NABC Chapter 241 Under the Awe of the Gods, All Living Beings Are Equal
Chapter 241 Under the Awe of the Gods, All Living Beings Are Equal
Chapter 241 Under the Awe of the Gods, All Living Beings Are Equal
Just as Indra issued his divine decree, the entire Sky Island divine realm trembled, and the divine army began to assemble in a clamor.
On the edge of the Sky Island, deep within the ruins of the original Shandian tribe.
A figure lay quietly beneath the broken roof beams.
Waver, the most tenacious warrior of Shandia, has been leading the remaining people to survive since Luffy left.
They hid here, and the outside world all believed that he had died in battle.
However, at this very moment, just as Indra was enraged by Arjuna's actions and unleashed his full divine power...
"Thump!"
A remarkably clear heartbeat echoed through the deathly silence of the ruins.
Weber's pale lips trembled slightly.
Deep within his soul lay a destructive consciousness filled with an unforgettable and intense hatred for Indra.
An entity, like a ferocious beast awakened from an ancient slumber, slowly began to open its scarlet eyes.
"—Indra—"
"—Your——breath—"
"————And————that————the————reverse————divine child————"
Whispers filled with overwhelming resentment and destructive desires gathered like a cold wind from the abyss deep within Weber's shattered consciousness.
Naval Headquarters.
The admiral's office, which originally symbolized the highest authority in the navy, was now in a complete mess.
The walls were covered in cracks, the windows were shattered, and documents were scattered all over the floor, a testament to the impact of the previous battle and the intense turmoil in the owner's heart.
Zhan Guo stood in front of the huge floor-to-ceiling window, his back slightly hunched.
He was clutching a video Den Den Mushi tightly in his hand, and a blurry image was playing repeatedly on the screen.
Even through the images, one can still feel the astonishing power of the world-destroying scenes.
The terrifying chasm that divided the sea made him clench his fists tightly, his nails already digging deep into the flesh of his palms, drawing blood, but he was completely unaware of it.
"Arjuna—the Black One—actually—did this—!"
His voice was hoarse and dry, filled with an unprecedented sense of frustration and a hint of fear that even he himself was unwilling to admit.
This level of power is beyond what he could understand and deal with in his decades-long military career.
Green Bull Wild Shepherd stood behind him, his face equally ashen.
The plants that were once vibrant on his body now seemed somewhat listless due to the terrifying pressure emanating from his life instinct; their leaves curled up and their luster dulled.
"Marshal," Green Bull's deep voice broke the suffocating silence.
"Operation to retake Impel Down has been a complete failure. Admiral Sakazuki is critically wounded, his vital signs were once very weak, and he is currently undergoing emergency treatment."
"The fleet involved in the operation suffered a preliminary loss of over 70%, the morale of the survivors collapsed completely, and many soldiers even showed symptoms of mental instability—this is a complete and utter defeat that the navy has never experienced since its founding! Our foundation—has been shaken."
Sengoku slowly closed his eyes, took a deep breath as if using all his strength, and forced his reason, which was almost swallowed by despair, to regain its advantage.
He turned around, his face still showing shock and exhaustion, but his eyes had regained the sharp light of a strategist.
"Now! This is not the time to wallow in failure and frustration!" His voice suddenly rose, carrying an undeniable determination.
"The Blackbeard Pirates have acquired such terrifying power that their threat level has instantly skyrocketed, far surpassing any Emperor of the Sea."
"This could shake the foundations of the world government's 800-year rule! We must immediately adjust our overall strategy!"
He walked a few steps to the dilapidated desk, slammed his hand on the surface, and kicked up a cloud of dust.
"First! Send orders to all G-series branches that can still be contacted! Abandon all non-essential missions, focus all efforts on treating the wounded, recovering the scattered fleet, and regrouping the remaining forces!"
"Abandon all military operations against Impel Down and its surrounding waters, and consolidate the main defensive line entirely around the Red Line, especially around Mary Geoise and Marine Headquarters! We must ensure that the core areas of the World Government are not compromised again!"
His gaze sharpened as he looked at Green Bull.
"You, Aramu, prepare immediately to personally travel to the Holy Land of Mary Geoise in your fastest ship! Meet the Five Elders! You must report everything that has happened here in person, without any embellishment!"
"Let them see this footage with their own eyes! Let them understand that we are not facing ordinary pirates! This is—a divine calamity! We request—higher authorization, and support beyond the norm! We need to grant them any authority!"
He pointed out the window to the still chaotic port.
"Order all monitoring units of the Science Unit to immediately shift their observation focus to the direction of the Sky Island!"
"Based on the fragmentary information provided by Lord Taigong Wang and the direction from which Arjuna's power mutation originated, I have reason to suspect that Blackbeard's next target, or the key location that could trigger an even larger conflict, is very likely on the Sky Island!"
"There—maybe a greater secret lies hidden there than we imagine, perhaps even the source of all this!"
He stared intently into Green Bull's eyes: "Aramaki! You bear a heavy responsibility! You must ensure that the highest levels of the World Government clearly understand the extreme seriousness of the situation!"
"This is no longer just a matter for the Navy; it concerns the very survival of the entire world order!"
"Understood, Marshal!" Green Bull nodded emphatically, his usual nonchalant expression gone. He turned and strode away, his footsteps echoing in the empty, dilapidated corridor.
Sengoku stood alone in the center of his ruined office, with the headquarters port bustling with rescue efforts outside the window.
The last rays of the setting sun shone through the broken window, casting a long shadow of him, filled with loneliness and heaviness.
The rain is coming and the wind is all over the building.
He knew all too well that what was coming this time was not a mountain rain, but a divine tsunami powerful enough to engulf the entire world.
The news that the Navy had encountered the formidable Kamui barrier at Impel Down and suffered near annihilation spread like wildfire throughout the world.
Initially, many forces, especially the lawless pirates and underworld emperors, scoffed at this.
"Hahaha! Those useless naval officers, they'd even fabricate such a myth to cover up their defeat?"
A pirate captain who swaggered around in the New World was holding an exaggerated newspaper and laughing so hard he almost fell over.
"The sea was split open? Why the hell don't they say the moon fell down?"
"Hmph, Sengoku and Akainu have finally met their match! This is truly gratifying!" Some forces with grudges against the World Government gloated.
However, when Morgans, president of World Economic News, went to great lengths to release photos from the scene.
That terrifying chasm stretches across the sea, its bottom unseen, its sides as majestic as mountain ranges.
The massive Impel Down wreckage and scattered naval ships appear as insignificant as ants in comparison, as if everything were meaningless.
The whole world fell silent.
The laughter stopped abruptly.
Instead, there was a deathly silence, and an overwhelming sense of fear and uproar!
News reports may be exaggerated, but on-site photos don't lie.
That was no natural phenomenon, nor could it be created by any known Devil Fruit ability or technology! It was a miracle, or rather—divine punishment!
The name "Blackbeard—Marshall D. Teach" used to represent danger, cunning, and madness.
But now, it has been given a new prefix: the destroyer with the power of a god.
His danger level instantly soared to an unprecedented height in the assessments of all forces.
He even subtly surpassed Arbitrator Dilt and the world's strongest man, Whitebeard.
He instantly became the most unsettling cloud hanging over the entire world.
Countless pirate crews were terrified and avoided the waters where the Blackbeard Pirates might be active.
The giants of the underworld began to re-evaluate their relationship with him.
New World, Dressrosa, Cross Headquarters.
Doflamingo held the newspaper with the shocking pictures, his fingers trembling slightly, and his usual wicked smile stiffening.
"Fortunately, our ship hasn't arrived yet—I really didn't expect the war to end so quickly—"
"Fufufufu—What a joke—this power—what kind of monster has Blackbeard turned into?!"
Shakespeare, meanwhile, excitedly waved his virtual quill and paced around the room.
"Ah! An epic! This is a true epic! Mortals have usurped divine power and torn the ocean apart! Master, we must participate!"
"In this grand feast attended by the gods, the Crusaders must leave their mark!"
Mihawk paused slightly as he wiped the black sword, a hint of unprecedented seriousness flashing in his sharp eyes.
"Something that can split the sea—Creation? Interesting," he muttered to himself.
Kojiro silently gripped the hilt of his sword, feeling immense pressure.
Moriah was so frightened that he huddled in the corner, his eerie chuckles trembling.
"That kind of power—no matter how many shadow zombies I have—it's not enough to fill the void—"
Within the Crusaders, the previously simmering plan to launch an attack has been temporarily shelved.
They need more intelligence, and even more so, they need observation.
New World, Red-Haired Pirates, Red Voss.
Shanks stared at the shocking chasm in the newspaper, his face ashen.
The Command Seals on the back of his hand were faintly burning.
"So...it's come to this?" he sighed softly, with a hint of helplessness and resolve.
"By relying on the power of an Outer God, you're forcibly tearing apart the rules of the world—Blackbeard, you're playing with fire and getting burned!"
Beckman exhaled a smoke ring and calmly analyzed, "Captain, Blackbeard's power is clearly related to Sky Island, and now his threat level has surpassed everything. We must speed up the assembly process."
Lucky Roux, gnawing on some meat, mumbled, "Luffy and his crew seem to have gotten involved too—"
Yasopp inspected his sniper rifle: "With Karna and Mr. Roger here, safety shouldn't be a problem, but the situation is too complicated now."
Merlin's figure appeared beside him, his wooden staff tapping the ground, his expression unusually serious.
"Shanks, the threads of fate have been completely tangled. Arjuna's transformation, Blackbeard's ambition, and that being lurking on Skypiea—"
"The scale of the next Holy Grail War will likely far exceed our imagination."
"We must find Princess Vivi and the others as soon as possible; a complete Red team is key to dealing with future changes."
Shanks nodded emphatically: "Turn around! Full speed ahead to Alabasta! We must prepare before the bigger storm arrives!"
Sky Island, Apayado, a secret stronghold of the resistance.
The atmosphere here is completely different from the oppressive, golden temple outside; it is full of resilience and indomitable spirit.
The three figures were sitting around an ancient altar.
The burly, mountain-like, muscular Brutus roared in a deep, muffled voice.
"Can you feel it? That nauseating surge of divine power! It's coming from the blue sea below! It's Arjuna! My brother! How could he—become so—unfamiliar and powerful?"
Across from him, Yanmi said softly, "Not only Arjuna, but Indra himself has also been ignited with wrath. Rama with the Axe and Duryodhana have already assembled their divine armies and will descend to the mortal realm soon. Our time is running out."
The Wise One of the Clouds stroked the ancient patterns on the altar and said in a deep voice.
"Indra's divine power is constantly eroding the origin of Sky Island, attempting to completely transform it into his divine kingdom."
"I have to say, the chaos in the blue ocean below might be an opportunity for us."
Bhikkhu slammed his fist into the ground, creating a small crater: "Opportunity? Arjuna who tore the sea apart! He's my brother! I will definitely restore him to normal!"
Yan Mi shook her head: "Bu Jun, calm down."
"According to our previous intelligence, Blackbeard's target is the Heart of the Clouds, and the Heart of the Clouds—seems to be closely related to Indra's descent and power. Perhaps we can use this to our advantage—"
The Wise Man of the Clouds nodded: "The enemy of my enemy is not necessarily my friend, but he can be used to keep me in check for the time being."
"We must find a way to contact the resistance forces in the Blue Sea below, especially—those who once helped the Shandians, the Straw Hat Pirates. They are the key to fighting against the divine power."
Just then, a faint but destructive fluctuation flashed by from where the War Demon Waver was resting.
The three of them were startled and looked in that direction.
"Frido—it's also restless." Yan Mi's face paled slightly.
A fierce glint flashed in Brutus's eyes: "That demon god—is also a huge hidden danger!"
The wise man of the clouds sighed, "The dangers are everywhere—but we have no way out."
"For the Sky Island to survive, we must find a glimmer of hope in the gap between the gods and the demons."
Naval Headquarters, Temporary Command Center.
Marshal Zhan Guo looked at the reaction reports coming back from all over the world. His face was still grim, but his eyes had regained their composure.
"The World Government's order has been issued."
He spoke to Akainu, who was bandaged and weak but whose eyes were still fierce, as well as Kizaru, Aokiji, and the others beside him.
"The Five Elders also realized the seriousness of the matter."
"They ordered us to temporarily relinquish active control over most of the seas in the New World, consolidate our forces, and strengthen our defenses on the Red Line."
"At the same time, we are authorized to use all resources to monitor the movements of the Blackbeard Pirates, Skypiea, and—all anomalous Heroic Spirits."
Akainu gritted his teeth, his voice hoarse: "Are we just going to let that Blackbeard bastard get away with it?!"
"Of course not!" A cold glint flashed in Sengoku's eyes. "But now he possesses a power that we cannot directly confront."
"A blind attack would only lead to our deaths. We need time, we need to understand the source of his power and his weaknesses, we need—stronger weapons, or—allies."
He looked at Fujitora: "Issei, are you still maintaining contact with the Straw Hat Pirates?"
Fujitora said in a deep voice, "We can try. But they are unpredictable, and after what happened at Impel Down, they will probably be even more vigilant."
"We'll do our best," Sengoku said. "Also, any new information from Dr. Vegapunk regarding the Science Unit?"
A technical officer replied, "After analyzing the Arjuna energy data collected by Dr. Vegapunk from the remains on the battlefield, he found that its energy composition was extremely complex, mixed with multiple high-dimensional divine rules, which are difficult to fully analyze or even replicate with current technology."
He suggested that perhaps a solution could be found in historical texts or certain ancient artifacts.
"Ancient times—" Warring States muttered to himself, thinking of the blank hundred years of history that the World Government strictly forbade to study.
Just then, an urgent intelligence report arrived.
"Report! Large-scale energy gathering detected in the direction of Sky Island! A powerful entity is suspected to be about to break through the clouds and descend upon the Blue Sea!"
Inside the command center, everyone's hearts sank.
In the ensuing silence, the technical officer revealed the last news from Vegapunk's side.
"Dr. Vegapunk also said—he seems to have figured out how Heroic Spirits exist—"
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