It wasn't just John Giant who was shocked. Behind Elio, Vice Admiral Gion and the other Vice Admirals, along with many Marine officers in the plaza, all stared in stunned disbelief at the figure who had dropped to both knees.
What left them dumbfounded wasn't just that Elio had awakened Conqueror's Haki, but that he had brought Vice Admiral John Giant to his knees using that Haki alone, without laying a single finger on him.
What was most terrifying... was that no one else was affected. The pressure of Elio's Conqueror's Haki had targeted only one man, John Giant.
After a brief silence, the crowd exploded into chaos. Murmurs surged into frantic voices.
"What just happened? Why did Vice Admiral John suddenly kneel?"
"Didn't you hear? That was Conqueror's Haki! Lord Elio released Conqueror's Haki!"
"What is Conqueror's Haki?"
"Conqueror's Haki is the power of kings! A gift from birth possessed by only one in ten million! It cannot be trained, only awakened and strengthened as one's strength grows!"
"Even if that's true, how could it make Vice Admiral John collapse like that?!"
"There's only one explanation!"
"Lord Elio's power might be approaching that of a Fleet Admiral... maybe he's already surpassed it!"
Elio paid no attention to their words. Calm and unhurried, he walked forward, step by step, toward John.
With each step Elio took, John felt as though a mountain of five elements pressed heavier on his shoulders. It was a weight he could not resist, and with every moment, his towering giant frame was forced closer to the ground.
When Elio stood before him, John could no longer endure it. With a dull thud, he collapsed fully, prostrating himself flat against the plaza floor.
But even that wasn't enough to relieve the pressure. The air around him continued to tighten, and the ground beneath his massive frame cracked, splitting in jagged lines that spread in all directions.
The Marines behind Elio and the other Vice Admirals all widened their eyes in disbelief. The soldiers around the plaza stumbled away in panic as the cracks spread toward their feet.
"Conqueror's Haki... it cracked the ground!"
Gion, standing behind Elio, looked down at the cracks beneath her feet, then up at the man standing before John. Her expression was one of utter disbelief.
"Conqueror's Haki cannot be trained, only strengthened as the user grows stronger," said Strawberry, eyes gleaming with wild fervor. "For Lord Elio to crack the ground just by releasing it... it proves his strength may already surpass that of a Fleet Admiral!"
Elio stood silently in front of John, expression unreadable as he looked at the giant. Though John lay flat on the ground, his sheer size still made Elio appear small in comparison. At under 190 centimeters, Elio had to look slightly upward to meet his gaze.
"So... you've staked everything on the Marines' so-called 'Absolute Justice'?"
Elio tilted his head, a faint smile tugging at the corners of his lips. "Vice Admiral John, have you never once wondered why, as a giant, you were raised from childhood within Marine Headquarters?"
John tried to raise his head, but it was as if he were fused to the ground. His strength failed him, and he could only force out a few strained words.
"Elio, you're a Vice Admiral of HQ, yet you've started a rebellion to seize the Fleet Admiral's throne... You... You have no right to speak to me about justice."
"So you really never wondered."
Elio chuckled and shook his head. Then, without hesitation, he took a single step forward.
A deep hum rolled through the air.
As Elio's foot touched the ground, the void trembled. The system-enhanced Conqueror's Haki erupted like a storm breaking through the clouds.
The very next second, with a booming bang, the ground beneath John collapsed. The massive Vice Admiral fell straight through the cracked earth, his body now sunken into the crater, on the same level as the shattered floor.
Elio looked down at the result and smiled faintly.
"Not bad."
Staring at the figure embedded in the ground, Elio narrowed his eyes slightly, visibly satisfied with the full-power effect of his Supreme Conqueror's Haki.
The appearance of John hadn't actually required him to lift a finger. Elio had only stopped Strawberry and the others because he wanted to test just how domineering his Conqueror's Haki, now elevated to its absolute peak by the system, had become.
Of course, using it to suppress John was nothing more than a casual display. The true might of the Supreme Conqueror's Haki far exceeded what he had shown.
Just then...
A streak of light shot up from the family housing district and arced through the night sky, descending rapidly toward Marineford Plaza.
When the glow faded, two figures stood tall, Admirals Sakazuki and Borsalino, side by side behind Elio.
"Admiral Sakazuki!"
"Admiral Borsalino!"
The moment the two Admirals appeared, the crowd was thrown into a frenzy. Many Marines instantly pinned their final hopes on the duo, shouting passionately with renewed fervor.
However, just as these hopeful voices filled the air, expecting them to stop Elio, Sakazuki suddenly stepped forward, raised his hand in salute, and said loudly, "Fleet Admiral Elio, Sakazuki reporting in!"
Before the stunned soldiers and officers could even begin to react, Sakazuki straightened his back and declared with unwavering conviction the loudest salute of the night.
"Loyalty!"
This one simple word, Loyalty, instantly silenced the entire Marineford Plaza.
A look of despair flickered through the eyes of the Marines who had just moments ago pinned their hopes on Sakazuki. Even the staunch advocate of Absolute Justice had pledged loyalty to Elio. What reason did they have to resist anymore?
Borsalino, standing beside Sakazuki, also raised his hand in salute, but chose not to say the words aloud. After all, Elio knew him too well. Even if he said it now, Elio wouldn't believe it. And Elio wasn't asking for his loyalty, only his choice.
Elio turned to face the two Admirals and gave them a slight, knowing smile, then, without hesitation, he stepped forward.
Seeing this, Sakazuki and Borsalino immediately followed behind.
Behind them, Gion, Hound, and the other Vice Admirals all fell in line without hesitation.
Thanks to the earlier "incident" with John Giant and the timely arrival of Admirals Sakazuki and Borsalino, no further resistance stirred among the tens of thousands of soldiers gathered in the plaza. All of them stood straight and tall, eyes fixed on Elio as he ascended the ceremonial platform.
Once he reached the top, Elio stood above the masses, gazing down over the entire crowd of Marines. Then, under the watchful eyes of thousands, he took a single step forward.
"Attention, all personnel!"
As soon as Elio stepped forward, Sakazuki, below the platform, turned around sharply, saluted again toward Elio, and shouted in a voice that echoed across the square, "Pledge your loyalty to the Fleet Admiral!"
Hoo-rah!!!
The tens of thousands in the plaza stepped forward in unison. Then, raising their eyes to the platform, they shouted in perfect sync.
"Loyalty!"
The resounding voices swept across the skies above Marineford, forming a thundering wave that surged into the night, refusing to fade.
In the Headquarters' conference room, Sengoku and Zephyr stood silently by the window, gazing at the youthful figure on the platform. Bathed in moonlight and passion, he stood like a beacon of power and ambition. Feeling the atmosphere of boiling blood and determination in the air, the two veterans couldn't help but sigh in unison.
"Ah... to be young again."
But just as those words left their lips, their expressions suddenly shifted. They both turned their eyes toward the ocean beyond the walls of Marineford.
There, under the weak moonlight, a lone figure could be seen riding a bicycle slowly toward Marineford. As this mysterious man drew closer, the gentle waves ahead of his path began to freeze at an alarming rate, forming a trail of ice stretching directly toward the island.