Ash stepped out of the space gate, ready to let out a triumphant shout, only to find a group of Dawn Faction members led by Daly Jason hovering in the air, relentlessly bombarding a section of Beehive Island.
Meanwhile, Kirk and Dicken stood at the forefront of the formation, poised to engage whatever emerged from the devastated battlefield.
Farther away, Pini and Youki, both in their half-beast forms, were fiercely battling the father and son of the Figarland Family.
Using Observation Haki, Ash quickly sensed that the two overwhelming presences at the center of Beehive Island were still locked in their endless clash.
Flashing to the front of the formation, he asked curiously,
"Everything was fine when I left. What's going on here?"
His sudden departure earlier had naturally caught the attention of the vigilant Kirk and Dicken, so neither was surprised by his abrupt return.
"These bastards recover endlessly. We can't kill them."
Kirk's explanation was brief and direct.
Ash immediately understood.
No wonder Jason was leading everyone in a nonstop bombardment. They had discovered that the members of the God's Knights simply could not be killed.
Since nobody understood the source of their immortality, they had chosen the simplest solution, keep attacking and never give them a chance to fully recover.
"And what about those two?"
Ash gestured toward Pini and Youki.
Kirk glanced over.
"Those two are pretty strong. They haven't been overwhelmed since the fight started. Pini and Youki got excited once they found worthy opponents. You know how they are."
"That interesting, huh?"
Sali quietly listened before looking toward the distant battlefield.
Then he shouted toward Jason and the others.
"Stop attacking for now. Let two of them out. I want to see if they really can't be killed."
With Ash back, everyone's confidence visibly increased.
Upon hearing Sali's order, the bombardment immediately ceased.
As the colorful elemental attacks disappeared, Dicken waved his hand.
A powerful gust swept through the area, instantly clearing away the dust and smoke.
Inside the massive crater, six incomplete figures were revealed.
Staying true to his belief that any location could become a lounge, Ash casually waved his hand.
A reclining sun chair, tea table, and parasol instantly appeared.
"You people are unbelievable."
Ash shook his head.
"You've got immortal opponents standing right in front of you, and you're wasting the opportunity? These are free training dummies. If you've been developing new techniques, why aren't you testing them immediately?"
Everyone's eyes lit up.
That was absolutely true.
Where else could they find opponents who couldn't die?
The newer members were still trying to decide who to fight.
The veterans of the Dawn Faction, however, had long abandoned any concern for fairness.
They attacked immediately.
"Cough! Cough! It's been a long time since I've suffered such terrifying attacks! This Dawn Ship of Ash's actually possesses so many high-level..."
Before Shepherd Sommers Saint could finish speaking, Kirk suddenly appeared beneath him.
A devastating kick slammed into his chin.
Boom!
The God's Knight shot out of the crater like a cannonball.
"Thanks, Kirk."
At the crater's edge, Tsuki immediately accepted the opponent Kirk had delivered.
"It's nothing."
Kirk flashed back beneath Ash's parasol, pulled out his own beach chair, and sat down.
"Black tea or fruit wine?"
"Haha, fruit wine."
Ash laughed.
"I knew your personality wasn't suited for taking the initiative. Turns out you were helping Tsuki find an opponent."
Kirk smiled.
"That guy's ability uses a strange thorn-based power. Tsuki mentioned wanting to study it, so naturally I helped him out."
While the two chatted leisurely, the remaining members of the God's Knights had already been completely divided among the others.
Sali was especially domineering.
He claimed two opponents for himself.
Ice gathered in one hand while lightning crackled in the other.
With a single burst of power, he blasted both God's Knights away.
Dicken and Jason followed suit, each selecting an opponent before dragging them elsewhere to begin their own unrestricted experiments.
Fidel and McKinley lacked the confidence to face a God's Knight alone.
The two exchanged glances.
"Together?"
"Together."
First come, first served.
The newer recruits could only watch helplessly as the veterans claimed all the available opponents.
Left with no choice, they gathered nearby and observed the battles, hoping to secretly learn a few techniques from their seniors, much like McKinley.
At the same time, beneath Red Port.
Members of the Revolutionary Army had already gathered in secret.
Aside from the high-ranking officers participating in the assault, a large fleet had been prepared by ordinary Revolutionary Army soldiers.
Their mission was simple.
Rescue every slave they could from the Holy Land.
Dragon stood before the assembled forces with a solemn expression.
Looking at the eager faces before him, he spoke in a deep voice.
"A great wind rises, the clouds soar high. When our great cause is achieved, we shall return home!"
The Revolutionary Army soldiers initially looked confused.
Then, as the meaning settled in, their emotions erupted.
Their enthusiasm surged like a tidal wave.
Dragon secretly nodded in satisfaction.
The phrase Lord Ash had given him was indeed impressive.
The part about the rising wind especially suited him.
Among the crowd, Koala quietly tugged on Sabo's sleeve.
"What did the Chief mean? Why is everyone suddenly so excited?"
Sabo discreetly lowered his voice.
"I have no idea either. But we're about to attack the Holy Land, so just get excited with everyone else."
Witnessing the crowd's reaction, Dragon raised both hands for silence.
The noise quickly died down.
"We have four objectives in this operation."
"First, destroy the symbol of the Celestial Dragons, the Hoof of the Soaring Dragon, and formally declare total war against them."
"Second, destroy all food reserves within the Holy Land and cut off the Celestial Dragons' food supply."
"Third, rescue every slave possible and strengthen the ranks of those willing to resist."
"Fourth, if circumstances allow, eliminate as many Celestial Dragons as possible."
"Morley."
Dragon immediately began assigning tasks.
"After entering the Holy Land, your primary mission is to locate the slave holding areas and safely escort as many slaves as possible to Red Port."
"Got it, Chief!"
Dragon ignored Morley's overly enthusiastic response and turned toward Crow.
"Crow, I have a special assignment for you."
As he spoke, Dragon pulled out a handful of Transponder Snails.
"These were provided by Lord Ash."
"I need you to place them throughout every corner of the Holy Land before the main battle begins."
"I want the entire world to witness this assault."
His eyes sharpened.
"I want everyone to understand that the Holy Land is not invincible."
"The Celestial Dragons are not descendants of creators."
"They are not untouchable."
"They are fragile."
"Only when the world sees this truth will more kingdoms have the courage to join us."
"Only then can we ultimately overthrow the World Government ruled by the Celestial Dragons."
Crow gave his usual concise response.
"Leave it to me."
With the final assignments complete, Dragon looked across every Revolutionary Army member participating in the operation.
After a long moment, he nodded firmly.
"Success or failure will be decided today."
"Comrades."
"Move out!"