"It's so cold."
Roy was jolted awake by the freezing temperature. The surrounding sea was growing colder due to the magnetic field of the island, turning the area into a winter sea.
"Big bro, we're almost there," Atmos said.
"You sure you're okay?" Roy asked.
"Just a winter island, it won't affect me," Atmos replied, flames erupting from his body to instantly dispel the chill.
"We should make it in time," Roy said, though he sounded worried.
"Big Bro, we will definitely make it," Atmos said optimistically.
Suddenly, Roy stood up. He sensed an unusual power and immediately unleashed his Observation Haki, enveloping the entire sea.
The winter island and its surrounding waters were instantly covered by his Haki.
Meanwhile, on Egghead Island, the Five Elders, who were in the midst of battle, sensed something and looked up at the sky.
"That guy is here," the Five Elders simultaneously felt his presence.
The Five Elders shared a connected will. Not only did they sense it, but Imu also felt this unusual power.
Zoro looked up at the sky.
"This oppressive aura.. it's definitely him," Zoro said.
"Zoro, what are you staring at?!" Nami shouted.
"Nothing… but someone's coming. If it's who I think it is, we might just get out of here," Zoro replied.
"What do you mean?" Usopp asked, confused.
"There's no time to explain. Even the Elders have stopped fighting."
"Huh?! They really have!!" Usopp and Nami noticed that the Elders had frozen in place.
"Haha, Roy is coming!" Luffy suddenly cheered.
"Roy?!" Dorry and Brogy exchanged glances, recalling something.
"That'll be one hell of an ally."
Vegapunk's broadcast had already begun. At this very moment, Den Den Mushi across the world were receiving Vegapunk's transmission.
The Five Elders were frantically destroying the Den Den Mushi, and York was also trying to cut off the communications.
"Roooaaar!!"
A giant dragon soared through the skies. Atmos carried Roy above Egghead.
"If you were going to broadcast, you should have done it earlier. Waiting ten minutes to start is such a stupid setup. I wanted to hear the rest of the broadcast too," Roy muttered as he jumped down from the sky.
Vegapunk was already dead, killed by Kizaru.
The broadcast had started the moment he died. Because of Luffy's appearance, the ancient robot had been awakened.
If we were to draw parallels, the ancient robot would be like Joy Boy's version of General Franky. Joy Boy himself could become gigantic.
Then there was Zunesha, whose existence was similar to Chopper's, but it was bound to the Kozuki clan.
Saturn was destined to die. Imu said he had let Joy Boy escape, but it wasn't Luffy and the others he was referring to.
Two hundred years ago, when the ancient robot attacked Mary Geoise, Imu had ordered its destruction, but Saturn had secretly spared it.
That was how Joy Boy's Haki had survived, still so potent that even Marine Vice Admirals buckled before its power. It had even scarred Imu, leading Imu to decide to kill Saturn.
Roy descended in the same style as Garp, arms crossed, legs straight, as he plummeted downward.
"The Emperor Roy!!"
The Marines saw the dragon and saw Roy falling.
"Not him again…"
"Another Emperor just showed up."
"What the hell is he after?"
Roy's Haki had already locked onto one person.
"You should've died already."
The voice whispered in her ear. York, rummaging through the lab for transponder snails, froze stiff.
She hadn't expected Roy to come for her, of all people.
"Wh-why me?!" York stammered in terror.
"Two years ago, I warned Vegapunk you'd betray him. Looks like they erased that memory. And sure enough, you delivered, betraying Vegapunk, handing the Mother Flame to the Celestial Dragons so they could unleash Uranus," Roy said coldly.
"You, you knew?!" York shrieked.
"Hmph. Of course, I knew. I made a pact with Vegapunk to kill you the moment you betrayed him."
Roy pierced through the island cloud like an arrow, dropping straight into Punk Records, landing right in front of York.
She held a signal-jamming device in trembling hands, staring at him in terror.
"D-don't…"
She had dreamed of glory and riches, but now everything was about to vanish.
"Whoosh!"
At that moment, a monster burst into the room, a bird-headed, snake-bodied creature, one of the Five Elders, Saint Marcus Mars.
"You shouldn't have come here." Mars lunged, only for Roy to turn his head, smiling a chilling, predatory smile that froze him in place.
That smile… too twisted, too sinister. He was looking at Mars not as an enemy, but as prey. Excited. Hungry. Terrifying.
Mars took an involuntary step back. For the first time, he felt pure, primal fear, like he was facing his natural predator.
Roy had never given him this feeling before. Now, Roy looked at him as if he were food, ready to devour him.
"How is this possible? Why do I feel this way?!"
This sense of dread and submission was something Mars had only ever felt in Imu's presence. No one else had ever made him feel such innate terror.
The Five Elders were mentally linked. Besides themselves, Imu was also connected to them.
The other four Elders sensed the anomaly through Mars. The feeling was intense, the image of Roy in their minds was like a devil from hell, ready to consume them entirely.
"Why… why do I feel like this?!" Saint Nusjuro muttered in disbelief.
"His eyes… his gaze is wrong!"
"His pupils, his eyes have changed!"
"What exactly happened?"
As they wondered, Roy suddenly opened his mouth. His body expanded, and a massive shadow emerged.
York was paralyzed in shock, unable to move. The sight before her would haunt her forever.
"ROOOAAAR!!"
The shadow swallowed half of Mars' body in an instant. The speed was so fast that Mars couldn't react. Only half of his body remained where he stood.
At that moment, Imu felt a connection snap. She clutched her head, her eyes wide with shock.
The other four Elders on the island also sensed it; Mars's presence had vanished.
They saw an abyssal mouth, and then Mars was gone.
Normally, even if destroyed, they could regenerate. But this time, whatever Roy had done severed their link.
What this meant was clear to all five of them.
Mars was dead.
Roy now had the power to kill them.
.....
If you enjoy the story, my p@treon is 30 chapters ahead.
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