Haki, as if the sky itself was collapsing, emanated from the magic circle, and the figures of a group of people gradually became clear.
"Is this... the Gorosei?"
"Kekekekeke, this is truly a rare spectacle!"
"This oppressive feeling, are they serious?"
"Kowai ne~"
"The God of the New World?"
"Wait, that person is..." Luffy suddenly frowned, staring wide-eyed at a figure in the magic circle: "Shanks???"
Luffy looked at the red-haired Shanks on his side, bewildered. Were there two Shanks?
"Figarland Shamirrock, the commander of the God's Knights of the Celestial Dragons. Genetically speaking, he should be considered my older brother."
Shanks also stared intently at that figure, but Shamirrock paid him no mind.
The members of the God's Knights stood in two rows, and then the Gorosei, who were in the main positions, also spread out.
"Lower your heads! This is the arrival of the King of the Gods!" Shamirrock impatiently yelled at the crowd.
The magic circle glowed again, and an oppressive feeling a hundred times more intense than before came, making even the Four Emperors-level experts feel a tightness in their chests.
It was the same aura as the female agent who turned into oil, like a malevolent demon crawling out of the abyss.
"Mama, Mama, this aura doesn't feel like the King of the Gods at all!"
A drop of cold sweat seeped from Linlin's forehead as she forced a smile and spoke.
"It's practically a Shura demon..." Kaido tightened his grip on his hachisai-kai, his body tensing, entering a battle-ready state.
"This guy in front of us is Imu, the king of the celestial dragons who has ruled the world for eight hundred years!"
Shanks's words once again astonished everyone.
At this point, there was nothing left to hide. Almost all the prominent figures of the Grand Line were gathered here, and Imu clearly intended to eliminate all of them.
"Eight hundred years? Can anyone really live that long?"
"Is the one who rules the world actually a woman?"
"Eight hundred years of accumulation, just how far has this Haoshoku Haki reached?"
While everyone was amazed, many also harbored greedy thoughts.
"The secret art of eternal life, huh..."
"Eternal life combined with supreme power, it really makes one's heart itch."
Linlin remembered the pure gold Nero had given her, which could also achieve a nearly eternal effect.
However, after she saw Whitebeard's tragic state, she no longer dared to wear that thing. Who knew if what Nero gave her was the genuine article or that sludge-like toy.
"You bastard! Was it you who attacked Nicuss? What happened to my Imperial Father?"
Mordred pointed her sword at Imu and asked aggressively.
She didn't care about the king of the celestial dragons or eternal life; all she cared about was her Imperial Father, Imperial Mother, and everyone from Nicuss.
Artoria had calmed down by now. She didn't question Imu like Mordred, but simply waited for Imu's answer with icy eyes.
With their Imperial Father's whereabouts unknown, the two sisters couldn't both lose their minds. Someone had to remain calm to analyze and think.
"Nero? Imu doesn't know either."
Unexpectedly, Imu wasn't angry, but showed a hint of confusion and fear.
"Imu only received the news after Nicuss disappeared. No one knows what happened at the time."
"As far as Imu knows, there is no power in this world that can harm Nero. Even the ancient weapons couldn't do it without leaving a trace..."
This matter was no less than a ghost story to Imu. Compared to the ants in front of her, she was the one in this world who understood Nero's strength the most.
Even at the peak of the World Government, a confederation of twenty nations, with the three ancient weapons fully powered, it would be impossible to defeat Nero.
But Nero had simply disappeared. This was an unchangeable fact. She had originally planned to abandon this era and only re-emerge after Nero died or left.
No one could understand her anxiety. If there truly was a power that could silently erase Nero, then Imu didn't believe she could escape it.
Finally, she decided to stop overthinking and do what she could first.
Just in time, Vegapunk had also completed the creation of the Mother Flame. With the emergence of infinite energy, the ancient weapons would once again appear in this world.
This was the choice of fate, Imu believed.
The world would sink, and then the gods standing in the heavens would recreate the world. These rats and ants would be swept into the dustbin of history.
"Alright, that's all the information Imu has."
Imu shook her head slightly and looked at Mordred and Artoria: "You two are Nero's daughters, and also the most noble Celestial Dragons in the world."
"Help Imu sweep away these trash, and you will still be the most noble princesses in the world."
"Tch, stop flattering yourself. You're just afraid of Imperial Father, aren't you?" Mordred sneered: "Imperial Father is only missing, not dead. You're just afraid that when Imperial Father returns, he'll come to settle accounts with you, right?"
"Afraid?" Imu chuckled lightly, slowly pacing forward: "Imu and Nero met once in Mary Geoise, and it wasn't Imu who ran away."
"The reason Imu is unwilling to go to war with Nero is simply because the stage of the world is too fragile. If we both unleashed our full power, only we would survive in the end."
"The cost is too great; Imu is not willing to rule over ashes." Imu's gaze swept contemptuously over everyone: "However... occasionally exercising my muscles and letting you understand your own insignificance and ignorance is not a bad pastime."
Her crimson pupils fixated, and Linlin instantly felt the aura of death, her senses magnified to the extreme.
"Napoleon, Zeus..."
Before she could finish, she felt a dizzying sensation. Linlin's vision suddenly twisted. In mid-air, she desperately turned, only to see her lower body gushing blood.
"Kishishishi..."
Her Devil Fruit ability activated, she imbued her body with life, attempting to heal herself, but was astonished to find that her ability had failed.
Finally, she looked at Imu, who was still standing in her original spot. Linlin never understood how Imu had attacked.
"Linlin?" Kaido was incredulous; he, too, hadn't reacted in time.
Linlin was cut in half at the waist. Her vigorous life force didn't allow her to die immediately, but with such injuries, she was left with only her last breath.
"Linlin!" x2
Artoria and Mordred also roared anxiously. To them, Linlin was their Imperial Father's friend and a very kind aunt.
"The first one..." Imu smiled wickedly, the sense of fulfilling slaughter exhilarating her.
"Alert! Everyone, do not let your guard down!!!" Shanks roared loudly, his eyes not daring to leave Imu for a moment.
"Vigilance? Is it useful?" Imu's Haoshoku Haki erupted, like an abyss of hell descending from above.
In an instant, only a handful of people in the entire venue were still standing. Those with Haoshoku Haki could resist slightly, while those without could only endure it head-on.
"Come, you ants, use your lives, use your blood to please your God!"
The Haoshoku Haki receded, and Imu's eyes widened, as if a demon had burst out of hell's cage.
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