Deep within the crater, thunderous lightning and blazing fire roared together, and overwhelming Haki poured out like a flood.
The entire G1 Headquarters was shaking violently.
At this moment, the remaining marines had already fallen into complete despair.
Especially when they saw Admiral Sakazuki—once the symbol of strict marine justice—now standing beside the Golden Lion, both of them expressionless, obediently following the commands of the Araryu Legion.
Countless marine hardliners had their spirits collapse in an instant. Many couldn't even hold their weapons anymore, dropping them as they fell to their knees, sobbing.
"Admiral Sakazuki..."
Vice Admiral Doberman, who had been struggling desperately against Moonlight Moria, finally couldn't hold out. He was defeated and gravely injured.
Vice Admirals such as Burning Mountain and Strawberry were also defeated one after another by Crocodile and Trafalgar Law's forces.
"...!"
The Red Count descended beside the crater, and when he saw the Golden Lion standing there like a puppet, together with Sakazuki, guarding the edge of the pit for Araryu, he let out a cold snort.
If not for his prior agreement with Araryu, he probably would have ended up just like the Golden Lion and Sakazuki—turned into a perfectly obedient "peace-keeper."
"The power that guy is using... what exactly is it? It's even stronger than Conqueror's Coating."
The Red Count watched the crater trembling, unable to hide his curiosity.
He could tell Araryu was going through such lengths to subdue Souta Kiryuu for the sake of that mysterious power.
"Ahahahaha! Looks like I'm late!"
"Red Count! Your old rival Kong is right over there—why aren't you trying to finish him off yet?!"
High above, a flying battleship swept past the clouds. The pirate flag fluttering atop it was the skull-and-W-shaped mustache—the flag of the World Destroyer Bundy Waldo.
After receiving Araryu's summons, Waldo had rushed over, along with several elderly members of his crew—still lively in their "sunset warrior" years.
"He can't escape."
The Red Count replied calmly. Since Araryu valued Souta Kiryuu so highly, he had no choice but to play guard alongside the Golden Lion and Sakazuki, preventing Souta from escaping.
And he, too, wanted to understand that mysterious power.
"Ahahaha! Then I'll take that old former Fleet Admiral for a spar!"
Waldo grinned, itching for battle. The moment he saw Kong being besieged by Araryu's Six Paths, he unleashed his hundred-fold speed and shot into combat like a meteor!
"Don't let him jump into the sea!" he bellowed as if he were the one leading the offensive.
The Six Paths of Araryu glanced at Waldo with cold indifference. If they didn't already know who he was, they would have beaten him down without hesitation.
Meanwhile, Kong, seeing both Sakazuki and Golden Lion here—and seeing Souta Kiryuu being brutally overpowered—felt a chilling realization.
Even Sakazuki, one of the strongest forces of the Marines, had been controlled.
If he was captured, he too would be turned into a puppet.
For the sake of the World Government and the Marines—if defeat was unavoidable—he would need to destroy his body before being taken.
He absolutely could not allow the Araryu Legion to use his body to harm the Marines.
However—unlike Souta—Kong did not possess the all-purpose Origin Force.
Even with his powerful Haki, he was suppressed by the gravitational pull of the Heavenly Path, making it impossible for him to slip into the sea.
The Earthly Path's quake power repeatedly blasted him back onto land.
The Human Path's levitation control dominated the coastline, cutting off every escape route.
Fighting the Six Paths alone was already overwhelming—now Waldo had joined the assault.
And the remaining officers of the Araryu Legion, having finished subjugating the G1 forces, were closing in to completely capture the former Fleet Admiral.
This battle was about to become yet another world-shaking achievement of the Araryu Legion.
"No! Araryu! If we cooperate, we can overturn Imu and the Five Elders together!"
Souta Kiryuu's voice trembled as the last remnants of his Origin Force were nearly consumed.
"Killing me benefits you nothing!"
"I won't kill you," Araryu said with wild joy in his voice. "Look—aren't Sakazuki and the Golden Lion perfect examples?"
He laughed freely. Soon, he would gain Souta Kiryuu's memories and the method for cultivating that mysterious power.
"My scientific ability is not inferior to Vegapunk's!" Souta roared desperately. "He only surpassed me because of the Brain-Brain Fruit! I can further develop the Origin Force!"
The terror in his expression was undeniable.
"Remember in your next life—stay humble. Keep your head down."
Araryu's smile sharpened.
He shattered the last layer of Souta's Origin shield and struck him directly.
"Agh—!!"
Without the defense of Origin Force, even Souta's enhanced body could not withstand the overwhelming force of Araryu's Conqueror's Coating.
Blood burst from his mouth, his internal organs rupturing.
"I'll make good use of your powerful body." Araryu laughed and smashed Souta's head with a final blow, knocking him unconscious.
Lightning dispersed. Araryu hauled Souta's limp body out of the crater.
"Kuma! Back to the ship, now!"
He couldn't wait to extract Souta Kiryuu's memories.
On the Ark Vow, Vegapunk had prepared a miniature memory extractor. With the assistance of Kuma's Paw-Paw Fruit, one could eject large clusters of memory.
Just like in the other timeline—before Kuma lost his humanity—he had expelled all his memories and stored them in scientific containment.
Those memories were later touched by Bonney, revealing Kumа's tragic life.
The extracted memory bubble was incredibly fragile—once touched, it would burst and vanish.
"Understood."
Kuma and Araryu teleported back to the Ark instantly.
At the crater's edge:
The Red Count watched them vanish without so much as a word and felt his expression darken.
When there's trouble, they call "Red Count!" When things get exciting, they just leave him standing there.
Infuriating.
And Boa Hancock, who had wanted Araryu to praise her, also saw him leave with Kuma before acknowledging her. She immediately stomped into the air with Moonwalk and dashed after them.
On the Ark Vow:
Robin rushed in, ready to report that Whitebeard was about to be killed by the Five Elders.
But Araryu and Kuma were already inside the experimental chamber.
She would have to wait.
Inside the chamber, Araryu dropped Souta onto the experiment bed. Sea-stone chains and alloy restraints locked him in place. Connectors wrapped around his head.
The extractor hummed to life. Kuma activated his Devil Fruit.
A massive, semi-transparent pink memory paw inflated inside the machine—eventually expanding to the size of a small house.
"Captain, it's ready."
Kuma stepped back.
Araryu grinned.
"At last. The mysterious power—I'm coming. Do not disappoint me."
He plunged his hands into the memory bubble.
His consciousness slipped into Souta Kiryuu's lifetime of memories.
He saw Souta's rise as a marine scientist. He saw him join the secret research corps under Saint Saten. He saw him discover the Origin Formula. He saw the experiments he conducted in the island prison of the New World.
"So that's the truth..."
"I've done it... I've finally done it...!"
"This is the Origin Force!!"