From Now On, I Will Stand at the Top of the Sky! (The End)

The black smoke, like the night, draped over the newcomer's body, forming a dark cloak like a light veil, making him appear mysterious and enigmatic.

A strangely shaped, towering crown was placed on the head of the newcomer, with four incredibly tall and sharp spikes standing atop the crown.

Such attire, such a manner of arrival.

The newcomer was none other than the behind-the-scenes ruler of the World Government, the true master of the Throne of the Sky—

"Imu."

Storm whispered the name of the person who had come.

"Or should I address you as 'Narona Imu Saint'?"

Eight hundred years ago, among the "first twenty" who established the World Government, one of the kings was "Nerona Imu Saint" from the Nerona family. (Chapter 1086 of the manga)

In the past eight hundred years, have any more Celestial Dragons appeared with the name "Imu"...?

Storm was unaware of this.

However, considering the various information he possessed about Imu...

The other party must be Narona Imu, who led Twenty Nations Alliance to establish the World Government eight hundred years ago!

"Vongola Storm"

Imu's dark red eyes stared intently at the White Dragon Emperor, her voice carrying a strange and distorted echo.

"Although I once doubted your true identity, it seems now..."

You are definitely not him.

He?

Storm raised an eyebrow.

"You mean 'Joey Boy'?"

Imu showed no interest in answering Storm's question.

It was as if she lost interest in Storm after figuring out his identity.

Imu shifted her gaze to another direction in the Sky Garden, where Shirahoshi usually spent her days.

"So, this generation's Mermaid Princess is here too. Looks like I can take care of this little trouble ahead of schedule today..."

"An 800-year-old woman talking to herself!"

Storm's gaze turned cold.

Where are you looking?!

Old woman!?

The nonchalant demeanor Imu displayed at that moment shattered instantly upon hearing those three simple words.

"Vongola Storm!!!"

Imu screamed out Storm's name.

A piercing scream, mixed with astonishing arcs of black and red electricity, transformed into a powerful sonic wave that swept towards Storm's location.

Storm merely narrowed his eyes, also gathering a surge of [Conqueror's Haki], fearlessly meeting the incoming Conqueror's Haki sound wave.

Boom!!!

The two [Conqueror's Haki] powers collided, instantly unleashing a loud booming sound.

The vast sea of clouds surrounding the Sky Garden was torn into two halves by these two incredibly powerful Haki forces.

If you looked up from the bottom of Whole Cake Island, you would definitely see the terrifying scene of the sky being completely torn apart.

There was no fighting.

The mere clash of [Conqueror's Haki] caused the sky to split open.

This is the level of Storm and Imu!

He's on a completely different level from other powerful figures in the ocean!

"Tsk!"

Storm smacked his lips.

As the saying goes, seeing is believing.

He had long regarded Imu as his most formidable hypothetical enemy.

But today, after making official contact with the World King who has been hiding behind the World Government for hundreds of years, he discovered that Imu's strength was not as great as he had previously imagined.

Take Imu's [Conqueror's Haki] as an example.

Storm felt absolutely no pressure from Imu!

No wonder the [Conqueror's Haki] sealed within that ancient robot Emmett, originating from Joey Boy from eight hundred years ago, was released.

Even Imu is almost half an ocean away, would be so frightened that he would kneel down and scream.

"Is this all the quality you've got?"

These four short words may not cause much harm, but they are extremely insulting.

Imu's screams stopped abruptly, but the anger in her heart burned even more fiercely.

Following that brief collision.

Imu has realized that the White Dragon Emperor's [Conqueror's Haki] level is no less than hers.

But so what?

She is Imu, the World King.

She's invincible!

Enraged, Imu decisively activated the power of her Devil Fruit.

One after another, dark shadows emerged from beneath her feet, transforming into strangely shaped and incredibly sharp weapons that attacked the enemy.

Storm remained unmoved, but he also unleashed the power of the [Clay Fruit].

The earth of the Sky Garden was instantly assimilated by his power, and heavy, solid clay, shaped like white snakes, emerged from the depths of the earth, actively meeting the overwhelming black shadow weapons.

Bang bang bang!

A series of intense collisions echoed across the Sky Garden.

For a time, Storm's "clay" and Imu's "shadow" were evenly matched.

'It really wasn't Joy Boy's [Mythical Zoan: Nika Fruit]!'

Imu witnessed the White Dragon Emperor's power firsthand, and then frowned slightly.

'But can the [Clay Fruit] be this strong?'

With a slight thought, Imu silently released a deep, dark flame.

The black flames directly ignited the shadow she had just released, as if adding a layer of magic with a burning effect to the shadow, upgrading the original "physical attack" into an "enchanted attack".

"Enough is enough! How many people are still willing to play with fire?"

Storm's eye twitched slightly.

He recognized the "fire ability" Imu was using; it was the same strange flame that had almost burned Saint Nusjuro to death.

To be honest...

This black flame is extremely dangerous.

If its burning target is not Storm's "clay".

As a creation of the Nine-Star [Clay Fruit] ability, Storm's "clay" is not afraid of being burned by flames.

"Imu, let's stop with this probing tactic!"

Storm manipulated the surrounding clay, and the earth undulated under his control, as if it had transformed into a turbulent white ocean.

"Flowing Clay!"

Under Storm's control, the clay-like earth surged into the sky like a giant tsunami, forming a massive clay wave about 100 meters high, which crashed against Imu on the opposite side.

Faced with this massive clay attack, Imu frowned even more, but still unleashed her power.

A pair of bat-like black membranous wings grew from her back, and her movement speed increased accordingly, allowing her to fly nimbly into the higher sky.

At the same time...

Imu has fully revealed her true abilities.

A pair of strange, twisted horns grew from the top of her head, and behind her were a pair of flat, black membranous wings, as well as a slender, flexible tail.

She's a complete female demon!

This is Imu's Devil Fruit ability.

Storm had already confirmed this with Saint Nusjuro.

The Devil Fruit power that Imu possesses is called --

[Zoan, Human- Human-Human Fruit, Mythical Zoan, Lilith Form]!

Lilith, in mythology, is a witch who controls the night, dreams, storms, death, and the moon!

In a sense.

The [Lilith Fruit], symbolizing night and the moon, stands in stark contrast to the [Nika Fruit], representing light and the sun.

Storm's eyes were very sharp.

Seeing that Imu had unleashed his "true form," he no longer hesitated and released the power of his [Clay Fruit].

In a short while.

Storm then entered the "Clay Nika" form.

"That's a look I really miss..."

Imu stood high in the sky, looking down at "Clay Nika" on the ground, her tone filled with arrogance and reminiscence.

"Unfortunately, Vongola Storm, you are ultimately just a mortal."

"I am the god who rules the sea!"

This was accompanied by Imu's announcement.

A powerful storm swept across the sky, and thick clouds gathered together to form a vast, dark cloud that blotted out the sun, plunging Sky Garden and even the surrounding seas into darkness.

This scene is like the arrival of night.

In this pitch-black night, where one could not see their own hand in front of their face, Storm's scarlet eyes resembled two red lanterns, and the [Conqueror's Haki] he released illuminated the surrounding dim environment.

"The last guy who called himself 'god' has already been killed by me."

Storm stepped on the air, unleashing his astonishing Nine-Star speed, like a white rainbow piercing the sun, soaring straight into the sky.

"Now it's your turn, Imu!"

Imu's Observation Haki also locked onto the White Dragon Emperor's aura.

When the White Dragon Emperor rushed up from below.

Imu clenched her small, delicate fist, simultaneously imbuing it with Armament Haki and Conqueror's Haki, and unleashed a powerful attack on the enemy below.

Rumble--

A deafening roar erupted above the Sky Garden.

Centered on the battle positions of Storm and Imu, an incredibly powerful shockwave erupted, directly scattering and shattering the surrounding dark clouds.

A few rays of sunlight pierced through the gaps in the dark clouds, illuminating the earth of the Sky Garden.

Storm remained unmoved. He clenched his fists and swung them repeatedly. His powerful strength and domineering Haki made each punch contain terrifying destructive force, tearing and exploding the surrounding air.

Imu was equally unwilling to be outdone. After transforming into a demon, she fully utilized the amplification effect of the [Lilith Fruit] on her physical attributes, and her two small, white fists also created a dense, blurry afterimage in mid-air.

Boom boom boom!!!

Storm and Imu engaged in an incredibly fierce battle above the Sky Garden, the roar of which echoed endlessly.

[Strength]!

[Speed]!

[Haki!]

After Storm pushed his [Physique] and [Haki] to Nine-Star.

This was the first time he had encountered such an evenly matched opponent!

Imu felt the same way.

After Joey Boy.

This was the first time Imu had encountered such a terrifyingly powerful enemy!

'We must defeat him/her!'

The thought flashed through the minds of Imu and Storm simultaneously.

The two engaged in an extremely fierce battle.

The clouds above the Sky Garden were completely torn apart.

The sun shines down on the world once again.

However, as time goes on...

As the sun began to set in the west, true night fell.

Bang!

Storm and Imu collided violently again, sending each other flying a distance.

Imu flapped his demon wings repeatedly to steady himself.

Upon closer inspection, one would notice that her breathing was very rapid and her chest was heaving violently, clearly indicating that she had expended a great deal of energy.

No matter what.

Imu has not fought in person for hundreds of years.

Her only weakness is her stamina.

But.

The moment the moonlight shone upon Imu's body.

Storm could clearly sense that Imu's strength was rapidly recovering.

"A special ability similar to Joey Boy's [Rhythm of Liberation]?"

Storm appeared very calm, showing no signs of fatigue.

It was as if the intense battle that had lasted for almost half a day hadn't taken any toll on him at all.

Joey Boy's [Rhythm of Liberation] seems to have the peculiar effect of "instantly restoring physical strength when the heart starts beating".

Storm has neither heard the sound of the [Rhythm of Liberation of Rhythm of Liberation] nor seen its effects.

However, the abilities Imu displayed at this moment were truly astounding.

This might be a side effect of the [Lilith Fruit]...

Night has fallen.

Imu stretched her body freely in the night, her energy quickly returning to its peak.

"Even Joey Boy couldn't defeat me in the dark!"

"Really?"

Storm gently stroked a ring on his finger.

I don't believe it.

[More-More Fruit], lend me your power!

Storm activated the power of the [Demon Ring], which he hadn't used in a long time.

With the blessing of the [More-More Fruit].

Storm's power and speed increased dramatically in an instant.

It only took a fleeting moment.

Storm appeared in front of Imu with speed that seemed like teleportation.

Imu was taken aback by the extreme speed displayed by the White Dragon Emperor.

During the battle earlier in the day, the White Dragon Emperor wasn't this fast.

Why does this guy suddenly become so fierce at night?

Did the White Dragon Emperor also eat the [Lilith Fruit]?

Several random thoughts flashed uncontrollably through Imu's mind.

However, she still followed her own fighting instincts, raising her arms and placing them in front of her, while simultaneously wrapping them with [Armament Haki] to create a defensive barrier.

Storm threw a simple, unadorned forehand straight punch.

What appears to be an ordinary fist gains terrifying destructive power under the blessing of the [More-More Fruit].

Bang!

It's like blasting a sandbag.

The moment Storm's fist struck Imu's arms, both of Im's arms exploded instantly, spraying blood everywhere.

Also destroyed was half of Imu's body.

Storm could see the distant sea through the hole in Imu's body.

But this level of fatal injury is not a problem for Imu.

The Gorosei possess that strange "immortal body".

Imu also possesses this ability, and it's even more effective!

Storm has just received the real answer from Saint Nusjuro.

The so-called "immortality".

Actually, it's the "Immortal Surgery" of the [Op-Op Fruit]!

Under the limitations of the [Op-Op Fruit]'s power, the recipient's overall condition is permanently stabilized, and even the most severe injuries will be completely healed.

This is the truth behind "immortality"!

Storm's punch nearly blew Imu apart on the spot.

However, with the help of her "immortality," her body and arms quickly returned to normal, though she was still somewhat dazed.

"How is this possible..."

Imu's dark red eyes widened in disbelief as he stared at the White Dragon Emperor, who was standing inches away.

"My abilities are truly invincible..."

"My lord, times have changed."

Storm flexed his right hand a few times, then clenched it into a fist again, and looked calmly at Imu.

"Imu, answer me now..."

Who is the World King?

Imu couldn't believe it, and he didn't want to believe that what he was seeing was real.

She repeatedly swung her fists, trying to tear the Pirate Emperor in front of her to shreds.

However, Storm's punches are much faster than Imu's Imu, and his attacks deal far more damage.

Thud! Thud! Thud!--

Each of Storm's punches could easily tear Imu's body apart, causing her immense damage.

The goddess of the night spent the most unforgettable night of her life.

As night fell.

Dawn breaks.

Storm aimed at the gods of the Old Era and unleashed the final punch of the new era.

"From this day forward—I shall stand at the heavens!"

(Over)