Chapter 412: Through Wind and Rain, Waiting for You in Mary Geoise
Looking at the fist edge falling from the sky and the Haki symbolizing the peak strength of this era and the previous era, Imu's pupils abruptly contracted.
In all fairness.
To Imu, who had currently already recovered the majority of His power, Garp was originally not a major threat.
Just as He could instantly defeat Sengoku, although Garp wasn't an ability user and couldn't be directly erased casually by Imu, dealing with him wasn't an overly troublesome matter.
But it just had to be now.
It just had to be when He was absorbing the concept of "Freedom".
It just had to be when The Zodiac destroyed the Abyssal Magic Circle, destroyed the Ancient Coffin, and made His guardians completely disappear.
It just had to be when He had just exerted His power, and His follow-up strength had not yet kept up.
Under such circumstances.
Facing Garp's swung fist, Imu actually found—He truly didn't have any good way to deal with it.
Thus...
Rumble!
The next moment, the execution platform was blown away.
Sengoku, lying on the execution platform, was instantly sent flying, and was subsequently caught by Tsuru below.
At the same time, all the surrounding Marine Vice Admirals and Admirals also rarely made no movements right now—not only because they were amidst a fierce battle, but more crucially... since the "Scavengers" appeared, their hearts had more or less wavered.
Especially Sengoku being attacked subsequently, and the Marine Hero making a move right now, all made them not know what they should do at this moment.
And after that rising smoke and dust cleared.
Everyone then saw that at the location where the execution platform originally was, only a massive crater remained.
The crater was bottomless, seemingly directly penetrating the body of the entire island.
And Imu's figure had also vanished without a trace, seemingly having been blasted into the bottom of the crater.
But at the edge above the crater, Garp was supporting the already unconscious Luffy with one hand, panting heavily.
"Luffy!"
"He's s-saved! T.T"
"Is he still alive?"
"What kind of question is that? That guy Luffy has great fortune and a big destiny, he's definitely still alive!"
The Straw Hat crew members, who had been struggling to approach the execution platform but failed to smoothly cross the sea of people, also let out cheers right now—on the entire battlefield, they were among the rare few who paid attention to Luffy's situation on the execution platform throughout the entire process.
And their cheers also made many other people instantly react.
"The Straw Hat boy was saved? Doesn't that mean... we've won?"
"It's over?"
"The Marine Hero betrayed the Marines and saved the person being executed? How could I be having a dream like this?"
And amidst such exclamations and discussions, Garp silently took Luffy and rapidly distanced himself from the battlefield.
Although that punch just now felt very satisfying, Garp's Observation Haki could clearly perceive—although the other party was blasted into the ground, perhaps even penetrating the island and being blasted underwater, He did not die.
So, he had to immediately evacuate with Luffy.
"Hey, Roy boy..."
He called out in a low voice to the Transponder Snail: "Help..."
But before he could finish his words.
The next moment...
Zzt!
Roaring, pitch-black lightning exploded with a boom.
The next moment, everyone saw.
From behind Garp, from within that massive deep crater.
Imu, burning with black flames, was spreading His wings and soaring up.
That appearance like an evil god was exactly the truly domineering posture of this God who ruled the world for eight hundred years.
And right now, Imu's sharp pupils were looking at Garp and Luffy below.
Within His eyes, there was naked killing intent.
And at this time, on His left hand, one could also distinctly see a cluster of white "wish".
That was [Freedom].
But... it was incomplete.
"Interrupted..."
That was the reason for Imu's anger.
In this massive war, His greatest purposes were only two—obtaining "freedom", and killing all the "betrayers".
The former was the primary goal, and the latter was something He would complete sooner or later.
He had made many arrangements for this.
But exactly in that strike by Garp just now, it announced the failure of His plan.
His process of extracting "freedom" was interrupted, and the freedom that had already escaped His control again would not be deceived by Joy Boy's bloodline a second time.
All He could do was forcibly take away as much "freedom" as possible at the last moment, taking more power—but that was still insufficient to allow Him to completely break free from His restrictions.
So right now, His killing intent was so intense.
"..."
Imu silently raised His hand, lifting the burning long sword in His hand, aiming at Garp.
Clearly, whether out of anger or disgust towards Joy Boy, He intended to obliterate these two guys below.
But...
VMMM!
Just the next moment, Imu's movements paused.
Because He had already seen the sprinkled, circulating starlight in front of Him.
And the figure revealing his traces from within the starlight.
That was strikingly exactly...
"Star Lord..."
Upon seeing the other party, the killing intent in Imu's eyes became even more gloomy, like an icy abyss.
However, right now He only swept a glance around the surroundings and didn't choose to attack.
The Abyssal Magic Circle had already shattered.
The Zodiac surrounded Him, and His helpers and Ancient Coffin had all been lost.
His power consumption was not small, and the "freedom" He just obtained had not been completely absorbed.
And most crucially, He was not in His main body right now.
To Him, the body of Gloriosa, or rather the former Princess of the Freedom Kingdom "Shirley Joy Boy", was the optimal carrier previously, able to exert twenty to thirty percent of His power.
But to Him who had already obtained a portion of "freedom" now, Gloriosa's body would only become a restriction.
In such a state, fighting the "Star Lord"... although Imu still couldn't determine exactly what level the Star Lord's true power had reached, He was unwilling to take such a risk.
After all, even if Imu was unwilling to admit it, He had to admit it—He was actually already at a disadvantage now.
After this battle, the world beneath the Holy Land would inevitably usher in massive changes, and His rule over the world would be shaken.
So, He had one and only one final chance—that is, relying on the power He seized this time, to kill the Star Lord in one battle.
As long as He killed him, only needing to kill him, then the entire situation could be reversed—under the power of a God, the resistance and strength of mortals are meaningless.
So...
"..."
"..."
Imu didn't speak, but the power on His body slowly dissipated, gradually revealing Gloriosa's appearance.
He was canceling the "descent" state.
But exactly at this time...
"Imu, no... Abyss."
The Star Lord actually spoke.
Facing Imu, the expression beneath his mask could not be seen to show joy or anger.
But his words were very calm.
As if issuing that final ultimatum.
"Although the world should have long known."
"But I still have to here, to you... announce to the world."
"The Zodiac, has declared war on you—declared war on the World Government, declared war on the Celestial Dragons, declared war on the past, declared war on the future, declared war on all destiny."
"We will lead armies to conquer and exterminate everything you control."
He looked at Imu, enunciating each word clearly: "Ultimately, I will personally push you off the divine throne."
As his words fell, he didn't continue, seemingly waiting for Imu's response.
And this Abyss, who usually didn't care about anything regarding all living beings, right now facing the only existence in the world on par with Himself, indeed cast a "response".
"Mu will wait for you in Mary Geoise."