"Hey, what's going on?" people shouted in confusion across every corner of the world. "Why is there no picture? Why did the screen go dark?"
The broadcast that had been gripping the globe suddenly vanished. Not only did the Den Den Mushi signals fail, but the sound and images from televisions and radios disappeared as well. In the sudden silence, a single terrifying thought crossed everyone's mind: had the World Government finally moved to block the truth?
The Void of Egghead
In the New World, the sea near Egghead Island was no longer recognizable. As the blinding white light from the aerial strike dissipated, the sound of rushing seawater filled the air. Floating high above, King, Jack, and Eneru stared down with grim expressions. Even Admiral Kizaru, who usually maintained a casual demeanor, was visibly shaken.
"What was that?" Kizaru whispered to himself, cold sweat trickling down his forehead. He hadn't even noticed the attack until it was over. The sheer destructive force had erased Egghead Island in a single strike—a feat he knew neither he nor the Gorosei were capable of. Recalling Vegapunk's final words and that hauntingly cold voice, a name surfaced in his mind: "Im!".
Suddenly, a powerful aura roared out from the settling smoke. The sky turned a deep crimson as scarlet lightning erupted through the air. Kizaru felt his body tremble with a primal fear he had never experienced. "This Conqueror's Haki... it's actually making me shake," he muttered in disbelief.
As the smoke cleared, a massive, dark abyss was revealed where the island had once been. Above this bottomless void, five monsters stood upon clouds of flame: the Gorosei. But they were not alone. Standing atop their heads was a figure that looked like a demon. She appeared to be a woman, draped in black with wings like Satan's fluttering behind her. She held a black trident, her face wrapped in bandages, and her cold eyes seemed to freeze the very air.
The Secret Ruler Revealed
"Wa wa! So dangerous... if I hadn't been ready, you bastards would have lost me!". Queen broke through the surface of the sea, looking disheveled but alive.
Jack looked at his brother with a strange expression. "Big Brother Queen, now isn't the time for jokes. We have a massive battle ahead of us".
Queen snorted and turned his gaze toward the figure in the sky. "What terrifying Haki. I recognize you. The original owner of that body was named Gunzi, right? She came to Wano two years ago, but she wasn't a monster like this. So, are you the one Kaido-san mentioned? The true ruler of this sea... Imu?".
The air grew still. Kizaru and the Gorosei looked on in shock. "How could Kaido possibly know that name?" the elders hissed.
Imu's voice, faint yet echoing, finally broke the silence. "Kaido...". She turned her gaze toward the five elders kneeling below her. "You have disappointed me too much".
The Gorosei trembled, their monstrous bodies shaking with fear. "Lord Imu! It is our incompetence!" they cried out. "These pirates... for some reason, they have obtained Whitebeard's power and all possess the Color of the Supreme King!".
The Clash of Kings
Imu's eyes widened, her gaze locking onto King and the others. In an instant, she vanished. Before anyone could react—even with their advanced Observation Haki—a black trident was plunged into Queen's chest.
"What!" Queen gasped, looking down in disbelief as a dark, mud-like power began to invade his body, paralyzing him.
"Stop it!" King, Jack, and Eneru roared, unleashing attacks infused with Conqueror's Haki. But Imu simply raised her left hand, and a dark arrow appeared out of thin air, blocking their combined might as if it were nothing.
Imu ignored Jack and Eneru, her eyes fixed solely on King. "Lunarian..." she whispered. She twisted the trident, and the black substance began to consume Queen's body.
Just as Queen was about to be completely enveloped, a surge of power erupted from his arm. Red lightning crackled from a black Beasts Pirates tattoo on his skin. Imu looked on in surprise as the distant sky turned a violent crimson. A massive Haki was approaching from the horizon.
Imu snorted and released her own Haki in response. Above the sea, two massive bolts of red lightning crossed the spatial barrier and collided, signaling the arrival of the Governor-General himself.