As for Ryuuto...
His face was calm, his eyes tightly shut as if he had fallen into a deep slumber. Across from him, Saint Kirin Gemu's expression was incredibly grim, beads of sweat rolling down his face like a broken string of pearls.
"How is this possible?!"
He repeated these four words over and over, his shock palpable.
Saint Kirin Gemu had originally thought that if he hypnotized Ryuuto and manifested the terrifying monster from his dreams, defeating him would be child's play. He never expected Ryuuto to offer no resistance, allowing himself to be hypnotized so easily.
And so...
He arrived in Ryuuto's dream.
It was a land of chaos. Above, violet lightning rolled across the sky, crashing down upon a world filled with death and destruction. There seemed to be no signs of life here.
BOOM!
As a bolt of lightning struck near Saint Kirin Gemu, a terrifying aura of destruction splashed outwards, nearly scorching his very soul. When he looked up, he saw an immeasurably majestic figure looking down at him. The figure was composed of flowing purple lightning, its face obscured, its entire body covered in ancient, draconic serpent patterns.
In an instant, a pressure as imposing as divine law descended upon him!
THUMP!
He felt his own heart skip a beat, completely beyond his control.
Then, the majestic figure seemed to say something, but he couldn't hear the words at all. He only felt an endless tide of destructive energy surging toward him. His soul screamed in agony, and he immediately tried to flee Ryuuto's dreamscape.
But it was already too late.
When Saint Kirin Gemu severed the connection to Ryuuto's dream, he found that the terrifying destructive aura was leaking out into the space before him. Flashes of violet lightning sparked into existence, crackling and colliding as if some horrifying entity was about to break through.
"How is this possible?!" Saint Kirin Gemu said in a low, strained voice.
BOOM!
Finally, with the sound of shattering space, countless illusory bolts of purple lightning erupted forth, solidifying into reality. Soon, under the convergence of this world-ending divine lightning, a terrifying figure hundreds of meters tall appeared before everyone.
Ryuuto's eyes snapped open!
A hint of violet light drifted from his pupils, and he let out a sudden, thunderous shout.
"Divine Punishment!"
As Ryuuto's voice fell, the world-ending divine lightning exploded outwards. An extremely powerful pressure surged forth as a colossal, lightning-shaped spear coalesced in the hands of the thunder god's phantom. It then took aim at Saint Kirin Gemu and launched itself forward.
CRACKLE!
A sky full of violet lightning erupted, the aura of destruction pulsing through the air. Space itself groaned, threatening to collapse under the strain. After releasing this "Divine Punishment," the phantom of the thunder god dissipated back into the world.
"What is this thing?" Why did it follow me out of his dream?
Saint Kirin Gemu's eyes were grave. His mind was filled with questions, but the lightning spear heading his way sent a signal of extreme danger through his entire being. With a roar, he swung the asymmetrical trident in his right hand. Countless tendrils of black and red lightning flared to life, meeting the phantom's "Divine Punishment" head-on!
"Final Halberd: Song of Absolution's Lament!"
In that instant, Saint Kirin Gemu grit his teeth, clearly putting every ounce of his strength into the attack.
BOOM!
The two attacks collided with catastrophic force.
A powerful shockwave swept outwards, instantly blowing the roof off of Room Three. The sky above was split in two—one half a maelstrom of destructive violet light, the other a crackling storm of black and red lightning.
"How could this level of power exist in a brat like him..."
Saint Kirin Gemu's eyes were filled with disbelief.
But he only held on for two seconds before being completely engulfed by the endless tide of purple lightning.
"Truly bold, to enter my dream!" Seeing this, Ryuuto's lips curled into a disdainful smirk.
That's not my fault! That attack came from the true Thunder God I witnessed during my breakthrough! Ryuuto thought to himself.
Saint Kirin Gemu, on the other hand, was not faring well at all. The terrifying world-ending divine lightning first blasted the trident from his hands before slamming violently into his body. A massive force struck him, causing him to spit out a mouthful of blood as the entire right half of his body, including his arm, was instantly blown apart.
Not only that, but the horrifying destructive energy bored into his body, relentlessly tearing away at his life force. Although the power of immortality granted by Imu was triggered, attempting to repair his body, it was instantly crushed under the endless wave of destruction.
Then...
Saint Kirin Gemu was sent flying backwards, carving a long trench in the ground.
"What a miserable sight," Ryuuto remarked softly, shaking his head.
After sliding for several hundred meters, Saint Kirin Gemu finally came to a stop. Missing more than half of his body, he lay on the ground soaked in blood, his breathing shallow and fading.
"Why? The undying body Lord Imu granted me has no effect at all!" At this moment, Saint Kirin Gemu was gripped by a profound terror. When an immortal suddenly discovers they can be easily killed, their fear is far greater than that of a desperate soul who has always lived on the edge of death. They had never imagined that one day, they would truly die.
The scene did not go unnoticed by Saint Somaz, who froze for a second in shock.
Hancock seized the opportunity. She leaped into the air, her impossibly long legs whipping through a series of kicks, each one wreathed in black and red lightning.
BANG!
A Perfume Femur kick landed squarely on Saint Somaz's right arm.
As the power of the Love-Love Fruit activated, his arm instantly turned to gray stone, completely petrified. But it didn't end there. The Conqueror's Haki imbued in Hancock's kick erupted, shattering the petrified limb.
CRACK!
Countless small stone fragments scattered across the ground.
"Damn you and your blasted fruit ability!"
Saint Somaz finally snapped out of it. With a furious roar, he leaped backward, quickly putting distance between himself and Hancock.
"Thorn Trample!"
He uttered the command, and countless sharp thorns burst from the ground, surging toward Hancock. The tips of the thorns glowed with an eerie red light, looking incredibly dangerous. Hancock didn't dare to face them head-on, her cheongsam fluttering as she dodged.
During that brief moment, a violet light began to glow on Saint Somaz's body. The tattoo on his skin lit up, and his severed right arm began to rapidly grow back. This was their undying body.
"What a curious ability," Ryuuto commented, looking at Saint Somaz with interest.
Hancock landed softly, coming to a stop beside Ryuuto. She lifted her chin, gazing proudly at Saint Somaz across from them.
"Hancock, go help Jeanbart," Ryuuto said. "Saint Somaz! From now on, I'll be your opponent!"
Ryuuto's voice was sharp. He drew the Kuilong Zan from his waist, his eyes locked on Saint Somaz.
"Alright. Be careful, Ryuuto. His thorns are very tricky."
Hancock nodded slowly before turning and walking in her high heels toward the battle with Saint Satan.
Over there...
Jeanbart already had several wounds on his body. He was panting heavily as he faced Saint Satan, his expression growing more and more ferocious. It was clear he was no match for the Elder. Jeanbart's specialty was close-quarters combat, but such attacks were largely ineffective against the immortal Saint Satan.
From his perch on a distant stone building, Van Augur's expression was grim. His bullets could barely scratch Saint Satan.
"Pistol Kiss!"
Thankfully, Hancock arrived. She touched her fingers to her lips before aiming at Saint Satan, firing a barrage of pink, heart-shaped projectiles.
"The Love-Love Fruit? How familiar. I never thought the little girl who escaped back then would grow to be this strong."
A mocking expression appeared on Saint Satan's face. His massive Bakotsu form erupted with black and red lightning, causing the air around him to warp and distort.
Saint Satan was a seasoned veteran. He attempted to attack Hancock's spirit with his words while simultaneously using his powerful Conqueror's Haki to block her attack. However, after Ryuuto had removed the Hoof of the Celestial Dragon from her back, Hancock had already learned to face her tragic childhood. Saint Satan's verbal assault had no effect on her.
BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!
CRACKLE!
The pink hearts repeatedly collided with the black and red lightning in front of Saint Satan, creating a series of loud explosions before dissipating into the air. Clearly, an attack of this level was useless against him.
Although they still couldn't overcome Saint Satan's immortality, with Hancock's help, Jeanbart and Van Augur could finally catch their breath.
I'm not strong enough! I need to become stronger!
Jeanbart stared at the overwhelmingly powerful Saint Satan, a silent roar echoing in his heart. A sense of powerlessness washed over him. His blood began to surge, and his eyes turned crimson. An intense emotion filled his being as the blood in his veins raced at an unprecedented speed. He was undergoing some kind of transformation as a faint black aura began to seep from his body.
Meanwhile, the situation for Vivi, Nami, and Burgess was much better.
The main reason was Nami's critical role in the fight. She first used the power of her Luck-Luck Fruit to constantly interfere with the arrows fired by Saint Gunshi. Furthermore, Nami could also unleash the world-ending divine lightning, and Saint Gunshi didn't dare to take a direct hit from its terrifyingly destructive aura.
As for Yamato...
Her predicament was far worse. Under the combined assault of the hellhound and Saint Choukesi, she could do nothing but flee for her life. Yamato had already crashed through the wall of Room Three in a panic, bursting into the adjacent Room Four. This room was a frozen wasteland. As far as the eye could see, everything was covered in ice, including the walls, which were coated in a thick layer.
"Hah..."
Yamato exhaled a cloud of cold air. The environment here felt incredibly comfortable to her.
"Why did you stop running?"
Saint Choukesi watched Yamato with a leisurely air. His tone was light, but it was dripping with killing intent. The hellhound floated beside him, eyeing Yamato menacingly.
"Bring it on! I will not surrender!"
Yamato roared, her beast-like feet extending sharp claws that dug firmly into the ice.
"Go!"
Seeing this, Saint Choukesi remained unhurried, simply ordering the hellhound to charge. In his eyes, Yamato was already his prize, so there was no need to rush. Yamato's figure darted across the ice, a series of massive impact sounds echoing behind her as the ice surface cracked and splintered.
The battle between Kaido and Saint Garling was on another level of intensity.
Every clash between the two unleashed a sea of Conqueror's Haki. The clouds across the entire sky were repeatedly shattered by their blows.
"As expected of an Emperor!" Garling said with a note of approval. "You truly possess the strength to match that title!"
"Wororororo... This is exhilarating! It's been a long time since I've had such a satisfying fight!"
Kaido was a battle maniac. This long-awaited clash with a true powerhouse reignited the fire in his blood. He laughed boisterously, swinging his Hassaikai in an increasingly ferocious series of attacks. Saint Garling's sword flashed in response, unleashing a volley of astonishingly powerful blue slashes that constantly collided with Kaido's mace.
BANG! BANG! BANG!
A series of deafening shockwaves blasted outwards.
But it was clear that Kaido had the upper hand.
In his massive Dragon-Human form, Kaido's thick arms swung the Hassaikai with immense force. A storm of black and red lightning erupted as the spiked club crashed against Garling's blade again and again. The overwhelming power forced Garling to repeatedly block in front of his chest, steadily being driven back.
And on Zou...
After the initial chaos of Zunesha's rampage, Cat Viper and Dogstorm were organizing their people to descend from the elephant's back using specialized ropes. With Wano in such upheaval, they could not stand idly by. As two of Oden's Nine Red Scabbards, they had to contribute their strength now that their country was in peril.
Not only that, but not far from Pluton, the massive ship carrying Dragon was also about to arrive. Wano Country had become a giant vortex, drawing more and more people into its conflict.