The great bird forged of gold flapped its wings, soaring high in the sky.
Although its speed had been significantly reduced, when it swept through the air with a flap of its wings, the air was still compressed into a massive roar, and a sonic boom cloud constantly followed it.
The Golden-Winged Great Peng summoned by Roa could not, of course, cover one hundred eighty thousand miles with a single flap as in the myths. Still, its speed was indeed incomprehensibly fast for humans.
Even a numerical monster like Imu wasn't worthy of smelling its exhaust.
Roa sat cross-legged on the bird's back, his arms folded across his chest. He sighed with a touch of regret, "It's such a pity. I still didn't get to personally witness the power of that Fourth Ancient Weapon!"
While it was true that the legend of three Ancient Weapons circulated openly in the world, strictly speaking, there were actually four weapons that could be called Ancient Weapons.
Eight hundred years ago, when Joy Boy went to war with Imu, the three Ancient Weapons were all in Joy Boy's hands! If Imu had no cards to play—no weapon capable of countering Pluton, Poseidon, and Uranus—even if that guy could use the version T0 hostage-taking divine skill, he wouldn't have had the leverage to coerce Joy Boy.
In fact, Imu also possessed a weapon.
A weapon that Joy Boy described as the strongest.
That weapon was the origin of the title Celestial Dragon.
Even if the weapon taken from Joy Boy was temporarily unusable due to lack of energy, the other weapon wasn't!
According to Joy Boy, the Ancient Weapons possessed a power that even he and Imu couldn't match. If the power possessed by Aunt Linlin and Katakuri was called Emperor-tier, and the power possessed by Roger and the Captain was called King-tier, the level Joy Boy and Imu stood at could be called God-tier—a level of power that transcended human limits, which only a handful of people could reach throughout the long history!
But the Ancient Weapons were even above that!
They possessed the genuinely world-destroying power!
They could tentatively be called World-Eradicating-tier.
Imu held such power in her hands.
This time, in addition to personally experiencing Imu's power, Roa had also intended to test the strength of that weapon. Although the dying message left by Joy Boy introduced that weapon, it was, after all, only fragmented words from eight hundred years ago. The actual situation still needed to be witnessed firsthand.
Take Imu, for example; the abilities she had displayed were quite different from what Joy Boy had described.
As for whether such a test was perhaps too dismissive of the Ancient Weapons, it could only be said that the destructive power of the Ancient Weapons wasn't very effective in single combat. For instance, Roa wasn't afraid of Pluton, which possessed the strongest firepower, as long as he wasn't ambushed. Poseidon, Shirahoshi, was even less of a concern.
But Imu hadn't used that weapon.
Was Imu too confident, thinking she could easily deal with him with her own power? Or had that weapon encountered some problems, just like Pluton and Uranus?
Truly curious.
What a pity, what a shame.
Roa sighed with considerable melancholy.
Forget it, next time.
The sighing Roa raised his head, gazing at the boundless sky.
Then, his brow furrowed suddenly. "No reason? Why haven't I caught up to the Calamity City yet?"
The Calamity City's flying speed wasn't slow. At full speed, it could be described as soaring. However, compared to the Golden-Winged Great Peng, its speed could only be described as snail-like. There was no reason it should take this long to catch up.
"Ugh! Damn it! I flew past it! I knew you were flying too fast!"
Roa angrily punched the steel-hard back of the great bird beneath his bottom.
In any case, turn back.
Time rewound to a moment earlier.
Marijoa.
The thunder roaring in the sky had dissipated, the surging waves on the ground had calmed, and the fierce flames swirling between heaven and earth had completely vanished.
The battle had completely ceased.
But the city had been utterly reduced to ruins.
Or, strictly speaking, many areas couldn't even be called ruins anymore, having been completely transformed into enormous sunken basins with smooth, white ground.
Imu stood quietly before the remaining rubble of Pangaea Castle. The King of the World was lamenting the destruction of her residence of eight hundred years.
Behind Imu, the three remaining Five Elders—Saint Ethanbaron V. Nusjuro, Saint Topman Warcury, and Saint Shepherd Ju Peter—who had returned to human form, respectfully bowed their heads slightly.
Falling half a step behind them were the father and son of the Figarland Family.
The Navy personnel stood further back, some with grim faces, but others with strange expressions.
This was, of course, another rout.
The World Government's central hub, the Holy Land Marijoa, had been completely destroyed. The government's face had been utterly trampled into the mud. The Celestial Dragons had been reduced to less than one-tenth of their number in Roa's attack.
But was this bad news?
Zephyr tried hard to keep his lips sealed.
What if I want to laugh?
Roa was undoubtedly trash and the greatest threat to this world. But it seemed he had done one good deed this time. Putting aside everything else, it was hard to say if even five hundred Celestial Dragons had survived this attack.
The Celestial Dragons were the source of the world's chaos. Their substantial reduction in numbers was, of course, the best news for this world. At the very least, the Heavenly Tribute collected next year should be much less, right?
But, Roa—
At the thought of Roa, all of Zephyr's good mood vanished.
The monster's power had reached an unbelievable level. Compared to him, the powerful force he had gathered was nothing.
Although there were still people in this world who could contend with him, or even surpass him—
Zephyr slightly raised his head, looking at the slender figure standing at the very front.
Nerona Imu. Was the name Roa called out real? Was this black-robed person truly one of the Twenty Kings who founded the World Government eight hundred years ago?
If you thought about it, the Five Elders seemed to possess the power of immortality. So, living from eight hundred years ago until now was not impossible.
But the truly crucial question was, what did this Original King mean to the current World Government? Was she merely a venerable elder among the Celestial Dragons, holding no real power?
Or was she the King of the Celestial Dragons, the God above all Gods who commanded the World Nobles?
Or, was the World Government's claim of never allowing a dictatorship merely a slogan, and was this person the one truly manipulating the world in the shadows?
Zephyr's expression shifted constantly. If this world had been circling in the hands of the same person for eight hundred years, that was simply too terrifying!
Had that Roa fellow, on the contrary, become the challenger to this repulsive order?
Putting these questions aside for now. One thing was certain. This era had once again ushered in a massive change today!
The Great Pirate Era was already a thing of the past!
From today onward, the central theme of the entire world would become the confrontation between this Imu fellow and Roa!
Two monsters who completely transcended human imagination would become the two poles of the world, engaging in a clash with the entire world as their chessboard!
Although it was frustrating, the fact seemed to be just that. The power of these two people was strong enough to influence the entire world single-handedly. When they started to act, the whole world could only be relegated to their backdrop!
The world was about to split in two!
What should the Navy do?
The World Government was severely damaged in this battle, but the Navy was relatively intact.
So, was now the right time to act?
However, without this Imu fellow, how could they contend with a monster like Roa?
Zephyr couldn't help but frown again. The situation had become even more complicated, and he was momentarily lost.
"Five Elders!"
At this moment, the Candidate Admiral Gion standing behind Zephyr suddenly spoke. "The enemy's power is beyond question. For the sake of the coming war, I think we should at least be open and honest first!"
The beautiful woman's eyes were unusually sharp, her gaze fixed on the black-robed figure. "What kind of power does the World Government truly possess? Isn't it time to stop hiding it?"
"Silence!"
Warcury instantly turned his head, and a ferocious surge of Conqueror's Haki instantly pressed down on Gion. "There is no room for you to speak here!"
"But—"
Gion still wanted to speak, but Zephyr directly stopped her. "Quiet, Gion."
Zephyr said calmly, "The government will certainly give us an answer."
The Figarland father and son, and the two remaining Five Elders, also turned their heads to look at the Marines, their eyes carrying a hint of gravity.
The real war was about to begin!
Although the Navy was only the facade of the government, it was also an absolutely indispensable force.
Therefore, as Zephyr said, the government had to give them an answer.
"Hoo—"
Saint Ethanbaron V. Nusjuro slowly exhaled and spoke calmly, "As Roa said, Lord Imu is one of the Original Twenty Kings, and holds an honored position among the Celestial Dragons."
"But Lord Imu has long since retired from worldly affairs, living out her years and leaving this world to us now! This lord only takes action when the government faces its greatest crisis."
"Just like this time!"
"You've also seen,"
Warcury interjected, "Lord Imu's power is so immense that even that Roa fellow was completely overwhelmed in her presence!"
"Do not fear! Do not retreat! What we must do next is win this unprecedented war! The government needs your strength, Justice needs your strength, and the world needs your strength!"
The Navy personnel fell into a strange silence.
What he said was truly stirring.
"Roa,"
Only Zephyr nodded solemnly. "Must die!"
The World Government had ruled the world for eight hundred years. They were indeed the source of all chaos, but could they truly get much worse? At worst, it would just be like the past eight hundred years.
But Roa was different. If that lunatic genuinely seized control of the world, then true catastrophe would descend.
To this day, Zephyr could not forget the area ruled by Roa twenty-five years ago, which was called the freest sea in the world! Extreme chaos and disorder. That scoundrel sought human suffering and wails!
If he were allowed to win, the entire world would be on the brink of annihilation!
Zephyr understood the principle of choosing the lesser of two evils.
But what about after truly defeating Roa? How should they resist the World Government?
Zephyr felt an immense headache. He simply didn't know how to defeat a monster of this magnitude.
Is there any possibility of these two monsters destroying each other?
Watching the silent Marines, Warcury also frowned slightly.
Lord Imu's existence had been exposed. After dealing with Roa, should they really cleanse the world again?
In a patch of sky quite a distance from Marijoa, the massive floating city rapidly sped through the air.
On the top deck of the floating city, figures were gathered, all gazing toward the rear.
"What is that Roa guy doing?"
Kaido held his sake gourd, drinking as he spoke impatiently. "Why hasn't he returned yet? Did that scoundrel tell us to come back first, and now he's having all the fun fighting by himself!"
"Mama-mama!"
Charlotte Linlin laughed strangely, glancing at Kaido. "Do you think Roa is like you, brat?"
Roa was a person who enjoyed tormenting others, not fighting.
"Could something have happened?"
Jewelry Bonney said casually, her arms crossed.
"Something happened?"
Everyone subconsciously looked at her.
Then,
"Jie-hahahaha!"
"Wororororo!"
"Mama-mama-mama!"
"Zehahaha!"
"Hahahaha!"
The monsters burst into laughter. Even Bonney's most respected brother, Katakuri, smiled brightly, nearly tearing the stitches on his mouth.
"What's so funny!"
Bonney felt utterly baffled. "That guy named Im is stronger than Roa, right? Isn't it possible that something happened when he stayed behind to cover our retreat?"
"Don't talk nonsense, Bonney."
Katakuri's shoulders shook. He forcibly suppressed his laughter and said earnestly to his proud sister:
"That's Roa!"
"Eh?"
Bonney was startled.
"First, no one in the world can kill Roa!"
Shiki the Golden Lion snorted coldly. "Second, that brat never does anything like covering a retreat. He just enjoys the feeling of running away from his enemies while they are utterly helpless. If his life were genuinely threatened, he would absolutely be the first to flee."
"Eh..."
Bonney blinked.
That felt somewhat subtle.
How should I put it? Are they praising him or slandering him now?
"Seriously, I just get back and hear people slandering me behind my back!"
A voice descended from the sky. "Uncle Shiki, your punishment is no drinking tonight!"
"You might as well kill me then!"
Shiki turned his head, frowning at Roa descending from the sky. "But why are you coming back from that direction, brat?"
"Well..."
Roa scratched the back of his head, saying somewhat sheepishly, "I flew past."
"You flew past? Only you!"
Katakuri also couldn't help but laugh. "How fast were you going?"
"Speed, seventy miles per hour?"
Roa answered tentatively.
"I have no idea what you're talking about!"
Katakuri grew slightly serious. "So, what's the plan now? That guy is stronger than you, right?"
"Mhm, it'll be difficult to surpass that guy in a short time."
Roa nodded lightly.
It was a vicious cycle. To achieve another leap in power, he needed to evolve again. To evolve again, he needed the world to become even more chaotic. To make the world more chaotic, he needed to defeat the World Government and seize the entire world. But to defeat the World Government, he had to become more powerful.
He was stuck here.
"It will be a long war, I'm afraid."
Roa chuckled. "Let's start with the West Blue and the North Blue!"
He clenched his fist with vigor, as if grasping everything. "Let's take half the world first!"
"Hey, hey, hey, brat,"
Shiki's smile was heavy. "Don't talk as if you're our boss!"
"Eh?!"
Roa was greatly startled. "I'm not yet? I thought everyone had already tacitly agreed! Otherwise, let's just leave it at that!"
"Are you trying to slip through unnoticed?"
Redfield couldn't help but laugh out loud.
Roa said earnestly, "The strong hold power, the weak remain silent. Hasn't that always been the rule of pirates? We can't disregard the rules! The pirate world must also have a code of honor!"
Charlotte Linlin rolled her eyes. "Didn't you always emphasize that you stopped being a pirate long ago? And now you're talking about the rules of pirates!"
Roa nodded solemnly. "I can be one again!"
"Your stance is truly flexible, brat."
Shiki chuckled softly. "But, I have to say, in this world now, everyone has only two choices."
All the monsters present couldn't help but let out a somewhat subtle sigh.
It was either Roa or Imu.
The entire world would become a battlefield; no one could stand on the sidelines.
And they had already made their choice. Indeed, there was only this one choice.
"So, Roa,"
Shiki said, "It's time for you to tell us. What exactly is the background of that guy named Imu?"
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