At this moment, Elior stood before Reiju and the others.

Despite facing a monster like an Admiral, Reiju and the others remained relatively calm. After all, they were well aware of Elior's terrifying strength — even someone of that level wouldn't pose a threat to him.

However, the newly joined Cavendish, Baby 5, and Sugar couldn't help but panic. This was, after all, their first time confronting an admiral.

"Let me see what you're made of."

With a sharp metallic sound, Fujitora unsheathed his blade. Instantly, both the sword and his body were wrapped in a swirling purple aura.

This was gravity's color. In a certain country Elior once knew, gravity was represented by the color purple. And as the user of the Press-Press Fruit, Fujitora's entire presence was shrouded in it.

Then, his pressure began to spike.

Without a word, Fujitora swung his sword downward. A glowing purple circle appeared beneath their feet—then, something massive materialized in the sky.

"What the hell is that!?"

Cavendish looked up and froze in shock. A massive, burning meteor had appeared out of thin air and was now plummeting straight toward them.

"A monster!"

"So the rumors are true... A man who can summon meteorites at will!"

"A Paramecia-type user of the Press-Press Fruit... a monster who manipulates gravity itself!"

Everyone's expressions changed.

The meteor was colossal — easily large enough to obliterate the coastline, and its blazing flames could set the entire forest behind them ablaze. It exuded pure devastation.

"Captain, be careful!" Reiju shouted in alarm from behind.

But Elior simply glanced up at the falling inferno. His face showed no hint of panic. He leapt calmly into the air and extended his right hand.

"Does he think he can punch that thing apart!?"

Fujitora was puzzled. Though blind, his Haki allowed him to perfectly sense Elior's movement. He could tell Elior had jumped and raised his hand. Was he trying to shatter the meteorite with brute force?

This one was far larger than the meteorites Fujitora had summoned during the original work — nearly a hundred meters wide. He wanted to test Elior's true strength.

But Elior didn't plan on smashing it with his fists.

To everyone's shock, just as the meteor came within a meter of him, Elior's right palm made contact with its surface. In an instant, a wave of chilling energy froze part of the meteorite's blazing surface.

And then, the Honkai ability was unleashed.

The Honkai power was similar to the Tremor-Tremor Fruit, but unlike Whitebeard's fruit, Elior didn't need to punch with brute force. A simple touch was enough to tear an object apart.

BOOM!

The explosion was deafening. In the stunned eyes of Reiju and the others, the massive meteorite shattered into countless pieces!

"The captain's power is even more terrifying than I thought… But what the hell is that ability?"

Crocodile was stunned. Though he had been traveling with Elior for some time, the man had never once revealed the nature of his power—not even to his closest allies.

The meteor was now completely destroyed, its fragments no larger than the average adult.

Elior had perfect mastery of his Honkai ability, controlling how much an object disintegrated.

However, the fragments didn't fall. They remained suspended in the air.

Elior immediately realized Fujitora was using gravity to keep the meteorite shards afloat.

"Incredible… Is this the power of a Yonko?"

"If that thing had hit me, I'd be dead for sure!"

Cavendish was overwhelmed, staring at Elior as if looking at a god.

Sugar and Baby 5 felt the same. The sheer power of someone who could destroy a meteorite with a mere palm made their hearts pound uncontrollably.

Reiju and Crocodile had long known of Elior's terrifying strength, but even they couldn't hide their shock.

"What kind of power is that!? He shattered a meteorite with just a touch... As expected of a Yonko."

Even Fujitora was left stunned. He had assumed Elior would try to punch the meteorite, but instead, he'd used something entirely different—something unknown.

What ability is this?

Fujitora couldn't see, but he could sense it — and it shook him. That meteorite was a black mass of devastation, and it had been destroyed like nothing.

Elior landed gracefully.

Fujitora guided the meteorite fragments away from the coastline, casting them into the sea. The waves rose and swallowed them one by one.

"All's clear. I'll be going now, Admiral Fujitora."

Elior turned to Reiju and the others. They immediately understood. It was time to leave.

Fujitora didn't follow.

Elior knew that the Admiral had no love for pirates—but he wasn't there to start a war. The meteorite had simply been a test.

And now, Fujitora had his answer.

"What is that power?"

With a single touch, Elior had undone a disaster. Fujitora could hardly believe it.

No wonder the Marines lost the war...

The enemy was simply too powerful.

Officially, the Marine had declared victory — but anyone with eyes knew the truth. They had been devastated.

After the war, Elior stormed into the vacuum left behind, taking control of all Whitebeard's former territories — starting with Fish-Man Island.

He had truly become one of the Yonko.

Since then, the world had entered a strange calm. The big players were quiet, while small-time pirates made noise here and there.

But the World Government and Marine knew the real danger wasn't the petty criminals.

It was people like Elior.

The seas seemed peaceful…

The One Piece still loomed, driving the New World into chaos and ambition—but the monsters remained silent.

But for how long?

Fujitora suspected the war at Marineford had merely been the prologue to something far more terrifying.

The likes of Sengoku and Tsuru agreed.

A new era had begun.

A more dangerous one.

Facing the direction Elior had left, Fujitora stood in silence. He could no longer hear their voices—the ship was gone.

He knew Elior had left Dressrosa. As for where he was headed—only Elior knew. And why had he come to meet Doflamingo?

On the ship, now sailing away from the island—

Sugar leaned against the railing, watching Dressrosa disappear behind them. She still couldn't understand why Doflamingo had discarded her.

Would she never return to Dressrosa?

Would she spend the rest of her life under the command of Elior, a Yonko?

The thought terrified her. Elior felt like a devil in human skin. His power was overwhelming.

Just thinking about it made her scalp tingle and her body tremble.

"Captain, what was that Admiral trying to do?" Crocodile asked.

Cavendish added, "Yeah, that guy was a monster. Is he even human?"

"He was just testing me. He wasn't hostile. And besides, he wouldn't dare make a move—not alone."

"That devil fruit is terrifying" Crocodile said. "By the way, where are we headed next?"

"Zou."

"Zou? You mean that country on top of a giant elephant?"

"Exactly. There's a Road Poneglyph there."

Elior estimated that after getting the Road Poneglyph on Zou, he would travel to Wano to retrieve another one. That would give him three. Then, with Doflamingo's intelligence network, he could track down the last.

Once all four Road Poneglyphs were in hand — and the powers in the New World dealt with — he could reach Laugh Tale.

It was worth noting that the truth of this world, the contents of the missing century, had all been engraved onto stone tablets hidden on Laugh Tale by Roger himself.

That's what Roger meant when he said he had left "everything" there.

Still, Elior didn't believe Laugh Tale was that simple.

The island was too mysterious.

According to a historical Poneglyph on Fish-Man Island, eight hundred years ago, that place had already been significant.

Which mean t— no matter what — Elior had to go there.

There was also another place that intrigued him:

God Valley — the island tied to the God Valley Incident.

Elior didn't believe it had been truly destroyed by the World Government. More likely, it had been erased from maps and hidden from the world.

It probably still existed, shrouded in secrets.

Why had Rocks gone there?

And why was it called God Valley?

In this world, "gods" meant the Celestial Dragons.

Elior figured it was time to ask either Big Mom or Kaido.

After all, they had been there.