Inside Pangaea Castle, kings and guards from World Government member nations worldwide all lay unconscious.
That final burst of Conqueror's Haki had not targeted Silas, but served to cover her tracks, directly stunning the remaining stronger kings and guards.
Imu had not wanted to do this.
But Silas had actually called out her name!
"White Wolf Silas!"
Imu did not know how Silas learned her name, but the truth hidden in history absolutely could not be exposed.
Silas had to die!
Little did Silas know that his casual shout had triggered Imu's stress response.
Now he was like someone who had kicked a hornet's nest, with a swarm of World Government top fighters on his tail. If he slowed even slightly, he would face a brutal gang beating.
Currently pursuing him closest were Saint Nusjuro and Saint Marcus Mars.
Especially the giant bird form of Saint Marcus Mars. Even after Silas transformed into his white wolf form, he could not shake it off.
"Thunder Fire Flame!"
The massive bird with bird head, wings, and talons but a serpent body erupted in flames and lightning, striking like thunder across thousands of meters toward Silas.
Boom!
The attack could easily destroy a ship, yet could not make Silas pause. Each strike seemed predicted as Silas dodged like a prophet.
"Observation Haki?"
Realizing Silas's Observation Haki might exceed his own, Saint Marcus Mars abandoned long-range attacks.
Folding his massive wings and serpent body together, he dove at Silas like a hunting osprey.
If ranged attacks failed, close combat it was!
Having just learned from Saint Lucas that Silas lacked methods to break immortal bodies, they faced no real risk in close combat.
Right.
Not just the Holy Knights. The Five Elders forming the World Government's highest authority also possessed immortal bodies. Five top-tier Mythical Zoan fruits, Admiral-level strength, plus immortality.
Even Silas facing two or more Five Elders simultaneously might be worn down by such shameless abilities.
But one-on-one?
Wolf-form Silas raced through Mariejois's forest. Seeing Saint Marcus Mars's giant bird diving from above, Silas leaped from the ground.
The blade in his wolf jaws turned pitch black instantly, black-red lightning trailing the sharp sword as it collided with the bird's talons.
BOOM!
Black-red lightning covered hundreds of meters of forest. Before materialized Haki, ordinary trees instantly became countless fragments.
Though Saint Marcus Mars's bird form was larger, after the collision, he discovered shockingly that his strength was inferior to Silas's.
"Fang Hunt!"
Though not his strongest human-beast form, beast-form Silas's heart still pounded violently. At the moment of collision, his body erupted in blood mist, staining his white fur red.
THUD!
Saint Marcus Mars crashed heavily to the ground, shattering the surface. Following close behind was a skeletal horse radiating an ominous aura.
Bang!
The high-speed skeletal horse slammed hard into Silas's wolf form.
"Cough..."
Silas swallowed back blood. After consecutive battles with multiple Admiral-level fighters, plus taking Imu's direct hit and using Life Return, even his cellular recovery could not prevent condition decline.
But he could not stop now.
ollowing behind Saint Marcus Mars's giant bird and Saint Nusjuro's skeletal horse were four more top fighters: a dozen-meter-tall spider monster, a massive boar, a giant sandworm, and Saint Lucas.
Stopping here meant certain death!
"That teleportation magic circle thing—is that also a Devil Fruit ability?"
Silas had no time to catch his breath.
Yet at this crucial moment, he checked his system panel.
At Sabaody Archipelago, defeating Kong and Ortega's alliance and sealing Holy Knights Vice-Commander Saint Garling, he had already achieved a milestone.
The system had settled then, but he had not claimed rewards.
These rewards were Silas's confidence for coming to Mariejois.
[Sea Circle Calendar 1483: You allied with Giant Warrior Pirates captains, defeating Marine Admiral Kong and former Admiral Ortega Siven, leaving indelible impressions on Vice Admirals Garp and Sengoku.]
[Milestone unlocked: Enemy of Marines!]
[When facing Marine enemies, your cells become more active, cellular activity enhanced.]
[You received one healing reward!]
[New historical task unlocked: Endless Battle!]
[Upon defeating qualified great swordsman, top Observation Haki user, top Armament Haki user, top martial artist, and top Devil Fruit user, you gain special Conqueror's Haki: Observation Kill!]
[Current task completed!]
Having received system healing before, Silas knew how incredibly effective it was.
Except for age-related physical decline, all injuries, including old, untreatable wounds, would completely heal.
As long as one breath remained, full recovery was possible.
This was why Silas recklessly consumed his life force, essentially gambling his life against Saint Lucas and others.
Because Silas could afford it!
The reason for such desperate fighting was this historical task appearing after Sabaody's battle.
Though unsure of system judgment criteria, Silas had completed four defeats before reaching Mariejois.
Rona was the great swordsman defeat, Sebastian the Observation defeat, Kong the martial arts defeat, and Ortega the Armament defeat.
Strictly speaking, Silas and Ortega's battle had not reached complete resolution.
Ortega had simply acknowledged defeat.
Initially, if not for falling behind against Silas, Kong would not have faced Dorry, Brogy, and Silas simultaneously.
The final Devil Fruit defeat came just now. Silas traded an arm to severely wound Stephens, piercing his right lung.
Even for a Mythical Zoan user, such an injury would end combat ability.
So Silas gained new power.
At this moment, in Saint Marcus Mars and Saint Nusjuro's perception, Silas seemed to suddenly vanish.
Though their eyes could see him, they could not predict his actions or intentions.
The massive dissonance made both hesitate momentarily.
In that brief respite, they shockingly discovered Silas's aura was actually rising.
After such a prolonged battle against multiple top fighters, even their immortal bodies could not endure this.
But Silas?
Not only was he fighting more fiercely, but his aura seemed restored to initial levels?
"Do not worry. He is just bluffing!"
The skeletal horse suddenly changed form, shrinking to become a nearly six-meter-tall centaur.
The centaur's upper body was Saint Nusjuro, one of the Five Elders.
His ability was extremely similar to Silas's.
"Stop playing games!"
Saint Nusjuro called lowly, drawing and slashing. His blade was one of the Twelve Supreme Grade swords, "Kitetsu"!
Also the first Kitetsu series blade.
This strike felt familiar to Silas. Another great swordsman with an ice-type Devil Fruit, like facing himself as an opponent.
Earlier, with heavily consumed stamina, receiving this strike might have been difficult given his declined condition.
But now he had used the system's healing opportunity.
Current Silas was at full strength!
"Compete in swordsmanship?"
Silas instantly shifted from white wolf to human-beast form.
"Then come!"
The entire Celestial Dragon transplanted artificial forest froze as two frost-emanating blades collided at extreme speed.
"Winter Country!"
Silas immediately used his favorite wide-range slash. Saint Nusjuro responded in kind.
But upon blade collision, Saint Nusjuro realized something was wrong. Silas did not seem like someone with heavily consumed stamina. His condition appeared unchanged from the beginning.
"Not good!"
Without immortality, Saint Nusjuro was ordinary Admiral-level. Even Rona might not fall behind fighting him.
But he faced prime condition, fully recovered Silas.
Boom!!
Ice mist surrounding Saint Nusjuro scattered under Silas's blade light. After piercing through Nusjuro's attack, the strike landed on him.
"Tch!"
But facing Silas's slash, Saint Nusjuro showed no defensive intent.
"I am immortal!"
Retreating several steps without gathering Armament Haki for defense, he planned an immediate counterattack after arm recovery.
But he faced Silas's smiling expression.
"Oh, really?"
Having lost Observation Haki to sense Silas's actions, Saint Nusjuro could not see his own future either.
Every Admiral-level fighter possessed top Observation Haki mastery.
Future sight duration was just a matter of degree.
But Silas had banned it all!
Without Observation Haki warning, Saint Nusjuro could not realize what Silas had done.
"I discovered something."
As Saint Nusjuro felt his body losing control, he heard Silas's voice.
"Top-level Conqueror's Haki seems to counter all fruit abilities."
Not just blocking like Armament Haki!
But nullification!
Then Silas discovered something more interesting.
All Five Elders had been transported by some special ability. Without awakening Observation Kill, Silas could not see it.
But now he could.
Whether Five Elders or Saint Lucas, they all had shadows behind them, like marionettes on strings.
He just needed to lightly touch it with Haki.
Saint Nusjuro vanished.
Everything happened in a flash. Even Saint Marcus Mars could not see what Silas did.
Only saw Silas sever Nusjuro's arm, then under extremely powerful Conqueror's Haki influence, Saint Nusjuro disappeared.
Though not dead, when they relocated him, they were shocked to find Saint Nusjuro had returned to Pangaea Castle!
Finally realizing the situation, Saint Marcus Mars shouted in alarm, "Saint Lucas, retreat!"
Too late.
Having chased this far across half of Mariejois, where could they retreat now?
Besides, Silas was alone while they had five.
Why retreat?
Saint Lucas initially did not understand Saint Marcus Mars's meaning.
Until the next moment, Saint Marcus Mars, fighting Silas ahead, also vanished.
Facing their four remaining top fighters, Silas actually advanced instead of retreating, charging straight at them.
"Seeking death!"
"Join forces to finish him!"
"He is alone. One strike will severely wound him!"
The remaining three Elders united to deliver a devastating blow.
But terrifying Conqueror's Haki erupted.
At a distance, Silas might not break their fruit abilities, but at point-blank range, he could now achieve this.
Three Elders vanished simultaneously.
They had used some fruit ability, appearing around Saint Lucas via teleportation circles.
But after Silas broke this fruit ability, all Five Elders returned to Pangaea Castle, leaving only Saint Lucas.
"Now, who is the hunter, and who is the prey?"
Silas looked at Saint Lucas with a playful smile.