"Don't panic! Keep your balance and hold on to your friends and family!"
The guidelines for the Teleportation Gate had already been distributed, and some people in the crowd were still shouting reminders about what to watch out for.
Boom!
Another muffled sound rang out. This time, accompanying the bear-paw-shaped bubble was Kuma himself. His body now bore numerous wounds, but a satisfied smile played on his lips.
With his own hands, he had accomplished his "salvation."
As planned, if Kuma and the others failed, they would simply use the teleportation. If they succeeded, they would first use the Paw-Paw Fruit's ability to send several one-time positioning markers to islands outside.
The black ship served as the core, with the surrounding equipment acting as the foundation.
Compared to Piltover, this Hextech Teleportation Gate was quite crude, but it didn't hinder its operation.
With the core fully charged and the beacons in place, the canyon began to shimmer with dazzling light.
This technological marvel from another world, like a miracle from the future, was now slowly activating.
As the gate came online, the surrounding air seemed to warp under the influence of this mysterious force.
The light grew increasingly intense, forming beams that danced in the air like vibrant ribbons.
A low, resonant hum accompanied it, as if heralding the arrival of a momentous occasion.
The crowd in the canyon gradually transformed into blue specks of light.
"Benefactor! I'll remember your words! If I ever get the chance, I'll repay your kindness today!"
"You're our hero! Even if we don't know your name, we'll never forget this!"
Before the crowd fully dissolved into blue light, several people shouted toward Oran.
Aside from the small group Oran had first encountered, most didn't know his name or what his face looked like beneath the mask.
The roar of the Teleportation Gate drowned out many voices, but Oran paid no mind to what they said. He turned, merging into the blue light, and completed the teleportation.
He had never seen himself as a hero.
With the soaring blue light, the people in the canyon gradually vanished, leaving behind an empty canyon and the still-operating Hextech Core.
On the battlefield, whether it was the pirates locked in combat or the Navy mounting a counterattack, all were drawn to this sudden phenomenon.
Many paused their fighting, their gazes converging on the center of the Valley of the Gods.
"Is this the treasure even Rocks is after? It doesn't quite match the rumors."
"Who cares what it is? Rocks is tied up now—go grab that thing!"
Swish! Swish!
Before they could act, a flash of blade light sliced through their throats.
"Scum, that's not something you can touch."
Glingo, who had arrived unnoticed, also stared toward the center of the Valley of the Gods, his expression filled with rage. According to prior records, that was the area where Eratin had last been active.
As for how Glingo had managed to break away and come here…
The Navy's situation had initially been dire, with them at a clear disadvantage. But for some reason, mid-battle, the Roger Pirates suddenly switched sides, teaming up with Garp to take on Rocks.
"Hold it, Rocks!"
"Roger, you bastard, stay out of my way!"
Roger's actions shifted the battlefield's dynamics, allowing some members of the Knights of God to free themselves to investigate the Celestial Dragon's death.
When Glingo followed the commotion from the Teleportation Gate's activation to the canyon, it was already deserted. Only Eratin's headless corpse remained on the platform, his head rolling on the ground, eyes still unclosed.
"These… bastards."
Glingo's hands trembled—not from fear, but from fury. However, another's arrival calmed him.
"Saint Satan, what brings you here? Is there news?"
Celestial Dragons typically didn't use honorifics like "Saint" or "Palace" when addressing each other, except in formal or specific contexts. Glingo held a high position among them, but compared to those five, he was insignificant.
The newcomer wore a black suit, held a cane, and had neatly styled curly hair.
It was Jaygarcia Saturn, one of the Five Elders, the Martial God of Science and Defense.
"The disturbance here drew me, but regrettably, I don't know what happened here either."
As the Five Elder overseeing science and defense, Saturn was a scientist himself. He could tell the equipment here involved some unknown technology, but that was the extent of his understanding. In a single glance, even with his vast experience, he couldn't determine what it was.
The cause of the Celestial Dragon's death required further investigation. Just as Saturn was about to speak, his pupils constricted. Without further words, he pulled Glingo behind him.
"Saint Satan, you—"
BOOM!!!
Boom! Boom!
A cataclysmic force erupted from the energy core, sweeping through the entire canyon.
This power, like a raging beast, mercilessly devoured everything in its path.
The canyon's trees and rocks were instantly reduced to dust under the energy's impact, the ground trembling violently as if it would split apart.
Due to Oran's pre-departure design, the overflowing energy seemed guided, like a sharp blade cleaving through the canyon, splitting the Valley of the Gods in two.
The clouds in the sky were torn apart by this force, revealing jagged rifts, as if the heavens themselves wailed for this catastrophe.
The human body was among the strongest shields on these seas. Protected by Saint Satan, Glingo was unharmed, but Saturn bore several ghastly wounds.
"Saint Satan! You!"
"It's fine. If I wanted to block it, I could have. This was merely to better understand this force."
Saturn's body healed rapidly, soon returning to its original state. This was an ability of the Five Elders—near-impossible to kill, even by decapitation.
While their defenses seemed low, with many able to break through, causing lasting damage was difficult, as they could recover almost instantly.
And this was Oran's doing.
He couldn't leave the ship and the Hextech Teleportation Gate for the Celestial Dragons. This grandiose self-destruct sequence was his final gift. Had ordinary people come to investigate, the results would have been far more devastating.
The annihilation caused by the explosion left nothing but ash. Even the blast's epicenter sank into the deep sea as the island split.
Saturn could only escort Glingo back to the Celestial Dragons' gathering point, but his grim expression upon leaving betrayed his inner turmoil.
Meanwhile, on the beach of another island, Oran gazed calmly at the horizon.
"It's about time. I hope you enjoyed the gift. If you're not satisfied, well… this is just the beginning."