Saint Nerona Imu Wants to Invade the Real World

--Bzzzt, bzzzt, bzzzt!!!

Enel extended a finger. Azure lightning flickered at its tip before condensing into a beam-like bolt that reached Sumer in an instant.

Fast.

Far too fast.

Sumer only saw a blur before pain shot through his shoulder. Then it went numb and stiff, and inertia sent him crashing to the ground.

At the same time, the pungent smell of scorched flesh reached him.

Behind Sumer, a fist-sized hole had appeared in the wall of a golden building.

The edges of the hole had melted, turning into liquid gold that dripped onto the ground.

"Ahhh! It hurts like hell!"

The numbness gradually faded, replaced by searing pain. Sumer's face immediately went pale.

As a modern man, when had he ever endured pain like this?

It felt like his soul had left his body.

He cursed loudly, his mouth full of obscenities—

But Sumer soon shut up, because his wound was rapidly healing. In its place came exhaustion and fatigue.

It felt like he had spent half a day hauling cement around a construction site.

As everyone knew.

Every ability in the pirate world was built upon physical stamina.

The immortal body bestowed by Saint Nerona Imu was no exception.

The same applied to members of God's Knights and the Five Elders.

If their shoulders were pierced through, they might heal in the blink of an eye.

The stamina consumed would be negligible.

But Sumer was different. His physical constitution was too weak; he was even weaker than the average native of the pirate world.

He had also been forcibly elevated by Saint Nerona Imu. Though he had gained immense power and enhancements, they were nothing more than a castle in the air without any foundation.

In short.

All show and no substance!

So, Sumer's immortal body healed slowly, and it consumed an enormous amount of stamina.

The main reason was that he had yet to fully master the power brought by the Deepest-Sea Contract.

"Huh~"

When Enel saw Sumer's shoulder healing, a trace of astonishment and curiosity appeared in his lofty eyes.

He had been injured by Enel's lightning, yet he could still heal.

That was completely different from the Blue Sea people Enel had encountered before.

Enel's interest was successfully piqued. Lightning crackled at his fingertip again as he prepared to inflict an even harsher punishment on Sumer.

He wanted to see whether the other man could heal from a fatal wound.

"Lord Imu!!!"

Sumer gritted his teeth, veins bulging menacingly across his forehead.

It was not that he feared death—he could not die—but that he feared pain.

That previous burst of agony had nearly made him convulse and pass out.

An immortal body could not erase pain. He did not know about the others who had signed an Abyss Contract with Saint Nerona Imu, but he certainly did not have that function yet.

Besides, there was no need to force himself to endure it now.

The big boss was right behind him. Asking for help was the wisest choice.

So what if it made him a coward!

Who told him he was still too weak?

In the pirate world, weakness was the original sin. Since he could see reality clearly, there was no need to endure pain that could be avoided.

He was not a masochist.

Boom!

Faced with Sumer's utterly spineless plea for help, Saint Nerona Imu withdrew his gaze from the Poneglyph, turned around, and calmly stared at Enel.

In an instant.

A tyrannical will that proclaimed supremacy over heaven and earth descended upon Enel with irresistible, absolute force.

At the same time.

Terrifying black lightning, thin and threadlike, spread densely over Enel's body.

Bang!!!

Enel's arrogant, mocking expression instantly turned deathly pale. He fell from the air, his hair standing on end as he trembled and knelt on the ground.

His unruly eyes were filled with terror and disbelief.

What was this?

He braced both hands against the ground, trying to regain control of his body, but he could not summon even a shred of strength.

That suffocating pressure was too terrifying.

His body trembled instinctively, so frightened that even his heartbeat and breathing stopped.

Beads of cold sweat the size of beans poured down from his forehead like rain.

What terrified Enel most was that he could not turn into lightning and flee. His lightning power had been completely suppressed.

How was that possible?

The other man had only given him a look, so why did it feel like he was facing an abyssal beast?

Not only could he not use his lightning power, his body was so terrified that it had no ability to resist at all.

"Y-you, you—"

Bulging veins and blood vessels covered Enel's face as terror seized his heart.

He exhausted all his strength to raise his head, wanting to see what Saint Nerona Imu had done to him.

At the same time, his heart was filled with unwillingness and humiliation.

He could not accept that one day, he would be paralyzed by the gaze of a mere mortal.

—He was a god!!!

The two people before him should have been bowing their heads in submission, not him.

Nearby.

Sumer watched with his heart pounding.

Although he felt nothing himself, he knew Saint Nerona Imu had used Conqueror's Haki.

That threadlike black lightning was far too obvious.

He was not surprised in the slightest by Enel's pathetic performance.

After all, this was the King of the World, the only god of the present age, an ancient monster who had ruled the world for over eight hundred years.

The fact that Enel had not lost consciousness immediately was already damn impressive!

If it had been Sumer, he might have been killed on the spot by Conqueror's Haki. Even if he survived, he might wake up as an idiot.

It seemed.

Saint Nerona Imu had not used Conqueror's Haki at full power. Otherwise, there would certainly have been apocalyptic scenes of changing skies, thunder and lightning, and darkness swallowing the world.

"Sumer, this Poneglyph does indeed record the whereabouts of Poseidon."

"Sky Island, Golden City Shandora, and the Rumble-Rumble Fruit user have all been confirmed!"

"You did not deceive Imu."

Saint Nerona Imu continued to ignore Enel, focusing instead on Sumer.

At least everything Sumer had said about the Sky Island Arc was true.

That further proved that Sumer truly was a visitor from another world, and that everything else he had said was true as well.

For Saint Nerona Imu, this was not good news.

Because it completely negated everything about him, even his very existence.

This world was fake.

He was merely a manga character created by a manga author, and even a major villain. Every aspect of his fate had been arranged by someone else.

Tragic.

Pitiful.

Ridiculous.

Eight hundred years ago, he had won the war and become the final victor.

Not only had he ruled the world and controlled everything within it, he had also gained eternal life!

Yet in the end, it was all empty. He could not even be considered truly alive; from beginning to end, he had been nothing but a puppet on strings.

At this moment.

Saint Nerona Imu's heart was filled with rage—

He had only one thought.

The manga author had to die!

—He would go to the real world. He would truly live, then rule the real world anew and become the supreme god!

—He was the true creator!!!

Crash, crackle, boom!!!

Because of Saint Nerona Imu's rage, the previously clear sky instantly darkened.

The entire Sky Island shook violently, completely enveloped by horrifying black lightning.

Sky Islanders, Shandians, and even the animals on Sky Island all lost consciousness and collapsed to the ground without exception.

Enel, who bore the brunt of it, could not even hold out for one second.

Down in the Blue Sea.

The pirates of Mock Town all trembled as they looked up at the sky flashing with lightning and rumbling with thunder.

When the King of the World became enraged, heaven and earth changed color!

"Lord Imu, please calm your anger!"

Saint Nerona Imu's sudden outburst, especially the terrifyingly icy expression on his face, made Sumer immediately drop to one knee.

He had no idea what sudden madness had seized Saint Nerona Imu.

In any case, lowering his head was the right move.

"Next, you must continue proving yourself and find a way to return to the real world!"

Saint Nerona Imu spoke word by word, his voice as piercing as an icy wind, making Sumer swallow hard.

"Yes!"

Sumer's tone was resolute, as though he were ready to brave fire and water and remain eternally loyal!