Watching Luffy take a heavy blow from a Fengxi tentacle controlled by Imu,
then instantly drop out of Gear Fifth, shriveling into an aged, weakened state, Gern felt his heart sink.
But he immediately made the calmest, most effective judgment.
Rush over to save him? Too late!
Imu's speed and strength were beyond imagination. Rushing in recklessly would only put him on the defensive, and might even give Imu an opening to badly injure him as well.
There was something faster than a direct rescue, something that could hold Imu back more effectively...
Make it turn all its attention back to him!
Make it feel threatened, feel pain, feel... fear!
The thought flashed through his mind, and a cold gleam flared in Gern's eyes!
He stopped looking at the weakened Luffy and instead locked all his focus and killing intent onto Imu before him.
"It seems..." Gern said softly, "rather than rushing over to save that troublesome brat..."
He slowly raised the Black Blade, Eight Desolations.
The vibration particles that had yet to fully dissipate vanished completely from the blade, and there was no Haki on it either!
Then.
Whoosh!
A single spark could set an entire plain ablaze!
A wisp of red flame that ignited souls, purified darkness, and burned the rules themselves silently rose from the spine of Eight Desolations!
The flame gave off no heat, yet the light around it bent ever so slightly toward it, and even the stability of space seemed to waver.
It burned quietly, yet radiated an aura that stood above all things,
capable of burning away every "impurity" and "shackle."
It was the very power that had once dealt Imu's projection a crushing blow, even scorching its essence-
"Spark"!
The instant Spark appeared, Gern keenly caught
the eyes at the center of