The Five Elders were all present.

Five aged men stood together—one gripping a sword, another with long flowing hair, one bald with a fierce gaze, one leaning on a cane, and the last with a sharp mustache.

High above them, standing near the Void Throne within Pangaea Castle, were Kaido and Vane. From this height, they looked down upon the Five Elders with cold indifference.

"Godfall."

The swordsman instinctively reached for his blade—the First Generation Kitetsu—but held back. This was one of the most sacred places in all of Mariejois. Any mistake here could have irreversible consequences.

More importantly, Imu-sama was still sleeping.

They couldn't afford to wake her.

"Damn it... we can't act here!" the old swordsman hissed under his breath. The others heard him clearly.

"Hold back," said the elder with the cane, his tone restrained but urgent. "Not in this place."

They all understood. A confrontation here would lead to ruin.

"They don't dare to move," Vane said calmly, catching the hesitation in the swordsman's stance.

He straightened, golden eyes cold and unwavering as he looked down at the men who claimed to rule the world. They were in their domain—but Vane showed no fear.

"Afraid to act?" he repeated with a smirk, voice easily carrying across the distance.

"I suggest you drop the arrogance," the sword-bearing elder warned. "You and Kaido will not leave this place alive."

The threat did nothing to Vane. He chuckled.

"You sure talk tough for someone who's trembling at the thought of scratching the floor."

"Little brat," growled the bald elder. "Don't think we can't crush you."

"Oh? How exactly would you do that?" Vane asked, amused. He turned to Kaido. "Well, what do you think?"

Kaido scoffed. "They're all bark. I'm getting bored."

Without warning, he stomped the ground. The entire floor split under the pressure of his foot, cracks racing out like spiderwebs.

"Kaido!" the long-haired elder snapped. "Do not disgrace this sacred ground where the gods govern the world!"

He was about to charge forward but was held back by the elder with the mustache.

"Don't be rash. I fear they're only getting started."

At that moment, Vane struck the wall behind him with a punch. The air itself cracked. The wall trembled and fractured, fine dust falling from the fissures.

"Stop!" the elders shouted in panic.

"Godfall!"

"You're defiling the seat of divine rule! If you disrupt their slumber, you'll bear the consequences!"

Their restraint was slipping. Rage was beginning to consume their judgment.

"What a joke," Kaido muttered. "If it were me, I'd have already torn this place down."

"Do it, Kaido," Vane ordered without turning around.

Kaido let out a roar and launched himself from the platform, diving straight toward the Five Elders.

"Damn your World Government!" he shouted, lifting his massive fist midair before even touching the ground.

"Kaido!!" the swordsman finally lost control. He drew his legendary blade, First Generation Kitetsu, the cursed sword humming with power.

Kaido's massive fist met the blade in midair.

The elder braced himself with both hands, but Kaido's fist was enormous—several times larger than the old man's head—and bursting with monstrous force. He was sent staggering seven steps back before he barely managed to stop himself.

Kaido grunted, dissatisfied. He wasn't used to holding back. The Five Elders had long monitored his movements, and he was growing sick of it.

"Too strong," the swordsman muttered, shaken.

"I can't even stretch properly in this place…"

"You've gone too far, Kaido!" the bald elder shouted and leapt forward. His fists cracked like thunder.

"I'm Kaido of the Beasts!" Kaido shouted, swinging a kick toward him.

Despite his size, Kaido's speed was blistering. His punch collided with the elder's own strike—and then his massive fist overwhelmed the man, slamming directly into his face. He followed up with a stomp, pressing down mercilessly.

"I'm sick of you old fools!"

With a thunderous crash, the bald elder was flung backwards and crashed through the main gates.

"Kaido!"

The elder with the cane rushed forward, palm outstretched.

A sudden, invisible force burst forth. It didn't touch Kaido directly, yet the impact landed hard on his midsection, driving him back several steps and crumpling his stomach inward slightly.

"What was that?" Vane narrowed his eyes. The attack hadn't even made physical contact.

Was it some form of Advanced Armament Haki? Or something else entirely?

The Five Elders weren't mere politicians. Vane knew the swordsman had terrifying strength and wielded a blade on par with the Supreme Grade weapons. But the others?

They couldn't be ordinary men. Some must be Haki masters. Others perhaps Devil Fruit users. At the very least, they were likely as powerful as Marine Admirals—if not slightly less.

But why hadn't they ever crushed the Four Emperors?

Simple: they feared death.

Those who ruled from the shadows craved power and permanence. The risk of falling in the New World, facing emperors like Kaido, Big Mom, or Shanks—it was too great. The older you got, the more you feared losing what you had. That was their truth.

Still... these men weren't weak.

"Old fools," Vane called out. "Did you forget I'm still here?"

He raised his right foot.

And stepped on the Void Throne.

The Five Elders froze.

Their eyes widened in horror, and their composure crumbled.

"You dare!?"

"Remove your foot immediately!"

"You'll defile the seat of the gods!"

They all rushed forward, fury consuming their reason.

But Vane didn't flinch. His back remained turned to them as golden summoning circles appeared behind him. Dozens. Hundreds.

Weapons floated behind him, all aimed at the Five Elders.

"You can't stop me," Vane said coldly.

He snapped his fingers.

The weapons fired in unison—swords, spears, cannons, and bladed constructs launched forward with blinding speed, arcs of electricity dancing between them.

The Five Elders were forced to scatter. The swordsman gritted his teeth as a blade grazed his leg, drawing blood.

And Vane?

His foot, still glowing with the energy of the Gura Gura no Mi, trembled with rising power.

The Shock Fruit at its peak.

BOOM!

The platform beneath the Void Throne exploded. Walls cracked and crumbled. The throne—once untouched for centuries—caved inward from the sheer force. The entire hall shook as if the heavens themselves were coming down.

"No!!!"

The Five Elders screamed in horror.

Kaido returned at that moment, unnoticed by the swordsman.

His massive fist descended like a meteor on the elder's bald head.

"Useless fossils," Kaido sneered.

The elder crashed into the ground, forming a massive crater. Whether he was unconscious or dead, no one could tell.

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