"Still a little short."
Im stood again. His voice was calm, almost mocking, as if being cut down moments ago meant nothing.
His chest once pierced clean through, was now whole again. The crimson wound sealed itself before Rain's very eyes, the flesh weaving together in unnatural silence.
It was grotesque and miraculous all at once.
Rain narrowed his eyes, sweat beading on his brow. I aimed straight for the heart. That should've ended it. And yet…
The sight in front of him felt like a slap to common sense.
"Oi, oi…" His tone cracked with disbelief. "Your heart was destroyed. How the hell are you standing there smiling like nothing happened?"
He almost wanted an answer, but deep down he knew, there was no logic here. This was Im. The one who had sat at the shadowed peak of the world for centuries.
Even so, it was absurd. His full strike had landed. His ultimate move. A blow that could split islands in half. And still… nothing.
"Damn it." Rain clenched his fist tighter, his body trembling with fatigue. "I've got magic left, yeah, but I can only swing that kind of attack maybe… twice more at best."
He bit his lip, frustration swirling like a storm.
If I can't erase him in one strike… it's useless. He'll just recover.
That thought gnawed at him, heavier than the injuries on his own body.
No. If I can't kill him, then I'll bind him.
His gaze sharpened, a glint of inspiration sparking. "A seal…" he whispered under his breath.
Yes, sealing. The ancients had long relied on it when destruction wasn't enough. It wasn't about tearing flesh apart...it was about locking existence itself.
And if he needed a vessel? Rain smirked. What stronger container existed than the Red Line itself—the wall of red earth that split the seas, unmoving for millennia?
"Perfect," he muttered, fire returning to his eyes.
By then, Im had already healed. Not a scar remained. His expression was unchanging, that faint smile never leaving his face.
"The second round begins." His words were steady, but the killing intent rolled like an ocean tide. "Show me something more. If what you've done so far is everything… then you'll never leave this place alive."
Rain smirked right back. "Heh. Don't worry. I've got more where that came from."
The air thickened, pressure crackling between them. A storm was about to break again.
Far away, footsteps echoed.
Two figures had arrived at the edge of the battlefield—Fleet Admiral Sengoku and Admiral Aokiji.
Their eyes widened at the devastation.
"…This… this is supposed to be Mary Geoise,"
Aokiji muttered, his usual lazy drawl cracking with disbelief. The grand palaces, the marble avenues, the gardens of the Celestial Dragons—flattened. Only smoking ruins and yawning craters remained.
He rubbed his eyes as though still half-asleep. "Oi, Sengoku-san. Tell me I'm wrong. This isn't the Holy Land, right?"
Sengoku's lips pressed into a grim line. His golden Buddha aura flickered faintly as he surveyed the wreckage. "No mistake. This is it. This… was the Holy Land."
And standing amid the carnage—Kaido, Dragon, Rain… and Im.
Each radiated a presence that made even him tighten his fists. "Monsters," he muttered. "Every last one of them."
But hesitation wasn't an option. Sengoku squared his shoulders, the weight of duty heavy on his frame. "We move. Now."
Before he could take another step, a voice rang out behind him.
"Sengoku. Kuzan. Your target is Dragon. Capture him—alive if possible."
The Five Elders emerged from the shadows, their pristine robes swaying as they descended the ruined steps.
They had taken the time to change, wiping away any trace of spilled coffee or dirt. Pride demanded that even in apocalypse, their dignity remain spotless.
"Yes, sir." Sengoku's reply was curt, his eyes never leaving the battlefield. Aokiji gave a quiet nod of agreement.
Without hesitation, the two Admirals dashed forward, their sights locked on the revolutionary leader.
The Elders shared thin smiles.
"With Im-sama here, that Rain brat is finished," one whispered.
"And if Dragon is captured as well, today will be remembered as the day we erased rebellion from the world," another added, voice dripping with satisfaction.
Dragon clashed with Commander-in-Chief Kong, their battle tearing the air apart. Windstorms howled against raw muscle, both men unyielding.
But when Dragon's sharp gaze caught sight of Sengoku and Aokiji charging toward him, his chest tightened.
Kong was manageable. Dangerous, yes, but not impossible. Add Sengoku's Buddha shockwaves and Aokiji's freezing world to the mix… even he couldn't stand against all three.
His instincts screamed the truth. Staying meant death.
"Tch." His eyes hardened. "Retreat!"
His voice carried on the wind, echoing across the battlefield.
Kaido burst into roaring laughter at the command. "Worororororo! Fine! Let's call it for today!"
His massive body twisted, scales shimmering as he fully transformed into his azure dragon form. With a single beat of his wings, he launched skyward.
But neither Dragon nor Kaido fled outright. Instead, they hovered at impossible heights, thousands of meters above the chaos, eyes locked on the clash below.
They wanted to see it. Im's power. Rain's defiance. These were enemies they would one day face themselves. Knowledge was survival.
On the ground, Aokiji clicked his tongue, tilting his head back as his quarry slipped into the heavens.
"Fleet Admiral… what now? He's too high. Unless you want me to build an ice mountain up there…"
Sengoku's jaw tightened, golden light flickering around him. "Kong. The decision's yours."
The Commander-in-Chief stood silent, the weight of the battlefield pressing down on him.
Above them, Kaido and Dragon circled like predators.
Below, Rain squared off against Im, the air around them humming with impossible tension.
And all around them, Mary Geoise burned.
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