One Piece: Surrounded at Marineford? Just kidding!

Chapter 685: Twilight of the Old Gods

A series of deafening explosions followed. The sky seemed to collapse.

Rocks stood on the shattered ice plain. Black flames enveloped his longsword. A sweeping strike cleaved through the air, the blade leaving a long arc. He slashed head-on into the second line of defense of the Knights of God. The metal shield, along with the men beneath it, was cut through. Shards of armor mixed with droplets of blood ricocheted outwards, clattering and clanging as they fell.

He laughed like a madman.

"this one?"

Rocks flicked the blood off his blade. He tilted his head and grinned. Black flames flickered deep within his pupils.

"Is this all the Celestial Dragons' watchdogs are capable of?"

The white-bearded man didn't talk as much nonsense as him.

Murakumo-giri was raised high. The Murakumo pattern on the back of the blade burst forth with white light. He cleaved down with a single stroke. A deafening roar shattered the atmosphere. The shockwave formed an invisible wall, crashing head-on into the ranks of the Divine Knights. The three front-row knights didn't even have time to scream before they were blasted away. Their armor shattered in mid-air. They tumbled like kites with broken strings, plummeting towards the ice crevice.

Garin stood at the very back of the formation. The veins on his sword-wielding fingers bulged.

He didn't have time to react.

The white-bearded man's second shockwave arrived. The force slammed into his chest armor, producing a dull, teeth-grinding thud. The armor caved in, the metal edges cutting into his flesh. Garin Saint spat out a mouthful of blood, his body jerking backward. He staggered back seven or eight steps before barely regaining his balance.

Blood dripped down his chin, staining the badge on his chest.

"The Five Elders!"

Several members of the Knights hurriedly surrounded them.

Garin shoved the nearest man aside. He wiped the blood from the corner of his mouth with his sleeve. His face was so dark it seemed to drip water. He gripped his longsword tightly, his knuckles turning white from the force. His Adam's apple bobbed. He forced back the second mouthful of blood.

"Don't return any of them!"

His voice was hoarse. He was screaming at the top of his lungs.

"Reform your ranks! Who dares to retreat a single step?"

He hadn't finished speaking.

Rocks' figure appeared out of thin air beside him. His longsword, wreathed in black flames, slashed diagonally upwards. The wind from the blade tore Garin's cloak in two. Garin barely managed to raise his sword to parry. With a crisp clang of metal against metal, his hand split open instantly. Blood seeped from between his fingers. He was slammed to his knees.

"Re-form the formation?"

Lox looked down at him, his smile cruel.

"What other formations do you want to set up?"

Whitebeard followed closely behind. Murakumogiri swept across, another shockwave directly crushing the remaining knights. People were swept up like withered leaves and thrown into the air. Screams rose and fell. Figures continued to fall from mid-air, crashing into the shattered ice and never moving again.

Garin knelt on the ice. Blood gushing from his mouth stained the ice a dark red. He struggled to get up, his knees trembling uncontrollably.

The once-lofty Knights of God, now scattered like wheat fields battered by a storm. Some have lost limbs. Some have their armor shattered. Some lie on the edge of an ice crevasse, unable to rise.

Rocks lifted his foot and stepped on Garin Saint's shoulder, pressing half of his body back down.

"Don't be in such a hurry to die."

"Lox said in a low voice, with the pleasure of a cat playing with a mouse," he said.

"This is just the beginning."

On the distant ice field, the aftershocks of the explosion continued to spread. Ice shards and debris swirled into the sky. The two titans of the old era joined forces to crush everything in their path. The scene was predictable. Only pure, violent crushing.

Garin Sei's face pressed against the ice. He tasted the metallic tang of blood. An emotion he had never felt before welled up in his eyes.

It is fear.

Another sky. A completely different scene.

Two supreme-grade swords clashed violently in mid-air. The speed was too fast for the naked eye to perceive. Each clash exploded into hundreds or even thousands of sparks, scattering like a meteor shower, illuminating hundreds of meters of space in a crimson glow.

Shanks and Shamrock.

Redhead and Figarando's pinnacle.

The two figures emanated an overwhelming aura of dominance. Like two bloodthirsty beasts, they tore and grappled with each other, churning the air into a chaotic mix of red and black. The sky seemed to be compressed by this oppressive force; the clouds dared not approach, leaving a vast, empty space.

Shamlock's eyes were filled with rage.

He let out a fierce shout. His entire body transformed into a crimson light, as fast as an arrow. The longsword pierced out at an uncanny angle, grazing a blind spot, aiming straight for Shanks' throat. The angle was so tricky that an ordinary person couldn't even see it coming.

Shanks's eyes remained calm.

He wielded the Griffin with one arm. With a mere flick of his wrist, the blade traced a minimalist arc in the air. Just the right amount, perfectly meeting Shamrock's blade. The metal clashed with a crisp ring. The fatal blow was deflected with ease. The force slid across the blade, dissipating into the void.

Shamlock's pupils contracted sharply.

"you"

Shanks didn't give him a chance to speak.

With a flick of his wrist, Griffin drew a perfect arc. Raging red lightning poured down the blade, transforming into a crimson light blade that slashed forward. Shamlock, not to be outdone, roared and unleashed a blade of light to meet the attack head-on. The two forces collided in mid-air.

Stalemate.

Crimson lightning and blood-red blade light intertwined, twisting into an expanding sphere of energy. Electric arcs crackled and leaped across its surface. It grew larger and brighter, bursting forth with blinding light.

boom!

A clash of Conqueror's Haki cleaved the sky in two, red and black. A raging torrent of energy, like an invisible hand, swept up the ruins, crushing rubble and debris into powder. The two figures crisscrossed within the curtain of light. Each time their blades met, deep, long cracks appeared in the earth beneath their feet, spreading like a spiderweb.

Shamlock swung his blade down. The strike was fierce, filled with murderous intent.

Shanks sidestepped. Griffin swung his blade in response. The blade grazed his ribs, leaving a tear in his magnificent robes. Shamrock gritted his teeth and spun back to strike. The blade, stained with blood, pressed down.

Shanks remained completely calm.

He wielded the sword with his single arm. The Griffin blade was covered in black aura and dark red lightning. He slashed upwards, cleanly and decisively slicing through the attack. The two blades clashed. Shamlock's immense power flowed through the blade, causing his entire arm to go numb.

His eyes wavered.

Shanks's single eye held only tranquility.

He has matured through countless brushes with death. He remains calm in the face of rage, and composed in the face of murderous intent. He calculates the angle and timing of his strikes with precision, achieving maximum effect with minimal cost.

The two figures separated again, hovering in mid-air.

Shamrock's chest heaved violently. His hair was disheveled. Several tears were cut into his robes. Flesh rolled back, and blood dripped down. His hand gripping the knife trembled. He was consumed by rage.

Shanks stood opposite him. His breathing was steady. His left sleeve, empty, fluttered in the wind. He had no new wounds.

"Figarando's swordsmanship."

Shanks spoke. His voice was torn apart by the wind.

"Is this all there is?"

Shamrock's face contorted for a moment.

10,000 meters above the ground.

It's very windy.

Chen Ye hovered there. His long hair billowed in the wind, his clothes rustling. He crossed his arms, looking down at the battlefield with an indifferent expression.

His gaze swept across the icy plain.

Garin Saint was trampled underfoot by Rocks. He coughed up blood. The Knights of God were routed. He stared for two seconds. His expression remained unchanged.

His gaze shifted horizontally.

In another part of the sky, Shanks and Shamrock clashed violently, their swords flashing. Crimson and black Conqueror's Haki tore through the void, turning the sky upside down. His lips twitched.

Continue moving upwards.

Finally, the highest point in the sky was locked.

Luffy.

A golden figure soared through the clouds. A giant sword unleashed a thousand-foot-long golden light, each strike aimed at Im. The sword carried a terrifying power capable of tearing through space. The King of the World was forced back step by step, his robes ripped apart, revealing the dark gold patterns beneath. It was a one-sided, crushing defeat.

Luffy laughs again.

He leaped and bounded on the golden clouds, his laughter rising and falling. He was smug, treating the final battle like a playground. His greatsword stretched, swung, and twisted, slashing at unbelievable angles, trapping Im within a curtain of light.

Everyone believed Luffy had won.

Chen Ye's lips did not curl up at all.

He stared at the golden figure. His eyes were icy. The wind swept past him, his robes fluttering. His body remained motionless.

Luffy swung his sword. Golden light surged forth. Im was knocked back once more.

In Chen Ye's eyes, the aura surrounding the golden figure had dimmed slightly compared to three minutes ago.

He narrowed his eyes.

A fierce battle on the frozen plains. Shanks's blade flashing. Rocks's maniacal laughter. All of this is just footnote.

What truly decides everything is that divine war in the heavens.

And that figure who seemed to have the upper hand.

Chen Ye watched as Luffy leaped. A fleeting, extremely subtle flicker appeared in the golden light, so fast that even Luffy himself didn't notice.

Chen Ye saw it.

He saw something that no one else saw.