Chapter 300: Death
Louis adjusted his wings, dodging the Conqueror's Haki-infused roars and freezing slashes from the Five Elders.
He held his sword and spear—both crackling with black-red lightning—and looked down at the five monstrous figures surrounding him again, his brow furrowing.
Not only had Marcus Mars (Itsumade) been restored by Imu's unknown ability, but even the Sandwyrm (Ju Peter), whom he had nearly sliced in two, was back to its original state.
It was obvious: Imu was actively healing them, using an unknown power to purge the energy Louis had embedded in their wounds.
He had seen this before, during the Fish-Man Island battle with the God's Knights. Just as he was about to kill them, black flames had erupted on their bodies, neutralizing his power. Now, the same thing was happening.
Louis knew the Elders' own Haki wasn't strong enough to purge his life-draining energy while they were heavily wounded. This was, without a doubt, Imu's power.
He realized that getting a one-on-one fight with Imu to gather intel was going to be extremely difficult. He had already gauged Imu's Haki and was confident he could match him. But Imu, as evidenced by the five beasts, had no intention of fighting fair.
Although Shiki and Ochoku were still on the battlefield, Louis had no intention of asking for their help. He knew Shiki. The favor was repaid. If Shiki had succeeded in recruiting Bullet and the Red Count, he'd be looking for a chance to stab Louis in the back. Right now, Shiki was probably the person in the world most hoping that Louis and the World Government would destroy each other.
"..."
Louis's mind was made up. It's better to cut off one finger than to injure all ten. Since he couldn't end this all at once, he would at least kill a few of the Five Elders.
In an instant, Louis's aura exploded without reservation. He gripped his weapons, his dangerous intent locking onto the five monsters.
The sudden, mountain-toppling pressure made the Five Elders tense. They knew his intentions had changed.
The next second, Louis's wings beat, and he shot forward like a golden meteor.
"Just the descendant of a defeated foe," a voice echoed from Pangea Castle, where Imu's slender figure stood in shadow, bat-like wings flickering. "They lost to Mu 800 years ago. What can you, alone, possibly do?"
Imu's slender hand gripped a giant trident, pointing it at the angel. "Take him."
"As you command!"
The Five Elders roared, their last vestiges of fear vanishing. Black, abyssal energy swirled around them as they all shifted into their strongest hybrid forms and charged to meet him.
In the distance, the black tide of demons, as if receiving Imu's command, turned and swarmed toward Louis.
The sudden departure of most of the demons gave the controlled Teach, Shiliew, and Crocodile a moment to breathe. But before they could catch their breath, Teach and Shiliew found themselves surrounded by demons in a perfect, straight-line formation, as if triggering a trap.
A dark magic circle lit up beneath their feet, swallowing them. A moment later, demon-transformed versions of Teach and Shiliew climbed out, their bodies swollen to giant size, holding tridents.
"Zehahaha!" the demon-Teach roared. "THIS POWER!!"
Demon-Shiliew turned to the last survivor, Crocodile. "Hehehe... Why don't you join us?"
Crocodile, seeing this, could no longer remain calm. He instantly dissolved into sand and fled. "What the hell is going on with these guys?!" The demon-Teach and demon-Shiliew let him go, sending lesser demons after him as they headed for the main battlefield.
Elsewhere, Bullet, his upper body bare, was overwhelming Kong with a furious storm of Haki-infused blows. Nearby, the Red Count, back at his peak, had carved a path into the demon horde, his umbrella-sword a blur.
But suddenly, the Red Count's assault became cautious. His excellent Observation Haki had sensed what happened to Teach and Shiliew. The change was too fast, too strange. He didn't understand the trigger, so he fell back, fighting defensively.
Bullet, by contrast, was a whirlwind of pure, wild power. He was effortlessly countering Kong's "immortality," striking with such force and Haki that the old man's wounds couldn't heal.
After punching a hole straight through Kong's shoulder, Bullet cracked his neck, a mocking smile on his face. "You have immortality, but you still look like you're about to die. Did the Celestial Dragons only give you a 'contract' like the God's Knights? I thought a Commander-in-Chief would get the real 'ageless immortality' like the Five Elders!"
He then glanced toward the main battlefield, sensing the two ocean-deep auras. "Looks like I have new targets to challenge."
Meanwhile, Shiki kicked the severed, twitching body of Junko aside and turned to Byndi World. "Join my crew, Byndi!"
Byndi, the World Destroyer, was silent. He knew he was weak now, remembering his easy defeat at the hands of Shamrock.
Beside them, Ace was poking Junko's dismembered, but still living, body with a stick. "Whoa, this is amazing! She's cut to pieces but still alive? Immortality is nuts!"
Ochoku crossed his arms. "That's one of the two surviving God's Knights. They're like the Elders—immortal. When we get back, Shiki and I will teach you how to deal with them."
Shiki pressed his case, pointing at the new demons. "Look at them, Byndi. Can you face that alone?"
Just as Shiki saw the refusal in Byndi's eyes, Junko's severed head snapped up, her crimson-ringed eyes glowing. Her scattered limbs flew back, reassembling.
Shiki spun, his sword Oto clashing with a barrage of arrows. "This Conqueror's Haki?!" He bit through his cigar, stunned. The woman he'd just defeated now had demonic wings, a tail, and was radiating Haki.
"Junko" (now transformed) blocked Shiki with a newly formed trident while simultaneously launching a volley of Haki-coated, heat-seeking arrows at Ace.
"Hey, brat, get out of the way!" Shiki roared, unable to break free.
Ace dodged, but the arrows turned 90 degrees in mid-air and shot at his chest. He drew his own sword, coating it in Haki, but the blade was shattered on impact.
"Damn it!" Ace turned to flames, but his Observation Haki screamed that it wouldn't work.
Just as the arrows were about to impale him, a cold, armored hand grabbed him by the neck from behind and yanked him back.
The black-red arrows grazed Ace's back and punched straight through the heavy armor of his savior, burying themselves deep in his flesh.
"OCHOKU?!" Shiki roared.
Drip... drip...
Ochoku coughed up two mouthfuls of blood.
"Junko" frowned at the man she had impaled. As she prepared a follow-up strike, a strange ripple from the main battlefield distracted her.
A distant shout echoed: "SAINT SATURN!!"
"Junko" suddenly realized that one of her new demonic subordinates... had just been killed.
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