Chapter 402: Uranus

"Yahahaha… hmm?"

On the ravaged battlefield, Rocks stood laughing after landing on the ground, holding a Devil Fruit in each hand.

Having scored two decent Devil Fruits, he was in high spirits, but suddenly felt a twinge of unease. Almost reflexively, he looked upward. His pupils shrank; hair stood on end at a powerful sense of foreboding.

He wore a look of disbelief.

"Wait… don't tell me that's…"

"Look, in the sky…"

"There seems to be something up there!!!"

"It's pitch-black… what in the world is it?"

"Is it doing anything…?"

Indeed, just then, the cloud-laden skies revealed something looming: dark, massive—a sight soon noticed by many. Even Golden Lion, Whitebeard, Silver Axe, Wang Zhi, and others turned grim, baffled.

"Swoosh!"

All of a sudden, with no warning, the two Devil Fruits in Rocks' hands vanished without a trace.

"Wang Zhi!!" Rocks' face fell, seething with anger.

He glared instinctively at Wang Zhi—who had the Teleport Fruit.

But Wang Zhi, who himself was looking warily at the sky, was equally dumbfounded, staring blankly at Rocks' furious, murderous gaze:

"What's the matter?"

"Bastard…"

"Vmm—"

Just as Rocks was about to charge at him,

his eyes flashed a scarlet hue. Suddenly, he must have foreseen some terrifying scene. A chill ran through him. Without hesitation, he dashed off, yelling over his shoulder:

"Everyone retreat!!! Evacuate now!!!"

And Golden Lion, Whitebeard, Silver Axe, and others likewise sensed imminent danger, fleeing without a second thought. Wang Zhi too realized something was off, vanishing on the spot without caring for anyone else.

…

"Boom!!!"

At that moment, over in the island's central area, a deafening crash sounded. The giant Fengxi was mercilessly struck, its massive body slamming into the rubble with a huge plume of dust.

"That's…" Eagerly pressing his advantage, Fallen Angel El noticed something and froze in place.

His sharp eyes locked on the gigantic shape in the upper atmosphere, a hint of red glimmer in them. Even someone like him felt his hair stand on end at the monstrous sense of crisis.

"Roar… roar…"

Almost at the same time, the Five Elders—transformed into various huge beasts—charged in viciously, from all angles, hemming El in.

"So that is the legendary Ancient Weapon, Uranus?"

El sneered, black-red lightning arcing across his body. A terrifying blast of Conqueror's Haki surged outward. On his left wrist, the sturdy seastone handcuff shattered in an instant, leaving the Five Elders aghast.

"Minghuhu…" bellowed the enormous sandworm,

opening its maw bristling with fangs and releasing a formidable suction aimed directly at El, trying to drag him inescapably closer.

Yet, contrary to the Five Elders' expectations,

though El had broken free of seastone, he neither unleashed his full rampage nor activated his Quetzalcoatl form. Instead, he fully suppressed his overwhelming aura.

"Minghuhu…"

Flames danced behind his head. He simply beat his wings, stirring a fierce gale of wind to counter the sandworm's powerful suction. He was not drawn in.

"Tch—"

Frenzied, the Bakotsu galloped forth, a savage glint in his eyes. He swung the First Generation Kitetsu, infused with chilling "Yellow Springs" energy and streaked with black-red sparks, slashing at El from a distance.

"Tch—!" The monstrous bird Itsumade screeched, spewing black flames at El, in a full‑power bid to entangle him, preventing escape.

"Roar—roar—!"

The Fengxi howled. Black-red lightning crackled around it, unleashing a terrifying Conqueror's roar that roiled the sky and earth, nearly rupturing eardrums. Many fighters stumbled.

"Aah… aah…"

Especially among the weaker Marines, pirates, and agents who were still conscious, several cried out in misery, dropping to their knees.

"Nobody escapes!!!" The Gyuki form of Saint Saturn likewise threw everything into the fight.

His hunched, malevolent eyes were bloodshot. Pushing his powers to the extreme, he bled horrifically. Not only did he try to snare El himself—he also sought to trap those Rocks Pirate officers desperately fleeing the island. Anyone fell victim to his power, brought to a standstill.

Due to the boar's Conqueror's roar plus the bull demon's sinister eyes, even Rocks, Golden Lion, and Whitebeard—sprinting at top speed—were momentarily impeded. It was only a split second, but that was enough for the Five Elders' purpose: stalling long enough for Uranus to fire, stopping everyone from leaving.

"Tch—tch—"

In that instant, without any warning, countless rays of piercing light appeared over the hulking mass hidden among the clouds, too bright to gaze upon.

"Boom… rumble…"

In everyone's horrified eyes, a full sixteen enormous beams came hammering down from all sides. Not only the island itself but also the surrounding waters where Navy warships and pirate vessels lay were fully enveloped. Within that unbridled glow lay destructive force beyond imagination, spreading outward. A horrifying blow no words could describe swallowed the entire island of God Valley plus the adjacent sea, erasing every last scrap of life—like divine judgment from the heavens, infinite and blinding, deeply terrifying.

"Rumble… rumble…"

A deafening roar shook the sea.

The glare was too intense to face. Not just God Valley but even the "seabed land" below was obliterated by this unimaginable, hair-raising power. The ocean churned, heaving violently.

"Boom… BOOM…"

"Crackle… crackle…"

In mere moments, God Valley was gone. The adjacent waters were gone, too. In their place, a pit of unfathomable depth, a gaping black abyss so colossal it beggared belief. Endless seawater poured in from every direction, flooding down in unbroken currents—a sight that made onlookers shudder with cold dread.