Just this?
To be honest, after Red-Haired exposed Imu's true nature—the thing Leo had been dwelling on—Leo could not help but laugh bitterly. He could not shake the absurd feeling of, Just this?
Indeed, was Imu, who had made the Revolutionary Army so wary, really only capable of this?
After a brief moment, Leo immediately realized that he had been unable to see the forest for the trees.
If Shanks had not revealed Imu's abilities now, how many Revolutionary Army members would have died once the time came to surround and eliminate him?
To say nothing of Bartholomew Kuma, Ivankov, and Dragon—none of those older-generation ability users would have been able to escape.
If they were in a relatively enclosed room, people like Ace, Sabo, and Kyros would not have been able to escape either.
That was under circumstances where they knew nothing.
For example, if they attacked the heights of Mary Geoise, they would inevitably have to storm the Celestial Dragons' extravagant palaces. Once they all rushed inside, Imu could wipe them out in one fell swoop with the Sea-Sea Fruit.
The Marine officers stripped of their Devil Fruits could then conveniently replace the Revolutionary Army's commanders.
Of course, that was only an extreme scenario. But Imu's ability was indeed extremely powerful.
The Straw Hat Pirates served as a good example. If it were the Straw Hat Pirates from the original story, very few of them would have had a good solution. Luffy, Zoro, and Sanji would be taken down in a single exchange. Back then, only General Usopp and Nami might have been able to find another way to break the deadlock. After Jinbe joined them, perhaps he would have had a way as well.
But it was obvious that the Straw Hat Pirates' three main fighters would