Jin stood his ground, blade lowered, its faint cold light reflecting the sunlight.
He quietly watched the surging soldiers before him.
Their faces lacked even a trace of fear, only a kind of indifferent, almost mechanical expression, as if they were walking corpses, heedless of life and death, throwing themselves at him.
"What's going on?"
He frowned slightly, a faint sense of unease growing in his heart.
These were not ordinary enemies.
He had seen countless enemies fear, hesitate, and even collapse in desperate situations.
But these people were completely different—even if they knew they were no match, even as their comrades fell one after another, they didn't waver, as if some invisible force was driving them forward.
Jin did not act rashly. His gaze swept across the battlefield, taking in every detail.
The shattered earth, the fallen corpses, the soldiers' chaotic yet persistent attacks… everything pointed to some kind of bizarre order.
He suddenly raised his head, locking his gaze on the Five Elders in the distance.
The five of them stood quietly on high, looking down on the entire battlefield, their expressions as usual, even with faint smiles on their lips. This smile was like a cold blade, piercing into Jin's heart.
"Could it be…"
Jin's heart jolted, and an uneasy guess surfaced in his mind.
In the ensuing battle, he deliberately slowed his attacks, focusing more on the enemies.
He noticed that whenever those soldiers were about to fall, a strange force would surge from their bodies, allowing them to stand up again and rejoin the battle.
What concerned him even more was that the soldiers' eyes were always empty, as if their souls had been extracted.
"As expected."
A chill climbed up Jin's spine.
His gaze turned to the Five Elders again, still standing there, their expressions indifferent, as if watching a play.
Their hands remained still, but Jin knew in his heart that the real control was in their grasp.
"These people are not fighting for themselves at all."
A monstrous rage surged in his heart.
This was the method he hated most—depriving a person of their will, turning them into walking corpses, mere puppets.
He recalled the Five Elders' arrogant expressions and Jaygarcia Saturn's words, "The show has only just begun."
This was not just a battle, it was an experiment.
"These soldiers are just pawns in the Five Elders' hands. What is their real purpose?"
Jin's gaze sharpened.
He knew he had to break this situation as soon as possible.
Otherwise, not only the battle before him, but the entire Elbaf, even the New World, could become their testing ground.
"In that case, I'll cut your 'lines' first!"
Jin took a deep breath and raised his blade again.
His gaze no longer lingered on the soldiers, but pointed directly at the Five Elders' position.
Before the blade flashed, the atmosphere between heaven and earth had already solidified.
Even those puppet-like soldiers couldn't help but stop, as if sensing an irresistible pressure.
"Let's end this farce."
His voice was low but firm, like an unyielding command, echoing in every corner of the battlefield.
......
On the battlefield of Elbaf, the slaughter was in full swing.
The intertwined scent of blood and fire permeated the air, and the shadow of death shrouded every corner.
However, in a slightly higher place, the Five Elders appeared chillingly leisurely.
Ethanbaron V. Nusjuro narrowed his eyes, staring at the battlefield below, his eyes devoid of pity, only a coldness and anticipation for death.
His fingers gently caressed the long staff in front of him, as if touching some mysterious power.
He murmured in a low voice:
"Kill, kill as much as possible… the thicker the blood, the stronger the effect of the ritual."
Shepherd Ju Peter casually smoothed his sleeves, as if preparing for an upcoming performance.
A contemptuous smile appeared on the corner of his mouth, and he said lightly:
"I was worried that there wouldn't be enough sacrifices, after all, the number of people Jin brought was limited.
But I didn't expect that this battle would become our help.
Seeing them fighting so fiercely, wouldn't it be better to have more sacrifices?"
His tone was light, as if discussing the dishes for a feast, rather than tens of thousands of lives.
Jaygarcia Saturn simply sat on a protruding rock, as if this battle was a stage prepared for him.
He clapped his hands gently, smiling extremely smugly:
"Speaking of which, did I act well in that scene before?
It attracted Whitebeard, this big fish, and attracted so many giants and New Navy to join the battle."
His tone was somewhat sarcastic,
"These people are really easy to fool, rushing to their deaths one by one.
They don't know that everything they have is already part of our plan."
Before he finished speaking, he raised his head, as if seeing a higher existence through layers of dark clouds.
His voice was a little lower, and a fanatical light flashed in his eyes:
"With so many sacrifices, Im-sama will definitely be satisfied.
When that moment arrives, this world will once again usher in true 'order'."
Hearing this, Ethanbaron V. Nusjuro showed a sinister smile.
He looked at the distant battlefield, as if he saw those people's lives slowly passing away, turning into some kind of invisible energy gathering.
He said in a low voice:
"Their blood and souls will become the most perfect gift for this ritual.
Whether it's Jin, Whitebeard, or Loki…
They will eventually understand that resisting us is futile."
The Five Elders' conversation was faint in the wind, and the coldness and calculation revealed in their expressions were chilling.
They did not feel the slightest tension because of the situation on the battlefield. On the contrary, they enjoyed it all, as if this cruel battle was just a game they had carefully designed.
"The more complex the game, the more exciting the result,"
Jaygarcia Saturn chuckled softly,
"Now, only the last ring of the ritual is missing…"
......
In Mary Geoise, in the sacred land perched atop the Red Line, a sense of oppressive chill permeated the empty throne hall.
In the deep shadows, Im's figure loomed, like the embodiment of darkness itself.
The huge instrument in front of her emitted a dim light, like a silently beating heart, emitting strange energy fluctuations.
This mysterious instrument seemed to be greedily devouring something, a mass of fog-like energy bodies, mixed with the faint wails of blood and soul, gradually taking shape.
Im's gaze was fixed on the slowly increasing energy body, her eyes flickering with strange light, unfathomable.
She stretched out a pale and slender hand, gently touching the surface of the energy body, feeling the intense life fluctuations and painful echoes within.
"These are far from enough."
Her voice was low, with a strange coldness and dissatisfaction, as if all this effort was just a preliminary paving, still far from her goal.
She turned and walked to one side of the hall, where a huge black mirror was embedded in the wall.
The battlefield of Elbaf appeared in the mirror, a chaotic purgatory:
Blood stained the earth red, corpses piled up like mountains, giants, the New Navy, the Whitebeard Pirates, and even the World Government's army were struggling desperately in intertwined slaughter.
Im coldly watched the scene in the mirror, the corners of her mouth slightly raised, as if she disdained those struggling lives, and seemed to have the current situation under control.
She raised her hand and gently stroked the mirror, as if trying to extract the soul aura from those distant battlefields:
"War is the most perfect harvesting ground.
However, the current sacrifices are not rich enough.
Those useless guys need to speed up."
Her voice was light, but like the biting cold wind in winter, it was chilling.
