One Piece: The Cryo Doctor on the Straw Hat Ship

"It's...it's our...negligence..."

He clenched his teeth and squeezed out each word with difficulty:

"Your subordinate... would rather die than shirk your duty..."

"Since that's the case, then you might as well die!"

Im's voice came from the shadows above the throne, as calm as if he were stating a trivial matter. The voice was not loud, but it was like an invisible hammer that slammed heavily into the entire Void Palace.

"what?!"

Satan Saint suddenly raised his head, and for the first time, genuine fear and astonishment appeared in his eyes, which had weathered hundreds of years of hardship.

His voice trembled with disbelief, and his body instinctively wanted to back away, but the oppressive aura emanating from the throne was like an invisible mountain, pinning him to the spot so firmly that he couldn't move even a finger.

"Lord Im...I...your subordinate..."

He hadn't finished speaking.

The next instant, endless void flames rose up from beneath his feet without warning!

What kind of flames were those...

It has no warmth, no color, and seems to be nothingness itself seeping out from the cracks in the world.

It doesn't burn the flesh or incinerate the clothes, but it brings a deep, bone-chilling pain, like countless invisible needles piercing the depths of his soul.

Satan Saint's body convulsed violently, his eyes widened, and the dark flames were reflected in his pupils, as if he were seeing a sight more terrifying than death.

"Ughh ...

He finally couldn't hold back and let out a piercing scream!

The voice carried the weight of countless years, the fear of death, and an endless awe and despair for the supreme ruler.

Satan's body began to change at a speed visible to the naked eye—

His once upright and aged body began to hunch and curl up, his skin rapidly turning from bronze to grayish-white, cracking and shrinking like a withered tree that had been drained of moisture.

His once meticulously combed silver-white hair began to fall out and turn gray at a visible rate.

His muscles, his blood, the immense life force of his mythical beast form—everything was rapidly lost like sand in an hourglass under the scorching heat of the Void Flame.

"No...no—!!!"

Satan struggled desperately, trying to activate the fruit power within him to fight against that force.

however--

His abilities seemed to be completely suppressed by some higher-level existence, and he couldn't even make a sound.

His power groaned and cowered within him, like a young beast encountering its natural enemy.

"Lord Im... have... have mercy..."

His voice had become hoarse and weak, like the last struggle of a candle flickering in the wind.

His life, which had been paused, was now slipping away at a rate hundreds of times faster.

In just a few seconds, the head of the Five Elders, who had just been standing in the deepest part of Pangu City, had turned into a withered skeleton.

In the end, even the skeleton, under the continuous burning of the Void Flame, turned into fine ashes like rotten wood weathered for thousands of years, and completely dissipated in the dark flames.

A gentle breeze was blowing.

The ashes scattered, leaving not a trace.

It was as if "Satan Saint" had never existed in this world.

The Void Flame quietly extinguished, as if it had never existed.

The remaining four of the Five Elders remained kneeling on the ground, their foreheads pressed against the cold earth.

They dared not look up, dared not speak, and dared not even make a loud sound when they breathed.

But their bodies were trembling slightly, uncontrollably.

It was pure, unadulterated fear that welled up from the depths of the soul.

"Oh."

A very soft laugh came from above the throne.

There was no anger in the laughter, but rather a faint sense of pleasure, as if one were appreciating a work of art.

Im's voice rang out again, still calm, but carrying a suffocating sense of oppression:

"remember."

“I allow you to make mistakes, but I will not allow you to make excuses for your mistakes.”

He paused, his fingertips lightly tapping the armrest, the subtle sound unusually clear in the deathly silent hall:

"I will handle the Straw Hat crew's matter personally."

As for you—

He slowly stood up, his slender silhouette emerging from the shadows, yet still as blurry as if seen through a layer of mist:

"Go and clean up the rest of the mess."

"Don't let those ignorant mortals think that they can really shake the foundations of this world."

Chapter 258 Visitors from the Revolutionary Army

The outside world is unaware of what happened in Pangu City.

No one would know that the Five Elders, who symbolize the pinnacle of world power, have been replaced without anyone noticing.

Deep within the hall where the Void Throne resides, candlelight flickers, casting constantly shifting shadows on the ancient murals.

……

……

Meanwhile, the Straw Hat Pirates' businesses in the New World were expanding rapidly.

World of Nations, Cake Island.

This island, which once belonged to the Big Mom Pirates, has now changed hands.

Thanks to the area's unique advantages, such as its abundance of delicious food, rich resources, and well-developed sea routes, the Straw Hat Pirates eventually established their new base here.

The huge castle in the center of Whole Cake Island was originally Charlotte Linlin's residence, but it has now been transformed into the Straw Hat Pirates' new command center.

The castle's outer walls have been repainted a bright orange-red, and the Straw Hat Pirate Flag, symbolizing freedom and dreams, flies atop the castle.

The skull wearing the iconic straw hat gleams in the sunlight.

Inside the castle, V was sitting at a large desk, flipping through a thick stack of documents.

His white coat was casually draped over the back of the chair, and his shirt sleeves were rolled up to his elbows, revealing a section of his muscular forearm.

Various drawings, reports, and letters were scattered on the desk, appearing messy yet possessing a peculiar order.

"咚咚-"

A knock sounded on the door, and then Nami pushed the door open and walked in.

She held a document in her hand, her eyes gleaming with a cunning light, and the corners of her mouth slightly turned up, clearly bringing some good news that even made her abandon internal communications and come in person.

"V, Doflamingo has agreed to our terms."

Nami walked to the desk, placed the file on the table, and said with a hint of smugness, "He is willing to give up his scientist Caesar and ownership of several islands in exchange for the opportunity to carry out high-quality modifications for himself and his family members."

Upon hearing this, V put down the documents in his hand, adjusted his glasses, and a meaningful smile appeared on his lips:

"Oh? He really is a pragmatic guy."

“Indeed,” Nami shrugged and mocked.

"Since we took over the territory of the Beasts Pirates and the Big Mom Pirates, countless forces in the New World have tried to take advantage of the chaos to grab a share of the spoils."

"There are only a handful of people who can figure this out so quickly."

"By the way, how's the recruitment of volunteers with special abilities going?"

Having spent several days in the control room without having to worry about miscellaneous tasks, V casually asked.

Nami, who happened to be in charge of the project, immediately replied:

"Everything is going smoothly. More than twenty people with special abilities have already applied to us."

"Most of them want to join our ranks."

"Okay." V ​​nodded. "I'll leave this to you."

"Those who are strong enough will be sent to Blackbeard and Shiki, and they can choose from them."

"For those who are not strong enough, we can leave them to Bucky and let him assist them."

As the saying goes, "When one person attains enlightenment, even his chickens and dogs ascend to heaven."

Now that the Straw Hat Pirates have suddenly acquired two vast territories, they are in dire need of manpower.

Bucky, who had been with them since the East China Sea, worked tirelessly on the Going Merry, and served as a guinea pig in the control room without complaint, naturally saw his status and position greatly elevated.

Although his strength cannot compare with Blackbeard and others, he cannot earn the title of one of the "Eight Great Demons".

But they are considered to be in the third tier of management within the Straw Hat Pirates.

For some reason, people at the lowest levels frequently shouted things like "Bugsy is the real one of the Eight Great Demons!" Even V, who was busy with various prosthetic experiments, had heard about it.

"Dong Dong Dong~"

Just then, there was another knock on V's door.

V and Nami, who were chatting, looked up at the same time and saw a tall man with his face covered by a long scarf standing in the doorway.

"Lord V, Lady Nami!"

The visitor addressed him respectfully.

And this person was none other than Charlotte Katakuri, one of the Sweet Commanders of the original Big Mom Pirates and the second son of Charlotte Linlin.

To protect his brothers and sisters, he has now officially joined the Straw Hat Pirates and filled the last vacancy among the Eight Great Devil.