Chapter 326: The Idol Standing in the Heart (6k)

"This country... is finished!"

Dai Si's lips trembled uncontrollably, his eyeballs shaking, solely because the scene unfolding in the distance was truly too horrifying.

Ah Jin, standing nearby, saw this sight and fell into a prolonged silence.

Within the line of sight of the three stood an artificially constructed high platform, upon which several pastors of the Tianjue Church, clad in white cultivator robes, were standing and preaching something.

Surrounding them were commoners filled with fanaticism, encircling the platform so tightly that not even water could leak through.

Accompanying the pastors' intermittent prayers, the expressions of the crowd grew increasingly frenzied.

A woman in tattered clothes lowered her gaze to look at the dying boy in her arms, her eyes filled with pity and reluctance.

"Noah~"

"My child, I love you."

The woman's voice was brimming with infinite tenderness, yet in the next instant, she plunged the dagger in her hand into the boy's heart.

Hiss!

The boy's limbs suddenly stiffened, only to quickly go limp.

Blood splattered, landing on the woman's face.

From Ah Jin's vantage point, one could even see the pity, the reluctance, and a trace of deeply, deeply hidden madness on her face.

Immediately, an even more shocking scene occurred.

This woman personally dug the boy's heart out from his chest cavity.

She held it in her palms.

Then carefully placed it into the pastor's hands.

"My lord, if I do this, Noah's sins can be redeemed, can't they?!"

"In her next life, she will be able to live a life without hunger, without cold, and without toiling like cattle or horses."

"He will become a noble, will become a prince, born noble, and never have to be as humble as dust."

The woman's voice grew louder and louder, while the blood vessels in her eyes became increasingly prominent.

She was simply too frail and too agitated, such that after just these few short words, she began to pant heavily.

Until she received an affirmative answer from the Tianjue Church pastor before her:

"Yes, madam, he has already proven his devotion."

The corner of the pastor's mouth curled into a smile of compassion:

"Now... it is your turn."

Hiss—!

The woman hesitated not a bit; before the pastor had even finished speaking, she thrust the dagger into her own chest.

Blood flowed out, pooling beside her gradually cooling body into a shallow pool of blood.

Slap!

The pastor's pure white boot stepped upon it; the splashing blood soaked his trouser legs, yet failed to cause any hesitation in his movements as he slowly walked toward the next commoner.

A bloody scent gradually diffused through the air, and the crowd gathering below the platform became even more frenzied, as if enjoying a grand feast.

Ah Jin's eyes were nearly filled with bloodshot veins:

"Why?"

"Why die so worthlessly?!"

"What exactly is it that can drive these commoners to such madness?!"

Having sailed the seas for over ten years, he had naturally witnessed countless bloody and cruel pirates.

But even someone like the former Krieg had never made him feel this chill penetrating down to his bones and blood.

Those people seemed as if possessed by demons!

For something so ethereal and indistinct, they sacrificed everything, even personally ending their children's lives!

Lord Tai Zuo Luo's expression was similarly silent, his brows tightly furrowed:

"Even those Celestial Dragons I have seen before probably could not do such things..."

"They can make people fear, can make people submit to violence and power, but they absolutely cannot make people voluntarily offer up their lives."

"Is it that woman's ability?!"

Lord Tai Zuo Luo could not help but guess.

"Why?!"

Lord Tai Zuo Luo was puzzled, and Ah Jin still harbored this same doubt in his heart.

Very soon.

Another middle-aged man lay in a pool of blood, a happy smile even on the corners of his mouth, as if offering up his own life was a supreme glory.

The frenzy and devotion on the faces of the commoners also reached their peak.

Ah Jin's eyes turned completely crimson as a bone cannon several meters in diameter slowly condensed upon his shoulder:

"This is absurd; this matter is absolutely wrong; that man would absolutely not allow this to happen!"

"Calm down!"

"If we are discovered here, we will inevitably be detected by the people of the Tianjue Church, and we..."

Just as Ah Jin was about to act, Lord Tai Zuo Luo and the other hurriedly pressed him down, but ultimately they were one step too slow.

A powerful recoil caused Ah Jin to shatter the floor beneath his feet; the solid bone bullet broke the sound barrier with a loud explosion, and in an instant shattered the distant platform!

The leading Tianjue Church pastor exploded directly, blood spraying like a thin mist onto the faces of those surrounding him!

The crowd instantly fell silent; shock, bewilderment, awe...

Various complex emotions shifted across everyone's faces, finally transforming into furious rage, an uncontrollable, extremely frenzied rage!

"Someone is interfering with the prayer ritual, even killing the gods' priests!"

"Blasphemers!"

"Only burning them with fierce fire can appease the gods' wrath!"

Without the few surviving priests needing to speak, the nearly mad commoners surged toward Jin and the other two, as if it were Jin and not the Heaven's Perception Church who had truly killed those people.

"They're mad!"

"They're all mad!"

Lord Tai Zuo Luo cursed loudly.

In the hands of these commoners were nothing more than ordinary pitchforks, hoes, and even short sticks picked up from the roadside.

For Tai Zuo Luo, whose combat power would not be considered weak even among the Seven Warlords, a single bullet or even a casually raised fist wind could easily crush these people, yet he felt a coldness emanating from their very bones.

They were accustomed to the death of their comrades, even viewing it as the greatest honor, yet they turned swords and blades against those who disrupted this so-called prayer, hating them to the extreme!

Jin was right!

These guys have gone mad; they possess no normal human thought!

Is it only the people here who are like this, or are all the commoners of Britannia like this...

Lord Tai Zuo Luo looked at the church in the center of the town, surrounded by rows of dilapidated, low shanties, which could be described as resplendent with gold and jade, and felt a chill of nausea.

It was at this moment.

A sharp shriek came from the distant sky.

Screech—!

The ear-piercing cry of an eagle stirred up a cloud of dust over the land.

"Jin!"

"Retreat!"

"That guy's strength is terrifying!"

"Even if the two of us join forces, we are absolutely no match for him!"

"The brains of this country, of the people here, are broken; if we don't leave now, there will be no chance!"

Lord Tai Zuo Luo felt great urgency in his heart.

Jin nodded; two layers of dense bone armor covered his entire body, and he instantly transformed into the Two-Bone Death Skeleton Knight form.

Boom!

A spiral bone spear flew from his hand, exploding with a series of sounds breaking the air, stirring up a sound wave, and shooting toward the Eagle Knight Bevil in the sky!

Clang!

The impact was intense; Bevil managed to block the incoming spiral bone spear, yet he was still pushed back hundreds of meters by the spear's overwhelming force.

He flicked his wrist slightly to deflect the force from the spiral bone spear, and when he looked up again, the three figures in the distance had already vanished without a trace.

Only the completely ruined prayer platform and a few surviving priests remained at the scene.

Their eyes were filled with fear, lacking the piety and madness seen in the commoners' eyes.

Quickly.

Bevil learned the course of events from the surviving priests.

He looked at the commoners' corpses, then at the massive bone spear deeply embedded in the wall.

His eyes lowered.

His fingers gripping the sword hilt turned white.

"My Lord Bevil, that group of blasphemers destroyed the holy ritual; only by executing them with extreme punishment, burning them with fierce fire, can their sins be atoned!"

"That's right!"

"Burn them to death, strip their flesh and bones, suck their fresh blood!"

Angry curses and oaths came from the crowd.

Bevil looked up at the commoners of Britannia, and only Wales's words, 'I am Britannia,' echoed in his mind.

For a long time.

The giant eagle took flight again, pursuing the direction where Jin and the other two had vanished, like a knight chasing the sun.

At the same time.

The events that occurred in the town were reported back to Avalon and entered Wales's ears.

At this moment, Wales sat upon his throne, listening to the news transmitted through the Den Den Mushi; the corner of his mouth curled, tearing open the scar that had almost split him in two.

The originally compassionate aura was torn apart by this scar, making his entire face appear grotesque and twisted.

"The once most unruly Eagle Knight is now nothing more than a plaything."

"Heh..."

"Are you curious why I do these things?"

"To spread fearless pain?"

Wales suddenly turned his head to look at the priest waiting nearby; seeing the panic and fear in the latter's eyes, a satisfied smile appeared on his face.

"Only within pain and sin can the most devout faith be born!"

"Only then will they firmly believe that everything they do is worth it, that everything they do is correct!"

"Those churls will never question the existence of the gods, because the price and consequences are something they can no longer bear; only one path lies before them!"

"With firm faith, with empty hope, they walk toward death!"

The priest slowly opened his mouth, his face pale, his body trembling constantly; what he feared was not the words in Wales's mouth, but his own life and death.

"Raise your head."

A soft, gentle voice came from Wales's mouth.

The priest's heart settled slightly, but when he raised his eyes, he witnessed a scene that filled him with horror.

At this very moment, Wales was bathed in golden light; six wings unfurled from behind him, and a golden halo condensed above his head.

"An... an angel?!"

The priest's jaw dropped, finding it impossible to reconcile Wales's current appearance with the deeds he had committed.

Yet he no longer had any chance.

"In your next life, do not look at me with such eyes."

Accompanied by Wales's indifferent voice, his fingertip already touched the priest's forehead.

Pfft—!

The priest's head exploded; the headless corpse swayed for a moment before collapsing with a thud.

Wales took out a handkerchief to wipe his hands, then turned to look at the angel statue behind him.

Clip!

Clip!

Clip!

A series of crisp footsteps gradually approached from behind as Jeanne, wearing a hood, slowly stepped into the hall.

She directly ignored the corpse nearby, bowed to Wales, and then spoke: "My lord Pope."

"According to the intelligence we obtained earlier, a group in Mary Geoise is also plotting to seize the five Devil Fruits of Blood, Flesh, Bone, Heart, and Soul; their purpose should align with ours, intending to use them to achieve immortality."

"They have already located the users of the Blood, Flesh, and Soul abilities; their next target must be the user of the Bone-Bone Fruit ability whom I and Beville are pursuing."

"In other words, they will inevitably appear in Britannias!"

"Heh~"

Wales smiled contemptuously:

"Another existence unwilling to become that monster's slave? Does he truly believe his actions can be hidden from that monster?"

"Speaking of which..."

Amidst these words,

Wales turned his head, casting an inquisitive gaze upon Jeanne:

"The more familiar I become with you, the more astonished I am; even these secrets concealed by the World Government are fully known to you."

"Are you truly an ordinary descendant of the Fairy Tribe?!"

Jeanne's expression remained unchanged:

"Naturally."

"In this world, is there any secret that can be hidden from the Mind-Mind Fruit?!"

"As you can see."

"I have lived far too long; even by the lifespan of the Fairy Tribe, I am nearing my end."

"What I seek is the same as yours: nothing more than to live a little longer."

"Is that so..."

Wales gave no definite answer, slowly returned to sit upon his Wang Zuo, his facial expression softening as he spoke slowly:

"Whatever you are plotting, it must come after me!"

"As you wish."

Jeanne bowed slightly, her eyes containing a smile as she replied.

"Hmph~"

After a cold snort, Wales's gaze passed through the floor-to-ceiling window ahead, looking out over the entirety of Avalon.

"For us now, all that remains is to wait."

"Once I obtain eternal life, I will have the time to expand the Church of Heavenly Awakening across the entire world!"

"By that time, even the World Government, and indeed the monster hidden within Mary Geoise, will absolutely be no match for me."

"One Piece?!"

"A boring lie!"

The weather in the New World is highly variable, having reached a point that can only be described as bizarre.

Omnipresent storms, ocean currents alternating between cold and hot, erupting volcanoes, and flowing cold fronts all combine to construct this sea area that is nearly hellish.

Yet similarly, this is also the sea area closest to the world's summit, closest to the One Piece.

Countless pirates swarm here from the Four Seas and Paradise; the vast majority perish in the great ocean within a few months, with very few managing to survive.

But whoever can firmly establish a foothold in this sea area will inevitably gain a reputation throughout the entire world!

However, for Gao Wen, such problems simply do not exist.

He does not need to adapt to the New World; rather, the New World must adapt to him!

Heavenly storms, giant waves, bizarre tempests?

Slash them all away with a single strike!

The Lionheart Knight's voyage proceeded smoothly, even faster than when previously sailing through Paradise.

In merely half a month, they crossed nearly ten thousand nautical miles, entering the sea area where Britannias is located.

"This place... is Britannias?!"

Gao Wen raised his eyes to look, excitement indescribable within his gaze.

Countless islands surrounded the central continent, where dense vegetation filled nearly every inch of the land, growing to an exaggerated height of several hundred meters.

Compared to this, humans were nothing more than insects crawling on tree trunks.

Ley line energy, so dense it was visible to the naked eye, flowed as a pale blue glow through the canyons and fissures.

"This trip... was the right choice!"

"This is my home turf; here, the Red Dragon has no equal!"

An unprecedented sense of comfort resonated within Gao Wen's heart.

He spread the dragon wings on his shoulders, leaped into the air, and flew low over the sea toward the distant islands.

Even though Gao Wen was currently dozens of meters above the ground, he could already feel the nearly endless surge of ley line energy wanting to flood into his body.

Here, he didn't even need to touch the ground to draw out the ley line energy from the earth.

Even the combined total of all ley line capabilities he had encountered in every region before paled in comparison, amounting to less than one ten-thousandth of this place.

In merely a few breaths, ley line energy began to overflow from the gaps between the scales on his wings.

Originally, Gao Wen's combat power had only approached the upper tier of the Legendary realm, but here, even an existence at the peak of the Legendary realm would not be without a fighting chance against him.

And according to Gao Wen's own predictions, the only one in history who had truly reached the peak of the Legendary realm was likely Joy Boy, who once clashed with Imu and whose lingering Haki alone could shatter the projections of the Five Elders.

This was already the theoretical limit humans could reach under normal circumstances.

To take another step forward and touch a realm that did not belong to humans required something beyond Gao Wen's current understanding.

A few minutes later.

Gao Wen slowly landed back on the deck of the Lionheart Knight.

Seeing this, Xiang Keluo couldn't help but feel curious in his heart:

"How does it feel?!"

"Very good!"

Gao Wen looked at his palm, where wisps of pale blue ley line energy swirled around his fingertips:

"Better than ever before!"

"If the battlefield is in Britannias, I fear no battle with any existence!"

"Previously, in the Drum Kingdom, in Alabasta, and in Water Seven, I could roughly estimate exactly how long it would take to exhaust the ley line energy."

"But here..."

"As you can see."

Xiang Keluo raised his eyes to look, seeing only streams of pale blue ley line energy flowing within the fissures of the earth.

The corner of his mouth twitched slightly; he glanced back at Gao Wen, finding the smile on that fellow's face so dazzling it hurt his eyes.

Deciding not to dwell on this topic with Gao Wen, he instead opened his mouth and said:

"Ah Jin has already broken free."

"According to our predictions, the God Knights should also appear here; they must also be coming for that legend of immortality."

"As for Totto Land, Big Mom hasn't shown herself for a long time; she has likely been captured by the God Knights, with the timing probably occurring after the battle in Water Seven ended."

"This means there is a very high probability that the God Knights have already obtained the ability of Soul, while the ability of Heart is in the hands of that woman named Jeanne."

"The abilities of Blood and Flesh are likely also in the hands of these two factions!"

"In other words, there might be a possibility of attaining immortality right here in Britannias next."

"Aren't you tempted?!"

Gao Wen nodded.

To say he wasn't tempted would be a lie.

Eternal life, endless time—who could resist the temptation within them?

But the first-generation monarch of Britannias, who legend says completed the ritual and gained immortality, where is he now?!

Moreover, Doflamingo once hinted that only an immortal could master that national treasure in Mary Geoise; how could Imu possibly tolerate such a potential existence that could threaten his rule?!

Putting himself in Imu's shoes, Gao Wen admitted he would absolutely never allow such a person to exist, even if there was only the slightest possibility.

Either it was exactly as Robin said, that some kind of will existed between these fruits, resisting their simultaneous appearance.

Or the so-called immortality possessed some kind of flaw, sufficient to let Imu rest easy.

And what Gao Wen believed more was that perhaps both of these factors existed simultaneously.

Therefore, regarding this kind of five-ability immortality, Gao Wen always maintained a wait-and-see attitude.

At the very least, until he truly saw someone achieve immortality through the ritual, or until his own life reached its end forcing him to take such a risk, he would not choose to gamble.

Seeing Gao Wen had little interest in this, Xiang Keluo stopped discussing such topics with him and instead turned his gaze to the group of cultivation maniacs on the deck.

After more than half a month of cultivation, everyone's strength had increased by a small margin.

Sanji, Zoro, and Cavendish were steadily advancing toward the Gold tier; although there was still a considerable distance to go, the time when they would reach the Gold level was already foreseeable and not far off.

After Van Augur broke through to the Bai Yin tier, his speed of improvement slowed down.

However, more than half of his combat power was influenced by firearms and ammunition; during this period, he was always with Franky, messing around with who-knows-what.

In short, the two could often be seen test-firing weapons at sea, with the commotion growing louder each time.

Law's potential was gradually being realized, and due to a large amount of basic strength and endurance training, his physical stamina was much stronger than in the original timeline.

At the very least, he wouldn't exhaust himself to the point of having no power to resist just from activating Room a few more times.

His combat power had also touched the threshold of the Bai Yin tier, basically cementing his position as the ship's secondary main force.

Bepo and Chopper, the crew's two favorites, were also improving rapidly; they had gradually reached the ceiling of the Bronze tier, gaining a significant boost in combat power, and at least in most situations, they now possessed the ability to protect themselves.

Bepo, nowadays, had been assigned to the navigator group where Nami was located, which could be considered a professional match.

After entering the territory of Britannias, the voyage along the way turned out to be unexpectedly smooth.

Although Gao Wen and his group had already obtained partial intelligence about Britannias from Ah Jin, nothing compared to the massive impact of witnessing it with their own eyes.

Very quickly.

He saw it.

A few days later.

The Lionheart Knight docked at a port on the edge of Britannias, and Gao Wen witnessed with his own eyes the scene Ah Jin had once seen.

Countless commoners of Britannias gathered around the church, conducting so-called prayers in a manner bordering on cruelty.

And they firmly believed this could please the so-called gods in exchange for happiness in the next life.

But Gao Wen knew clearly that all of this was pure bullshit!

If there truly were gods capable of bestowing blessings upon humanity, then the first ones who should go to hell would be the Celestial Dragons.

Yet the Celestial Dragons still lived well, even indirectly dominating the entire world from Mary Geoise, sucking the blood of the whole world to maintain their privileges and excessively luxurious lives.

Therefore, toward such existences, Gao Wen had only one slash.

Boom!

The earth was torn apart; the priests standing on the prayer platforms were utterly slain, and even the church behind them collapsed with a crash from Gao Wen's single slash!

The lingering force of the blade light did not diminish, splitting the clouds in the sky; golden radiance shone down, falling upon the shattered glazed tiles covering the ground, revealing a luster like gold.

The brains of the crowd of commoner believers completely crashed at this moment; such tremendous power had surpassed their cognition, reaching a higher realm!

"If a god were to act, perhaps it would only be to this extent?"

"Monster!"

"Is today our doomsday?"

Some felt despair in their hearts, simply because facing such power, resistance had lost all meaning.

Some knew death was certain and actually sat down right there on the spot, the piety on their faces remaining unchanged.

This slash could destroy their flesh, but it could not cut down the divine statue erected in their hearts.

(End of Chapter)