Four Elder Sages faced Souta Kiryuu atop the shattered remains of the great vessel that had once borne his banner across the seas. Two splintered halves of the colossal ship lay drifting upon blood‑stained waves, and upon them, the two sides stared one another down. Their eyes held only killing intent.
Each intended to destroy the other.
But the Elder Sages looked upon Souta with dismissive calm, as though the old warrior's blazing final battle was merely a flicker of light before darkness. To them, victory was inevitable. They believed themselves divine, beings of flesh that could not die.
Sage Sattan leaned on his staff of blackened wood, the swirling darkness about his form drifting like smoke tinged with flame. His voice was cold, his gaze utterly without pity.
"Thirty‑six years ago… in the Valley of the Gods, I first saw you. You were fierce then. Blood hot and unbroken. But now? Seventy‑two, and your body is nothing but rot clinging to will."
He smiled faintly.
"Men like you, who ruled the seas for a few decades, I have watched them bloom and disappear. Again and again."
He had not changed at all in those thirty‑six years.
That was the power of the so‑called divine lineage.
Only they, he believed, were the rightful rulers of this world.
"Mortals are insects. One generation after another. A river that never dries."
Sage Nasuro's voice carried open scorn as he observed the burning life force flaring from Souta's form.
Sage Wokuri, quieter and measured, murmured, "End this quickly. Delay leads to misfortune." Even now, his gaze flicked briefly toward the other battlefield. If the Beast Kings and Lady Amakiri turned on the Allied Forces, would Kuzan and Garp survive?
Above them, wings spread wide, Sage Masu hovered. To him, Souta was already a corpse simply waiting to fall.
"Three of us are enough. I will assist the shinobi if needed."
Souta laughed, the sound deep, cracked, and full of the old fury that once shook the world.
"You call yourselves gods…? You arrogant fools. I am Souta Kiryuu! Whether any of you walk away from here is for me to decide!"
His fist clenched.
The air shattered.
The space before him ruptured into fractures of light and shadow, shockwaves rattling the bones of the sea itself. The tremor tore the remains of the great ship apart beneath the Elder Sages' feet.
Even if he could not slay that winged demon‑bird, he would drag three Elder Sages into the abyss with him.
Wood splintered. The sea roared.
Monstrous figures surged forward—Fengboar, Bone‑Steed, and Ox‑Tyrant—warped beasts that accompanied the Sages. Their forms tore under the pressure of space itself as they charged toward Souta.
The winged sky‑fiend above unleashed cutting waves of force from on high.
Souta's gaze sharpened.
He would die here. He had accepted that.
But he would not die alone.
His fist blazed with quaking, blinding force as he drove it toward Sage Sattan—the one who had slain Ace.
Sattan's eyes widened.
Souta was using his very life to drag him into the ocean.
Even if Sattan would not die immediately, he could still fall into a death from which the others could not retrieve him. None of the Elder Sages could step into the sea. Their bodies, tied to their powers, would sink without salvation.
He cursed inwardly.
He could not allow himself to be dragged down.
But he had underestimated Souta's resolve.
The impact landed.
Sattan was hurled from the shattered hull, thrown into the ocean with such force that the sea erupted upward into a towering column of water.
Simultaneously, Souta was struck by Nasuro's piercing slash and Wokuri's crushing blow, while Masu's distant strike cut the air like lightning.
Souta blocked one with his bisento‑blade, endured another with sheer will, took the third full force.
Blood sprayed.
His body crashed into the debris of the ruined ship.
But he had dragged one of them down.
Far away, in the Sacred Capital, Elder Peter rose from his seat in fury at the spectacle broadcast before him.
Four against one—and you let one fall?! Useless!
"Father!!" The commanders of Souta's fleet cried out, tears streaming as they watched him fall.
On a crimson dragon, Shanks saw Kaido and Lady Amakiri making no move to withdraw. He could only lead his own forces into the fray.
The Allied Shinobi, seeing an Elder Sage fall into the sea, moved to send those who could swim to retrieve him—but the Beast Clans and Amakiri forces cut them off, beginning a massacre.
If Souta's death would buy the destruction of the Allied Forces, they were willing.
Garp saw Sattan fall into the ocean… the one who had killed Ace.
For a heartbeat, he almost wished the Sage would drown.
"Garp! You'll be my prize today!" Lady Amakiri roared, surging toward him. She desired the hero who once defeated Rocks—desired to claim him as hers. Today, she would have him.
Kaido snarled, seeing her strike first. He turned instead toward the Elder Sages still standing.
He smiled.
He would kill one of them.
In the skies above, Barrett descended toward Kuzan. Enel, Shiryu, King, Jack, Cracker, and Snack all rushed into battle.
The viewers watching the broadcast closed their eyes in despair.
The entire Allied Force was about to be annihilated.
Bogart, Vice Admiral Gion, the wounded Chaton, and countless officers trembled as the enemy forces closed in.
Garp's voice thundered.
"Kuzan! Lead the retreat! Forget the orders of the Elder Sages! I will bear whatever comes!"
"The future of the Allied Forces—I will protect it!"
He knew the battle was already lost.
Ace was gone.
Sattan had fallen.
Garp had already chosen his death.
Kuzan exhaled, breath cold as winter.
He understood.
"Glacial Dominion!"
With his full strength unleashed, even Barrett was frozen mid‑strike.
"I'll bring them back!"
"Six Styles Secret Art: Frost Step!"
"Winter Grave Sculpt!"
Kuzan vanished into a storm of killing cold. Every foe in his path—Cracker, Snack, Jack, the sky‑raiders—froze solid where they stood.
Only King, Enel, and Shiryu, through flight alone, narrowly escaped.
The battlefield halted.
Even those who had believed Kuzan to be gentle felt fear.
The lazy admiral was a monster.
The war raged on.