Chapter 161: God's Fall

As Sengoku and the others sped away, the Lei Ting giant gripped the hammer's shaft with both hands and, accompanied by a roar that shook heaven and earth, slammed it down with sudden force.

Countless red-black lightning bolts swirled around the iron hammer; that was the Conqueror's Haki condensed to its absolute limit.

"Shen Yun."

Like a strike that split the heavens and opened the earth, the blow crashed down. Above Saint Natsuro, the shadow of Imu instantly transformed into a massive black demon.

The black demon opened a mouth vast enough to swallow the sky, attempting to devour the incoming attack.

Boom—

That was not a sound, but the wail of Marineford about to be brutally erased.

Saint Saint Saiwen poured every ounce of his Conqueror's Haki, Armament Haki, and Gomu Gomu no Mi's thunder abilities, compressing them along with the iron hammer's own power into a single beam of world-destroying light.

The light first swallowed everything.

Immediately after, an energy indescribable by words erupted from the center of Marineford.

A scorching white sphere instantly expanded, devouring the ruins, the plaza, the port, and the mountains, turning all matter into the most basic particles.

In an instant,

a mushroom cloud that blocked out the sun and covered the sky rose above Marineford, while the explosion's shockwave shot out toward the surrounding seas.

It was a ring of white death, visible to the naked eye and solid as matter, pushing outward with absolute speed and power.

Where it passed, the sea surface did not merely dip; dozens of meters were forcibly scraped away.

Nearly a hundred Navy warships responsible for the blockade in the Marineford waters were all overturned, and the sounds of people falling into the water rose up in a cacophony.

Saint Saint Saiwen had already taken a Senzu Bean the moment the attack finished, restoring himself to full strength.

This strike of Shen Yun possessed even greater destructive power than Lei Ying, nearly comparable to the Ancient Weapon Uranus.

How long passed was unknown.

When the light gradually faded and the dust slowly settled,

where Marineford once stood, only a huge, deep, pitch-black vortex flowing with molten lava remained, along with the churning seawater around the whirlpool.

The entire Marineford, together with all the glory and history it carried, had been completely erased.

As for Imu and Saint Natsuro, after dropping a single sentence, they vanished along with the teleportation array.

"Satan will contact you."

Saint Saint Saiwen then flashed away instantly.

Above the former Marineford, on the deck of the airship serving as the World Economic News Bureau's mobile headquarters.

Morgans heard nothing but the sound of swallowing saliva; it was the photographers he had specially brought, striving to capture this great battle from every angle without a single blind spot.

But he could never have imagined that under one strike from my lord Barzab Saint Saint Saiwen, the entire Marineford was destroyed.

"What a big news story..."

"But the news is too big; the World Government certainly won't let me publish it as is."

At this moment, Morgans was not yet the News King of later generations who dared to ignore the World Government's orders and publish the Nika Nika form of Luffy exactly as it was.

At this time, Morgans was still in the stage of frantically testing the World Government's bottom line.

Testing a little depth, publishing a little.

One day ago, Morgans still dared not directly publish Barzab Saint Saint Saiwen's remarks on how to awaken Conqueror's Haki.

He intended to use this to negotiate with the World Government to relax restrictions on future publications.

Morgans stared at the photos in his hand of the hundred-meter Lei Ting giant and the Marineford ruins, took several deep breaths in succession, and finally made up his mind.

"Publish it immediately, publish it exactly as is."

After this battle, Morgans believed the Emperor of the Sea was no longer a title fitting for my lord Barzab Saint Saint Saiwen; he must revive the title of Lei Shen from several years ago.

One strike annihilating Marineford; was this not the true Lei Shen?!

There is proof to check and evidence to discuss.

As long as the method for awakening Conqueror's Haki is not published for the time being, the World Government would find it hard to hold him accountable.

After taking a few more photos of the overturned Navy warships specifically, Morgans left with a satisfied heart.

At this moment, on the Dog-Head Warship on the sea level.

The Navy high command, led by Sengoku, Garp, Aokiji, and Zephyr, gazed at that bottomless vortex, the Marineford ruins, for a long time without speaking a word.

They had thought they had already figured out Barzab Saint Saint Saiwen's strength, but the annihilation of Marineford by a single strike from the Lei Ting giant undoubtedly slapped their faces once again.

Such power is far beyond human capability.

Imu, the ruler of the World Government, and Saint Natsuro of the Five Elders have gone completely silent, and Barzab Saint Saint Saiwen is likewise nowhere to be found.

"Sengoku..."

Tsuru, the Admiral in charge of the blockade in the nearby waters, opened her mouth but did not know what to ask.

Should she ask why only a few dozen Navy personnel survived? Or ask if Barzab Saint Saint Saiwen was captured? Or perhaps ask about the casualties of the Morning Star Pirates?

Tears streamed down from the corners of Sengoku's eyes.

"It's all gone..."

"Fifty thousand soldiers are gone."

"The Navy Headquarters is gone too."

Just a day and a half ago, the entire Navy was full of confidence in capturing the Morning Star Pirates.

But a day and a half later,

all fifty thousand elite Navy soldiers were sacrificed, only ten of the twenty-five Admirals survived, and of the hundreds of officers, only twenty-odd remained alive.

Admiral Akainu's fate was unknown, the rest of the top combat power were all severely injured, and Zephyr had almost collapsed due to his asthma.

And the Morning Star Pirates... not a single casualty.

Sengoku and Garp were on the verge of exhausting Gold Lion, just as they had four years ago, yet the very next second, Gold Lion instantly returned to full strength.

Mihawk and the others were no different.

The Navy already knew that Barzab Saint Saint Saiwen possessed a bizarre regenerative ability.

But the Navy did not know that every member of the Morning Star Pirates possessed this bizarre regenerative ability.

With strength nearly equal, if the enemy has one extra life or even several, what can the Navy fight with, and what can they win with?

Barzab Saint Saint Saiwen's Conqueror's Haki alone could render all Navy personnel, including Admirals, unconscious; only those of Admiral rank or higher could remain conscious.

And then there was that damn Conqueror's Haki defense.

Even the combined might of Kizaru and Sengoku could not break through Barzab Saint Saint Saiwen's defense.

"Conscription! A Great World Conscription!"

Sengoku wept until tears and snot mixed together, yet he paid no heed to his appearance, furiously pounding the Dog-Head Battleship.

"A Great World Conscription is mandatory."

"Blood for blood!"

Beep-beep-beep-beep-beep-beep~ The sound of the Den Den Mushi ringing interrupted Sengoku's thoughts.

"I am Fleet Admiral Sengoku of the Navy."

The Den Den Mushi paused: "Sengoku, immediately tally Navy casualties and update the bounty notices for all members of the Morning Star Pirates."

"Your request for a Great World Conscription."

"The World Government has approved it."

"We have only one requirement: You must fill the Navy vacancies as soon as possible and maintain order across the Four Seas."

"Navy military funding will increase twofold for the next five years, and the temporary Navy headquarters will be established in the Sabaody Archipelago."

The Den Den Mushi was hung up; Sengoku looked expressionlessly at the Marineford Ruins and the thunderstorm echoing endlessly above the ruins, refusing to dissipate.

"Tsuru, contact Kizaru and ask about Sakazuki... how are his injuries?"

Not long after, Tsuru's voice rang out.

"Sakazuki is currently receiving treatment at Vegapunk's laboratory; the situation is not optimistic."

"According to Vegapunk, Sakazuki..."

"Is very likely... forever..."

"... forever unable to wake."

The temperature in the air plummeted several degrees; Aokiji radiated chilling cold, and Kuzan's Iron Fist clenched until it creaked.

Two streams of bloody tears slid from the corners of Sengoku's eyes.

"Barzab Saint Saint Saiwen!!!"