In the sky above, Zogg who had transformed into black dragon was fiercely battling Kizaru. After witnessing the performance of the Pacifistas, his previous concerns faded away.
His huge, vertical-pupilled eyes glanced briefly at Decius, who was entangled with Fujitora, before locking onto Kizaru in front of him. He knew very well how terrifying this seemingly lazy admiral could be when serious.
"Borsalino, you should know how powerful the World Government is. What gives you the courage to think you can overthrow it?"
The black dragon flapped its massive bat-like wings and asked in a deep, booming voice. As an air force marshal under the World Government, Zogg had met Imu when he became an marshal. Experiencing Im's terrifying presence firsthand, he couldn't understand why Kizaru and the Navy would dare declare war against the World Government.
After all, people like Nicholas might challenge the World Government because they didn't understand how frightening its secret leader was. But the Navy? They knew better. The oppressive force Imu had exuded still made Zogg shudder when he thought about it, and he was a marshal —one of the top powers in the world.
Kizaru extended a finger and fired a laser at the dragon while responding lazily, "Yes, that person's strength is overwhelming, but as long as someone can hold them off, the World Government doesn't seem so invincible. It's not like there's another monster just as strong as that one backing them up, right?"
Zogg's eyes flashed coldly, and instead of dodging, he took the laser head-on with his body.
...
Above the ruins of Pangaea Castle, Imu floated in the air, her attention unwavering despite the powerful clashes happening all around. Her focus was entirely on Nicholas, who hovered nearby.
Ever since she had buried Joy Boy with her own hands, for the past 800 years, no one had dared challenge her rule. During the Void Century, there were those who had survived the Great Purge and foolishly attempted to rise against her, clinging to dreams of overthrowing her reign. But all had been buried beneath the flowers of Pangaea Castle, nourishing the plants that grew over their graves.
At some point, the "Will of D" began to fade away. As centuries passed, the bloodline of D resurfaced from time to time. But each new D that emerged—whether by blood or not—never posed a true threat. They couldn't even make it past the World Government's defenses, let alone pose a danger to her.
That was, until the last century.
The "Will of D" had reawakened.
First, there was Rocks D. Xebec, who openly declared war on the World Government. Then came Gol D. Roger, the Pirate King who teamed up with the Navy to defeat Rocks and later sparked the Great Pirate Era. And more recently, Monkey D. Dragon founded the Revolutionary Army, intent on overthrowing the World Government.
Imu even suspected that Joy Boy himself might return in some form through one of these D individuals. But she hadn't expected that the one to threaten her would not be a bearer of the Will of D, but Nicholas—a man with no connection to it.
A chilling murderous intent began to rise like a dark tide, all aimed at Nicholas. He immediately sensed it. It was a clear sign that Imu was preparing to attack.
For Imu to reveal her intent so clearly showed just how long it had been since she last fought seriously. Eight centuries of invincibility had clearly made her arrogant, or perhaps simply indifferent to opposition.
Nicholas remained calm, his red eyes glowing faintly. An almost tangible force field surrounded him, crackling with electricity as it expanded outward. Thunder rumbled from the clouds above.
In an instant, Nicholas struck.
Clang!
His long blade flashed, slashing toward Imu.
But Im's hand intercepted the blade, her eyes gleaming like stars as she looked up at him. To the bystanders, it seemed they had moved simultaneously, but Nicholas had actually used his Observation Haki to predict Im's movements and strike first. Im, however, blocked it easily, despite her surprise.
The clash between the blade and her hand unleashed an enormous shockwave. Dark red lightning arced between them, distorting the space around them as waves of energy exploded outward.
From this terrifying clash, the atmosphere seemed to twist and darken. The skies, already filled with storm clouds from the battle, were now in complete upheaval. Far-off clouds moved with the force of a tidal wave, rushing to gather over Pangaea Castle.
Nicholas's gaze pierced through the space between them, meeting Im's shining eyes. Their locked stares crackled with power, as if the very void between them was electrified.
Nearby, Ben Beckman and the others, locked in battle with the Knights of God, were shocked by the two's clash of energy. Faces filled with awe, they could only watch as the overwhelming power of the collision unfolded.
This kind of power was beyond words.
They had seen Haki clashes before, but this—this was on a completely different level, affecting the very skies above the Red Line.
"This kind of energy..."
Yasopp barely managed to speak as he shielded himself from the violent shockwaves. "Are they even human anymore?"
As a member of Shanks's crew, Yasopp knew that powerful Conqueror's Haki could tear apart the sky, but this—the ability to alter the weather over the entire Red Line—was beyond his comprehension.
"Nicholas, you have to win!" Dragon whispered under his breath, his gaze fixed on where Nicholas and Imu clashed.
Only a monster could fight a monster, and all they could do was keep their enemies at bay.
In the battlefield below, Nicholas channeled the energy from the electromagnetic field around him into his blade. With a sudden surge, he forced all his power into his strike.
The balance of power between them suddenly shifted.
With a deafening boom, Imu was sent flying.
As Imu was struck back, the entire battlefield took notice. The Five Elders, locked in their own battles, were the first to sense it. Their expressions darkened in shock and disbelief.
Impossible!
The same thought crossed all their minds simultaneously.
"Lord Im!"
"How can this be…?"
"That man… he actually managed to knock Lord Imu back?!"
The Five Elders struggled to accept what they had just witnessed. Im's power had been burned into their minds for centuries, and yet she had been repelled.
Their reaction didn't go unnoticed by their opponents.
Led by Garp, Sengoku, and Shanks, the allied forces prepared to seize the momentary opportunity.
But just then—
All of them froze, eyes wide as they sensed something terrifying.
A wave of Conqueror's Haki mixed with rage erupted from the place where Imu had been sent flying. It was as if a sleeping beast had suddenly awoken, and the sheer power of it made everyone halt in their tracks.
...
"Now, crush those fools in one sweep!"
As Judge's manic laughter rang out, an army of Germa soldiers charged towards the World Government's forces, their eyes glowing red and muscles bulging.
"What are those things?!"
The soldiers at the back of the World Government's ranks quickly noticed the incoming Germa warriors and, in shock, began organizing a defense.
"Enemy attack!"
"Roar!"
Driven by stimulants, even the usually emotionless Germa soldiers had bloodshot eyes as they charged toward the World Government troops.
They crashed into the army like a tidal wave.
"Damn it, these guys aren't human?!"
Boom! Boom! Boom!
A series of explosions erupted in the World Government's ranks.