Roy hovered in mid-air, his black trench coat fluttering in the sea breeze.
His Observation Haki had spread throughout Elbaf, like a boundless net, and he could perceive every slight change in the atmosphere.
Imu's Conqueror's Haki was too obvious, like a black sun that shrouded the entire island in shadow.
The moment Roy's senses touched that power, he felt as if his mental energy had been burned.
Just then, Imu's gaze pierced through the sea, through the firelight, and through all the obstacles, colliding with Roy's perception.
That glance was as cold as the chill that seeped up from the deepest part of the ice.
Roy did not look away.
Separated by an entire stretch of sea, the two were aware of each other's presence.
"Did you notice? That's terrifying Observation Haki."
Roy said something in a low voice, but the corners of his mouth turned up slightly.
His figure hovered in mid-air, while the coalition officers behind him continued to advance.
Kaido's dragon body had risen from the Ark Maxim, its scales gleaming with a bluish light amidst the lightning.
"Stop, everyone."
Roy's voice traveled into everyone's ears through Telekinesis.
Kaido's massive dragon head suddenly turned around, his vertical pupils filled with displeasure:
Roy! What are you trying to do now?!
"Don't rush."
Roy turned around, his gaze sweeping over everyone.
"It's too early to get in now."
Luffy the Giant Tribe first, forcing Imu to reveal his trump card.
"If we go in too early, we'll just become Imu's first target."
Kaido's dragon body flipped over in mid-air, transforming into human form and landing on the deck. His Hassaikai's hammer smashed a shallow crater into the deck.
He glared at Roy, two puffs of white breath coming out of his nostrils.
Bullet walked over from the side, arms crossed, and said coldly:
"Impatient people die the fastest."
"Who are you talking about?" Kaido glanced at him sideways.
"Whoever is in a hurry should speak," Bullet, showing no sign of backing down.
The air between the two of them instantly tensed, like a bowstring stretched to its limit.
"Stop arguing."
Roy's tone left no room for negotiation.
"That's an order."
Kaido snorted, hoisted the Hassaikai onto his shoulder, turned and walked to the ship's side, staring in the direction of Elbaf without saying another word.
Bullet also stepped aside, cracking his knuckles, but the fighting spirit in his eyes remained undiminished.
Roy turned his attention back to Elbaf.
Imu withdrew his gaze.
The black mist beneath the black robe began to churn, like a ball of thick ink being stirred, blurring his figure.
The next second, his figure vanished.
There was no sound, no warning, no trace.
Luffy had already activated his Observation Haki to its fullest extent, but he only managed to catch a fleeting glimpse of Imu, who had already appeared in the middle of the giant warriors' formation.
Dorry didn't even have time to turn around.
His greatsword was still raised above his head, and a pale hand was already pressed against his back.
"Varied--"
Before Dorry could finish speaking, black and red patterns spread across his back like living things, moving so fast it was as if someone was drawing on his skin with a knife.
Wherever the lines passed, Dorry's muscles began to twist and swell, and his blood vessels bulged all over his body.
His teeth were getting longer, protruding from his lower jaw like two rows of white daggers.
His eyes turned blood red, empty and lifeless, like two holes from which his soul had been hollowed out.
Brogy was also infected.
Haimik, George, and all the giant warriors were consumed by the power of the Black Turn Domination the moment Imu touched them.
Dorry turned around.
The skin on his back was torn open, and two huge bat wings were ripped out from his shoulder blades, with dark red blood vessels wrapped around them like a spider web.
A long, low growl escaped his throat, an echo squeezed out from the depths of extreme pain.
The greatsword slashed down at his closest comrade-in-arms.
Before the young giant warrior could react to the sudden change, Dorry's sword was already upon him.
He instinctively tried to block with his weapon, but Dorry's strength was several times greater than before.
With a single sword strike, the young giant's weapon flew out of his hand, and he was slammed into the ground, blood gushing from his mouth and nose.
" Dorry Tori! What are you doing!"
Another giant warrior's shout was tinged with sobs.
But Dorry's only response was a single sword strike.
Brogy's Giant Axe swept across, the wind pressure generated by the axe blade cutting a deep trench in the ground.
Three giant warriors were sent flying by the axe, one of whom had a large gash slashed open on his thigh, from which blood gushed out like a fountain.
Before Hajrudin could even see what was happening, Dorry's greatsword had already swept in front of him.
He instinctively crossed his arms to block, but the force was far greater than he had imagined; his entire body was sent flying like a pebble.
It crashed through half of the watchtower, and wood chips and rubble rained down like a storm.
"Brother Hajrudin--!"
The members of the New Giant Warrior Pirates rushed to the rescue, but Brogy's Giant Axe had already blocked their path.
"Kill... kill..."
Dorry squeezed out broken syllables from his throat, like some kind of consciousness bound deep within his body struggling desperately, but ultimately being suppressed.
When Luffy arrived, he witnessed Dorry Hajrudin in two with a single sword strike.
His pupils contracted sharply, Gear Fifth's long white hair danced wildly in the fire and wind.
He rushed forward and blocked the giant sword that Dorry was about to swoop down with a punch.
The fist clashed with the sword, and the shockwave kicked up rubble from the ground.
Luffy's feet sank several inches into the ground, and the muscles in his arms were taut as if they were about to explode.
" Dorry! What are you doing?!" Luffy shouted, looking up.
Dorry's bloodshot eyes turned to Luffy, and only one phrase remained in his throat. "Kill... kill..."
Brogy's Giant Axe cleaved from the side, the sound of the blade cutting through the air so loud it was like a wall collapsing.
Dorry had no choice but to let go of Luffy and jump back to avoid it.
The Giant Axe missed its target and crashed to the ground, sending clumps of dirt flying dozens of meters away.
Luffy on a broken roof beam and looked up at the black-robed figure standing in the center of the battlefield.
The firelight shone from afar, casting Imu's shadow as a long, black pillar.
"What did you do to them?!"
Luffy's voice boomed like thunder, carrying Conqueror's Haki that pierced the entire battlefield.
Black and red Inazuma shot up from his body into the sky, momentarily dispersing the thick smoke overhead.
Imu merely gave Luffy a cold look.
Black mist was gathering in his hand.
The mist, like black snakes, slithered out from beneath his black robe, coiling, overlapping, and compressing, finally condensing into a knife in his palm.
The blade is jet black, and the edge is as thin as a cicada's wing. The handle is long and slender, without any superfluous decoration.
The moment Luffy saw the sword, his pupils contracted sharply.
The shape of that knife was almost identical to Dracule Mihawk's Black Blade Yoru.