The Strongest Legend of the New World

At that moment, Allen changed the subject. An exceedingly "businesslike" expression appeared on his face as he started counting on his fingers. "Still... even brothers settle accounts clearly. Removing your Abyss Mark counts as after-sales service, so that's free. But!"

He pointed at the pile of Mark I Human Weapon wreckage in the distance, fused with Lunarian and Shanks's bloodline factors and now chopped into scattered pieces by Shanks. "Those five Human Weapons were personally dismantled into scrap metal by you!"

Allen leaned closer, flashing a "kind" smile that made Shanks's scalp tingle. "Do you know how much it costs to make one? Lunarian alloy, top-tier Vegapunk technology, and that tiny tube of your 'precious' bloodline factor... material costs, labor costs, Mental Damage Fee... Since we're cousins, I'll give you a one-percent discount. Pay up! Cash, gold, Devil Fruits, or supplies of equivalent value will do! No credit!"

Allen held out his palm and made a "hand over the money" gesture.

"..." The gratitude on Shanks's face instantly froze, petrified, then cracked apart.

Looking at that pile of scrap, then at Allen's expression that said debts must be repaid, the mighty Xi Huang, a Great Pirate with a bounty in the billions, only wanted to howl at the sky. He had just escaped the wolf's den, only to fall into a money pit! To pay off this debt, he might have to sell the Red Force!

Within the vast, frigid hall, space twisted violently.

Several bedraggled figures appeared out of thin air amid flashes of unstable energy and a faint Burnt Smell, crashing heavily onto the mirror-smooth obsidian floor.

Financial God-Warrior Nasjuro had already been waiting. His invisible thoughts were filled with gravity.

Saint Warcury had reverted from his giant boar form. His ornate robe was badly damaged and covered in dust, with uncleaned blood still at the corner of his mouth. Even one of his tusks had chipped.

His face was so gloomy it seemed ready to drip water. The hand supporting himself on his staff trembled faintly.

Garling's famed blade was reduced to half its length, with tiny arcs of Conqueror's Haki still crackling along the broken edge.

His once impeccably neat white hair was disheveled, his expensive suit torn apart, and a charred scrape marked his face. The lingering terror in his eyes had yet to fade.

Shamrock was in the worst condition. His breastplate had shattered, revealing the blackened shirt beneath. He still clutched the hilt of his broken sword tightly in his hand.

He knelt on one knee, coughing violently. Every cough brought up flecks of blood, and his aura had weakened to the extreme.

Of the two New God Knights, one was barefoot, while the other's helmet sat crookedly atop his head and his armor was dented. Both were pale as wax, their eyes still carrying the utter terror they had felt before the World-Ending Thunder Dragon. Their bodies shook uncontrollably.

Deathly Silence! Only their heavy breathing and the rustle of fabric echoed through the cavernous hall.

The air was Filled with failure, humiliation, and a chill that seeped into the marrow.

Nasjuro's thoughts came cautiously. "My lord... they have returned."

The five battered men did not even dare lift their heads to look directly at the shadow upon the throne. Their posture and wounds were themselves the most compelling report.

Upon the throne, Imu in the shadows showed neither anger nor rebuke.

Instead, a low laugh with a strange rhythm rang out.

"Heh... heh heh heh..." The laughter echoed through the vast, Deathly Silence hall. Rather than bringing warmth, it sent the temperature plummeting, like venomous snakes crawling across one's spine, raising goosebumps.

As the laughter gradually faded, Imu's deep gaze seemed to pierce through space and land upon distant Hachinosu Island.

"Conqueror's Haki... forced teleportation... truly overbearing beyond reason..."

Her voice carried the delight of someone discovering a fascinating new toy. Her fingertips lightly tapped the throne's armrest. "Gol D. Allen... as expected... you are the greatest 'variable' upon this sea. A more interesting variable than Joy Boy..."

The final words carried an indescribable trace of excitement and... greed.

Imu's gaze turned toward the void, as though she could see the lowest level of Impel Down's "Infinite Hell."

There, Marshall D. Teach was bound layer upon layer in Seastone chains, imprisoned within an absolute Prison Cage so dark that not even light could enter.

"Teach..." Imu's voice was like a whisper, yet it traveled clearly into those depths of darkness. "That Dark-Dark Fruit of yours, capable of 'suppressing' and 'seizing'... it is time for it to serve a greater purpose."

"Shanks's Abyss Mark has been removed? No matter..."

The corner of Imu's mouth beneath her hood curved into a cold smile. "We have something even more 'compatible' with you... the 'Primal Shadow' from the depths of the void... It will merge with you perfectly... and make you a more perfect 'vessel' and... weapon."

Her plan was clearly not mere control, but a deeper "transformation" and "utilization."

The enormous shadow of a News Bird swept across the sea surface. Newspapers fluttered everywhere like white snowflakes, every front page bearing a shocking bold headline: "Heaven-Shaking Upheaval! Totto Land Changes Hands! BIG MOM Confirmed Dead!"

"Two Moves! The Xi Huang Legend Was Completely Shattered in Only Two Moves!"

"The Death Knell of the New Era? Gol D. Allen, the Strongest Legend of the New World!"

At the Sabaody Archipelago, tools fell from the hands of coating craftsmen. The sound of wineglasses shattering rang out repeatedly in bars. People fought to read the newspapers, their faces filled with disbelief and fear. "BIG MOM... is dead? She was taken down in just two moves?!"

On an island in the New World, pirates stared at Allen's young face on the Bounty Poster, then at the words "DEAD OR ALIVE ONLY" and the astronomical bounty beside it. The tavern fell into Deathly Silence, broken only by heavy breathing. "Hey, hey... this has to be a joke, right? That monster Big Mom..."

At a secret Revolutionary Army base, Dragon stood within the shadows. Beneath the brim of his hat, the corner of his mouth lifted into a barely noticeable curve.

On Onigashima in Wano Country, Kaido fiercely gulped down a huge mouthful of liquor, happy one moment and sad the next.

He was happy because his son-in-law's strength had already reached a height he himself could never attain.

He was sad because Big Mom, who had once shown him kindness, had died.

At the Hachinosu Island reconstruction site, Allen's subordinates erupted into earthshaking cheers, their morale soaring to its peak. "Long live Boss Allen!!"

The entire world seemed to have been struck by a depth charge! Gol D. Allen's name was no longer that of a Rising Star. It was now a tangible sledgehammer, smashing viciously into the foundations of the old era.

Fear, reverence, ambition, anticipation... countless emotions boiled and fermented in every corner of the globe.

A new order descended amid the Gunpowder Smoke of blood and fire, in the most violent fashion possible!

After the battle of Rock Island ended, Sengoku resigned from his position as Fleet Admiral to the World Government and chose to retreat behind the scenes.

Since Aokiji was still in Allen's hands, Sengoku did not take part in recommending a new Fleet Admiral.

The Five Elders unanimously decided that Akainu would become Fleet Admiral, not because he was strong, but because he was crazy enough.

Fleet Admiral Sakazuki's office.

A heavy solid-wood desk, a Marine flag symbolizing justice, and... the room's temperature, which was rapidly rising at that moment.