When three more CP0 agents collapsed in pools of blood, brutally cut down in an instant, even the stoic Grand Saint Gringu could no longer endure the rising fury within him. Slowly, he rested his right hand on the hilt of the blade at his waist.
His icy, venomous gaze locked onto Felina and Reiju, who were embracing each other in excitement after their narrow victory. The corner of his mouth curled upward, revealing a cruel, predatory smile.
"Foolish little insects. No matter how desperately you struggle, you cannot escape the fate of being crushed."
Before his words fully faded, Gringu drew his long blade with a violent motion and slashed toward Felina and Reiju. A devastating arc of blade light tore through the air, roaring toward them like lightning with enough force to split mountains.
But Felina and Reiju had already burned through all their strength in the previous battle. Their bodies were drained, limbs trembling, and there was simply no hope of dodging that lethal strike. Terror froze their hearts as they squeezed their eyes shut, helplessly awaiting death.
Yet the expected pain never came.
Confused, Felina and Reiju slowly opened their eyes and saw a towering panda figure standing before them. His massive frame was like an immovable mountain, blocking the deadly blade light with nothing but his own body.
Big Pan had arrived at the final possible moment.
The five Holy Knight elites who had been surrounding him earlier now lay scattered across the ground, lifeless. Clearly, while Felina and Reiju were fighting for their lives, Big Pan had also managed to defeat his own opponents through sheer strength.
Seeing the heavily wounded yet still-standing Big Pan, Gringu's expression twisted in surprise. Two of the knights Big Pan had slain possessed power on par with Marine Admirals. Since when had this great bear grown strong enough to accomplish something like this?
Gringu narrowed his eyes, murderous intent seeping out like poison.
This bear cannot be allowed to live. If he continues to grow, he may become another headache like Eli Winters.
Without hesitation, Gringu launched a fierce assault. His blade carved two devastating strikes through the air, followed immediately by his lightning-fast charge.
Big Pan's expression darkened. To defeat the five Holy Knight elites, he had paid a steep price. His left leg bent at an unnatural angle, clearly broken, and a deep wound across his chest bled profusely. Without the powerful healing medicine Eli Winters had given him, he might not even be standing.
Even so, Big Pan refused to retreat. Felina and Reiju stood behind him, and he had no intention of letting them die. Beyond that, something within him yearned to test his limits.
Letting out a thunderous roar, Big Pan raised his heavy Dragoncoil Staff and met Gringu head-on.
Two blasts echoed across the battlefield as Big Pan shattered the incoming blade arcs. His staff then collided violently with Gringu's blade, producing a deafening metallic crash. The shockwave blasted outward like a raging cyclone.
But in the instant their weapons met, Big Pan's face twisted. A monstrous force surged into his arms and chest, launching him backward. His feet gouged a long, harsh scar across the ground as he struggled to stop himself.
Gringu, meanwhile, stood unmoving, as unshakable as an iron wall.
Damn. Big Pan felt cold sweat sliding down his face. This enemy's power far exceeded anything he had imagined. He was already on the brink of collapse, but the fire in his eyes refused to die.
"Again." Big Pan roared and charged once more.
"Insolent worm. You dare provoke the might of a saint? I will shred you to pieces today." Gringu's aura exploded outward like a tidal wave as he disappeared and reappeared directly in front of Big Pan, his attacks as swift as lightning.
The two clashed repeatedly, like meteors colliding. Steel howled, fists cracked the air, and shockwaves tore through the battlefield. Big Pan fought with ferocity and desperation, but the overwhelming difference in raw strength and speed quickly pushed him into a hopeless corner. He was being battered relentlessly, nearly unable to defend himself.
Watching from afar, Felina and Reiju trembled with anxiety. They wanted desperately to help, but their bodies were too damaged and drained to fight. Eli's healing medicine had repaired their wounds, but it could not restore their spent energy.
"Reiju, what do we do? Are we supposed to just watch Big Pan die?" Felina's voice shook uncontrollably.
Reiju clenched her teeth, forcing herself to remain calm. "Felina, listen. If we join the fight now, we will only distract him. We need to help the others first. If we regroup the entire team, we might stand a chance against that monster."
Felina nodded immediately. "Then who do we help first?"
Reiju glanced toward Chiyo's battlefield. "Chiyo. Even with Fiona's clone helping her, she is still in danger."
No more hesitation. Felina summoned a small white cloud with the last of her magic, and she and Reiju leapt toward Chiyo's location.
Chiyo was in dire condition. Though Fiona's clone was holding off two CP0 members, the final one continued pressing Chiyo mercilessly. Her injuries slowed her movements, and she struggled to keep up.
Felina and Reiju arrived just in time. Felina activated the Mist Stone with her remaining mental energy, filling the battlefield with dense transparent fog. Reiju then infused her poison into the mist, letting it seep toward the bird-type Devil Fruit user attacking Chiyo.
The CP0 agent, unaware of the danger, continued his assault. Moments later, dizziness overtook him and his movements became sluggish.
Chiyo, ever perceptive, seized the opening. She unleashed Cold Flame, freezing the CP0 agent solid in an instant. With a single powerful swing of her remaining wing, she cleaved him cleanly in two.
Breathing heavily, Chiyo took a moment to steady herself. She knew she had come dangerously close to death.
"Chiyo, focus! There are still two left!" Felina called.
Realizing what had happened, Chiyo's eyes brightened. "Felina, Reiju, thank you! I owe you my life."
"Save the gratitude for later. Same plan as before. We spread poison, you and Fiona's clone finish them off." Felina said.
"Understood!" Chiyo flew toward the remaining enemies.
Together, the three swiftly dispatched the last two CP0 agents.
Felina turned to her. "Chiyo, can you still fight?"
"Yes. Eli's medicine healed most of my wounds. I was only struggling earlier because that guy didn't give me any time to recover."
"Good. We need to help Fiona immediately. Big Pan is in serious danger."
"Right!"
Without delay, the three of them rushed toward Fiona's battlefield.
At that moment, Fiona's clone faded into mist, its energy completely exhausted. Had Felina and the others not arrived when they did, Chiyo would have been overwhelmed again.