bookbashuk Chapter 254 Divine Punishment Descends, Crimson Twilight
Chapter 254 Divine Punishment Descends, Crimson Twilight
Chapter 254 Divine Punishment Descends, Crimson Twilight
Impel Down, at the edge of that terrifying chasm that tears the sea apart.
"Hahaha!! John and Ryoma failed? They died?"
Upon hearing the report from the nine-tailed fox who had escaped, Blackbeard Teach's one eye first flashed with surprise, then burst forth with an even more excited and greedy light.
"Fishman Island—it really does hold some treasures! They even managed to take down my Heroic Spirit! Davy Jones's secret, and that Heroic Spirit named Noah, I'm going to have them!"
Lafitte added, twirling his cane gracefully.
"According to the last information transmitted back, the one who defeated Captain John and Ryoma was a swordsman spirit from the Cross Guild named Sasaki Kojiro."
"This person's swordsmanship is extremely strange, and he seems to have mastered some kind of extraordinary level."
"Sasaki Kojiro? He's Hawkeye's Heroic Spirit, isn't he?" The black-bearded man waved his hand dismissively.
"What does it matter what level they're at? They're all trash before absolute power! Hahaha! Perfect, let's settle both old and new scores together!"
"That Doflamingo guy actually dared to put bounties on me and Arjuna? If we can take Fishman Island, our next step will be to raze Dressrosa to the ground!"
Van Oka calmly wiped his 1600-pike and reminded him.
"Captain, the Crusaders' involvement in Fishman Island means the waters there are deeper than we thought."
"Furthermore, according to the Earl's monitoring, the fluctuations from the direction of Sky Island are rapidly approaching, and their target seems to be—our location."
The count uttered a deep, resonant voice: "Indra's apostles—Rama the Axe-Wielder, and Nandi—are all troublesome characters. They have come to reclaim Arjuna and his stolen divinity."
The black-bearded man narrowed his one eye, revealing a cunning and crazed glint in his eyes: "Zhehahaha! Well done! Come on, all of you!"
"Let me see if their divine punishment is more powerful, or if my darkness combined with Arjuna's divine power is stronger!"
He turned to Arjuna, “How do you feel? The Father’s henchmen have come for you.”
Arjuna was surrounded by a faint halo of gold and black, his eyes cold and indifferent as ice.
"Those who blaspheme against divinity and stray from the right path must be purified. They are nothing but pitiful creatures who have long since strayed from the true Dharma."
After merging with Indra's divinity and otherworldly rules, his mentality seemed to have changed as well, and he viewed the Indian pantheon to which he originally belonged with a condescending scrutiny and indifference.
"Well said!" the black-bearded man laughed wildly.
"Then let them never return! Send the order to increase security! After I deal with these damned charlatans, I'll go to Fishman Island and steal Noah and Davy Jones' secrets!"
Ten thousand meters above the white sea.
A massive golden pillar of light, like a stairway to the gods, pierced through the sea of clouds and plummeted toward the azure ocean below at an astonishing speed.
Within the pillar of light was a grim-looking divine army, led by two heroic spirits.
"Feel the wrath of the King of Gods, you blasphemers!" Rama, wielding the axe, roared like thunder, echoing within the pillar of light. "The righteous law will surely prevail!"
Nan Di licked his lips, his eyes flashing with cruelty and ambition.
"Arjuna—my dear brother, this time, I will make you obediently relinquish the power that does not belong to you, and then—kneel at my feet!"
In the waters off Impel Down, the unfathomable chasm still stretches across the azure sea like a scar on the earth.
The towering walls of water on both sides moved slowly, emitting a dull rumble, as if telling the story of the unfinished divine wrath.
The Blackbeard Pirates' fleet circled like vultures on one side of the chasm, using this man-made barrier as a temporary shield.
However, on this day, the barrier faced a challenge from the sky.
The previously clear sky suddenly darkened, and the clouds churned violently as if stirred by an invisible giant hand.
A magnificent and vast golden pillar of light tore through the clouds, descending upon this ravaged sea with unparalleled divine power and oppressive force!
Before the beam of light had completely dissipated, a chilling atmosphere had already permeated the air.
Amidst the golden light, the first to step forward was Parashu, the Axe-Holding Rama, wielding a giant axe.
His face was as resolute as if carved from stone, his eyes burned with a purifying will, and his body radiated a boundless divine power as intense as a raging fire.
Simply standing there, he seemed to become the embodiment of order and righteousness, calming the chaotic energy around him.
Following closely behind was the invincible.
He was dressed in magnificent royal armor, toying with a jewel-encrusted vajra in his hand, his eyes filled with arrogance.
His divine power appeared more unpredictable and volatile, with corrosive and seductive characteristics, which contrasted sharply with the dignified and upright Rama wielding the axe.
Behind the two powerful heroic spirits were hundreds of divine soldiers clad in standard golden armor.
They were silent, yet they exuded a formidable collective pressure, like a golden tide of death.
"Those who blaspheme divine authority are sinners who turn away from the law!"
Rama, wielding his axe, roared like thunder, echoing across the sea and causing the Blackbeard Pirates' eardrums to ache.
"Surr the stolen divinity, surrender yourselves, and accept purification! Otherwise, this place will be your final resting place!"
Nandi added in his magnetic and malicious voice, his gaze greedily sweeping over the Blackbeard fleet, especially the flagship.
"Oh? So this is the toy of ants from the lower realms? It does look like it has some—valuable parts."
"Arjuna! Come out obediently and offer the power you stole from the King of Gods to your brother me! Perhaps then I can grant you a quicker death."
On the Blackbeard flagship, Teach looked at the triumphant army in the sky, and instead of fear, his single eye burned with an even more frenzied flame.
"Hahaha!! What a grand display! Did that old codger Indra only send you two lackeys to your deaths?!"
He waved his hand sharply: "Men! Take down these charlatans! Let them know who truly rules this sea!"
"oh!!"
Although the members of the Blackbeard Pirates were terrified by their opponent's divine power, they still let out a fervent battle cry at their captain's urging.
The cannons roared first, and countless black shells shot towards the divine army in the sky like a swarm of bees!
However, faced with this mortal firepower, Axe-wielding Rama simply swung his giant axe forward.
"The true Dharma cannot breach any barrier!"
A transparent barrier composed of countless golden Sanskrit characters instantly appeared in front of the divine army.
The dense barrage of shells struck the barrier, but it was like a mud ox sinking into the sea, failing to even stir up a ripple, before being silently annihilated by the divine power contained within!
"What?!" The gunners of the Blackbeard Pirates were dumbfounded.
"Stubborn to the end!" The axe-wielding Rama's eyes turned cold. He raised his giant axe high. "Divine army, attack! Purify all rebellion!"
"For our God!" The divine army roared in unison, like a golden torrent swooping down from the sky to attack the Blackbeard Pirates' fleet!
"Hmmhhhhh—air units, huh? Then let's bring you down!"
Several figures shot out from the Blackbeard fleet, heading towards the Divine Army and the two heroic spirits.
"Displaced Maze!" Smuggler Ganzi activated his ability first. Runes flashed on his armor as he attempted to create a large-scale spatial distortion in the path of the divine army's charge, dividing and trapping them.
"Roar!!" San Juan Wolf emerged from the deep sea with its massive head, letting out a deafening roar.
A gigantic hand, carrying tons of seawater, slammed towards the divine army in the air. "Fufufu, taste this!" Burgess, burning with the fighting spirit of a champion, used the power of the Power-Power Fruit to hurl the wreckage of a damaged warship at the divine army!
"For the sea routes and the riches of the new world!" Columbus shouted.
His Noble Phantasm affected the course and rules within a certain range, causing the divine army's charge trajectory to deviate and even resulting in them killing each other.
Faced with this multi-pronged attack, Axe-wielding Rama remained unmoved, while Duryodhana revealed a cruel smile.
"A mere trick!" Rama, wielding his giant axe, swung it once more.
"The righteous law delivers its verdict, dispelling evil and revealing justice!"
A golden axe light, condensed to its fullest extent, swept out!
The intricate spatial labyrinth of Ganzi, upon encountering the axe light, is like a calm lake surface tossed with a stone, its structure forcibly disintegrated!
Nan Di then flashed his figure, appearing like a ghost in front of the giant hand that San Juan Wolf was about to strike, and pointed his weapon forward.
The wolf's powerful slapping force seemed to encounter an invisible vortex, and its massive body was instantly hindered.
The wolf let out a painful howl, feeling its strength rapidly draining away!
Nan Di, on the other hand, comfortably narrowed his eyes, and his aura seemed to have grown slightly stronger.
The golden torrent of the divine army encountered almost no real resistance and crashed into the Blackbeard Pirates' fleet. In an instant, the sounds of fighting, explosions, and screams filled the air!
The soldiers of the Divine Army are individually powerful and fearless of death, and their teamwork is excellent, making them like highly efficient killing machines.
Although the Blackbeard Pirates' crew was fierce, they were outmatched in this level of combat, and their battle lines were quickly torn apart.
"Damn it!" Blackbeard stared at his own fleet, which was rapidly crumbling, his single eye burning with rage.
"Ganzi! Basda! Columbus! Stop those two leaders!"
Upon receiving the order, the three heroic spirits immediately changed their targets and surrounded and attacked Rama and Duryodhana.
Ganzi used his spatial abilities to blink repeatedly, his curved blade attacking Luo Mo, who was wielding an axe, from a tricky angle, trying to find an opening in his righteous defense.
Gilbasda brandished his enormous weapon, charging head-on at the sturdy axe-wielding Rama like a berserker. His power was ferocious, but each attack was steadily blocked by the giant axe, the recoil causing his tiger's mouth to split open.
Columbus then attempted to use his abilities to disrupt the divine power of Rama the Axe-Bearer, creating an opening.
However, the Dharma of Rama the Axe-Holder seemed impervious to all laws.
His axe techniques were expansive and powerful, with unparalleled strength.
Ganzi's spatial jump was countered by his brute force, the Silver Axe's fierce attack was crushed head-on, and Columbus's interference was useless, unable to shake him in the slightest.
Although they can hold on for a while, the defeat is inevitable!
"How dare these rebellious scoundrels desecrate the true law?!"
With a single blow, Luo Mo repelled Ganzi, then with a backhand slash, golden axe light spread like a crescent moon, forcing the sneak-attacking Columbus to retreat in a sorry state.
"Too weak! Too weak!" Nan Di watched with amusement from the side, not going all out, as if enjoying the thrill of a cat playing with a mouse.
"Is this the power of Heroic Spirits in this world? How disappointing! Arjuna! How long are you going to hide?!"
Before he finished speaking, his figure suddenly disappeared and reappeared behind Ganzi the next moment.
Ganzi was shocked and hastily activated his defensive rules, but they were instantly broken by the greedy devouring power on the scepter!
The weapon pierced his spirit core, frantically plundering his power and concepts!
"No—!" Ganzi roared in unwilling anger, his body quickly became transparent, and finally dissipated into spiritual particles!
A heroic spirit has departed this stage!
It seems that defeat is inevitable.
The Blackbeard Pirates' resistance was almost completely destroyed, their fleet suffered over 80% loss, and one Heroic Spirit was killed while two others were seriously injured.
Only Blackbeard himself, Lafitte, Van Augur and other core members remained, as well as—the Count and Arjuna, who had yet to make a move.
They stood on the deck of the main ship, facing the relentlessly advancing axe-wielding Rama and Duryodhana, as well as the still massive divine army.
"Hahahaha—hahahaha!" Even in this desperate situation, the black-bearded man laughed wildly again.
But there was a hint of barely suppressed excitement and ferocity in that laughter.
"See that? Count? Arjuna? This is the so-called power of a lackey of the God-King! Nothing special!"
He turned abruptly and looked at Arjuna beside him, whose aura was deep and whose eyes were indifferent.
"The time has come! Arjuna! Let these frogs in a well see what true divine power is!"
"Let them understand who has the right to decide the future of this world!"
The count said in a low voice, "Go ahead and do it, Arjuna. Let the blood of the gods stain this sea red."
Arjuna slowly raised his head, and in his cold eyes, gold and black light swirled like a vortex.
He stepped forward, surpassing Blackbeard, and faced Axe-wielding Rama and Duryodhana.
He didn't even glance at the menacing divine army, as if they were nothing more than insignificant dust.
"Arjuna the Axe-Wielder—no match for him—" Arjuna's voice was ethereal and elusive, yet carried an indifference that transcended all things.
"The righteous law you keep talking about is nothing but a shackle that binds all living beings and maintains the authority of the old gods. The god-king you serve is nothing but an ancient being that is stuck in its ways and afraid of change."
He slowly raised his hand, and the Gandiba Divine Bow silently materialized in his palm.
The bow was no longer pure black or gold, but presented a chaotic color, eventually transforming into a long sword.
"Today, I will use this rebellious body, this power that combines the rules of another world with new divinity, to bury the old laws you believe in."
Axe-wielding Rama's expression was extremely solemn. He could sense that Arjuna at this moment was completely different from what he remembered!
That level of power has already approached, or even surpassed, the level of a main god?!
Even Dudu abandoned his mocking tone, his eyes filled with jealousy and murderous intent: "Reclaim your divinity!"
The two heroic spirits, along with all the remaining divine forces, focused all their power and killing intent on Arjuna!
Arjuna, however, simply waved his hand calmly downwards.
There was no sense of oppression, but it was as if all the light in the entire Impel Down sea area was absorbed into it, and the terrifying chasm shook violently, with the water walls on both sides emitting mournful cries!
An unimaginable amount of energy, mixed with Indra's divine lightning, the Avengers' darkness, and the original rules of the Sky Island that had been forcibly stripped away, was being compressed wildly at his fingertips!
"Based on this otherworld, with the core of divinity, I will determine—the Sword of Destruction."
He uttered the true name of the Noble Phantasm, but only in a whisper, as if stating a fact.
The next moment, he released the bowstring.
No sound.
An explosion without light.
There was only one absolute power, centered on Arjuna, spreading out silently like ripples on water.
Wherever it goes, space seems to be erased and the rules seem to be rewritten.
The seemingly indestructible barrier of the Dharma held by Rama melted away like ice and snow under the sun.
Unable to withstand that strange and greedy devouring divine power, it was as if it had encountered its nemesis, and it instantly ceased its attack.
Hundreds of divine soldiers, along with their golden armor and weapons, vanished silently within it, like pencil marks erased by an eraser.
Rom, the axe-wielder, was filled with disbelief and shock as he tried to lift his giant axe in a final stand.
But his body, his spiritual foundation, everything about him, was rapidly disintegrating under the influence of this power.
"Oh well, coming to this other world wasn't a good thing to begin with—"
When it tried to escape, it found itself trapped like a flying insect in amber, unable to move, and eventually turned into the most basic spiritual particles and was completely erased.
"Damn it—it's you five again—"
Just one strike.
Just one strike.
The divine army from the Sky Island, including two powerful heroic spirits and hundreds of divine soldiers, was completely annihilated by that single attack, leaving not even a trace behind.
The sea has returned to calm.
Only the chasm and the burning wreckage of the fleet proved that what had just happened was not an illusion.
Blackbeard stared at the being before him, a being even more terrifying than the one that had previously torn the sea apart, his eyes gleaming with extreme fanaticism.
"Hahahaha! Hahahaha!! Did you see that?! This is my power! God? What's a god?!"
"Before me, you'll all be reduced to ashes!!"
Arjuna slowly lowered Gandiba, the chaotic aura around him dimming slightly. He glanced indifferently at the sky, as if looking at the floating island thousands of meters above.
"The reckoning has only just begun."