Chapter 446: First Cry

"This activation of Uranus, due to locking onto Knight Gao Wen, has halved its kill radius to merely eighty kilometers, but thanks to the accelerated repair progress of Uranus, its output power has increased by nearly double!"

"Such destructive power is sufficient to leave a crater a thousand meters deep on the continent; within the eighty-kilometer radius centered on Camelot, there are no longer any signs of life."

"In other words."

"Knight Gao Wen, along with all the powerhouses gathered in Camelot... have been utterly annihilated!"

Upon hearing this, the Five Elders could barely conceal the excitement on their faces.

Paying no heed to the CP organization members present, they immediately opened a bottle of high-grade champagne, spraying it everywhere to vent the pressure they had been accumulating all along.

Although Saint Nusjuro disliked such scenes, this time he too joined the others in their celebration.

It was solely because the pressure brought by Gao Wen was truly immense; coupled with the fact that every member of the Knights of the Round Table possessed Emperor-level combat strength, this faction had reached a point where the World Government could neither sleep nor eat in peace.

But now, all of that has become a thing of the past.

As long as they hold the Ancient Weapons in hand, the World Government created by Im can endure until the day the world is destroyed.

This world still belongs to them, to the Celestial Dragons!

Prosperity remains! Power remains! The future remains!

"Knight Gao Wen, no matter how brilliant, was ultimately nothing more than a fleeting bloom!"

"This world ultimately belongs to us!"

"Hahahaha..."

Saint Nusjuro could not help but let out a dry, shriveled laugh, yet this laughter gradually grew quieter and quieter.

He pointed at the projection screen that was recovering, his finger trembling uncontrollably.

"What... what is that thing?!"

The few people celebrating in the conference room seemed as if a pause button had been pressed; they stared blankly before turning their heads to look at the projection screen.

At this moment, Camelot had already turned into a living hell on earth.

Uranus had left behind a massive crater fully dozens of kilometers wide; molten rock flowed everywhere in a scarlet expanse, while seawater pouring in was constantly evaporated, forming sky-filling steam that vaporized again in the next instant.

Red lotuses bloomed upon the earth, and everything was burned to ashes.

But what was visible to the naked eye was this:

Threads of pale blue ley line energy surged forth from the mountains and lands further away, like strips of light, converging toward the scarlet sphere floating high in the sky at the center of the red lotus.

Thump—!

Thump—!

Thump—!

A low, powerful beating sound spread across the wilderness, a noise like the heartbeat of some monster, which also transmitted through the affected Den Den Mushi into the ears of the Five Elders.

At this moment, the Five Elders felt nothing but chill running down their spines!

No!

That chill came from a deeper place within their souls, even reminding them of the feeling when their lives were manipulated by Im's hands.

"What... what is that?!"

Saint Nusjuro's voice was hoarse; his body had already begun to tremble, and his face was deathly pale.

The most terrifying conjecture floated into his mind, yet he dared not believe it.

If there truly exists a man in this world whom even the Ancient Weapons cannot kill, then...

"This is impossible!"

Saint Saturn's fat, aged body huddled in the sofa, trembling continuously, while unprecedented fear surfaced in his eyes.

If the Ancient Weapons, which they regarded as their trump card, could not achieve a decisive victory, then where exactly would this world head?!

Does the future truly still belong to the World Government, to the Celestial Dragons, to that person?

Or could it be...

That this man, who in three years walked to the position closest to the King of the World, is truly a chosen son of god descended to earth?

Come here to execute divine punishment and strip the Celestial Dragons of their privileges?!

But...

Where did we go wrong??

The Five Elders could not figure this point out.

But they knew that if one shot could not kill, then they would fire a second!

"Second shot!"

"Quick!"

Saint Saturn snatched up the Den Den Mushi on the table, emitting a sound akin to a roar:

"I will crush that monster dead right here in Britannias!"

The voice coming from the other end of the line contained a hint of hesitation:

"Lord Saturn, Uranus requires time to cool down."

"Our mastery over the Mother Flame is not yet at Vegapunk's level; if we continuously squeeze it, there is a possibility of damage!"

"I don't care!"

At this moment, Saturn cared about nothing else; he only wished to destroy his own fear, along with Britannias and that monster together!

"I want to watch that monster die!"

"Yes!"

A few minutes later, another beam of Bai Guang descended upon the skies above Camelot, instantly engulfing the scarlet sphere suspended in the sky.

Only this time, the range was smaller, the output more concentrated, and the resulting single-point destructive capability even stronger.

The Navy's just-restored projection screen was blasted white again; this time, the entire Navy high command fell into deep silence as they stared at the display.

"Why would those five unleash Uranus a second time in such a short span?!"

Tsuru whispered softly, already holding the answer in her heart.

By risking the acceleration of the world's submersion to unleash Uranus, the World Government's sole objective was to assassinate Gao Wen and completely eradicate the threat of Britannias.

No one else was worth such a colossal price.

Since they have opened fire once more, it can only mean the first shot failed to achieve its intended target.

This was an extremely simple deduction; Tsuru opened her mouth several times, yet spoke none of it aloud.

Sengoku beside her was the same; he stared blankly at Kuzan, the words Kuzan had just spoken flashing through his mind: if even an Ancient Weapon cannot kill that monster...

Where lies the future of the Navy?!

This question arose simultaneously in the hearts of everyone in the conference room, yet not a single person offered an answer.

It was precisely at this moment.

Akainu, silent for a long while, lifted his hand to remove his hat, gazing at those present with an expressionless face, his tone calm yet radiating unshakable resolve:

"Whose justice does the Navy truly bear?!"

"It is time this question received an answer."

Mary Geoise.

The Five Elders waited in unease for the outcome of the second attack.

Very soon.

The projection Den Den Mushi in the office appeared once more before the eyes of the five.

This time, the entirely crimson sphere had vanished; all that met the eye was Camelot, flowing with molten lava, resembling nothing less than the apocalypse.

"Finally... is he dead? He must be dead this time?!"

Saint Saturn slumped onto the sofa, feeling as though every ounce of his soul had been drained away.

As a scientist, he knew clearly the capabilities of the Mother Flame and Uranus.

Firing two shots in such a short timeframe was already the absolute limit.

If they forced another launch, not only would the Mother Flame be completely drained and rendered useless, but Uranus would also have an extremely high probability of exploding due to overheating.

Fortunately, everything had finally settled...

"Wait!"

Saint Nusjuro's voice rang out once more.

The expressions of the four others changed abruptly.

It was solely because they saw that crimson sphere floating up once again from the flowing lava below.

Thick, nearly solid ley line energy converged from regions dozens of kilometers away toward the crimson sphere.

A misty blue light, a scorching red lotus.

The scene composed of these two conflicting elements plunged the Five Elders as if into an ice cellar!

Very soon.

Before the shocked gazes of the Five Elders, that crimson sphere began to unfold.