A squirrel Mink Tribe member sobbed as he looked at Wanda.
"Wanda, what have you been doing all this time? Duke Pedro said you betrayed us, the Mink Tribe..."
Another ferret Mink immediately rebuked him.
"Do you really believe something like that? How could Wanda possibly betray her own people? And as for Pedro, I think he's completely lost his mind!"
The moment those words were spoken, the other Mink Tribe members began voicing their agreement.
"Exactly! Wanda has always been good to us. I don't believe she would ever betray the tribe!"
"It's all that Joy Boy's fault! Pedro must have been deceived by him again!"
"Wuwuwu... Our homeland has been destroyed! Why are we even fighting a war anymore?!"
Wanda and Carrot looked at their fellow tribesmen, many of whom were still overwhelmed by what had happened. Seeing their fear, confusion, and grief filled both of them with sorrow.
Yet beneath that sorrow was an equally powerful sense of gratitude.
Even in a battle of such terrifying magnitude, Lloyd had not forgotten his promise. He had deliberately diverted part of his power to rescue the Mink Tribe members, pulling them away from the depths of despair and sending them toward the safety of Mary Geoise.
Carrot raised her head and stared toward the darkness spreading across the distant horizon.
"Master..."
One of the nearby Minks blinked in confusion.
"Carrot, who are you calling Master?"
Wanda, whose emotions had settled somewhat, helped several of the kneeling Minks back onto their feet. Tears still glimmered in her eyes as she looked toward the vast battlefield.
"Our Master is Saint Lloyd. He is the one who saved you just now."
The surrounding Minks froze.
A moment later, someone finally reacted.
"Saint Lloyd? Wanda, you mean that Celestial Dragon?!"
Wanda and Carrot nodded vigorously.
Wanda clasped her hands before her chest, her expression filled with sincere devotion.
"Master is the strongest man in this world. Carrot and I have dedicated everything we have to him."
The Minks exchanged uncertain glances.
They still did not fully understand what Wanda meant by "everything," but one fact was impossible to deny.
The person who had saved them was indeed Lloyd, the very Celestial Dragon whom Joy Boy and Pedro had described as cruel, vicious, and utterly wicked.
Above Zou, the battlefield had already become a purgatory of light and darkness.
Joy Boy's "Great Sun in the Sky" illuminated the heavens like an artificial dawn, its radiance scorching the clouds and turning the surrounding sky into a brilliant white.
Yet Lloyd's darkness continued to spread.
The enormous curtain of darkness swallowed the surrounding light inch by inch, resembling an endless abyss that devoured everything within its reach.
Joy Boy had noticed Lloyd deliberately diverting part of his power to protect the Mink Tribe members and could not help feeling surprised.
"I didn't expect you to protect the weak. You've certainly made me see you differently."
Lloyd's expression remained indifferent.
His Demon Blade Muramasa cut through the air, tearing open a spatial rift. From within the darkness, countless chains erupted and wrapped toward Joy Boy's neck.
"You still care about things like that? I simply don't want a flock of lambs interfering with me while I'm enjoying a battle."
Joy Boy's eyes narrowed.
Supreme King Haki erupted from his body.
The overwhelming Haki shattered every dark chain that approached him, sending fragments of darkness scattering through the air. At the same time, Joy Boy transformed into a streak of white light and shot toward Lloyd.
"At least you have some humanity in you. For that, perhaps I'll spare your life when this is over!"
Lloyd scoffed.
He swung the Demon Blade Muramasa, meeting Joy Boy head-on.
"Are you really that guilty? What exactly does 'perhaps' mean? That's enough to make anyone laugh."
Buzz! Buzz! Buzz!
The dark power surging from Muramasa collided violently with the Nika power surrounding Joy Boy.
The resulting impact spread through the battlefield.
Within a radius of ten thousand meters, everything was swept away by the terrifying energy fluctuations. Zou's incredibly thick skin was ripped open beneath the destructive force, and enormous streams of blood erupted from the wounds like crimson pillars.
Zou was already severely weakened.
It could no longer withstand the devastating power produced by Joy Boy and Lloyd's confrontation.
With a mournful cry, Zou's massive front legs buckled.
Its enormous head plunged toward the sea.
To the people watching from Mary Geoise, especially the surviving members of the Mink Tribe, the sight was almost impossible to comprehend.
It looked as though an entire continent were slowly tilting into the ocean.
No one could imagine what kind of devastation was occurring across Zou's back.
Lloyd held Muramasa in one hand.
His other arm was covered by a thick layer of blood crystal armor, dark purple spiral patterns twisting across its surface.
Joy Boy's wrists had swollen slightly from the repeated clashes, while white flame clouds curled around his body.
With their respective abilities strengthening their bodies, their physical strength had reached a level that was almost incomprehensible.
Every collision between sword, fist, and foot produced a deafening roar.
The shockwaves repeatedly tore enormous craters into Zou's back, each impact resembling a meteor striking the earth.
At the same time, the sky across nearly half the world began displaying a bizarre phenomenon.
Black and white light alternated across the heavens, carrying an oppressive presence as vast and terrifying as an abyss.
Every living creature that witnessed the phenomenon felt an instinctive fear.
Countless beings collapsed to the ground, their bodies trembling uncontrollably beneath the pressure.
Crack! Crack! Crack!
After another violent collision, the blood crystal armor covering Lloyd's left arm suddenly shattered.
The fragments did not fall.
Instead, they transformed into thousands of dark red spikes and shot toward Joy Boy like a torrential rain.
The flame clouds surrounding Joy Boy immediately burned more fiercely.
White mist spread outward, engulfing the incoming spikes.
The moment the dark red projectiles entered the mist, they were reduced to nothing.
The two figures separated and floated in mid-air, staring at each other from a distance.
A casual exchange between them had already possessed enough destructive force to erase an island from the map.
Yet even after fighting continuously, neither showed signs of exhaustion.
Their breathing remained steady, as though everything they had done so far had barely qualified as a warm-up.
Joy Boy slowly moved his wrists.
His gaze descended toward the devastated ground below, or more accurately, toward the enormous body of Zou.
Zou's head had already sunk beneath the sea.
Only part of its colossal body remained above the water, swaying precariously within the violent energy storm.
Crimson blood continued pouring from the countless cracks covering its skin.
A trace of pain appeared in Joy Boy's eyes.
To Joy Boy, Zou was not merely an enormous creature.
It had fought alongside him eight hundred years ago and had remained his companion through an age long since buried by history.
Because of that bond, Zou was fundamentally different from the ordinary members of the Mink Tribe.
Joy Boy did not want Zou to be harmed.
He could also sense Zou's rapidly weakening aura.
If the battle continued at its current intensity, the combined destruction caused by Lloyd and himself would eventually kill the ancient elephant.
Lloyd watched Joy Boy remain silent for a moment before letting out a faint chuckle.
"What are you looking at? Are you searching for survivors up there?"
Joy Boy raised his head and looked directly at Lloyd, his expression becoming serious.
"I'm only thinking that Zou shouldn't become a sacrifice for our battle. A creature like this is a treasure of the world."
Lloyd tilted his head.
His expression suggested that he found Joy Boy's statement difficult to take seriously.
"So you want me to be careful not to injure this beast?"
He paused briefly.
"Are you some kind of animal protectionist?"
Joy Boy frowned.
"What's an animal protectionist? And Zou is my closest companion. It's not some beast."
Lloyd stared at him for a moment before suddenly laughing.
"You'd rather waste that overflowing compassion on a beast than spare any of it for the Mink Tribe?"
His eyes remained cold despite the amusement in his voice.
"Joy Boy, your face really is thicker than this elephant's hide."