Geringu Saint and Shigdel Saint watched their forces fail to take down the enemy in the very first exchange. Their expressions instantly darkened.
They had always known Eastern and Broki were formidable warriors, and they were wary of Hawkeye Mihawk as well. But what they had never expected was that the people standing behind Eli Winters could be this overwhelmingly powerful. Especially those twenty or so subordinates whose weakest combat strength rivaled a Marine Rear Admiral. Despite their overwhelming numbers, they still failed to break through Filina's small defensive line.
At that moment, Mihawk swept his obsidian blade in a vicious arc. The air cracked with violent force as the strike ripped toward a CP0 agent, poised to bisect him in one clean motion. Right before the blade could claim its life, Shigdel Saint launched himself forward, raising a massive greatsword to block the fatal blow.
A thunderous clash exploded across the battlefield, sending sparks scattering like shooting stars.
Shigdel Saint glared at the CP0 agent who had nearly been cut in half. His voice boomed with rage.
"You useless fools. You can't even handle something this simple. Get over there and wipe out Eli Winters' subordinates, now."
The three CP0 members who had been encircling Mihawk flinched in terror. They bowed their heads immediately.
"Yes, Lord Shigdel Saint."
Before the last word left their lips, the three vanished from sight, rushing into the battle against Filina's group.
The pressure on Filina and the others surged instantly. Each of them was now forced to face at least three opponents equal to their own strength. The situation went from tense to desperate in the blink of an eye.
Filina herself was surrounded in a tight triangle by three CP0 members. One of them possessed Vice Admiral-level strength, while the other two held Rear Admiral-level power. Sweat streamed down her pale face as she fought to stay airborne. Her bright eyes flicked repeatedly toward the gathering black clouds above.
Her opponents noticed, but dismissed it. Lightning from those clouds wasn't enough to truly hurt them. If she hadn't been flitting through the sky using the cloud cover to evade their strikes, they would have captured her already.
The three CP0 members coordinated with flawless precision. After several quick exchanges, they found a weakness in her defenses and struck, knocking her from the clouds.
Filina fell like a severed kite, crashing hard into the ground. Before she could rise, the Vice Admiral-level CP0 agent slammed a brutal kick into her ribs, sending fresh blood spilling from her lips.
Yet Filina smiled.
The CP0 agent froze at the sight, dread tightening in his chest.
"Something's wrong. Take her down immediately!" he shouted.
But it was already too late.
The black clouds above them churned violently, swelling into a monstrous mass like a beast opening its jaws.
Filina raised her voice, sharp and clear:
"Blackcloud Kirin."
A deafening roar split the sky. A dazzling silver beam of lightning descended, twisting and coiling until it shaped itself into a massive Kirin made entirely of pure thunder. Its form crackled with terrifying power as it lunged downward.
The impact hit the three CP0 members with apocalyptic force.
Screams tore through the battlefield.
When the lightning finally faded, three charred bodies fell to the ground, lifeless and smoking.
Filina, having spent nearly all her strength, collapsed. Her face was ghostly pale, drenched in sweat. Even unleashing that single technique had pushed her far beyond her limits.
Gasping for breath, she scanned the battlefield and her heart clenched in fear. The others were barely holding on. And Chiyo was in the worst condition.
Chiyo was surrounded. Her beast form wings were bloodied and ragged, barely holding her in the air. Even though she had eaten a Mythical Zoan fruit and trained diligently, her late start meant her power had not yet fully bloomed.
Her attackers included two Vice Admiral-level CP0 agents and another Zoan user capable of flight. Chiyo's aerial advantage was completely suppressed.
"Fiona, help Chiyo!" Filina cried desperately.
The battlefield was pure chaos.
Big Pan was locked down by five elite Holy Knights. Simon and Dorte were each overwhelmed by four CP0 agents. Reiju was shaken and struggling to stand her ground. As for Cri, his power was too low to join head-on combat, so he hid in the shadows, launching small disruptions to help where he could.
Only Fiona still had the strength to assist others. The moment she saw Chiyo being pushed to the brink of death, she acted. Activating her String-String Fruit ability, she summoned her technique:
Shadow Knight.
A glowing duplicate of herself materialized beside her. The clone, possessing half of her original strength, shot toward Chyo like a streak of light.
Fiona had only ever used this technique through her sword control. This was her first time sending a physical clone into battle. Even at half power, it was enough.
With the clone's intervention, Chiyo regained her footing, fighting back with renewed strength.
Eli Winters observed everything with clarity. Yet he remained still.
The moment he decided to keep Jack the Drought and the others in the dark about their survival, he had already planned for this outcome. He had placed special spatial markers on each of his companions. If they faced true life-or-death danger, the markers would automatically activate, transporting them to safety in an untouchable phase of space.
He didn't tell them because they needed this.
They had relied on his strength for too long.
They needed a battle that would carve fear and instinct into their bones, a moment that would force them to awaken their own potential.
Only then would they grow.
Seeing Chiyo temporarily safe, Filina finally exhaled, but her relief lasted only a heartbeat.
Reiju was on the brink of collapse.
Filina tried to push herself up to help, but her body refused to move. Thinking rapidly, she searched for a solution, and suddenly, something clicked.
A pale stone appeared in her hand, shimmering faintly.
The Mysterious Fogstone Eli had obtained from Mist Island.
Without hesitation, Filina activated it.
White mist surged outward like a living tide, engulfing the battlefield around Reiju and her opponents. The moment the fog descended, their senses were cut off completely. Panic flashed in their expressions.
Reiju immediately recognized the technique and turned toward Filina. The sight of Filina smiling faintly back told her everything she needed to know.
Using the cover, Reiju released her deadly green poison. The fog concealed its presence perfectly.
The CP0 members gasped, staggered, and began collapsing as the toxin invaded their bodies.
Reiju seized the opening, pushing through the fog and reaching Filina's side.
"Thank you," Reiju said softly.
Filina forced a weak smile.
"We're partners. Of course I'll help you."