!"
Seizing the opening in Lion Slash, Aokiji lunged forward, his right hand transforming into an ice spear, thrusting straight for Golden Lion's throat!
This strike was as swift as Inazuma, and chillingly powerful!
"Good timing!"
The Golden Lion neither dodged nor evaded, parrying with his left sword while simultaneously slashing down with his right!
clang--!!!
The ice spear clashed with the longsword, and the chill spread along the blade, attempting to freeze the Golden Lion's arm.
But Golden Lion's Armament Haki surged, dispersing the chill, and at the same time, his right sword slashed towards Aokiji's head!
Aokiji transformed into elemental form, his body dispersing into icy mist to avoid the fatal blow.
Then, he reassembled himself ten meters away, pressing his right hand to the ground.
" Glacier... Burial."
The ground cracked open, and countless ice spikes shot out from the ground, covering the area where the Golden Lion was located!
Each ice spike was as sharp as a spear, carrying an aura of absolute zero!
The Golden Lion ascended into the air with Geppo, slashing with its twin blades and shattering the ice spikes.
But the cold had already spread to his ankles, freezing his trouser legs.
"Trouble..."
Golden Lion frowned, unleashing a burst of Armament Haki that shattered the ice.
Just then, in the distant ruins, a disheveled figure struggled to his feet.
He is the CP0 Chief.
He was covered in blood, and his left arm hung limply at his sides, clearly indicating that he had been seriously injured by the Golden Lion's attack.
But he still forced himself to stay upright, pulled a Golden Den Den Mushi from his pocket, and gritted his teeth to answer the call.
"My Lord Five Elders... the invaders are the Golden Lion and the Red Count..."
The Marine Admiral has arrived... but the enemy is too strong... requesting...
A cold and authoritative voice came from the other end of the phone, audible to everyone present through the Den Den Mushi:
"Stop them at all costs."
"No slave or treasure shall ever leave Mary Geoise."
"This is a direct order."
As soon as the words were spoken, the Den Den Mushi's eyes flashed red before dimming.
The CP0 chief took a deep breath, suppressed his injuries, and stood up straight again.
He pulled an injection from his pocket and plunged it into his neck without hesitation.
With the injection of the drug, the aura of the CP0 commander suddenly surged!
His domineering Haki has been re-formed, even stronger than before he was injured!
His eyes were bloodshot as he stared intently at the Golden Lion and the Red Count, roaring:
"All personnel, listen to my command! Fight to the death! We cannot allow the invaders to escape!"
Upon hearing this, the remaining CP0 soldiers struggled to their feet and regrouped.
Despite their injuries, their eyes were filled with a determination to die.
They reformed their encirclement, and with the help of their Admiral, completely trapped the Golden Lion and the Red Count in the central square.
The situation has become serious once again.
The Golden Lion and the Red Count stood back to back, their expressions solemn.
Faced with the combined forces of Admiral, the CP0 chief of staff, and the remnants of the CP0, even these powerful individuals felt the pressure.
" Red, looks like I need to give this old man a little exercise today."
The Golden Lion grinned menacingly, gripping his twin swords tightly.
The Count in Red Count tie slightly, his red eyes sweeping across the room, his tone remaining elegant:
"Perfect timing, it's been a long time since I've had any serious exercise."
And at that very moment--
In the deepest part of Mary Geoise, in the direction of the Empty Throne.
A vast, cold, and lifeless aura stirred slightly.
As if it had been asleep for hundreds of years, it was disturbed by the noise and chaos of the outside world and opened its eyes a crack.
The aura appeared for only a moment before fading away again.
But in that instant, all the top experts in Mary Geoise—
Roy, Bullet, Golden Lion, Kizaru Red Count, Kizaru, Aokiji, and the CP0 Chief—all felt a chill rise from their spines!
It was a fear born of the instinct for life, a reverence for absolute power.
"That is..."
Red Count's pupils contracted slightly. His top-tier Observation Haki allowed him to perceive only the tip of the Iceburg of that aura, and a storm raged in his heart.
The Golden Lion also stopped laughing wildly, his eyes becoming extremely serious.
Kizaru and Aokiji exchanged a glance, both seeing the shock and apprehension in each other's eyes.
Even the Admiral were unaware that Mary Geoise possessed such a trump card.
But at this moment, that being did not appear, only casting a glance.
It's as if to say: The farce can continue, but don't go too far.
The atmosphere on the battlefield became eerie because of this single glance.
But the fighting will not stop.
"Continue."
The CP0 chief roared and charged towards the Golden Lion.
Kizaru and Aokiji regrouped and launched an attack.
A clash of titans, erupting once more!
Meanwhile, deep within the Celestial Dragons' mansion, Roy, Bullet, and Tesoro had already emptied the fourth treasure vault.
The storage bag was stuffed full:
He acquired all twelve Devil Fruit of different shapes, four top-tier Famous Sword, and gold and silver jewelry worth over 10 billion Beli.
Roy's Telekinesis constantly enveloped most of the Holy Land.
Just as that chilling breath subsided,
Immediately following, another, even more profound aura, imbued with the majesty of Buddha, was rapidly approaching from the mouth of the Red Line.
"The main naval force has arrived! Sengoku and Zephyr are here!"
Roy's expression darkened, and he immediately used his Telekinesis to connect everyone.
"Everyone, stop delaying! Converge at full speed towards the secret passage! Slaves first, evacuate at all costs!"
This Telekinesis signal, like an invisible radio wave, instantly reached the minds of Fisher Tiger, Hawk Eyes, Dragon, Karasu, Golden Lion, Red Count, and Kaido, without any delay.
The slaves evacuated from the passageway, Dracule Mihawk stood guard alone at the alley entrance, his Black Blade Yoru held horizontally in front of him, its sword intent enveloping the entire alley.
Before him stood an array of dozens of Marine Vice Admiral and hundreds of elite soldiers, whose attacks surged like a tidal wave, yet could not break through his sword encirclement.
"Everyone evacuate; I'll cover the rear."
Hawk Eyes received the order, his gaze remaining calm, but his sword intent erupted, and his Conqueror's Haki was released without reservation.
boom--!
An invisible pressure swept out like a tsunami, and the naval soldiers at the forefront fainted in droves.
Several Vice Admiral, their faces pale, charged forward despite their Haki.
Hawk Eyes held back, unleashing a devastating strike with Black Blade Yoru. The pale green blade light tore through the air, transforming into a massive slashing wave that swept across the alleyway, instantly cleaving through the Vice Admiral ' formation.
Several Vice Admiral coughed up blood and flew backward, completely losing their fighting ability.
This sword strike shattered the navy's blockade.
Fisher Tiger received the order and, in a panic, roared at the thousands of slaves crowding the entrance to the secret passage.
"Hurry! Faster! The main naval force is here; we must leave immediately!"
The slaves desperately squeezed into the narrow entrance of the secret passage.
Black mist swirled around the Karasu as it cleared away the pursuers, while simultaneously erecting an aerial cableway;
The dragon activated the Wind-Wind Fruit, creating whirlwinds that carried the slaves into the secret passage in batches, and order was gradually restored.
Just as the last batch of slaves was about to enter the secret passage, three chilling auras, imbued with divine majesty, suddenly descended.
It was as if three mountains were pressing down on the entrance to the secret passage, making it hard to breathe.