"Yo, seems like our Army General has been defeated, huh?"
Borsalino dodged the scorching dragon breath with light-speed, addressing the black dragon, Zogg.
"Is it surprising for someone who relies on others' power to lose?"
The massive black dragon glared at Kizaru with disdain, clearly thinking that his words were just a distraction.
"Not really."
Kizaru raised his index finger and wiggled it slightly after hearing Zogg's remark. In a flash, he appeared beside Zogg's head, lifting his right leg, already turned into light particles, ready to strike.
As the powerful blow approached, Zogg heard Kizaru speak again.
"Since that guy's already finished his opponent, I can't fall too far behind."
Boom!
In an instant, the massive black dragon fell from the sky like a meteor.
...
"Whoa, isn't that a bit much? Was that guy not even serious earlier!?"
Yasopp, drenched in cold sweat, stared at Imu. As a sniper skilled in Observation Haki, his senses for danger were particularly sharp. If the Imu who clashed with Nicolas earlier seemed like a monster, now Imu felt like a beast ready to devour anyone.
The earlier version, while dangerous, still left a sliver of hope for survival. Now, only despair remained.
The others didn't fare much better, realizing just how terrifying the enemy they were facing was. Thankfully, Nicolas was keeping this monster at bay. Without him, they wouldn't stand a chance.
Hovering in midair, Imu ignored everyone else, quickly locking onto Nicolas's aura. A torrent of Conqueror's Haki erupted from her, like a tidal wave crashing toward Nicolas. The terrifying force cracked the solid ground of Pangaea Castle, with walls along the way disintegrating into dust under the pressure of the haki.
Thud, thud—
Many soldiers with weaker wills in the World Government's forces couldn't withstand Imu's immense haki, collapsing with their eyes rolling back.
Clang, clang—
The sound of heavy armor hitting the ground echoed around the castle.
"Imu-sama..."
Seeing the mass collapse of their forces, the Five Elders hesitated to speak, unsure of how to address the situation. Imu's overwhelming presence had left them tongue-tied, and they didn't dare speak out. After all, the relationship between them and Imu was more like that of servants to a master, not subordinates to a superior. And a servant has no right to criticize their master.
With no one daring to intervene, Imu's Conqueror's Haki continued to rampage.
Clang, clang—
Around Pangaea Castle, more of the Holy Land's guards fell unconscious under the haki's pressure. In mere seconds, over a thousand elite soldiers had lost consciousness. These weren't ordinary soldiers; they were the best the World Government had to offer, yet they hadn't fallen to an enemy, but to the overwhelming force of their own leader.
Furious, Imu showed no concern for the fallen soldiers. To her, they were nothing but disposable pawns. Her gaze remained locked onto Nicolas, whose aura shone like a beacon in the darkness.
Nicolas remained calm, looking at the swiftly approaching Imu.
"Thunder."
He murmured quietly. Suddenly, a massive bolt of lightning, hundreds of meters thick, engulfed Imu.
Boom!
Wrapped in nearly solid Conqueror's Haki, Imu emerged unscathed from the lightning strike.
"..."
In the silence, Imu's rippling eyes radiated pure, unhidden killing intent toward Nicolas.
"Monsters that live this long are truly something."
Nicolas sighed as he looked at Imu, surrounded by Conqueror's Haki. Her mastery of haki was so overwhelming that even someone like Shanks, renowned for his haki, would seem like a mere child in comparison.
Just as there are differences in the strength of Armament Haki, Conqueror's Haki can vary greatly as well. If one's Conqueror's Haki can't break through Imu's, they won't be able to pose a real threat to her.
Moreover, Imu's stamina and haki seemed bottomless.
"Good thing I have The will of the world instead of Conqueror's Haki."
Nicolas found a strange comfort in the fact that he didn't possess Conqueror's Haki. Otherwise, it'd be quite embarrassing if he used it and still got thoroughly beaten.
Though his thoughts raced, his hands didn't stop moving. He unleashed a series of terrifying slashes toward Imu. Despite their immense power, Imu, with a frosty expression, could easily dodge them. However, as the sovereign ruler of the world for over 800 years, her pride wouldn't allow her to show such weakness.
Rather than dodging, Imu chose to face Nicolas's attacks head-on, her body shielded by an almost tangible layer of Conqueror's Haki. Massive energy slashes capable of splitting mountains and seas crashed into her, only to be blocked by her haki.
Energy from the slashes scattered into the air, raining down like beams of light.
Seeing Imu's approach, Nicolas's mouth twitched slightly.
Indeed, the deep-rooted foundation of an 800-year-old ruler was unfathomable.
Slash, slash, slash...
Nicolas continued to swing his blade, sending powerful strikes toward Imu. In battles like this, even the smallest advantage could determine the outcome.
Outside the battle, many continued to watch closely. Just as their victories would determine the fates of the soldiers below, the outcome between Nicolas and Imu would decide theirs.
Watching Nicolas's relentless attacks, they understood his intentions. Yet Imu's decision to endure his strikes left them stunned.
Finally, Imu arrived within 100 meters of Nicolas, a distance that, for fighters of their caliber, was almost face-to-face.
Imu glared coldly at Nicolas.
Then, with a swift hand, she formed a sword with her palm, launching a massive slash toward him. Nicolas remained calm, effortlessly shattering the incoming strike with a casual swing of his blade.
From the moment she launched her attack until Nicolas countered it, Imu made no further moves, as if merely retaliating for his earlier attacks.
Then, both moved simultaneously.
Imu's haki-imbued hand shot directly toward Nicolas's heart. He quickly raised his sword to block her strike.
Clang!
The clash of hand and blade sent shockwaves rippling through the battlefield.