"Has Usopp Already Become This Strong!?"
Watching the entire process of Usopp hard-locking Alicia Mirabelagon in place, Tony Tony Chopper stood atop the clouds and couldn't help but exclaim from the bottom of his heart.
After all, not long ago, they had fought Mirabelagon themselves and personally experienced just how terrifying her strength was.
Especially now that she had received power bestowed by Imu—she should have been even more troublesome than before.
And yet…
This woman had been pinned to the ground by Usopp, unable to move at all.
Even Red couldn't help but sigh in admiration.
"Although he relied on a few clever tricks—and once the intel leaks, it'll be difficult to succeed a second time…"
"Still, being able to pull this off is nothing short of a miracle."
"So when are we going down, Red?" Luffy cracked his knuckles eagerly, grinning wide. "I just thought of a new move. I really want to test it on one of the Five Elders!"
"Give it a rest~ Wasn't Figarland Garling Saint enough to satisfy you earlier?"
Red shot Luffy a sidelong glance—along with the corpse preserved inside the ice coffin behind him.
In the end, even a Yonko-class powerhouse like Garling Saint had failed to endure the extreme torment of Mega Luffy. Exhausted to death by countless clones, each carrying specialized moves, he perished inside the Fairy Space.
After confirming Garling Saint's death, Red and the others wasted no time. Bringing along Uta—who had already agreed to join the Straw Hat Pirates—and Gordon, who insisted on accompanying her, they immediately headed back.
In fact…
Shortly after Zoro and the others entered the battlefield, Red's group—having received the news—had already arrived above Abra Island.
But seeing their companions burning with fighting spirit and the situation under control without further escalation, they simply hovered high in the sky and watched.
"As expected… only powerful enemies can force them to grow quickly."
After suppressing Luffy's excitement with a few words, Red's gaze returned to the battlefield below.
Zoro's Black Blade.Sanji's awakened Devil Fruit ability.
These were precisely the scenes Red had long hoped to see.
Yet in daily training, no matter how hard they worked, progress in those areas had always been painfully slow.
Three whole months—and they had only managed to grasp faint hints of breakthrough.
But as the battle against the Five Elders intensified, Red clearly saw both of them making tangible strides along their respective paths.
Zoro's noticeably transformed cursed blade—Sandai Kitetsu.Sanji's increasingly reduced reliance on Super Potions.
All of it proved that they were evolving amid this fierce battle.
More importantly…
Because Red possessed access to their status panels, he could clearly see their experience points skyrocketing at a pace far beyond ordinary training.
"The Five Elders—who can never truly die—might just be the perfect training tools for the Straw Hats."
A realization struck him suddenly.
A greedy golden glint flashed in Red's eyes.
He stared at the Five Elders below—and unconsciously licked his lips.
Half an hour later, the war had reached its climax.
Sanji's side was relatively manageable.
Among the three Five Elders facing him, aside from Saint Warcury—whose defense was absurdly impenetrable—the other two had been kicked to death countless times already.
The towering wall of flames reaching into the sky even prevented the flying Itsumade from crossing it.
Meanwhile, the duel between Zoro and Saint Nusjuro intensified dramatically once the two supreme swordsmen finished warming up.
Their attacks grew fiercer with each exchange.
The battlefield began spiraling out of control—spreading toward the inner regions of Abra Island.
"Three Thousand Worlds—Unbroken Self!"
"Demon Aura · Nine Sword Style · Dragon Intent Extinction Slash!!!"
"Frozen Abyss World · Ice Demon Flash!!!"
ROAR—!
A three-headed demonic dragon and a furious frost demon manifested high above Abra Island.
Like vanguards from two separate dimensions, they clashed violently in the sky for dominance over reality.
The dragon's overwhelming presence spread across Abra Island and the surrounding seas—its pressure rivaling Conqueror's Haki.
The frost demon's icy aura froze the entire harbor and nearby ocean into a kingdom of ice.
But unlike Aokiji's natural frost—
The ice released by Saint Nusjuro carried a sinister abyssal presence, as though capable of devouring souls.
Ordinary people wouldn't even dare approach it.
The dragon and demon wrestled for supremacy in the sky.
Neither yielded.
The moment their massive slashes were about to collide and unleash a catastrophic shockwave—
If allowed to explode freely, half of Abra Island would be destroyed.
But Zoro, eyes bloodshot and focused only on the faint darkening stain creeping across Sandai Kitetsu, no longer cared.
The civilians had already been evacuated.
He had no intention of protecting an empty city.
Just as both prepared their next strike—
A voice echoed across the battlefield.
"That's enough. Let's stop here."
Swish!
Red appeared instantly.
Before the dragon and demon could release their accumulated energy, he raised his hand—massive waves of Psychic Power forming an enormous barrier.
With another sweeping motion, he summoned a massive Hyperspace Hole, sending the barrier into a spatial wormhole.
In the next instant, far out at sea, a deafening explosion erupted.
A furious shockwave roared like a raging tsunami—transforming into hurricane winds that swept across Abra Island.
Had that force detonated on the island—
Abra Island would have been erased.
"It's you!!!"
Saint Nusjuro shouted in alarm.
Zoro, brimming with battle intent moments earlier, immediately calmed—and then broke into a grin.
"You're back, Red!?"
"Mm~"
Red nodded, eyes shifting to Sandai Kitetsu.
"Not bad. In such a short time, you've already begun the initial blackening process."
"Heh… guess I owe that to today's opponent."
As Zoro suspected, there seemed to be some mysterious evolutionary relationship between the cursed blades.
Each time he suppressed Saint Nusjuro with a stronger slash, Sandai Kitetsu seemed to siphon energy from Shodai Kitetsu.
Whether it was Armament Haki—or something else—
After countless exchanges, the blade had grown darker, like ink spreading across steel.
The blood-red patterns gleamed even more ominously.
This proved something.
While Zoro might still lack overall combat power—
In pure understanding of swordsmanship—
He had surpassed Saint Nusjuro.
Still…
"That's enough for today."
"If this keeps up, Abra Island will need full reconstruction."
"And besides…" Red's gaze shifted to Mirabelagon, trapped in Usopp's paralyzing powder formation.
"We shouldn't underestimate a top-tier fighter's adaptability."
"Paralysis Powder alone won't hold someone like her forever."
He smirked.
"By the way—which Five Elder personally visited the Pokémon Sea today?"
"Failing to entertain them properly would be quite rude."
"It was Mirabelagon."
Saint Nusjuro sheathed his blade calmly.
Even ignoring Red's sarcasm, he answered plainly.
The moment he saw Red—
He understood.
Imu's prediction had been correct.
Garling Saint was almost certainly dead.
And though the Five Elders had deployed together—
All they had managed to destroy was a key port.
They hadn't even damaged the town.
Who would have imagined—
That without their captain and vice-captain present—
The remaining Straw Hats could intercept all Five Elders?
Combined with their mysterious method of severing Imu's influence—
There was no point continuing.
Moments later—
Black flame magic circles ignited beneath the four Five Elders.
Before the Straw Hats' eyes, they vanished—returning to their comfort zone, Mary Geoise.
Even Red froze briefly.
Then laughed.
"Seriously… was there any need to leave in such a hurry?"
"You helped Zoro and Sanji so much. At least stay for tea."
Two hours later—Cake Island.
Bound tightly in Fairy Chains and Seastone cuffs, Alicia Mirabelagon was tossed by Red onto an open grassy field.
Startled Pokémon scattered in all directions.
The tape sealing her mouth fell off upon impact.
"Ptoo! Ptoo!"
After spitting dirt, she glared at Red.
"You damned bastard! I am one of the Five Elders—the highest authority of the World Government!"
"And you dare treat me like this!?"
"Hey now~ don't get too immersed in your role."
Red descended, stepping on her to keep her pinned.
The aftermath at Abra Island had been left to the others.
To prevent Imu's will from descending again, Red brought her here immediately.
"You filthy insects! How dare you—"
"Give it up~ Even if you're resistant to Seastone, Luffy's Fairy Chains held even Garling Saint."
"Just cooperate and help me with an experiment."
Pink and blue light flashed in Red's eyes.
He loaded the templates of Palkia and Dialga simultaneously.
"Spacial Rend!"
"Roar of Time!"
This time, fully prepared—
The two legendary attacks converged.
A twisted spatial wormhole formed.
Through it, Red could see Cake Island—warped beyond recognition.
Even now, the collapsing aura of the antimatter world made his heart race.
Switching into Mega Mewtwo Y form, he calmed himself with Aura.
"W-What is this!?"
Mirabelagon panicked.
But instead of answering—
Red flung her straight into the antimatter world.
"Wait—what are you doing!?"
Her arrogance vanished instantly.
Then—
"Bastard!!!"
Black flames erupted from her body—
Not burning—
But fleeing.
"Ahhh!!!"
"Don't leave me!!!"
Her Seastone cuffs and Fairy Chains shattered under the world's influence.
Yet the power leaving her did not stop.
Within seconds, she collapsed onto the twisted ground, tears glistening at the corners of her eyes, expression vacant.
But that was all.
"As I thought."
Red's eyes gleamed.
"If the Pokémon world's antimatter dimension allows life to exist—there's no reason this one shouldn't."
He stepped into the antimatter world.
Aura scanning instantly revealed the truth.
The strange power bestowed by Imu—
And Imu's will itself—
Had completely vanished.
Only her original strength remained.
Saint Saturn's previous death hadn't been due to danger.
He had simply lost connection to Imu—
And a man who should've died long ago…
Had finally reached the end of his lifespan.
(End of Chapter)