Center of the battlefield.
The endless, thick, almost solidified dark torrent boiled violently under the dark red Conqueror's Haki, its surface continuously undulating. This sight was unsettling.
From a distance, it looked as if some terrifying and massive monster was about to emerge from beneath the endless darkness.
"Hey, hey! That ship, are the Five Elders really on it? Saturn-sama? Why does it look like it's carrying some kind of monster?"
"I feel the same way… The Five Elders hold the highest power in the world, and I've never heard of them having very strong abilities…."
"Hmm… perhaps it's some kind of Devil Fruit ability? Given Saturn-sama's status, it's normal for him to always have powerful guards by his side, right?"
"Is it a powerful World Government individual we haven't heard of?"
"That's not strange. There are quite a few powerful individuals among those CP0 spies…."
The warship remained far away at the edge of the battlefield. As the Marines discussed, they watched the battle carefully with wide eyes, afraid to miss this potentially once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to witness such a fight.
Although the distance was great, the battle's scope was also vast. The large-scale energy confrontation allowed those outside the battlefield to clearly see the combat scene at the very center.
If one paid close attention, they could even 'see' the gigantic monster's face appearing on the surface of the dark torrent, its maw wide open, roaring furiously at the dark red light above.
However, these were all merely the spectators' imaginings.
The true situation within the battlefield… was actually even more terrifying.
There truly was something terrifying lurking beneath the tide of darkness, but it wasn't an ordinary monster as the spectators imagined. It was a powerful, immortal devil.
Of course, humans cannot imagine things they have not seen, so it was normal for the Marine personnel observing not to guess the true situation.
Compared to other observers, Kenji, who was inside the laboratory and not directly watching the center of the battlefield, had a clear premonition of Saturn's performance.
At the same time, he also knew what kind of ability the other party was currently using.
As expected, it's been tainted by Imu's power…
In Kenji's Observation Haki, a powerful and unsettling evil force was intensely active.
In fact, if he hadn't known in advance about the Five Elders' abilities and the power of the one behind them…
Even if he had perceived it with Observation Haki now, it would have been difficult to distinguish this evil power.
After all, it was a power Kenji had never directly encountered before. Even during the God Valley Battle, he had not entered God Valley, so he hadn't directly faced the Five Elders.
However, just one of the Five Elders possesses such immense power…
It might also be…
Kenji's eyes flashed, and he had a vague suspicion in his heart.
He still had no intention of getting up and leaving the laboratory. In fact, Kenji had been waiting all along for the system's mission prompt.
With the Five Elders personally arriving, and him choosing to attack them…
Under normal circumstances, the system should have issued a corresponding mission by now.
Last time in Elbaph, the system gave a Choice Mission.
'Although in the system's timeline, I am already an Admiral, but with the previous choice mission… the World Government should be considered an opposing faction, right?'
Kenji generally understood the system's mission mechanism. Basically, only for opposing factions would the system issue corresponding combat missions.
As for allied factions, it would generally be assistance missions.
The establishment of enemy and allied factions was determined by certain system mechanisms.
At present, Kenji had actively attacked the World Government forces, and even Saturn.
Based on his past experience, the system would likely issue a corresponding mission after the determination was complete. However, this waiting time was longer than any previous mission determination.
'It involves the world's darkest secrets…' Kenji vaguely felt that this system determination was different from before.
It might determine his future faction stance. Of course, it was the faction stance on the system's timeline, the stance in reality could still be flexibly changed.
Since the system had not issued a mission, Kenji decided to continue waiting in the laboratory. And he also did not intend to use his true power, his so-called trump card.
The so-called Five Elders are merely puppets under Imu.
Kenji recalled the scene where Saturn was casually obliterated by Imu. In such a situation, one could say that even a puppet was slightly better off than them.
And since he had decided, and even already attacked the Five Elders, Kenji naturally had to consider Imu, who was behind the Five Elders. That was the true final boss, and his trump cards could not be used up before seeing the boss' health bar.
If he used all his strength to deal with the puppets under the boss, then what would be the point of fighting the boss?
Moreover, Imu was equivalent to a world-class boss who could move freely. Imu wouldn't foolishly stay in a fixed location, waiting for you to develop and challenge them.
Imu would actively attack!
'Speaking of which, Imu's abilities, besides Black Conversion Control, his own strength…'
Kenji carefully recalled Imu's abilities.
While Imu's own raw strength was great, the most troublesome aspect was Black Concersion Control. With Kenji's strength, he naturally didn't fear this power, but others around him wouldn't be able to handle it.
And he was temporarily unsure whether his Conqueror's Haki - God's Domain could reverse this Black Conversion Control's effect. Moreover, this kind of thing wasn't easy to test.
If it didn't work, everyone around him would be consumed in one go. Besides, Kenji didn't want to be some world-saving hero and test such an uncertain thing, it was somewhat irrational.
'In this battle… I need to try to test the power of Imu's faction.'
Kenji focused his attention, carefully sensing the movements on the distant sea battlefield.
The main target of his perception was the warship where Saturn was located. Although he hadn't left the laboratory and couldn't see the appearance of that warship on the distant sea with his own eyes…
At this moment, by sensing the changes in auras through Observation Haki, combined with his understanding of the powers possessed by Imu and the Five Elders, he could construct a rough image in his mind.
At this moment, near the Egghead Island port, dark torrents continuously bubbled.
And the thick, almost solidified darkness continued to spread around, seemingly trying to transform the sea into a land of darkness. This scene was terrifying and dreadful.
However, this was the final glorious moment of the dark torrent before him.
The next moment, dark red light descended from the sky.
The dark torrent seemed to encounter its natural enemy, constantly flowing back.
Different areas had different rates of flow back, causing the interior of the dark torrent to become pitted, with the very center showing a deep depression.
The dark red Haki continued to push and suppress. Under its pressure, the demonic darkness was compressed as a whole.