Smoke still lingered over the battlefield, and the air remained thick with the lingering scent of blood and the sting of verbal barbs.
Just then, Shanks slowly descended into the air above the battlefield, his familiar ease and confidence standing out amid the chaos.
At the same time, Jin An quietly appeared behind Shanks, seeming to stand alongside him yet also resembling a ghost in the shadows, silently watching what lay ahead.
The battlefield seemed to freeze at that moment. An oppressive tension filled the air, and everyone unconsciously slowed their movements, their gazes converging on the two figures at its center.
Shanks turned slightly aside, clearing the view and revealing Jin An fully to everyone.
"Tap..."
Jin An's gaze was calm, an unfathomable edge hidden in his eyes. He stepped forward slowly, neither hurried nor hesitant, yet with every step, the air around him seemed to tremble.
His cloak fluttered gently in the wind, snapping with a steady, unshakable strength.
Imu seemed to stand on high, looking down at Jin An. A cold smile touched her lips, her indifferent eyes regarding him as a being destined to crumble into dust sooner or later.
An inhuman radiance flickered in her deep, still eyes, as though countless ages and some supreme authority had gathered within them.
"You alone can no longer stop me as I am now."
Imu's voice seemed to come from the void, calm and cold, yet carrying an unquestionable confidence.
"Clink..."
At her words, Jin An merely smiled faintly, his eyes as deep as the sea. Rather than immediately arguing, he lifted a finger and lightly tapped the hilt at his waist, as though considering something.
His silence only heightened the tension. The powerful figures watching around them held their breath, and even Morgans quietly lowered his flight