One Piece: Surrounded at Marineford? Just kidding!

Chapter 512: Marching into Elbaf!

Heavy footsteps echoed on the red carpet.

Garin entered the throne room. He brought no attendants. Several heavily armored guards stood outside the black palace gates. The gates slammed shut, completely cutting off all outside light.

The main hall was extremely dark. Stone pillars on both sides pierced the dome. A ghostly blue fire burned in a brazier. The fire had no warmth; it only emitted a bone-chilling cold.

Garin Saint walked forward on the crimson carpet. His armor was covered in undried blood. A strong stench of blood spread with each step. This wasn't pirate blood. It was the mark left from a recent cleansing deep within the sacred ground.

He walked straight down the steps.

There were originally five seats. Now one is empty. This is the seat of Saint Satan. This unfortunate soul was completely erased. Not even his soul escaped.

Garin stopped in his tracks. He didn't even look at the empty space. He took a half-step back with his right leg, his knee slamming heavily onto the obsidian floor tiles.

A dull thud echoed.

He knelt on one knee, his back ramrod straight. His hands rested flat on his thigh armor, his head bowed deeply. His posture was impeccable, like a freshly polished blade.

Four other Five Elders were kneeling beside him.

Nasujiro's grip on the First Generation Kitetsu tightened. Mas's breath caught in his throat for half a second. Vochuri's back arched like a bow. Pitt's eye twitched.

They didn't turn to look at Garin. All four heads lowered even further.

With this humble stance, they tacitly accepted the change of power. The death of Saint Satan was a guillotine hanging over their heads. Now, new ones have arrived to fill the void. The seats of the Five Elders are once again full. Yet, the fear of death seeps into their very bones.

The main hall was deathly silent.

The crackling of grease in the brazier was clearly audible. Garin's chest heaved. The edges of his metal armor scraped together with a faint, grating sound.

The Void Throne is extremely high, hidden in the deepest darkness.

Im is sitting there.

He was shrouded in a vast shadow. The shadow was like a living tentacle, writhing at the edge of the throne, constantly mending the suppressed wounds within Him.

A pale, slender hand emerged from the shadows and rested on the armrest of the throne.

The index finger rose and then fell.

thump.

Fingertips tapped against the hard armrest. The sound was extremely soft, yet as cold as a knife.

The impact cleaved through the frozen air. It tumbled down the steps, slamming into the chests of the five men.

Thump. Thump. Thump.

The knocking sound was like stepping on someone's heartbeat.

Im spoke.

The voice was completely flat. devoid of any human emotion. It was nothing but the chilling wind blowing from hell.

He directly characterized the previous battle.

An unforgivable disgrace.

The sanctity of the World Government, established over eight hundred years, has been ripped open. The majesty of Mary Geoise has been trampled into the mud. The halo of supreme authority has shattered into pieces.

Im spoke extremely slowly. With each word he uttered, the temperature in the hall dropped by one degree.

He didn't name anyone specifically. The tangible oppression was more deadly than a knife. Cold sweat beaded on Saint Nassuro's forehead. The sweat shattered on the floor tiles.

Im suddenly stopped tapping.

The echo in the hall vanished instantly. The air seemed to have been sucked away in an instant.

"Tatsuba."

The moment that name was uttered, the air pressure between the thrones plummeted to freezing.

Moisture in the air instantly condensed into ice crystals, which fluttered down onto the scarlet carpet. The eerie blue flames in the brazier were suppressed, shrinking to the size of soybeans.

Garin Sei's droopy eyebrows twitched wildly.

He was a killer who had crawled out of mountains of corpses and seas of blood. He had a beast-like instinct for killing intent. The moment Im uttered the name, the hairs on the back of Garin Saint's neck stood on end.

The purest, most deadly intent crashed down.

This killing intent surpassed his defenses against dragons. It surpassed his fear of the Four Emperors. It even overshadowed his anger towards the sun god Nika. Im placed Tatsuha in the position of absolute mortal enemy. This man had touched a taboo. He had truly offended the gods.

Garin's breathing stopped.

He had seen through it all. Chenye had become the most fatal thorn in the side of the World Government. If he wasn't removed, Mary Geoise would be drained of its lifeblood.

Im did not linger on Chenye's name.

He abruptly changed the subject.

An ancient, somber place name drifted down from the shadows.

"Elbaf".

These four words struck. The muscles of the four Five Elders tensed instantly.

The land of giants. A forbidden zone shrouded in snow and towering trees. A wild and untamed land that the world government has been unable to control for centuries.

Im's voice was extremely cold, carrying an absolute will.

He declared coldly. Something lies hidden deep within Elbaf.

He must hold it in his hands. This thing has slumbered for too long. The top-secret files are now just fragments. Now they must be unearthed.

Im's tone revealed greed and apprehension.

He gave a clear order: Once this is obtained, Chenye's troubles, the Revolutionary Army's threat, and the pirate uprising will be easily crushed. This power is enough to smooth over all uncertainties on the sea.

A strange light flashed in Garin Sei's eyes.

He was extremely intelligent. He didn't succeed Satan as saint to enjoy power; he came to be the blade. His first task was already revealed: Go to Elbaf and reclaim what even the gods cared about.

Garin buried his head even deeper, his hands pressing tightly against his knee armor. He remained silent, awaiting the final instructions.

Im raised his right hand.

The pale hand waved in the air once more.

Signal dropped.

boom.

The clanging of armor echoed outside the palace gates, a sound that made one's teeth ache.

The heavy, black palace doors were forced open. A biting wind rushed into the hall through the cracks in the doors. Flames flickered wildly.

A group of figures walked in with synchronized steps.

They wore heavy black armor. The armor was covered with dark red patterns, like dried blood spreading on metal. Full-face visors concealed all their features.

The strange, long blade at his waist scraped against his armor, emitting a piercing, sharp sound.

The entire Knights of God make their appearance.

This secret force, obeying the highest authority, is a killing machine composed of the Celestial Dragons' most brutal elite. Completely exposed in the flames.

A chilling aura exploded forth. The stench of blood, born purely for slaughter, filled the air. Every movement was utterly silent. Their steps were perfectly synchronized, as if they were one person. Each step they took shook the floor tiles.

They stopped behind Galin Saint.

Swish.

There was no command. The entire knightly order knelt down in unison.

Heavy knees shattered the paving stones. Stone chips flew everywhere. Their heads hung low, their hands gripping the hilts of their long blades tightly, like a row of newly sharpened execution blades. There was no sound of breathing, only the sharp edge that could cut through anything.

Im looked down at this most concealed blade.

This is His sword.

The absolute command resounded.

"The Knights of God".

"Immediately enter a state of maximum combat readiness."

"Under the full coordination of Garin Satoshi."

"The vanguard is aimed directly at Elbaf."

Four sentences set the course of the world. The gears of war were forcibly pushed into their highest gear.

Im gave no one time to think. The final warning was hurled down.

"No one shall be allowed to touch any of these items first."

"We will not allow Chenye to continue to grow stronger because of this."

"If anything goes wrong."

Im's voice suddenly turned cold, coiling around everyone's necks like a venomous snake flicking its tongue.

"Everyone."

"They all have to risk their lives to fill the gap."

Absolute silence.

This is not a threat, but a statement. The fate of Saint Satan is proof. Mission failed. All those kneeling here will be utterly wiped out.

Garin Seijin looked up suddenly.

His gaze pierced through his disheveled hair and stared directly at the edge of the steps.

"Yes, ma'am."

He accepted the order in a deep voice, his tone filled with unwavering resolve and intense killing intent.

The Knights of God behind them roared in unison.

"kill."

A murderous aura suddenly erupted.

A palpable killing intent burst through the dome. A massive hole was torn in the clouds above the sacred ground. A chilling killing intent swept in like a tsunami.

The order was given.

The knights rose in unison. The clanging of their armor was like thunder.

Garin stood up. He didn't look at the four people beside him. After bowing deeply to the throne, he turned around abruptly.

A black cloak billowed, stirring up a bloody storm.

He strode out of the hall, his steps heavier than when he arrived. The knights followed closely behind. This pack of wolves was ready to tear everything apart at any moment.

boom.

The black door opened again.

Firelight poured down at the end of the passage. The red glow reflected on the cold, black armor, giving it a blood-red sheen.

Garin's footsteps faded into the distance. He and his terrorist army disappeared into the depths of the passage.

The gate slammed shut.