"Yasakani no Magatama… Light Speed Kick!"
Admiral Borsalino found an opening within the black armor's defense and instantly transformed into a streak of golden light. His body rose high into the sky before descending in a devastating kick.
The black armor possessed no rational consciousness, yet its monstrous battle instinct remained terrifyingly sharp.
The blade Awakening of Insects rose above its head in defense.
Boom!!!
A tremendous impact exploded across the battlefield.
Golden radiance flooded the ruined district of Mary Geoise as Kizaru's kick slammed heavily against the dark blade. The pressure shattered the ground beneath the armored figure, causing enormous cracks to spread through the stone streets like spiderwebs.
Using the rebound force, Kizaru lightly flipped backward and returned to his original position, hands casually tucked into his pockets once more.
"Ooh… terrifying combat instincts indeed."
Even he could not help but sigh in admiration.
The black armor slowly lowered its sword again.
The tip of Awakening of Insects pointed directly toward Kizaru.
Dark demonic aura surged around the blade once more like black flames swallowing the air itself. The armor bent slightly into a charging stance, preparing another assault.
Kizaru narrowed his eyes beneath the yellow-tinted lenses.
Although he possessed the powers of the Glint-Glint Fruit, being struck directly by that strange black power would still be troublesome. His Observation Haki remained fully active as he prepared to evade at any moment.
However
The armored figure suddenly froze.
Its movements stopped completely.
"Hm? Is it over now~?"
Kizaru sensed it immediately.
The violent aura surrounding the armor was rapidly shrinking inward. Rather than dissipating, it felt as though the power was being forcefully compressed back into its source.
Then the pitch-black armor began breaking apart.
Tiny black particles scattered into the air like ash drifting in the wind. The demonic shell gradually disintegrated, revealing the figure hidden inside.
Long silver-white hair cascaded downward.
A slender body fell weakly toward the shattered ground below.
"Your Highness!"
"Teacher!"
Bruce and Kuina immediately rushed forward after escaping Adolf's spatial barrier.
At last, the oppressive interference affecting Observation Haki had vanished.
The surrounding environment was in complete ruin. Broken walls, collapsed structures, and shattered stone littered the battlefield everywhere. The aftermath of the clash between Admiral Kizaru and the black armor had nearly destroyed an entire district of the Holy Land.
Perhaps it was due to excessive usage of the Undying Demonic Body.
Or perhaps Saint Roselith Seraphina had exhausted herself resisting the armor's influence from within.
Whatever the reason, she had ultimately managed to break free from its control.
Still…
That power was far too dangerous.
Inside the Room of Flowers within Pangaea Castle, Imu silently stared at the screen displaying the battle's conclusion.
The dark silhouette remained motionless for a very long time.
Then, with a simple motion of a slender finger, the image vanished.
"Interesting…"
The voice echoed softly through the darkness.
Moments later, Imu's presence disappeared entirely from the chamber, leaving only silence behind.
"Kuina… Bruce…"
Seraphina slowly regained awareness and sensed the familiar presences approaching her. Relief quietly spread through her heart.
At least now, she was no longer trapped alone within that endless dark void.
"Teacher! Are you hurt anywhere?"
Kuina knelt beside her anxiously, eyes filled with worry.
"I'm fine."
Seraphina gently waved her hand.
Although her body felt exhausted, her consciousness had already stabilized.
Kizaru slowly approached while scratching his cheek.
"Ooh… that power of yours… what exactly was it?"
The battle had genuinely piqued his curiosity.
Even for an Admiral, that strange armor had been incredibly dangerous.
"It's one of my abilities."
Seraphina paused briefly before continuing.
"You can think of it as something similar to a Devil Fruit power… except it's far more unstable."
"It's not entirely obedient yet."
"I see~"
Kizaru did not continue questioning her.
After all, even Seraphina herself clearly did not fully understand the nature of that power. The fact that she had nearly lost control was already proof enough.
"Since you seem alright now, this old man will be leaving."
"Thank you for your assistance, Senior Kizaru."
Seraphina sincerely thanked him.
"Senior," huh?
Kizaru chuckled lightly.
For some reason, hearing those words from her made him feel oddly amused.
With a flash of golden light, his figure vanished from the battlefield.
Only after Kizaru left did Kuina finally ask the question she had been holding back.
"Teacher… what exactly was that armor?"
Her voice carried lingering fear.
The terrifying aura from earlier still haunted her mind.
Seraphina looked toward the night sky of Mary Geoise before answering slowly.
"It is a power that walks the path of demons."
"You may think of it as another kind of transformation."
"But ultimately… its strength depends entirely on the will of the user."
She explained according to her own understanding of the Undying Demonic Body.
In truth, she knew very little herself.
The only certainty was this:
She had been too weak to completely dominate that power.
That was why the armor had almost consumed her consciousness.
"Is that so…"
Kuina lowered her gaze thoughtfully.
Her teacher truly possessed many mysterious abilities.
The twin blades at Seraphina's waist alone already defied common sense.
One controlled water.
The other manipulated ice.
Seraphina had even joked before that the swords seemed like weapons that had "eaten Devil Fruits."
But compared to those blades, the black armor felt infinitely more terrifying.
It was sinister.
Violent.
Almost alive.
"Lady Seraphina, has the crisis been completely resolved?"
The masked CP0 agent with the raccoon mask approached respectfully.
He was far more polite than before.
After witnessing Seraphina's strength, no one present would dare underestimate her again.
A Celestial Dragon possessing such overwhelming power was almost unheard of.
Although she could not fully control it yet, the potential displayed by that armor was enough to shake the entire World Government.
"As long as I do not use that power again for now, it should remain stable."
Seraphina answered calmly.
She had no intention of touching the Undying Demonic Body again anytime soon.
The masked man immediately removed his top hat and bowed elegantly.
"My apologies for not introducing myself earlier."
"My name is Alois."
"I was once part of the same CP0 generation as Adolf."
He returned the hat to his head afterward.
Alois clearly wished to leave behind a favorable impression.
In his eyes, Saint Roselith Seraphina possessed talent surpassing even most legendary figures among the Celestial Dragons.
If she continued growing at this rate…
Her future status within the Holy Land would become unimaginable.
Adolf also stepped forward.
"Your Highness, what he says is true."
Seeing Adolf confirm it, Seraphina merely nodded slightly.
"Enough talking."
Kuina suddenly interrupted everyone.
"The most important thing right now is letting Teacher rest!"
She had already found a Marine coat somewhere nearby and hurriedly draped it over Seraphina's shoulders.
After exhausting herself so severely, Kuina feared she might collapse again.
Seraphina smiled faintly.
She pulled the coat tighter around herself.
Among everyone present…
It was still her little apprentice who cared about her the most.
The night in Mary Geoise gradually passed.
By morning, the enormous commotion from the previous battle had already spread throughout the Holy Land.
Although Adolf initially concealed the battlefield using spatial abilities, the later stages of the clash became impossible to hide completely.
The memories of Fisher Tiger's attack over a decade ago still haunted many Celestial Dragons.
As a result, numerous noble families had locked themselves inside underground shelters throughout the night, terrified that another disaster had descended upon Mary Geoise.
"What exactly happened last night?"
"I heard Admiral Kizaru was fighting something."
"Could it have been another slave liberator?"
"Should we release our slaves temporarily just in case?"
"What nonsense are you saying?! If the Marines are calm now, then clearly the situation has already been resolved!"
Groups of Celestial Dragons gathered within luxurious salons, nervously discussing the events of the previous night.
Then
An elderly figure entered the room.
The atmosphere immediately became silent.
This elder possessed extremely high authority among the Celestial Dragon families.
"Regarding last night's events…"
"None of you are permitted to spread unnecessary rumors."
His cold gaze swept across everyone present.
"What appeared yesterday was merely a new weapon developed by us, the Celestial Dragons."
"It shall become one of our future trump cards."
"So remember this clearly."
"No one speaks further about it."
Not a single noble dared object.
"Yes… understood."