The Unwilling Heart, the Final Punch
Call out--!!
With Roman's assistance, Luffy's short-distance sprint speed in Luffy Fifth Gear is in no way inferior to Devil Fruit user like Enel and Kizaru! It's not that Roman Luffy's absolute speed exceeds the speed of lightning or light, but rather:
"Wind-Driven Lightning, accelerating with ice and fire!"
Roman's armor, resembling himself, overcomes air resistance, while the explosion of ice and fire provides immense recoil; Luffy's powerful physique withstands this insane acceleration, Observation Haki, 'Future Sight,' guides him:
"Lion King's Charge!!"
The two instantly transformed into a streak of black Inazuma, relentlessly piercing through everything as they repeatedly refracted and pursued Imu! Furthermore, Roman simultaneously opened and closed numerous 'doors' throughout the battlefield, preventing Imu from traversing space at will, even though Im's control over spatial abilities was superior to Roman's.
"Take this punch—"
As Luffy unleashed his punch, the two's Haki intertwined and compressed! Countless Inazuma of black lightning spread outwards with the fist, traversing in all directions, tearing countless cracks in the void! Before such a fist, any Devil Fruit user is utter nonsense!
"Destroy!"
Click-clack,
"Neo, Joy Boy..."
In no time, countless tear marks appeared on Imu's wedding dress as she dodged at high speed, igniting a long-dormant rage within her!
"Do you think I'm afraid of you?!"
In an instant, Imu, no longer dodging, clenched his fist at his waist, combining Armament Haki, Devil Fruit ability, and Conqueror's Haki, and then unleashed a punch:
"Neo, try this move you've never been able to execute before:"
Armament Haki the sky apart!
The Tremor-Tremor Ability made the world roar!
Conqueror's Haki: Annihilation of all things!
"Heavenly Annihilation, Earthly Annihilation, Human Annihilation, the Three Realms Extinction!!"
"Stop shouting those cringeworthy lines, okay...?"
In the blink of an eye, before Roman could finish his rant, two fists carrying power that surpassed the limits of this world collided fiercely with a life-or-death intensity!
Boom--!!!!
A massive shockwave erupted from the black 'sun' that suddenly appeared in the sky, and an apocalyptic storm of destruction spread endlessly across the Holy Land Mary Geoise like ripples on water, accompanied by countless bolts of black Inazuma that tore everything apart! Even the Angel Legion that had been flying across the sky with overwhelming force were suddenly thrown away like sparrows in a storm.
Immediately afterwards, numerous cracks appeared on the surface of the Red Line, radiating outwards in a spiderweb-like pattern. Fierce and violent shock energy, carrying large amounts of gravel and sand, sprayed outwards from each crack, destroying countless flowers, trees, and all buildings!
The entire Red Line was groaning and groaning, as if even this 'high wall' that separated the world could not withstand the impact of the World's Strongest people.
"Heh, you think you can beat me like this?"
After the clash, Imu, standing in the air with a murderous look on his face, had his white wedding dress torn apart, leaving countless bloody marks! Roman and Luffy... were even worse off, covered in blood from head to toe! They even had to exit their 'fused' state.
"A pointless struggle! Neither of you are fighting for the noble cause of 'justice'!"
As the battle grew increasingly dangerous, Imu rediscovered his former 'blood-pumping' feeling.
"What's wrong with ruling the world with me? Or perhaps—"
"You two 'big men' are too afraid to admit your weakness? You feel that being ranked alongside me hurts your pathetic pride?"
"I have no interest in world domination!"
Luffy, supporting himself on his knees, retorted without hesitation.
"You stole my advisor, prevented my navigator from getting married, and most importantly, prevented us from holding a banquet—so I'm going to beat you up!"
"If I had to give a reason—"
Roman looked at the King of the World before her; even her battle-worn appearance couldn't conceal her extraordinary and valiant aura. However:
"I'm sorry, we're not a good match. Besides, I already have someone I love."
?!
"I understand, then:"
The injured Imu stretched out her finger, and unimaginable light and heat gathered before her, as if concentrating the sun's rays at her fingertip. Then, it transformed into a beam of light that pierced through the heavens and earth, enveloping Roman and Luffy. Wherever the beam pointed, the unparalleled heat distorted and expanded the void itself!
Farewell.
"Yata no Kagami!"
With a flash of golden light, a tall figure appeared in front of Roman and Luffy, holding a huge mirror of light in his hand and perfectly absorbing the giant pillar of light that could split the island in two.
"How terrifying—?!"
Unfortunately, Kizaru didn't even have time to finish his witty remarks before Im, in a fit of rage, grabbed Imu from mid-air! It was as if the space between the two of them vanished instantly, and the towering Kizaru fell into Imu's palm, the five fingers gripping his neck suddenly tightening!
"You're asking for it!!"
"Ice Cube - Ice Block: Pheasant Beak!"
"The Dragon's Claw!"
In the moment of crisis, a giant ice crystal phoenix spreads its wings and pounces! On the other side, Luffy's father, Luffy the wind, unleashes a devastating attack with his Three Types of Haki that tears everything apart, and his five fingers form a dragon claw as he simultaneously strikes at Imu.
Boom!
Using the Kizaru in her hand as a weapon, she threw it to block the Ice Crystal Phoenix. With her other hand, she met the dragon's full-force attack head-on with her fist against its claw! In that instant, a tall figure leaped in front of her using Geppo, his proud iron fists clasped high together.
"The God of the Celestial Dragons— "
A pair of iron fists, once invincible across the Four Seas, carrying a Haki compressed to its extreme, even turning the surrounding air black, crashed down, as if leaving a black mark on space! This attack, the pinnacle of Armament Haki in this world, struck the unsuspecting Imu, slamming her down!
"Fall!"
"My legion, kill these trash—?!"
Faced with Imu's call as he plummeted downwards, his answer was:
"Give me some face and don't disturb the battle over there."
???
The Angel Puppet certainly wouldn't give this red-haired, scarred, one-armed man any 'face,' but the swords and guns in the hands of the Red-Haired Pirates would soon show them the consequences of disrespecting their captain!
"Hahaha, how could such a battlefield be complete without me?"
Buggy, who was extremely bloated (physically) wrapped in a cloak, laughed loudly. Although he was released after making a 'deal' with Magellan, these were all minor matters and not worth worrying about.
"My minions, the day has come to take the head of the Celestial Dragons God and make our names known Four Seas!"
"Oh my gosh, Captain Buggy!!"
A group of brainless fans with hundreds of millions of followers joined the battle with howls.
"The Capturing Arrow!"
A pink arrow shot out, piercing through the Angel Puppet's Haki and instantly petrifying it into an immovable statue. Boa Hancock gazed at the land she had sworn never to set foot on again—now a ruin and a battlefield. A place that might not even exist after today... could it be...?
"This is Luffy's proposal gift to me?~~"
"Absolutely not!"
The Empress's illusion was instantly shattered by Grandma Enel's presence.
"Iron Fist!"
"Hell Hound!!"
"Divine-Turn— "
"The Buddha Shakes the World!!"
"Air Quake - Space Annihilation,"
"Overlord Demon - Nine-Sword Style - Asura - Sword Draw - Play of the Dead!"
"Hey, hey, hey, your technique names are way too long!" Zoro's act of reciting technique names while biting his sword drew the attention of a group of top-tier fighters. Hawk Eyes, who had also arrived, silently swung a basic attack, feeling...
We lost the momentum.
And the one who was besieged by so many experts was naturally:
Why?
Why am I, who has always reigned supreme with invincibility, fighting a bloody battle here?
Surrounded by a group of Admiral and Four Emperors- level powerhouses, Imu was momentarily disoriented. When did the situation become so strange?
The Angel Legion was firmly held back on the outskirts by the Navy, pirates, the Royal Family, and even the prisoners of Impel Down. Although Imu was able to stand firm against the siege of these top-tier warriors of the sea, however:
Neo, Joy Boy...
Eight hundred years ago you were unwilling to stand with me, and now you still want to unite everyone against me?
How hateful, how hateful!
"Get out of here!!"
As Imu's domineering Haki suddenly erupted, azure blue Haki mixed with jet-black Inazuma shot out, blasting a group of top-tier experts away! Then:
Brush,
A pure white longsword fell into Imu's hand. Looking at the longsword covered with white patterns in his palm, a trace of nostalgia flashed in Imu's cold eyes.
This was the weapon that accompanied her from her humble beginnings to the pinnacle of the world, the first gift Neo gave her, a testament to her companions' laughter and battles, something she hadn't used for eight hundred years...
"Neo, do you think you can defeat me by gathering this bunch of ants?"
Facing a group of equally wounded Fleet Admiral, Admiral, Vice Admiral, Four Emperors... Imu raised his longsword and placed it on:
On his own neck.
??!!
"Oh, so you're trying to save face for yourself?"
Facing Akainu's mockery with his face covered in blood, Imu scoffed and dragged his longsword without hesitation.
Puff!
Blood splattered on the tattered wedding dress, adding a touch of tragic beauty to its owner. As Imu's aura rapidly weakened, the surrounding powerful figures exchanged bewildered glances after letting out a sigh of relief.
That's it?
While Imu was indeed incredibly powerful,... a powerhouse who dominated the world for eight hundred years has simply vanished? This is truly...
"So, let's talk about you pirates trespassing—?!"
However, before Akainu could finish speaking, he saw the expressions of the 'pirates' he was facing change drastically, and then:
Click,
A fist imbued with azure blue Haki and jet-black Inazuma slammed into his waist from behind! Before Akainu could even react, the dignified Fleet Admiral flew out like a shooting star! He blasted through the crumbling Red Line, plummeting in a straight line into the sea below.
?!
"Round Two."
Aside from his tattered wedding dress stained with blood, Imu, now back to full strength, spread out the fist that had just sent Akainu flying with a single punch.
"You all come at me at once, I have plenty of time!"
????
How are we supposed to fight like this?!
Even though everyone on this battlefield is a top-tier expert on the high seas, facing an opponent who requires a combined attack to barely achieve a draw is already a headache enough. Now, the opponent has directly demonstrated the ability to 'resurrect on the spot'. This is a bit...
"What, weren't you supposed to be saving the world? Weren't you supposed to be upholding justice? Come on—"
Faced with Imu's beckoning gesture, the Three Admirals, Garp, Sengoku, Tsuru, Dragon, Hawk Eyes, Shanks, Ace, Sabo, Zoro, and others silently gripped their weapons, preparing to...
"That's enough,"
A calm voice broke the bleak and oppressive atmosphere.
"Killing you will only take one move."
?
Amidst the expressions of a group of powerful figures who thought, "You're exaggerating a bit, young man," Roman patted his equally tattered and blood-stained white tuxedo.
"Imu, our story should have ended long ago."
??
"What nonsense are you spouting, Neo? I'm invincible—"
"Hehe, is that so?"
Brush,
A longsword with jet-black Inazuma patterns fell into Roman's hands, and then:
"No!!" x2
Two horrified voices rang out simultaneously! One was Luffy's, and the other was: Imu!
Puff,
Unfortunately, it was too late.
What would happen if everyone had the ability to 'Future Sight'? Their mutual foresight would interfere with each other's visions, causing both sides to see only chaos. Even if Luffy and Imu glimpsed a sliver of the future within this chaos, they wouldn't be able to stop it.
"Ahem, I told you, one move is enough to defeat you."
"Roman!!"
In a flash, Luffy appeared and caught Roman, a sword plunged into his heart, Luffy pupils trembling violently. He could clearly feel life rapidly draining from Roman's body! This scene, this scene...
"What have you done, Neo?!"
As Roman committed suicide with his sword, the world's tremors slowly ceased, the meteor shower overhead thinned, and even the angels who had been frantically charging towards the center, slaughtering the Navy, pirates, Revolutionary Army, and the royal alliance, were collectively stunned! Then:
Splash splash~~
"This is???"
As the "Thief's Intent" scroll suddenly fell limply from her hand, Nami turned to look at the battlefield at the very center, clutching her chest tightly, tears streaming down her face.
Impossible! Impossible!
There's Luffy, Zoro, and so many other strong characters there, why—
"As expected..."
Looking at the collapsing Angel Legion, looking at the world where the natural disaster had subsided, Roman closed his eyes and sighed.
"Imu, I am the source of your power."
If Devil Fruit affect the soul, then how are Artificial Devil Fruit? If they affect the flesh and blood, then what about Brook? Therefore:
"Ahem, I've checked all the information, and it all indicates that the 'Paper-Paper Fruit' has never existed in this world in the last eight hundred years!"
Book Book Fruit, Paper-Person Fruit... but there's no 'Paper-Paper Fruit' like Roman's.
Amid Luffy's furious shouts of "Doctor! Doctor! Chopper! Chopper!!" Roman had pierced his own heart, slowly recounted everything.
"Because when my soul was forced to flee to the present day eight hundred years ago, the Paper-Paper Fruit was in a state of 'non-existence'. Therefore, my creation 'Uranus' and the abilities I gave you were also extremely weak, unable to even move, and even requiring a large amount of life force to activate."
This is why Imu cannot leave the Holy Land! Because once she leaves the Holy Land, she will simply be a ceiling of combat power, no longer invincible!
Even the Bad People of Wano Country will lose all their abilities derived from Roman's creations once they leave Wano Country. Otherwise, they would have all moved to the Flower Country long ago.
"It wasn't until my soul arrived in the present through the 'Time-Time Fruit' that the 'Paper-Paper Fruit' re-formed..."
Because it already practically has an owner, anyone else Devil Fruit will be rendered useless except for becoming unable to swim! It will eventually return to Roman. And at that time:
"The day Imu can leave the Holy Land at will... cough cough cough, this wedding... is my prison, but your day of freedom. How ironic..."
"Roman! Don't speak, hold on!!"
Roman simply smiled in response to Luffy's anxious words.
"Go, Luffy."
?
"Do what you... are supposed to do. The so-called... cough cough cough, 'One Piece' is to bring the Four Seas... under... control..."
Snap,
His limp arm fell to the dust, facing his companion whose body was growing cold in his arms. In that instant, it felt as if the whole world was Luffy! All he could hear were muffled shouts, gasps of surprise, and cries. A few seconds later:
Luffy stood up and looked up at the figure standing among the many experts.
"Imu!!!"
Snap,
With a leap, Luffy soared high into the air, his clenched fist pointing downwards, a chilling killing intent surfacing on Luffy face. Compared to his usual jovial and serious demeanor, this expression completely shattered Luffy persona! Because:
"I want you dead!!!"
Throughout his journey, Luffy had never truly harbored murderous intent towards anyone. He'd usually just beat them up and move on, but this time, this very time!!
Unforgivable—
"Hahaha, come on!!"
Facing Luffy's murderous intent locked on her from the sky above, Imu sneered. Even without all the abilities she gained from Neo, even without the Angel Legion, she still possessed world-class fighting power. Now, it was simply a desperate gamble!
As Imu also prepared to fight to the death, her aura became even more terrifying! It was a resolute determination born from letting go of everything; her Haki, honed over eight hundred years, reached an even higher level at this moment! It transformed into a vast, azure sea, enveloping her within it. Everyone within this domain could not even breathe, let alone fight.
"Get out of the way!"
Even powerful figures like the Marine Admiral and the Four Emperors were startled by Imu's sudden outburst and were forced to retreat.
"What immense vitality this is..."
"How could someone's Haki reach this level?"
Boom--!!!
As the air suddenly exploded, Luffy transformed into a streak of light and resolutely charged towards Imu below, his fist slamming out mercilessly! It carried all his Haki, power, and Devil Fruit ability!
Come forth! In this ocean of Haki, all Devil Fruit abilities will be ineffective! Any Haki weaker than mine will be overwhelmed by its pressure...
However, standing in this 'ocean', Imu suddenly felt a strong sense of unease! In her pupils as she looked up at the sky, Luffy towards her suddenly blurred, as if a photograph had been taken by a shaky camera lens.
?
Imu certainly wasn't seeing things, Luffy was also pointing straight down without any movement. The blurriness was because a group of figures suddenly appeared around Luffy:
Those figures were so clear, even their imposing Haki and flowing robes were reflected in Imu's eyes: Three-Sword Style swordsman, a blond chef, a mischievous navigator, a long-nosed sniper, a reindeer doctor, an elegant archaeologist, a perverted cyborg shipwright, a lonely skeleton musician, a steady Fish-Man helmsman... and even a strategist sighing with pity!
This is--
"Disappear!!!"
In the instant of their descent, the entire Straw Hat crew appeared and existed simultaneously in an incomprehensible way. Then, they overlapped one another!
High-Dimensional Overlay?
The instant the entire Straw Hat crew entered his body, Luffy's physical texture, radiance, color, vitality, domineering Haki, power, and the momentum and kinetic energy of his dive all suddenly increased in an unbelievable way, becoming several times stronger than before!
Compared to Luffy's vibrant and brilliant colors, the azure ocean below suddenly appears dull, pale, and thin.
Boom boom boom boom boom boom boom boom boom!
As Luffy's punch descended from the sky, the entire Red Line shook violently. A massive rift, thousands of meters long, cleaved the planet like a divine sword, splitting the towering continent in two! Then, countless fissures exploded in all directions, seemingly about to...
"Quickly, the holy land is about to collapse!"
"Isn't this just too outrageous???"
"Roman! Luffy! They haven't—"
Snap! Snap! Snap!
The Red Line that encircles the world has shattered! — And amidst the constantly falling land, boulders, and rocks, a white figure has fallen.
Impossible, impossible!!
Is this Joy Boy's High-Dimensional Overlay attack?! But even Joy Boy can only superimpose one 'self'... That strange phenomenon just now was proof of the interference of time and space, a technique of 'borrowing power from one's future self'! How could Imu not recognize it? But—
So many people... even Neo... how could they be willing to accept this?!
"How could I possibly bow down and admit defeat to you?!"
Even after being blasted into the Red Line by Luffy's "High-Dimensional Stacking Fist" and falling into an abyss! Both his arms were shattered, but Imu still didn't give up! Because:
"If I fall here, if I fall here..."
Doesn't that mean I was wrong about everything in the past?
"No way--?!"
Snap,
A cold body embraced her from behind. Imu Guotou, and what met her eyes was:
"Neo...?"
"Our story is over, Imu."
"There's nothing to be resentful about if you're really that afraid of death."
He hugged his 'bride' tightly, and the former immature teenager smiled slightly. "If I travel with you, I won't be so lonely, right?"
·········
"If only you had... never mind."
Finally, Imu closed his eyes, and the two pure white figures disappeared together in the fall.