BOOM!
The violent shockwave swept across the battlefield like an apocalyptic flood.
Marines and pirates alike scrambled to defend themselves.
Some were flung hundreds of meters away, coughing blood before crashing into the ground, unconscious.
If not for the strongest among them reacting in time to shield the others, the casualties—on both sides—would have been catastrophic.
At this moment, there were no sides. No pirates. No Marines.
Even Sengoku and Shanks tensed up, stabilizing themselves before quickly turning toward the epicenter of the clash.
Just before impact, they had seen the earth itself rise up around Saint Ethanbaron V. Nusjuro, as if trying to shield him from Luo Yu's devastating strike.
Now, they all wanted to know—what was the outcome?
BOOM!
The explosions rumbled endlessly.
Dust and debris blanketed the ruins like a passing hurricane.
No one knew how much time had passed before the sea breeze finally swept the dust away.
The towering Susanoo that Luo Yu had summoned had already dissipated into the air.
Amid the vast ruins, only Luo Yu remained, calmly sipping from his gourd of earthy liquor.
The eerie sight made everyone freeze.
They quickly turned their eyes toward the aftermath.
And what they saw next shook them to their core.
A massive chasm—like a scar across the world—stretched from Marineford all the way to the distant horizon, cutting through land and sea alike.
It looked as if the earth and ocean had been cleaved in two.
No—even the heavy clouds above had been torn apart.
As the clouds and seawater swirled violently around the rift, a chill ran down everyone's spine.
They stared at Luo Yu in disbelief.
Such power… from a single strike.
If they hadn't seen it with their own eyes, they would never have believed it.
The scene before them felt like something from another dimension.
Now they understood how Luo Yu had defeated Kaido, one of the Four Emperors.
But this time, the target wasn't just any pirate—it was a Five Elder, one of the shadowy rulers behind the World Government.
No one had expected that Nusjuro, provoked by a moment of anger, would be struck down so decisively.
Faced with Luo Yu's no-nonsense, all-in style—
Who would dare challenge him now?
After witnessing a strike that seemed to split the world—
Everyone had only one hope: that the Five Elder had survived.
Because if even a Five Elder couldn't withstand a single blow…
That was terrifying beyond belief.
But as time passed, and the dust settled—
No figure emerged from the ruins.
Only seawater poured into the crater.
A ridiculous, almost laughable thought began to take root in everyone's mind.
Did Luo Yu just… kill a Five Elder?
Even Sengoku couldn't hold back anymore.
"Luo—Luo Yu, are you insane?! Did you really just kill Nusjuro with one strike?"
"Where is he? What happened just now? Tell me! How am I supposed to explain this?!"
He fired off questions like cannonballs.
And it wasn't just Sengoku—everyone on the battlefield looked like a bunch of wide-eyed kids with a thousand questions.
After all, the man Luo Yu had struck wasn't just anyone.
He was a Five Elder—one of the most mysterious and feared figures in the world.
No one wanted to believe that such a person couldn't even survive a single blow.
Tens of thousands of eyes locked onto Luo Yu, filled with anxious curiosity.
Luo Yu took another sip and said casually:
"You mean that crusty old man?"
"He was a nasty one. Talked a big game, tried to sneak attack me from behind, then ran off at the last second."
"What a waste of my energy and expressions."
"Sengoku, does this count as overtime?"
Overtime pay?
Sengoku's face twitched uncontrollably.
Even he wouldn't dare touch a Five Elder.
But Luo Yu not only struck one—he was now asking for compensation.
Only Luo Yu could pull that off.
Thinking back on what had just happened, Sengoku still felt like he was dreaming.
Looking into Luo Yu's innocent, harmless expression, Sengoku gave a helpless smile.
"Luo Yu, you act too fast. At least give me a chance to step in and stop you. Now the guy's gone, and I don't even know where to start explaining this to the Five Elders…"
The other admirals looked equally bitter.
They hadn't liked Nusjuro's arrogant tone either.
But disliking someone was one thing.
Striking a Five Elder—one of the most feared figures in the world—was something else entirely.
As Sengoku said, if this wasn't handled carefully, Luo Yu might be walking straight into a death sentence.
"Sengoku, what are you talking about?" Luo Yu chuckled, taking another sip.
"You're saying that weakling who ran faster than a rabbit was one of the Five Elders?"
"You're joking, right?"
"A guy who sneak-attacks a Marine Admiral inside Marineford? That's clearly a fake."
"If he were a real Five Elder, he wouldn't have run. He would've shattered my attack with a flick of his wrist and crushed me instead."
"In that case, I'd be the one running."
"Don't tell me you all got fooled and thought he was the real deal?"
"That's an insult to the Five Elders' reputation!"
"Sengoku, next time you meet the real ones, you'd better apologize on behalf of the entire Navy. Otherwise, it'll be hard to explain."
His rambling echoed across the battlefield.
Luo Yu's "sincere" explanation was the most lethal kind of mockery.
Everyone had expected some kind of justification.
But not this.
Sengoku was left speechless.
His strategist's brain practically short-circuited.
Then, realization dawned.
He burst out laughing.
"Hahaha! Luo Yu, you've opened our eyes! The Five Elders are beings of unimaginable power—how could that weakling possibly be one of them?"
"If word of this gets to the real Five Elders, I doubt they'd believe it either…"
"Luo Yu, you exposed an imposter. The Five Elders should be thanking you!"