"Finally... finally gone..."

Overwhelmed by the sheer shock of the God's Knights Commander's statue collapsing, all CP members and Holy Land guardians present collectively exhaled in relief as that god-like, demonic figure vanished into the distant horizon.

"He's nothing short of a monster..."

"Terrifying."

"Completely unstoppable."

"If he wanted to, he could slaughter every last one of us anytime."

"..."

Amid the thunderous crash of the statue's collapse, even the weaker members among them collapsed onto the ground, utterly drained. They gasped for breath, their faces drained of color.

In truth, many among them had personally endured the bombing of the Holy Land that day.

Yet compared to the North Blue Fleet's formidable firepower, Rogers Daren—though arriving alone—proved far more terrifying than that entire invincible fleet.

The North Blue Fleet's strength lay in its aerial mobility, its devastating barrage, but most crucially, its stealth and element of surprise. In truth, if properly prepared and vigilant, the Holy Land's defenses possessed a certain counterstrike capability even against the North Blue Fleet's bombardment.

After all, the previous devastating casualties stemmed largely from Mary Geoise's prolonged peace, leaving it utterly unprepared.

This time, however, was different.

Without commanding his fleet, and certainly without his vice-admiral, Rogers Daren infiltrated Mary Geoise alone. His sheer power alone was enough to suppress the combined might of the Five Elders, the World Government's highest authority, and nearly eliminated Saint Figarland Garling, the commander of the God's Knights, hailed as the "Strongest Celestial Dragon"!

That unparalleled arrogance, that defiant gaze from the Celestial Stairway overlooking the world—it was a sight the Holy Land garrison force personnel would never forget for the rest of their lives.

A single man standing against the might of the entire World Government... Unprecedented in eight hundred years!

At this thought, they couldn't help but cast cautious glances toward the Five Elders.

Gazing upon those five figures—their faces grim yet silent—for some reason, the crowd sensed that the Five Elders, once perceived as inscrutable, godlike figures of immense power and authority, seemed somehow less awe-inspiring than before.

…

Dust swirled across the square.

A long silence hung heavily in the air.

"Are you all right, Garling?"

Saint Warcury exhaled a heavy breath, forcing his expression back to calm before turning to face the Celestial Dragon behind him.

Saint Figarland Garling... the man famed for his elegance and power as the "Strongest Celestial Dragon" now looked utterly pitiful. His entire arm had vanished, leaving only a horrific gaping hole where his shoulder should have been. The writhing flesh revealed the ghastly whiteness of bone beneath. His blood-stained, crescent-moon hairstyle hung in disarray, matted with gore. Blood covered his face, body, clothes, arms, and even the ground around his feet. Crimson droplets dripped steadily, while shards of the shattered sword littered the surrounding area.

"Do I look like I'm fine?"

Saint Figarland Garling spoke, his tone tinged with bitter laughter.

The Five Elders fell silent upon hearing this.

Figarland Saint Garling shook his head, glancing at his toppled statue in the distance. An indescribable absurdity suddenly welled up within him. An unprecedented humiliation!

Saint Saturn rasped:

"This happened suddenly. We must contain the news as much as possible to maintain the government's authority. Garling, we will find a way to repair your injuries. Your arm..."

"...Haven't we Celestial Dragons suffered enough disgrace already?"

Saint Figarland Garling cut him off. He lifted his gaze, his eyes cold as he fixed them on the technological defense warrior before him.

"What good would restoring my arm do? Today's events can't be concealed. Even if we slaughter every guard, what then? Don't forget—the representatives of the Member Nations all witnessed that creature's appearance."

"You old fools, cease wasting time and energy on such futility. To uphold the government's authority, there is only one solution: eliminate Rogers Daren at any cost."

"As for this arm of mine..."

His left hand, clutching the gaping wound, suddenly tightened. Five fingers dug deep into flesh, more blood seeping through the cracks between his knuckles. Under the searing pain, Saint Figarland Garling's expression twisted into a hideous grimace—a maniacal, obsessive frenzy. The smile at the corner of his mouth grew more pronounced.

"So be it. It'll serve as a reminder that there exists a monster in this world more brilliant, more terrifying than me, Figarland Garling!"

"Besides, I've no desire to become a being like you—neither human nor ghost."

With that, he turned away with a cold laugh, walking step by step into the distance without looking back.

Watching Saint Figarland Garling's retreating figure, the Five Elders all frowned in unison.

Just then, a golden light streaked across the distant sky, plunging into the earth at breakneck speed. Countless golden photons coalesced into a towering human form. Borsalino stroked the stubble on his chin, his expression comically exaggerated as he remarked:

"This is truly terrifying... such devastating losses..."

"You're too late, Borsalino."

Fleet Admiral Kong spoke with evident displeasure:

"Didn't I send word to G1 immediately?"

Borsalino raised his hands in surrender, sighing helplessly:

"Fleet Admiral Kong... I moved as swiftly as possible, but orders are orders—Marines' entry into the Holy Land requires approval from CP authorities."

Kong erupted in fury:

"Damn it! What kind of time is this for such orders?!"

"The Marines are the vital military force guarding the Holy Land! Borsalino..."

"Enough, Kong..."

Saint Warcury interrupted him, speaking calmly:

"That is our command. You need not make an issue of it."

Kong pressed his lips together and said:

"Honorable Elders, if the Marines' forces could freely enter the Holy Land, we could absolutely stop Rogers Daren..."

Saint Saturn waved his hand dismissively:

"This matter is for our free decision. You need not ask further."

"However, we have a question for you..."

He paused, his cloudy, aged eyes suddenly sharpening. An eerie crimson glow began to surge within his pupils as he fixed his gaze intently on Kong.

"Why did you let that brat leave?"

As the words fell, the other Five Elders all stared at Kong.

"We... require an explanation."

If you find any errors ( broken links, non-standard content, etc.. ), Please let us know < report chapter > so we can fix it as soon as possible.