Saint Saturn was the closest to this location, so he was the first of the Five Elders to arrive on the scene. The other Elders were also rushing over from their respective directions at top speed.
"You, this lowly existence, dare to commit such an unforgivable crime. You deserve death ten thousand times over!"
Saint Saturn's voice boomed like thunder across the open ground, his eyes blazing with fury.
He roared, determined to capture Roy here, to extract the mastermind behind him through brutal interrogation—only then could he answer to his Lord Imu.
With Saint Saturn's roar, his body began a shocking transformation. Black smoke clouds coiled around him like living things, and gradually, his lower half morphed into a colossal spider, while his head twisted into a fierce ox, his eyes gleaming with an eerie green light.
Though surprised, Roy quickly regained his composure.
He hadn't expected Saint Saturn to unleash his full power without holding back from the start, clearly aiming for a swift resolution.
Yet, instead of fear, Roy began to taunt Saint Saturn with a mocking tone.
Recalling how Saint Saturn ultimately ended up as a clown in the original story, he opened his mouth to sneer.
"You're nothing but a rag to be used and discarded. Once you've outlived your usefulness, you can be thrown away like trash anytime."
Roy's tone carried a hint of contempt.
His words were undoubtedly a direct challenge to Saint Saturn's authority.
Hearing this, the anger on Saint Saturn's face was barely contained.
Never had he imagined that a commoner, a being who should have trembled at his feet, would dare mock him so brazenly.
A powerful aura instantly erupted from within him, intending to suppress the other's arrogance with absolute force.
But just as this force was about to reach Roy, a massive wooden dragon suddenly roared out from behind Roy, colliding with the invisible force in a deafening explosion.
The wooden dragon was enveloped in dense chakra, now unleashing its full power.
Simultaneously, Kong did not hesitate. He leaped again, hurtling toward the wooden dragon like a meteor.
His fists carried the force to shake mountains; each blow made the dragon's body tremble, sending splinters of wood flying everywhere. Under the relentless assault of the two, the dragon's ability to regenerate lagged, and it gradually found itself on the losing side.
"Deep Forest Emergence!" Seeing the wooden dragon on the verge of collapse, Roy's expression grew even more grave.
The chakra in his Wood Clone was nearly depleted, but facing such a formidable enemy, he had no choice but to give it his all.
Thick trees burst from the ground, swiftly weaving into a dense forest that completely enveloped the battlefield.
However, within this very forest of Roy's creation, the wooden dragon soon shattered with a crash.
Saint Saturn let out a cold snort, his eyes filled with contempt and murderous intent as he glared at Roy.
Above, several powerful auras were rapidly approaching—the reinforcements.
In front of these auras, a figure slowly materialized.
"The Knights of God… have come too?"
Kong looked up at the sky, unsurprised yet still wearing a grave expression. After all, a Celestial Dragon had been killed in the Holy Land; anything was possible.
A flicker of surprise crossed Roy's face.
Gazing at this mysterious figure who bore a seventy to eighty percent resemblance to Red-Haired Shanks, a playful smile tugged at the corner of his mouth.
His eyes roamed over the other, noticing the differences—an extra hand, and the lack of a scar.
"What's your relationship with Red-Haired Shanks?" Roy asked, his tone laced with curiosity and intrigue.
He wanted to know what connection this sudden arrival had with the Yonko.
They looked so alike; Roy wouldn't believe it if there was no connection.
The Shanks lookalike didn't say much, only staring coldly at Roy.
Seeing this, Roy didn't waste more words, but recalled many theories from forums in his past life.
Shanks was actually a Celestial Dragon.
From that perspective, was this world of One Piece truly one ruled by bloodlines?
Would it all eventually devolve into the legendary tale of village brawls and eyes?
Roy's thoughts wandered randomly as Saint Saturn, reaching his limit, suddenly swelled in size, instantly transforming into his colossal beast form. His muscles bulged like rock, and his lower limbs became sharp, bladed limbs.
The moment he transformed, his lower body thrust toward Roy.
Kong was not to be outdone; his fists whistled through the air, carrying the power to tear the atmosphere as he once again struck at Roy.
At the same time, the mysterious Shanks lookalike swung his long blade, unleashing a slash that cleaved through the sky, a force capable of severing all things, aimed directly at Roy.
All of this happened in the blink of an eye. Roy seemed cornered with no escape.
A triumphant smile spread across Saint Saturn's face. He was convinced that even the likes of a Yonko or an Admiral would be hard-pressed to emerge unscathed from the combined assault of the three of them.
Yet, at this critical moment between life and death, Roy's eyes suddenly shone with an unusual brilliance, and a strange smile curled at his lips.
He had long been prepared to sacrifice this Wood Clone. After all, this clone's chakra was nearly exhausted, making it the perfect time for a final, all-out gamble.
Roy took a deep breath and unleashed all his remaining chakra.
"Wood Style: Wood Human Technique!"
As his voice faded, the earth trembled. A wooden giant, hundreds of meters tall, erupted from the ground, like a deity or demon emerging from ancient wilderness, majestic and mysterious.
Unfazed by the trio's overwhelming assault, the Wood Human struck out with a fist carrying the force of a mountain-splitting tsunami, blocking their attacks entirely.
This scene left Saint Saturn, Kong, and the Shanks lookalike utterly stunned.
They never imagined Roy possessed such a powerful hidden trump card.
"My chakra is almost depleted. I must probe Imu's strength as quickly as possible."
Roy thought to himself, knowing this Wood Clone had reached its limit.
Without hesitation, Roy controlled the colossal Wood Human, swinging its mountain-shattering fist to smash down on Saint Saturn.
Though Saint Saturn was immensely powerful, he was caught off guard by this sudden heavy blow, staggering backward. The ground beneath him cracked and splintered, his appearance thoroughly disheveled.
Roy gave his opponents no chance to catch their breath. He had the Wood Human deliver a flurry of punches, each carrying terrifying power capable of destroying all.
Even the formidable Kong and the Shanks lookalike were forced to retreat repeatedly to evade the relentless storm of attacks.
In this brief moment of chaos and respite, Roy seized his chance. He leaped, weaving through layers of obstacles, charging straight toward the heart of Pangaea Castle.
His target was the depths of the Holy Land, where the highest authority of the World Government, Imu, was said to reside.
---