Whoosh—!!
With Roman's support, Luffy in Gear Fifth could now sprint just as fast as Enel and Kizaru, those speed-type Devil Fruit users! It wasn't that Roman and Luffy had surpassed lightning or light itself in raw speed, but rather—
"Blazing speed, ice-fire propulsion!"
Roman's armor form reduced air resistance, while explosive bursts of ice and fire provided massive thrust. Luffy's powerful body endured the extreme acceleration, guided by his Future Sight Haki.
"Lion King Impact!!"
In an instant, the two became a streak of pitch-black lightning, relentlessly homing in on Imu! And with Roman constantly opening and closing portals across the battlefield, even though Imu had better spatial control, she couldn't teleport freely.
"Take this punch—!!"
As armored Luffy threw a punch, their Haki compressed and intertwined, sending countless black lightning streaks crackling in every direction. The sheer force tore through space itself! Against a punch like this, Devil Fruit powers were meaningless!
"Destruction!"
Crack—!!
"Nio... Joy Boy..."
In just moments, Imu's wedding dress was covered in countless slashes and rips, fueling a long-lost rage within her!
"You think I'm afraid of you?!"
In an instant, Imu stopped dodging and pulled her fist to her waist, infusing it with Armament Haki, Devil Fruit power, and Conqueror's Haki all at once. Then—she swung!
"Nio, taste the technique you never managed to complete:"
Her Armament Haki split the sky! The Tremor-Tremor power made the world shake! Her Conqueror's Haki silenced all!
"Heaven's End, Earth's End, Humanity's End—Total Annihilation!!"
"Ugh... could you stop shouting cringe battle lines?"
Before Roman could even finish complaining, two fists, each carrying power beyond this world's limits, clashed with unstoppable force!
BOOM——!!!!
A black "sun" erupted in the sky, sending a shockwave that expanded like ripples, unleashing an apocalyptic storm over Mary Geoise. Countless streaks of black lightning shot out, ripping everything apart! Even the once sky-darkening angel army was blown away like helpless birds caught in a hurricane.
Then, cracks spread across the surface of the Red Line, branching out endlessly like a massive spiderweb. Violent shockwaves blasted sand and shattered stone from the fissures, obliterating every tree, building, and structure in sight.
The entire Red Line trembled, as if even this world-dividing "great wall" could no longer withstand the impact of the strongest three.
"Heh… You really thought that would be enough to defeat me?"
After the clash, Imu hovered in the sky, her once-pristine wedding dress now torn and stained with blood. Meanwhile, Roman and Luffy… were in an even worse state—completely covered in wounds, bleeding from head to toe!
They had even been forced out of their fused form.
"Pointless resistance," Imu scoffed. "Neither of you are fighting for something noble like 'justice.' "
As the battle intensified, she felt something stirring within her—a long-forgotten excitement.
"Why not rule this world with me? Or is it that—"
"You two 'big men' just can't admit your own weakness? Afraid standing beside me would hurt your fragile egos?"
"Rule the world? Not interested!"
Luffy, still catching his breath, didn't even hesitate.
"You took my strategist, messed up my navigator's wedding, and—worst of all—ruined our feast! So I'm gonna punch you into next week!"
"If you want a reason—"
Roman looked at the so-called ruler of the world. Even battered and bloodied, she still carried an undeniable presence. But—
"Sorry, we're just not a match. Besides, I already have someone I love."
?! "I see, then—"
The wounded Imu raised a finger, gathering an unimaginable amount of light and heat before her, as if focusing the sun's brilliance into a single point.
Then, it burst into a massive pillar of light, engulfing Roman and Luffy.
Where the light reached, the sheer heat distorted and expanded the very air itself!
"Farewell."
"Yata Mirror!"
With a golden flash, a tall figure appeared in front of Roman and Luffy.
A massive, glowing mirror in his hands stood firm—completely absorbing the giant light pillar that could have split an island in two.
"That's terrifying—?!"
But this time, Kizaru didn't even get to finish his usual playful remark.
Enraged, Imu grabbed at the air—
And in an instant, the space between them vanished!
The towering Kizaru was suddenly caught in Imu's grasp, her five fingers tightening around his throat.
"You're asking for death!!"
"Ice Block: Pheasant Beak!"
"Dragon's Claw Strike!"
At the critical moment, a massive ice-blue phoenix swooped in to attack!
At the same time, Luffy's father rode the wind, his attack infused with all three types of Haki, his fingers shaped into razor-sharp dragon claws as he struck at Imu.
Boom!
Using Kizaru as a weapon, Imu threw him forward to block the ice phoenix.
With her other hand, she met the dragon claw strike head-on with a punch!
And at that very moment—
A massive figure was already closing in, stepping through the air using Moonwalk.
A pair of legendary iron fists clenched tightly together!
"The god of the Celestial Dragons—"
Fists that had once dominated the entire sea, now compressed to the absolute limit, radiating Armament Haki so dense that the surrounding air turned pitch black.
The blow crashed down, leaving a dark scar in space itself!
A direct hit on the unprepared Imu—sending her plummeting down!
"Fall!!"
"My army—kill these insects—?!"
As Imu fell, she gave the command.
But the response she got was—
"Do me a favor—don't interrupt that fight over there."
???
Of course, the angelic puppets had no intention of "giving face" to the red-haired, scar-faced, one-armed man standing before them.
But the swords and guns of the Red-Haired Pirates were more than enough to teach them the consequences of disrespecting their captain!
"Hahahaha! How could I miss out on a battlefield like this?!"
Wrapped in a cloak that made him look comically bloated (physically), Buggy laughed triumphantly.
Sure, he had been released after "negotiating" with Magellan, but that didn't matter.
It wasn't even worth thinking about.
"Boys! Take the head of the Celestial Dragons' god—our time to become legends is now!"
"OOOOH! Captain Buggy~~!!"
A horde of overpowered yet brain-dead pirate fanboys roared as they charged into battle.
"Slave Arrow!"
A flurry of pink arrows shot forward, piercing through the Haki defenses of the angel puppets—
And instantly turning them into motionless stone statues.
Boa Hancock gazed at the battlefield—
A land she had once sworn never to set foot on again, now reduced to ruins and chaos.
A place that might not even exist after today.
Could this be… "Luffy's wedding proposal to me?~~"
"Absolutely not!!"
Granny Nyon instantly shattered the Empress's delusion.
——————
"Iron Fist!"
"Dark Hound!!"
"Divine Departure—"
"Buddha's Mountain Quake!!"
"Void Tremor: Space Annihilation!"
"Oni Demon: Nine-Sword Style—Asura—Draw Slash—Dance of the Dead!"
Wait, wait, wait—your attack name is way too long!
Zoro, with a sword clenched in his teeth, shouting out his move, made the gathered top-tier fighters all turn their heads in surprise.
Even Mihawk, who had arrived at the scene, simply swung his sword in a single, casual slash.
Somehow…
It felt like he lost in terms of sheer presence.
And the one being attacked by so many powerful fighters was—
Why? Why am I, who has ruled the world as an unbeatable force, now covered in blood, fighting for my life?
Surrounded by Admirals and fighters on the level of the Four Emperors, Imu's mind wavered for a moment.
When did things get this out of control?
The Angel Army was held back by the Marines, pirates, royals, and even the escaped prisoners from Impel Down. Even though Imu remained standing against the combined assault of the world's strongest warriors, the situation was—
Neo, Joy Boy...
Eight hundred years ago, you refused to stand with me. And even now, you're rallying the world against me? Despicable. Absolutely despicable!
"Get lost!!"
Imu's Haki erupted in an instant. A surge of deep blue energy, mixed with streaks of black lightning, blasted outward, sending a group of top fighters flying. Then—
Swish.
A pure white longsword fell into Imu's hand. As she looked at the blade, adorned with intricate white patterns, a rare flicker of nostalgia passed through her cold eyes.
This was the weapon that had accompanied her from weakness to the peak of the world.
It was the first gift Neo had ever given her.
It had witnessed both the laughter and battles of their past comrades.
It was something she hadn't used in eight hundred years.
"Neo, do you really think gathering this swarm of ants will be enough to defeat me?"
Facing a group of equally battered warriors—Fleet Admiral, Admirals, Vice Admirals, the Four Emperors—Imu raised her sword and placed it—
Against her own neck.
??!!
"Oh? Trying to give yourself a dignified end?"
Akainu, his face covered in blood, sneered.
Imu let out a soft chuckle—then, without hesitation, dragged the blade across her throat.
Splat!
Blood splattered across her tattered wedding dress, adding a tragic beauty to her figure.
As her aura rapidly faded, the warriors surrounding her let out a collective sigh of relief. Then, they exchanged glances.
Just like that... it's over?
Sure, Imu was incredibly strong, but...
A ruler who had dominated the world for eight centuries—was gone, just like that?
That's...
"Alright then, let's talk about how you pirates dared to trespass—?!"
Before Akainu could finish, he noticed something strange—
The faces of the "pirates" in front of him had all changed.
Then—
Crack.
A fist, wrapped in deep blue Haki and black lightning, slammed into his waist from behind!
Before Akainu could even react, the mighty Marine Fleet Admiral was sent hurtling like a shooting star, crashing straight through the crumbling Red Line, falling in a direct path toward the ocean below.
?!
"Round two."
Still wearing her tattered, bloodstained wedding dress, Imu calmly opened her hand—the same hand that had just punched Akainu into the sky.
Aside from her torn dress, she looked completely unharmed, her body fully restored.
"You can all come at me together. I've got all the time in the world."
????
How are we supposed to fight this?!
Even for the strongest warriors of the sea, facing an enemy that required a full-scale assault just to hold back was already exhausting.
But now... she had just shown the ability to revive on the spot.
This was—
"Well? Weren't you all here to save the world? Weren't you here to uphold justice? Come on—"
As Imu curled a finger to beckon them forward, the three Admirals, Garp, Sengoku, Tsuru, Dragon, Mihawk, Shanks, Ace, Sabo, Zoro... all silently tightened their grips on their weapons, preparing to—
"Enough."
A calm voice shattered the tense, suffocating atmosphere.
"One move is all I need to kill you."
?
As the strongest fighters in the world gave him a look of disbelief, Roman casually dusted off his own torn, bloodstained white suit.
"Imu, our story should have ended long ago."
?? "What nonsense are you talking about, Neo? I am invincible—"
"Heh, is that so?"
*Swish!*
A jet-black sword with lightning-like patterns landed in Roman's hand. Then—
"No!!" x2
Two terrified voices shouted at the same time! One belonged to Luffy, and the other—Imu!
*Slash!*
But it was too late.
What happens when both sides can "see the future"?
Their visions interfere with each other, leaving only chaos. Even if Luffy and Imu caught glimpses of what was coming, they couldn't stop it.
"*Cough* *cough*… I told you, one move is all I need to beat you."
"Roman!!"
Luffy flashed forward and caught Roman, who had just stabbed his own heart. His pupils trembled violently—he could *feel* life slipping away from Roman's body at an alarming rate!
This scene… this horrible scene…
"What did you do, Neo?!"
With Roman's fatal stab, the world's tremors gradually stopped.
The meteors raining down from above began to thin out.
Even the angels who had been mercilessly slaughtering Marines, pirates, revolutionaries, and royal soldiers froze in place! Then—
*Rustle…*
"What is this??"
Nami's hands trembled as *Thief's Ultimate Secret* slipped weakly from her grasp.
She turned to the battlefield's center, clutching her chest tightly.
Tears rolled down her face.
No… this isn't possible!
Luffy is there.
Zoro is there.
So many strong fighters are there.
Then why—
"So, it was true…"
Watching the Angel Army crumble and the disasters come to a halt, Roman closed his eyes and let out a sigh.
"Imu, your power… comes from me."
Devil Fruits—do they affect the soul?
If so, how do artificial Devil Fruits exist?
If they only affect the body, then what about Brook?
"*Cough* *cough*… I searched through all the records. And guess what? In the past 800 years, the 'Paper-Paper Fruit' has never existed!"
There's a Book-Book Fruit… a Paper-Man Fruit…
But never Roman's "Paper-Paper Fruit."
As Luffy's desperate cries of "Doctor! Chopper! Chopper!!" rang out, Roman, who had pierced his own heart, slowly explained everything.
"When my soul was forced to escape 800 years ago, the Paper-Paper Fruit entered a state of 'non-existence.' That's why my creation, 'Uranus,' and the powers I gave you became extremely weak. Not only could they barely move, but they also needed a massive amount of life force just to function."
That's why Imu could never leave the Holy Land!
Because if she did, she would no longer be an *unstoppable* force—just an incredibly strong fighter at best!
Even in Wano, those empowered by Roman's creations would lose their abilities the moment they left the country. If that weren't the case, they would've moved to Flower Capital ages ago.
"It wasn't until my soul traveled to the present using the 'Time-Time Fruit' that the Paper-Paper Fruit *reformed* once more…"
But because the fruit technically already had an owner, anyone else who ate it would just become a powerless swimmer.
Eventually, it would return to Roman, no matter what.
And when that finally happened—
"That's when Imu would *finally* be able to leave the Holy Land… *cough* *cough*… This wedding… was my prison, but for you, it was the day you gained freedom. What a joke…"
"Roman! Stop talking! Hold on!!"
Hearing Luffy's desperate plea, Roman just smiled faintly.
"Go, Luffy."
?
"Do what… *cough* *cough*… you have to do. The so-called… *One Piece*… is to unite the seas…"
*Thud.*
His lifeless arm fell to the ground.
Holding his friend's rapidly cooling body, Luffy felt the whole world slipping away from him.
All sounds blurred—shouts, cries, screams.
Then, a few seconds later—
Luffy stood up.
His eyes locked onto the shadow standing among the strongest warriors.
"IMU!!!!"
*Boom!*
With a powerful jump, Luffy soared high into the air.
His clenched fist pointed downward.
For the first time, Luffy's usual carefree grin and determined gaze had vanished.
His face showed nothing but pure, *cold* killing intent.
This was no longer the Luffy everyone knew.
Because—
"I'M GOING TO KILL YOU!!!"
All this time, Luffy had never truly wanted to kill anyone. He always just knocked them away and moved on. But this time—this time!!
Unforgivable—
"Hahaha! Come on!!"
As Luffy locked onto her from above, filled with killing intent, Imu let out a cold laugh. Even without the powers she had taken from Neo, even without the angel army, she was still one of the strongest fighters in the world. At this point, she had nothing left to lose—she would give it her all!
As she prepared to fight to the death, her presence became even more terrifying. With everything cast aside, the Haki she had trained for 800 years suddenly reached a new peak! It spread out like a vast blue ocean, engulfing everything around her. Within this domain, not only was fighting impossible, but even breathing—
"Get back!"
Even Marine Admirals and Four Emperors, powerful as they were, instinctively retreated in shock at Imu's sudden surge of power.
"What an unbelievable amount of life force…"
"A single person's Haki can reach this level?"
Boom—!!! The air exploded as Luffy shot downward like a beam of light, diving straight toward Imu with unwavering determination. His fist smashed forward without hesitation, carrying all his Haki, all his strength, all his Devil Fruit abilities!
Come on! In this sea of Haki, all Devil Fruit powers would be useless! Any Haki weaker than hers would be crushed by sheer pressure…
And yet, as Imu stood within this "ocean," a sudden and intense sense of fear gripped her heart. She looked up, her pupils narrowing—
For a split second, Luffy's figure blurred. It wasn't because of speed, nor was it a trick of the eye. It was as if she was looking at a distorted photograph, shaken mid-shot—
?
Imu's vision wasn't failing her, and Luffy was diving straight down without hesitation. But suddenly, multiple figures appeared around him—
So vivid, so clear that she could see their Haki, their fluttering clothes reflecting in her eyes.
A three-sword-wielding swordsman.
A blond-haired cook.
A playful navigator.
A long-nosed sniper.
A reindeer doctor.
A graceful archaeologist.
A bizarrely modified shipwright.
A lonely skeleton musician.
A steady fishman helmsman.
Even—
A strategist who sighed with pity!
This was—
"Disappear!!!"
At the moment of impact, the entire Straw Hat Crew appeared—together, in the same space, in an impossible way.
Then, they all merged into one.
Higher-dimensional layering?!
The instant the entire Straw Hat Crew fused into him, Luffy's body, his glow, his colors, his life force—everything, from his Haki to his power, from his momentum to his energy—was enhanced in an incomprehensible way, multiplying several times over.
Compared to Luffy, now radiating intense, vibrant hues, the vast blue ocean of Haki beneath him instantly dulled, pale and lifeless in contrast.
BOOM BOOM BOOM BOOM BOOM BOOM BOOM BOOM!!!!
Luffy's fist smashed down from above, shaking the entire Red Line. A massive crack, stretching for thousands of meters, tore through the continent like a divine sword splitting the planet itself! The fissure exploded outward in all directions—
"Run! The Holy Land is collapsing!"
"This is insane!!!"
"Roman! Luffy! They're still—"
CRACK!! CRACK!! CRACK!!
The Red Line, the massive landmass encircling the entire world—shattered!
Amidst the crumbling earth, falling boulders, and shattered debris, a lone white figure plummeted.
Impossible. Impossible!!
That was Joy Boy's high-dimensional layered attack?! But even Joy Boy could only layer himself once…
The strange phenomenon just now—the distortion of time and space—that was proof of interference beyond normal dimensions. It was a technique that borrowed power from a future self!
Of course, Imu recognized it. But—
So many people… Even Neo was—
How could she accept this? How could she accept this?!
"I will never bow to you!!!"
Even as Luffy's "Higher-Dimensional Layered Fist" smashed her deep into the Red Line, sending her plummeting into a bottomless abyss—even with both arms completely shattered—Imu refused to give in!
Because—
If I fall here, if I give up now…
Doesn't that mean everything I've done… was wrong?
"Never—?!"
A cold body suddenly embraced her from behind.
Imu turned her head.
And saw—
"Neo…?"
"Our story is over, Imu."
"There's nothing left to regret. If you're really that afraid of death…"
With his arms wrapped around his "bride," the once arrogant young man gave a faint smile.
"If I go with you, it won't be so lonely, right?"
…"If you had just—never mind."
At last, Imu closed her eyes.
Two pure white figures disappeared into the abyss together.
(End of Chapter)