Arima's chest had been hollowed out.
He could feel his life force rapidly draining away. Even with his healing technique running without hand seals, the gaping wound in his chest refused to close.
Staring at the aged arm thrust through his torso, Arima couldn't stop himself from vomiting blood.
He turned his head slowly. Out of the corner of his eye, he caught sight of an elderly man with a white beard dressed in black, standing so close their bodies nearly touched.
Arima could no longer make out the man's face.
Summoning every last bit of strength, Arima tried to slip into his Kamui space, but the old man seemed prepared.
He gripped Arima's body firmly, not allowing the slightest movement. Arima felt like an egg trapped in a shell of solid stone, the surrounding space had turned utterly rigid.
"A spatial-type Devil Fruit… I see. So that's it. Fine then, I'll bet everything on the words left behind by the Sage of Six Paths… What a pity…"
He murmured to himself, but the sentence never finished. His body grew cold, his pupils dilated, and in the next instant, all signs of life faded away.
Everyone present could only sigh in awe. In some sense, this was a man who had already transcended what others could ever hope to surpass.
The old man who had ambushed him vanished from sight right after the strike. The whole event had taken place in the blink of an eye.
Many stood frozen in disbelief, unwilling to accept that such a terrifying man had been killed so easily.
Garp leapt forward, catching Arima's body in his arms. He sighed deeply. "What a waste… this kid's death is too damned unfortunate."
"What's there to regret?" Akainu snapped, his tone still brimming with fury. "The Navy's justice must not be tainted by someone like him!"
"Enough," Sengoku said wearily. "He's dead. Let's settle our debts and return. Prepare for the voyage home."
Even Sengoku, after all his years in the Navy, had to admit, Arima was one of the most terrifying opponents he had ever faced.
But just as things began to calm, chaos erupted again.
Kaido blocked Sengoku's path, his massive frame casting a shadow over the battlefield. "You can leave," he rumbled, "but that man's body stays with me!"
Sengoku's expression hardened. He couldn't allow Arima's corpse to be turned into some puppet or experiment. That would only bring more conflict later.
"I'm taking his body," Sengoku said firmly.
Kaido's temper was already on edge. Arima had hidden his treasures before dying, and his corpse was now the best lead to recovering them.
Big Mom had similar thoughts, her son, Mont-d'Or, was still missing, sealed away by Arima somewhere unknown.
She had tried using his Vivre Card to locate him, but to no avail. Somehow, Arima had cut off the card's connection completely. His corpse might be the only way to find her son.
Thus began a new clash, the temporary alliance between Navy and pirates shattered as both sides fought over Arima's body.
Though the Navy had suffered few losses directly at Arima's hands, the struggle for his remains proved far costlier. By the end, Sengoku and his men barely managed to secure victory.
With a damaged fleet and heavy hearts, the Navy sailed back carrying Arima's corpse.
The next day, word of the battle leaked. The news spread across the entire sea like wildfire.
At that time, Mito and Tsunade were in the Flower Capital of Wano, enjoying a rare day of peace. They planned to discuss the future together once Arima returned.
But then, his wooden clone suddenly crumbled into a pile of lifeless splinters.
Both women froze.
"Grandma… Something's happened to Arima! I'm going to find him!"
Tsunade shot to her feet, panic flaring in her chest. She intended to return to Dressrosa immediately.
Having weathered countless storms in her lifetime, Mito quickly calmed herself and soothed her granddaughter.
"Tsunade, wait. Even if something happened, Arima must've left us some kind of message."
And indeed, an instant later, Arima appeared before them.
Seeing the man she loved, Tsunade's fear melted into joy. She threw herself into his arms, tears brimming in her eyes. "Arima, you scared me to death! I thought, "
She couldn't bring herself to finish, afraid that saying the words might make them real.
Mito, however, noticed something unsettling. Arima's left eye, once black and sharp, had turned cloudy and gray, like a blind man's.
"What happened to your eye, Arima?" she asked urgently.
Arima smiled faintly. "Grandma… Tsunade… my time's running short. From here on, Konoha Senju will depend on you two.
During my slumber, you can stay on Skypiea, it's safe there. The World Government won't find you. Don't worry about me. I'll wake up soon enough."
Before either could respond, Arima activated Kamui and transported them away to Skypiea.
At the same time, his other wooden clones began moving, relocating his family, and the Konoha Senju, to the same floating island.
Once he confirmed everyone's safety, Arima finally let out a quiet sigh of relief. Leaving behind a hoard of Devil Fruits and treasures, he fell into a deep sleep.
Afterward, Tsunade successfully united the factions on Skypiea and officially established Konoha.
As for the residents of Dressrosa and Green Bit, Kushina gradually relocated them to the White Sea above Skypiea.
Many were reluctant to abandon life on the ocean, but under Tsunade's iron will, opposition soon faded away.
At one point, Tsunade even wanted to storm Mary Geoise itself, but Mito managed to stop her just in time. Still, Tsunade's rage simmered dangerously close to the surface, eager for an outlet.
While Konoha thrived in the sky, the news of the "Fifth Emperor" Arima's death spread everywhere.
In the New World, aboard the Red Force, Shanks stood silently at the rail, gazing at the sea.
Beckman walked up beside him, handing him a bottle of sake. "Still thinking about Arima?"
Shanks downed the entire bottle in one gulp, then tossed it into the waves.
Rubbing his empty sleeve, he sighed.
"I was planning to ask him to train Luffy. That bastard… promised me a drink and still owes me one. I told him something like this would happen. Damn, he really…"
His words trailed off. A tight ache filled his chest. Though they'd only shared one night of drinking, he had considered Arima a rare kindred spirit, a friend.
"What was he thinking, pulling something like that…? Damn fool."
Shanks regretted not going to his aid.
"Captain, look at this." Beckman handed over the latest newspaper delivered by a News Coo.
"Something tells me his death isn't as simple as it seems."
Shanks unfolded it. The front page headline read in bold letters:
'Fifth Emperor's Corpse Vanishes, Treasures Missing Without a Trace!'
One section caught his eye:
"During the Navy's return voyage, the corpse of the 'Fifth Emperor' Arima mysteriously disappeared despite heavy guard.
Sources suggest the culprit may be a user of the Shadow-Shadow Fruit. Warlord Gecko Moria has been summoned to Marine Headquarters for questioning."
"Huh? Don't tell me that kid's still alive… faked his death?"
Resting his chin on his hand, Shanks fell deep into thought.
"Captain," Beckman said, "Arima isn't someone to underestimate. Everyone aboard the Konoha Senju has vanished without a trace.
Dressrosa's become a ghost town, no sign of its people, no word from anyone. The power behind this is beyond imagination."
Shanks couldn't help but laugh.
"That brat never stops surprising me. To take on so many monsters and still come out on top… When we meet again, I'll definitely have a proper duel with him. He wouldn't dare refuse."
Beckman chuckled. "Of course, Captain, you've always had a way of getting what you want. Looks like Luffy's new teacher is already chosen."
Shanks turned his gaze toward the East Blue and grinned. "This world's getting more and more interesting."
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