Facts proved one thing.
Magnus's self-healing still lagged behind Imu's undying state.
After all, Imu's undying body could only be harmed by Conqueror's Will, whereas Magnus's regeneration could be forced to work overtime so long as his defenses were broken.
"Then try it."
Imu realized she truly couldn't pry free of Magnus's hand. This wasn't her own body—and even if it were, she likely wouldn't beat a close-quarters monster like Magnus in grappling.
But her fruit ability was more than enough.
Did he think grabbing an avatar would make her hesitant?
"You need not hold back. Attack freely."
Maybe it was Magnus's illusion, but he saw Imu's brows curve as she looked at him—as if mocking.
Damn it.
Magnus was about to let go. If grabbing Imu didn't make the others hesitate, trading blows with Imu's regeneration was a losing bargain.
Even if he traded her down, he'd only destroy an avatar.
But—
When Magnus tried to release, Imu's tail coiled his neck from behind, yanking tight so he couldn't break away at once.
Tch!
Not far off, Stephens and Grindwin exchanged looks.
Even with Imu's order—
As hand-to-hand types, they didn't dare actually lay hands on her!
How exalted was that lady?
The moment Magnus seized her throat, his death sentence was signed.
"Use slashes!"
Never mind those two CP lapdogs—even Lucas Saint and Claude Saint didn't dare swing carelessly.
"Hah! Seems your people don't fully obey you!"
If the apex fighters closed in, Magnus would be wary—he couldn't exactly use Imu as a literal shield at grappling range.
But long-range was different.
He could absolutely hold Imu in front to take their shots.
So—
When every flying slash hewed straight for Imu—
Lucas Saint and the others hurriedly pulled their strikes.
"Despicable pirate! If you have guts, let go of Lady Imu!"
"Hah—you five on one, and I'm the despicable one?!"
Magnus laughed aloud.
This was the only win condition he had found under a five-on-one dogpile.
And even this had been hard-won.
Imu's tail was throttling his windpipe. Magnus knew her avatar wouldn't die without breathing—but he needed to breathe.
In raw body-to-body, Magnus held the edge.
But as the world's most fearsome devil-fruit wielder, even while seized, Imu could drain him with her power.
[Demon Contract!]
If her subordinates wouldn't solve it, Imu would match Magnus herself.
"This again?"
A bog-like magic circle opened beneath Magnus's feet. Unlike the one that trapped Harald, a huge black shadow crawled up from it, lizard-like, clambering over Magnus's back.
The host body Imu rode was indeed weak—but with undying poured into it, her fruit ability patched that up.
Hiss!
The shadow reached with clawed hands like a living beast, angling to tear Magnus's chest open and spill his guts.
Magnus had to release Imu's throat, grabbing the shadow on his body instead and wrestling it.
"It ends here."
From start to finish, Imu remained casual. Aside from her initial displeasure at being seized, she hadn't wavered at all—
As if nothing in the world could frighten her.
But Magnus knew—
It wasn't that she couldn't feel fear. It was that the one person she feared was already dead.
In Amatsuki's prophecy—
The one who would save all would be born forty years later.
That same one would defeat Imu in the end.
As for who—
Magnus knew.
The true child of destiny—the real protagonist of this world!
If fate truly existed, then everything Magnus did would be meaningless—just paving the road for someone else.
Right.
Just like that future Pirate King.
Unwilling? Sad? Or simply helpless after learning the truth?
"What a joke!"
The shadow on Magnus's back had swelled like a sky-propping behemoth, a mountain Imu herself had pinned atop him.
But he had already given up once. How could he give up again?
His ever-rising cellular activity wasn't only more life force—
It was more potential.
If his current strength couldn't beat the enemy in front of him—
He would become stronger.
Magnus poured his will wholly into his body.
Observation turned inward.
Life Return seized total control.
Cold breath cooled boiling blood, keeping everything barely within bounds.
To protect itself, the body installs limiters.
On heartbeat. On blood flow. On cellular exchange. On muscle output… Even the greatest martial artists usually break only one or two, and only within survivable margins.
Taking a beating isn't Magnus's style.
If he had to get hit anyway—he'd hit himself harder first.
"Limiter Break!"
On that instant, driven by will, Magnus tore through every limiter in his body.
An ordinary man would die the moment he crossed that line.
But as Magnus broke through, his vision kept rising—like the first time he awakened Observation.
It felt like he'd stepped into another layer of reality.
He couldn't feel his body—yet he could command it.
He saw Lucas Saint's mouth move.
He heard no sound—only saw air tremble as Lucas spoke.
His vision climbed higher.
He saw the five enemies—Imu included. Saw the ever-spreading rift. Saw seawater surging inward from the edges. Saw marines fighting desperately along the lip. Heard pirates laughing with mad bravado.
Higher still.
Observation usually meant glimpsing blurred impressions and stitching motion into an image.
But now, Magnus truly "saw."
A battered ship forced a landing. A man both familiar and strange leapt from the deck.
A feral grin split his face.
'Don't tell me—that's Rocks?'
Two years gone, the youngster had turned into a full-on uncle. Magnus couldn't help wondering what he'd been through.
He wasn't much to look at before.
After a trip abroad, his looks had dropped two tiers.
Ortega was down.
The strongest Admiral who'd fought him on Sabaody lay motionless; Ryuma had vanished—spent, likely returned to where he belonged.
The marines had lost more than Ortega.
The navy's new Admiral had been captured.
This time—without Imu's power—the World Government wouldn't easily take him back.
Fleet Admiral Ardent and Chief of Staff Portman Nissen were gravely wounded.
On the marines' side—
Only Kong remained.
The pirates weren't much better.
Dorry and Brogy were spent; Yoruru and Aruru had reverted to withered husks, unable even to stand.
Kong was fighting Harald and Takiichi now.
The Wano greatsword master's face was lined with fatigue.
One of Harald's arms hung useless.
Against apex foes, even victory had cost them dearly.
But beating Kong was a matter of time.
He wasn't in any better shape.
To kill Magnus, Imu had abandoned the marines, and the navy had collapsed—trading brutally with the White Wolf's top guns.
But once the marines fell—
With a little recovery—
The pirates could still scrape together several apex fighters to reinforce him.
Stussy was forcing down potions for Dorry and Brogy.
Exhausted? So what?
If you're not dead—chug it and get back up!
Rocks had made landfall.
After two years, he had finally grown strong enough to be called a powerhouse.
Reinforcements had arrived.
If Magnus could just hold—
Victory was within reach.
Suddenly—
Magnus felt the wind.
His soaring vision snagged as if caught by a hook.
In an instant, he snapped back into his body.
He looked up.
The massive shadow Imu had summoned still bound him tight.
Stephens, Grindwin, Lucas Saint, Claude Saint—
Four powerhouses lunged from four directions.
From where everyone stood, Magnus had looked dazed just now.
As if he'd accepted death.
"Magnus—die!"
"This time, you won't escape!"
"Return my son!"
"…"
Everyone thought Magnus was finished. Even Imu doubted he had any cards left—if he did, he would've played them already.
With her will locking him, Imu was certain he had no escape.
But—why run?
Bang!
Mary Geoise.
Within the Room of Flowers where Imu's true body sat—
Imu's body jolted. One of her eyes burst like a lightbulb, blooming into a mist of blood.
"What?!"
Clutching her eye, Imu stared in disbelief. The sudden shock nearly severed her link to the possessed girl.
An eye wound was nothing.
Her contracted existence was undying; Imu herself certainly wasn't mortal.
The question was—what happened?
Magnus had been cornered. How could he still hit back?
The shadow she conjured was tied to her true body. Though powerful, any damage it suffered echoed back into Imu herself.
Slipping back into the girl, Imu finally understood what had happened.
Faced with four simultaneous attacks—
While the shadow bound him—
The first thing Magnus did was reach up and seize the binding shadow—
And crush it to pulp—by brute force!
Power exploded—and with it, blood mist sprayed from Magnus's own body.
Then Magnus moved.
He picked one of the four at random. As he sprang, the ground beneath his feet crumbled inch by inch under the recoil.
Fast—too fast!
Magnus had already shown speed at the very top of the sea.
Even Imu had to admit—
If she hadn't summoned Lucas and the others to block every path, Magnus might have escaped on speed alone.
But now his speed broke limits again.
Imu felt time burn away.
Every move Magnus made was paid for with life.
Stephens met him first.
Magnus's sudden burst left the CP veteran blank. Grindwin was right beside him; to prevent Magnus's suicide trades, they'd paired off since the start.
Even if Magnus unleashed a Ryuma-like death stroke—
One man might fail—but two would be enough!
Too fast. Human movement—but faster than a blade's cut.
No will flared.
Only pure speed—stacked on pure strength.
One punch.
Grindwin turned his head just in time to see his old superior's head vanish.
Icy dread chewed through him.
He had never imagined Magnus, cornered to this degree, still had a hidden card—still had this force.
He saw Magnus turn—
Then—
His own head vanished.
Magnus's motion put fear into Lucas Saint and Claude Saint.
How?
How could Magnus still have this power?!
"Do not fear!"
Imu's voice rang out.
"He's burning himself!"
"He's flooded his body with will—what you're seeing is raw speed and strength."
"Without Conqueror's Will, he cannot kill you!"
And indeed—just as Imu said—though Magnus erupted with unheard-of power, the lack of will wrapped around his blows meant Stephens's and Grindwin's heads were already knitting back.
Even so, getting your head blown off by a single punch made everyone flinch.
Just stall him!
That's all any of them thought.
Stall Magnus—and when he burned out, he'd be a lamb for slaughter.
They refused to believe—
This power could last.
They forgot this was war.
Even Imu forgot—her contempt for life made her overlook many things.
For example—the marines they'd left outside!
Magnus had already seen what was happening above. Though his mind was still ringing, he knew he couldn't kill anyone down here.
So he would kill those he could.
After blasting off Stephens's and Grindwin's heads, Magnus didn't hesitate—he shot straight toward the rift above.
At last, Imu's expression changed.
"Stop him!"
But Stephens and Grindwin were still regrowing.
Lucas and Claude were on the far side.
Who could stop Magnus?
Thus, when Magnus—bathed in blood—burst from the chasm into full view of pirates and marines alike—
The pirates roared to the heavens.
And the marines wore the most absolute despair.
Just as Magnus had said at the start—
So long as he was still standing, his side's morale would never break.
(End of Chapter)
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