Under the pitch-black night sky, countless shadows surged forth from all directions.
A sight so horrifying that it made the onlookers' scalps tingle.
The entire Red Line was now surrounded, both inside and out.
Instantly, a wave of sheer panic spread; guards and Celestial Dragons alike screamed in terror.
"Hm? Damn it!"
Suddenly, St. Figarland Garling's expression changed.
A crimson glow flashed in his eyes as if he had foreseen something.
"Shing!"
Without hesitation, he lunged forward and swung his sword.
"Clang!!"
Sparks flew, Luke remained completely unmoved, his expression calm.
St. Figarland Garling, on the other hand, was violently repelled and sent flying backward.
Although he quickly stabilized himself, his expression was one of shock and anger.
His gaze locked onto the area before him.
"A barrier?"
At some point, a solid green barrier had materialized, enclosing Luke and his surroundings.
Even a powerhouse on par with the emperors and marine admirals like St. Figarland Garling had been unable to shake it.
And then, a bloated, shadowy figure silently emerged from Luke's shadow.
Whoosh...
In an instant, from that bloated shadow, visible windows opened.
One after another, imposing figures leaped out.
And as they landed, they rapidly expanded in size, standing tall behind Luke.
"What!?"
"That bastard...!"
"The Netherworld Pirates have come in full force?"
"The Demon Heir, Douglas Bullet?!"
"Damn it! Even Douglas Bullet has been recruited by Black Prison?!"
"Damn it... That woman, Boa Hancock, has joined them too?!"
The Five Elders, the God's Knights, and the CP0 elites all turned pale.
Before them stood Boa Hancock, Yamato, Wyper, Rob Lucci, Portgas D. Ace, Trafalgar Law, Eustass Kid…
Alongside Luke were the Four Heavenly Kings, Eight Stars, and the Twelve Asuras.
The battle for the fate of the world had begun.
Whoosh!
At that moment, a fiery explosion surged forward.
However, it was effortlessly blocked by a massive barrier that appeared out of nowhere.
St. Marcus Mars, now transformed into a monstrous bird, returned and hovered high in the sky, flapping his wings.
"Heh..."
Shiryu also leaped through the air, landing beside Luke.
He stood with Yamato and the others.
"Boa Hancock, aren't you a member of the Seven Warlords of the Sea?"
A top agent of the CP0 glared at Hancock, who stood behind Luke, his tone icy. "Why are you opposing the World Government?"
"Don't forget, the Marines can invade the Calm Belt at any time and launch a Buster Call against Amazon Lily!"
"Are you threatening me?"
Hancock glanced at the CP0 agent with a proud and indifferent expression. "The Marines are already overwhelmed trying to deal with their own problems... Don't expect anyone to come and save you!"
With that, she ignored the CP0 agents and set her gaze upon Imu, the Five Elders, and the Celestial Dragon ruling class, the so-called God's Knights.
Her jewel-like eyes gleamed with undisguised hatred and murderous intent. "A Buster Call? Let's see if you are even alive by the end of tonight!"
She had waited far too long for this day.
For years, encouraged by Luke, she had trained relentlessly, pushing herself beyond limits.
All of it was for this moment, the day she would personally wash away the disgrace of her and her sisters with the blood of the Celestial Dragons.
"Damn it..."
"The Netherworld Pirates attacked the Marines too?"
"Where did this bastard get so much subordinate?"
"Did they ally with the other emperors?"
"We've been careless..."
Upon hearing the Pirate Empress' words, St. Marcus Mars, St. Jaygarcia Saturn, St. Figarland Garling, St. Topman Warcury, and St. Ethanbaron V. Nusjuro were all enraged.
But their expressions also darkened; if their enemies were this confident, it could only mean that the Marines had also been attacked.
And holding off powerhouses like Kong, Sengoku, and Admiral Kizaru was no easy feat. Ordinary pirates wouldn't be enough.
Did they secretly ally with the other emperor of the sea?
"Clap, clap..."
Imu, who had been standing there calmly, suddenly started applauding.
He looked at Luke with a smile. "Obask Luke, so this is your trump card?"
"I must admit, in just a few short years, you've gathered quite a force. Not only that, but you even found an opportunity amidst the chaos to destroy Uranus... I have to say, I'm impressed."
"However..."
His tone shifted, and with a faint smile, he said nonchalantly: "If you think this is enough to challenge the World Government... You're mistaken."
"That remains to be seen..."
Luke smirked.
He knew that Imu's composure wasn't just about having another trump card.
It was sheer confidence in his own power.
But Obask Luke was just as confident; no, he was even more confident about his own strength.
"You dare offend the gods..."
St. Jaygarcia Saturn, standing behind Imu, leaned on his staff with a proud expression.
His bloodshot eyes, filled with murderous intent, glared at Luke. "The only fate awaiting blasphemers like you is death. There is no other path!"
"Blasphemers?"
Luke sneered.
"Spare me your nonsense!"
"You're just twenty ambitious kings who banded together and seized control of the world. And yet, you shamelessly call yourselves gods?"
"When I strip you of everything away, you're no different from us!"
"Roar!"
Suddenly, a thunderous beastly roar shook the battlefield.
The Five Elders, who were about to rebuke Luke for his blasphemy, instinctively turned toward the sound.
From the distant sky, a massive azure dragon soared through the air.
With a loud and arrogant roar, it declared: "Wo ro ro ro! A battle like this? How could I miss out?"
"Kaido?!"
"That monster...?"
"Luke, you bastard...!"
"So you really did ally with another emperor?!"
Seeing the aggressive arrival of Kaido, the Five Elders' eyes narrowed in fury and shot Luke a death glare.
So Luke had even recruited Kaido, the so-called strongest creature on land, sea, and air.
It was now highly likely that Kaido's Beast Pirates had been among those attacking the Marines.
And who knew what other forces were involved?