Saturn cast a cold glance at the three girls, their faces pale under the crushing weight of his presence. He didn't spare so much as a look at the corpse of the Celestial Dragon on the ground. Instead, his gaze locked onto the bloodstained Devil Fruit in Daren's hand—icy and intent.

"The Fuwa Fuwa no Mi must not fall into your hands."

Daren shrugged with a grin.

"Yeah, well, that's not your call to make."

With a flick of his finger, a pistol shot out from the Celestial Dragon's stiff corpse, twisting midair, melting and reshaping rapidly into a compact steel box.

Daren calmly placed the Fuwa Fuwa no Mi into the box. Under Saturn's darkening glare, he gave a light wave of his hand.

The box instantly folded into a smooth metal sphere, then, propelled by a magnetic field, shot off like a bolt of lightning. In the blink of an eye, it disappeared into the distant sky—then plunged into the depths of the sea.

"If you want it back," Daren said with a smirk, "you're welcome to dive in and fish it out."

Blood vessels burst in Saturn's eyes.

This damn brat… dared to mock him?

His chest rose and fell rapidly.

How long had it been?

He couldn't even remember the last time someone had dared humiliate him—one of the highest authorities in the World Government.

"Very well."

Saturn's eyes burned with fury as he glared at the Vice Admiral before him, his lips curling into a cold, furious smile.

"Daren, I'll admit it—you've grown far beyond my expectations."

"But this is where your story ends."

He took a deep breath, his expression returning to its usual coldness as his towering beast form shrank rapidly, reverting to that grim and domineering old man once more.

"You think you've won?"

"You have no idea what kind of power lies beneath the World Government's 800 years of rule."

His eyes gleamed with arrogance, his hoarse voice low but echoing—as if not even meant for Daren, but for the world itself.

"This time, I miscalculated... Come forth. We can't let this brat leave alive."

The moment his words fell, the world seemed to shift.

Black lightning surged from the ground around Saturn, crackling violently through the snow and sketching out intricate pentagram magic circles across the earth.

Fierce black currents danced upward as an oppressive, sinister aura flooded the area.

From the four magic circles, terrifying power poured forth. The sheer pressure turned the Hancock sisters even paler, forcing them to stumble backward without thinking.

A powerful gust tore through the clearing. Daren narrowed his eyes instinctively.

From each circle, dark silhouettes began to emerge—one after another.

A bald old man in a white samurai robe with a katana at his waist… one of the Five Elders, "Warrior God of Finance," Saint Ethanbaron V. Nusjuro.

A blond elder in a deep red suit, hands tucked into his pockets… "Warrior God of Agriculture," Saint Shepard Ju Peter.

A bald man with a dark green suit and a thick mustache… "Warrior God of Justice," Saint Topman Warcury.

An elder with long white hair and beard, clad in a deep blue suit… "Warrior God of Environment," Saint Marcus Mars.

And finally, the one already present—wearing a black flat cap and suit—"Warrior God of Science and Defense," Saint Jaygarcia Saturn.

The five figures stood in a line, their presence immense, like mountains looming over the earth. Behind each one, enormous and grotesque black shadows writhed in the air, casting a suffocating pressure over everything.

In the howling wind and thunder of the summoning ritual, the Five Elders… had assembled.

Daren narrowed his eyes at the scene before him—then smiled.

"So that's how it is. Not just you, huh, Saturn-sama? The other Five Elders can be summoned too, through these magic circles?"

Feeling a danger so intense it made every hair on his body stand on end, the grin on the Vice Admiral's face only grew more brazen.

"All five of you showed up? I'm truly honored—such a show of respect from the Five Elders!"

Topman Warcury frowned and said coldly,

"You've disappointed us, Daren."

Saint Shepard Ju Peter added with an icy tone,

"We were even considering grooming you to become a future Admiral. You're smarter than Sengoku—far more suited for the role."

Saint Marcus Mars sneered,

"Pity. Insects are still insects. Like ants in the dirt, forever crawling with no real perspective."

Saint Ethanbaron V. Nusjuro slid his cursed blade slightly from its sheath and chuckled darkly,

"You'll soon understand... what true despair feels like."

Saturn gripped his worn cane, his voice dripping with malice,

"Enough talking. We can't let this brat escape."

The moment he spoke, a flicker of murderous intent lit up in all five of their eyes.

But just as they were about to act, their expressions shifted. A crimson glow surged deep within their pupils, and they abruptly retreated, pulling back to gain distance.

Boom!!

A howling tornado came crashing down from the sky, laced with a horrifying, twisting force that tore through everything in its path.

Rip—!!

Ice, snow, and towering trees were shredded and pulverized. The ground erupted with thunderous explosions.

The violent wind roared like a deep green dragon, carving out a chasm between Daren and the Five Elders—an impassable rift no one could cross.

The Five Elders stared at the fading storm, their expressions darkening as a realization took root. They all furrowed their brows.

As the winds died down, a massive, bottomless crevice stretched across the land, separating Daren from the Five Elders.

And then, under their watchful gaze, three shadowy figures silently appeared beside the Vice Admiral.

Each wore a large hood that concealed their faces. Their heights varied, but the pressure they exuded was immense.

"I thought you got lost,"

Daren spoke with a relaxed smile, unsurprised by their arrival.

"Not quite," one of them replied with mock annoyance.

"But I've got to say, Daren, this is pretty underhanded."

His deep, resonant voice carried a commanding presence, the kind that looked down upon the seas.

"Didn't you say we were just here to kill a few Celestial Dragons? Since when did that include fighting the Five Elders?"

Daren smiled.

"Well, aren't they Celestial Dragons too?"

The man hesitated, then scowled.

"Don't lump them together. These are the Five Elders—top of the World Government, centuries-old monsters!"

"So, what do you want?"

"More pay."

"Fine. I'll throw in an extra five billion."

The man stiffened, as if struck by lightning. His cloak rippled as he stood frozen.

A beat passed.

"It's just the Five Elders!"

He burst into laughter, whipping off his hood to reveal a face full of raw, regal power. His messy black hair framed stern eyes and a blood-red tattoo branded on one cheek.

At the same time, the other two pulled back their hoods with a resigned sigh.

One wore glasses and had the gentle demeanor of a scholar—if you ignored his towering, bear-like physique. It was Bartholomew Kuma.

The last had a massive face and an exaggerated appearance: deep purple explosion hair, thick lashes, flamboyant eye shadow and lipstick. Clad in fishnet stockings, a cape, and a scandalously low-cut bodysuit—it was Emporio Ivankov.

The Five Elders' expressions turned stormy at the sight of them.

"Monkey D. Dragon, leader of the Freedom Fighters."

"Officer Bartholomew Kuma."

"Officer Emporio Ivankov."

Saturn narrowed his eyes at Daren, his voice low and menacing.

"No wonder the Freedom Fighters have been rising so quickly. So you've been funding them from the shadows."

Just Daren alone was already a huge threat. Now, with several powerful allies—especially Dragon—things had become far more dangerous.

A shadow passed across the Five Elders' faces.

"Funding's not quite right," Daren said with a slight nod.

"Just... making some friends."

He gave a casual smile, then bowed politely.

"With all Five Elders gathered in one place, it's only right I welcome you properly."

"Welcome to the North Blue, everyone."