Facing Imu's incoming attack, Lucien merely sneered. He had not used this ability since the day he obtained it, and now he wanted to see just how absurdly terrifying it truly was.
"Music."
Lucien snapped his fingers.
In the next instant, music flooded the heavens.
It carried a strange blend of Japanese rhythm and electronic intensity, spreading outward from Lucien and enveloping the entire sky like an invisible domain.
Imu, who had been charging forward with murderous intent, suddenly trembled. Her limbs jerked violently, movements no longer obeying her will.
Lucien himself was not spared.
Although he had watched Gokuraku Jodo countless times, he could not consciously remember the dance steps. Yet now, as if possessed, his body began to move on its own, twisting and swaying under the brainwashing rhythm.
"Damn it, what did you do!"
Imu's voice rang out in fury. Her body mimicked Lucien's movements perfectly. Whatever he did, she did as well.
She had completely lost control of her body.
Speech, however, was still possible.
"Let you experience the charm of dance," Lucien replied.
Covered in blood, with torn flesh and exposed muscle, Lucien looked utterly horrifying. And yet, as the music surged, his body moved with intoxicating precision. His posture became enchanting, even alluring, as the melody climbed toward its peak.
The difficult Butterfly Step emerged naturally, followed by the domineering Oiran Step, pushing Lucien's flirtatious presence to an obscene extreme.
His feet shuffled lightly. His hands traced fluid arcs as his waist twisted weakly, spinning in smooth circles.
His shoulders rolled as though boneless, perfectly coordinating with the supple strength of his hips and core, displaying a charm so unnatural it bordered on corruption itself.
If this were a woman, it would have been seductive and mesmerizing.
But for a man, it was something far worse.
It was devastating.
When a man became flirtatious to this degree, women could only stand aside.
"Damn it!"
Imu followed the steps unwillingly. The music invaded her senses, and despite her rage, an inexplicable high crept into her mind. More than that, she felt humiliation.
Watching Lucien dance with such obscene elegance made her heart feel as though it were being scratched by invisible claws, an unbearable and irresistible sensation.
The lyrics themselves conjured vivid imagery, burning into her consciousness.
"Dancing, forgetting time
Tonight, let us bloom wildly together
Even the beautifully blooming flowers
Will eventually wither
Since that is so, then on this night
Seek an even more passionate love
Let us do something fun for a bit
Is this a dream or an illusion
A world without lies and reality
Let us move toward the Pure Land of Bliss
Singing and dancing, following your heart
No need to worry about messy hair or gasping
Dancing, forgetting time
Tonight, let us bloom wildly together
Let us do something fun for a bit
A world without lies and reality
Move toward the Pure Land of Bliss
Singing and dancing, following your heart
Let me hear your song
Dancing, forgetting time
Tonight, let us bloom wildly together
Tonight, let me and you bloom wildly together."
Lucien immersed himself fully in the rhythm. Though he had never danced before, it felt engraved into his bones. Every cell in his body radiated shameless flirtation.
"Dance Version, Gokuraku Jodo."
"Within three minutes and forty five seconds of the song playing, within a ten kilometer radius centered on the host, regardless of whether they are demons, monsters, gods, or Buddhas, all targets will be forced to instinctively learn and perform the Butterfly Step and Oiran Step under the host's lead."
"Cooldown, ten days."
Lucien was enjoying himself thoroughly. He had never imagined that one day he would become the center of attention, the absolute lead dancer commanding even a god's body.
It was a pity there was only Imu within range. If there were a few curvaceous beauties with slender waists behind him, the scene would have been truly intoxicating.
When it came to flirtatious depravity, Lucien was confident he stood at the absolute peak.
This ability did not disappoint him. Even beings beyond mortality were forced to follow his rhythm, their dignity crushed beneath his lead.
The moment the music began, he became the most captivating existence in the world.
"This will be your most unforgettable memory," Lucien said calmly. "Remember my name. Lucien. Also known as Savior."
"This era has already changed. We will meet again. Next time, I want to see whether you are male or female."
As the music reached its final note, a talisman appeared in Lucien's hand.
At the same time, three Da Ivan materialized beside him, their countdown timers already nearing zero.
Originally, there had been five. Two had been given to Caesar for experiments. These remaining three were released all at once.
"Trying to escape?"
Imu was furious. That dance had humiliated her beyond words. For centuries, no one had dared to force her to dance, let alone something so obscene and degrading.
She hated to admit it, but she could not compare to the man before her.
In terms of depravity and flirtatious corruption, she had never encountered anyone like him. He was more enchanting than any twisted creature she had ever seen.
Just as Imu moved to strike, Lucien vanished.
The countdown on the three Da Ivan froze.
Lucien had timed everything perfectly. In the final nine seconds of Gokuraku Jodo, he pressed the Da Ivan activation within the Waste Gold Finger space. The moment they appeared, their timers had already reached the final second.
Blinding white light erupted.
Sound vanished from the world.
A colossal mushroom cloud connected heaven and earth, tearing through land and atmosphere alike. The already ruined West Blue was completely devastated.
What little remained was erased.
Ten thousand meters away, Lucien fell from the sky. His body slammed into the exposed seabed, flesh exploding apart, internal organs scattering as he was reduced to a mangled, bloody mass.
He could not move a single finger.
Only one breath remained.
This region was still within the West Blue, yet the seawater had been completely drained. From a high vantage point, one could see the distant tsunami beginning to rush back.
If Lucien was not rescued before it arrived, he would be swallowed whole.
But Lucien never left himself without insurance.
The reason Kuma, Law, Mansherry, Brulee, and Mondor had not appeared earlier was precisely for this moment.
While Lucien battled Imu, Kuma followed from afar with his book. More importantly, Lucien's body had been implanted with dozens of trackers, embedded in his head, limbs, and even his buttocks, more than thirty in total, unless his body was completely annihilated.
Lucien had specifically protected these trackers during the fight. Even now, at least five or six remained intact.
This was something he had Caesar prepare personally.
The purpose was simple, ensure rescue.
As expected, ten minutes later, Kuma teleported repeatedly across the horizon, arriving beside Lucien just before the tsunami struck. His internal radar made the task effortless.
They were not far.
Once inside the book space, Law immediately began surgery. Kuma and Mansherry used their abilities to restore Lucien to the greatest extent possible. Mondor remained outside, holding the book aloft as he flew.
Elsewhere, battles had reached their climax.
Especially those involving the strongest combatants.
"Garp!"
Sengoku's roar was filled with fury, sorrow, and disbelief. He could not understand why Garp would betray the Marines and work under Savior.
Now, Garp was even trying to kill him without hesitation.
From the beginning, Sengoku had held onto hope. He believed Garp would return.
That hope was what nearly killed him.
Lying amid the ruins, watching Garp approach step by step, Sengoku still could not believe it.
Garp would not kill him.
He would turn him into a Demon.
As Garp's index finger pierced into Sengoku's flesh, Sengoku's body convulsed violently, his eyes bulging in agony.
At present, aside from Lucien, the Demon Ancestor, the strongest combatants were Whitebeard, Garp, Redfield, and Golden Lion. These veterans all possessed the strength required to withstand the process of turning Sengoku into a Demon.
In the end, however, it would still be Lucien who re bestow the Demon Blood.