"Pfft…"
A bloody, skeletal arm burst out of the mud as Lucien crawled out of the shattered ruins. He finally dropped to one knee, coughing violently as blood spilled from his mouth.
His entire body was mangled, torn apart by countless wounds, as if it might collapse into pieces at any second.
Yet scorching steam suddenly rose from his flesh. Brilliant, multicolored light spread across his body as muscle, bone, and skin rapidly regenerated. Broken stone fragments and debris embedded inside him were forcibly expelled, clattering onto the ground.
"It seems I won."
Lucien straightened up lazily. His face was pale, but white flames ignited around him once more, golden lightning crackling violently along his body as he shot toward the massive sinkhole wall in the distance.
There, Imu remained, or rather, what was left of her.
Half of her body was gone.
The flesh on the left side of her face had completely vanished, leaving behind a blood-soaked skull. Her chest was torn open, shredded organs hanging loosely from exposed ribs. Green hair clung messily to her face, soaked in blood, making her look utterly pitiful.
Her eyes were dull, her life force hovering on the brink of extinction.
She could not understand it.
She had suppressed Lucien earlier. She had dominated him. Yet in such a short time, she had lost completely.
What she did not know was that Lucien possessed more than just terrifying recovery methods and his BUG-like Near-Death ability. The real reason was far simpler.
Imu had already been grievously wounded.
She had suffered heavy injuries during their first clash. Then Lucien had tricked her again with three Da Ivan detonations at point-blank range. The fact that she could still fight an even stronger Lucien afterward was proof enough of her monstrous strength.
Imu stood at the very peak of this world, a ceiling-breaking existence.
"I didn't expect to lose."
Her voice remained calm as she stared at Lucien. Blood foam bubbled from her lips.
Eight jet-black thorns erupted from Lucien's tailbone. He met her gaze without emotion.
A sharp, sickening sound rang out as flesh was pierced.
Imu's body rapidly dried up and withered, her remaining life force drained away completely.
As her presence vanished, Lucien opened the glowing light screen before him. A crooked smirk formed on his lips as he read the information displayed.
He shot into the sky, standing beneath the vast firmament. Lucien sensed battles raging in every direction.
It was time to harvest.
A white trail cut through the sky as Lucien flew toward the nearest battlefield, unleashing his aura without restraint. The air warped, the clouds twisted, and the weather itself shifted under his overwhelming pressure.
He had no need to hide anymore.
Now, he could be arrogant.
As arrogant as he wanted.
"Impossible… Imu-sama can't lose!"
The Gorosei clad in a dark green suit stared in horror. He was bald, with mustache-like sideburns and a distinct birthmark on his forehead. A powerful Devil Fruit user, yet even he had been struggling against Golden Lion from the start.
Now, terror flooded his face.
That approaching aura was not Imu's.
Run.
Without hesitation, the Birthmark Gorosei abandoned Golden Lion and retreated at full speed.
"Where do you think you're going?"
A playful voice whispered into his ear.
His hair stood on end.
Before he could even turn around, agonizing pain tore through his body. Eight black thorns impaled him instantly, skewering him like a porcupine as they greedily devoured everything they touched.
The gap between them was absolute.
"Spare me…"
His plea ended abruptly.
His body collapsed into ash, his soul ripped free and swallowed whole by Lucien.
Excellent nourishment.
Lucien felt his physical strength surge as his soul grew even stronger.
Wasting food was a sin.
"Follow."
Lucien issued the command and vanished, leaving behind a long white trail streaking across the sky. By the time Golden Lion reached the spot, Lucien was already gone.
In mere moments, Lucien appeared before Bullet and the Gorosei wearing a dark red suit, golden hair and beard gleaming. This one was a Devil Fruit user as well, far more troublesome than most.
It didn't matter.
Two moves.
That was all it took.
Lucien devoured him completely, body and soul alike.
Next came the Gorosei wielding the Demon Blade, locked in battle with Genzo, a top-tier Great Swordsman who possessed the First Generation Demon Blade.
Then the Gorosei fighting Rayleigh.
And the one in a black suit, white curly hair, thick beard, and a flat cap, battling Redfield.
The moment Lucien arrived, it all ended.
With every powerful enemy he consumed, his aura steadily recovered, replenishing the massive energy he had spent fighting Imu.
Soon, Lucien led Golden Lion, Rayleigh, Bullet, and Dragon as they swept across battlefield after battlefield. Their numbers grew larger with every victory.
CP0 agents, Celestial Dragons, the Four Admirals of the Army, Marines, anyone powerful enough to catch Lucien's attention was absorbed without mercy.
Without Imu and the Gorosei, the World Government collapsed completely.
"So, you're going to make a move on me now?"
Silver Dragon stood among the ruins, blood dripping from the corner of his mouth. He held his trident at an angle, staring darkly at the figures descending from the sky, his gaze locking onto the man leading them.
Lucien shrugged, pulled out a cigarette, and flicked it over.
Silver Dragon caught it. Electricity crackled at his fingertips as he lit it, took a deep drag, and exhaled a smoke ring.
"I should've believed those two idiots earlier," he sighed. "But it wouldn't have mattered anyway. You've already controlled too many people. The tide's completely turned."
He glanced at Lucien.
"Tell me, what's your cheat code? I'm a transmigrator too. I've been in this world for decades and never got one. Damn it."
The more he spoke, the angrier he became, eventually cursing outright.
The unfairness burned in his chest.
Lucien flicked the ash from his cigarette and spoke earnestly.
"Honestly, you're my type. If things were different, I might've wanted to be friends with you."
Whether he meant it or not was impossible to tell.
"Let's make a deal," Silver Dragon said quickly. "Let me go. I'm no threat to you now, right? I don't care about being Pirate King or ruling the world."
"Capture him."
Lucien smiled warmly and gave the order without hesitation.
"Fuck your ancestors!"
Silver Dragon transformed into lightning and shot into the sky.
He had never believed Lucien would spare him. Naivety was for children.
Boom!
The ground erupted as Golden Lion, Redfield, Dragon, Bullet, and others launched upward. Every one of them was a living legend.
"Shinra Tensei!"
The lightning-filled sky shattered violently. Explosions echoed nonstop, but the chaos lasted barely over a minute.
Lucien never moved.
He casually sat on a rock while Hancock, Monet, and the other women surrounded him, massaging his shoulders and arms.
"This feels amazing."
Silver Dragon lay on the ground, bloodied, clothes in tatters, breathing like a dying dog. He had clearly endured a brutal beating.
Even so, he was terrifyingly strong.
Golden Lion and the others were all injured.
Given another year or two, Silver Dragon might have broken this world's ceiling himself. Perhaps he would have even awakened a Near-Death ability like Lucien's.
"I'll wipe your…"
Eight thorns pierced his body before he could finish.
Lucien absorbed him without hesitation.
Body.
Soul.
Nothing wasted.
Group beatdowns were the ultimate truth.
And Lucien was more than happy to reap the rewards while sitting back.
Ahhh…
:.:
^_________^
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