Not just the three remaining of the Five Elders, but everyone in the battlefield now realized Hui hadn't been fighting seriously.
A chilling realization washed over them. If he was already invincible without exerting his full power, how terrifying would he be at his peak? Could they truly hope to defeat such a monstrous?
Doubt and despair filled their hearts.
"Judging by your expressions, this is all you've got. How disappointing.
Not only did you fail to entertain me, but you couldn't even satisfy my blade. The so-called World Government and the so-called Marines... they're nothing more than this," Hui said, his voice laced with disappointment. He had hoped for some surprising hidden techniques, some desperate gambits, but there was nothing.
Just utter disappointment.
His words were a stinging humiliation for everyone present. But what could they do? Hui was stronger, far stronger. In this world, strength reigned supreme. Truth and dignity belonged only to the powerful.
"Why don't you all come at me together? Let's get this over with. You're wasting my Devil Fruit collecting time," Hui said, his boredom evident.
His words sparked a mixture of frustration and a flicker of desperate hope in the eyes of some.
"Everyone, attack!" someone shouted, unable to bear the shame and humiliation any longer, throwing caution to the wind.
In an instant, everyone charged. The three Elders, Fleet Admiral Sengoku, Admiral Z, Hero Garp, the future admirals Akainu, Kuzan, and Kizaru, numerous Vice Admirals, World Government agents, and CP0 commanders all surged forward in a desperate, unified assault.
And then...
Bang!
Thud!
Crack!
One after another, figures were sent flying, crashing back down to earth.
The number of those surrounding Hui dwindled until, finally, there was no one left. Everyone had been beaten down.
It wasn't even a contest. These individuals, considered powerhouses in this world, were swatted aside like flies by Hui's punches and kicks, utterly helpless.
Lying on the ground, gazing up at the figure in the sky, they felt a crushing despair. Was this man truly a god? If not, how could someone so powerful exist? Even the three Elders felt a sense of defeat, their hearts filled with fear and regret.
They shouldn't have tried to capture this monster on their own. They should have awakened Imu-sama. Perhaps only Imu-sama could deal with this devil.
"Is this the end?" Hui asked, looking down at the defeated figures. He sighed, shaking his head. Not a single one had posed a challenge.
"Then, let's finish this." Two energy spheres materialized in Hui's hands.
They chased each other, spinning faster and faster, building in intensity. It was the technique Hui used to create lakes. If unleashed, Marineford would cease to exist.
Suddenly, a voice cut through the tension, capturing everyone's attention. "We'll give you the Devil Fruit! We'll give you all the Devil Fruits in Marine Headquarters!"
All eyes turned towards the source of the offer. It was a woman of mature beauty, her age unable to fully mask the stunning features that hinted at her youthful radiance.
"Tsuru!" Sengoku and Garp exclaimed simultaneously. The speaker was none other than their comrade, Vice Admiral Tsuru, a woman with whom they shared deep bonds.
"Your objective is Devil Fruits, isn't it? I offer you all the Devil Fruits in this entire Marine base. In exchange, spare everyone's lives," Vice Admiral Tsuru pleaded, her posture humble, her words a plea to Hui.
Such a scene would have been unthinkable before Hui's arrival. But now, she had no other choice. If she didn't act, Marine Headquarters, along with everyone in it, would be annihilated.
A smile touched Hui's lips. The energy spheres in his hands slowed their rotation, eventually coming to a complete stop before dissipating into nothingness.
"It seems Marine Headquarters isn't entirely devoid of individuals with a brain. My demands has always been simple: a few Devil Fruits. Was there a need for such drastic measures, for such unpleasantness?" Hui shook his head.
"I accept your offer. Give me the Devil Fruits, and I'll leave this place to plunder elsewhere," Hui declared.
Everyone froze, their bodies stiff, their minds reeling in a mixture of relief and complex emotions. He... agreed? He would truly leave for just a handful of Devil Fruits? It dawned on them: hadn't they already analyzed this? His objective had always been Devil Fruits.
This entire conflict had erupted because of the Marines' stubborn pride, their inability to lower their heads. And now, because of that pride, the outcome remained the same, yet the process had been brutal and bloody.
None of these deaths needed to happen.
"Bring the Devil Fruits," Tsuru commanded. Several Marines appeared, carrying large chests. Inside were all the Devil Fruits stored at Marine Headquarters.
Tsuru had decided to surrender all the fruits at once for two reasons.
Firstly, she wasn't certain Hui would truly cease his attack. Secondly, by relinquishing all the fruits now, they might avoid future confrontations with Hui.
They couldn't defeat him. Better to surrender the fruits and sever all ties with him than to endure repeated humiliation and the erosion of their dignity.
Tsuru's wisdom was precisely why Hui had praised her for having a working brain.
Hui activated his spatial ability, and the chests vanished into his personal dimension.
The remaining three Elders' eyes widened in shock, and a tremor of fear ran through everyone present. He hadn't been trapped at all.
His spatial ability had been available the entire time. He simply hadn't used it.
The realization drained the color from many faces. They had been nothing but clowns, completely underestimated by Hui. Everything had been a game to him, a way to amuse himself and his blade.
"You should have done this from the start. But it's not too late now.
"That was quite entertaining if I say myself, a pity it has to end here. I hope our next encounter will have a more pleasant ending," Hui said with a slight smile, before vanishing in a flicker of spatial displacement.
Silence descended upon the ravaged Marineford. While the battlefield fell quiet, the world outside erupted in chaos.
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