The meteor summoned by Planetary Devastation would typically not be so terrifying—but if one had the chance to see it above the clouds, they'd realize it was over five kilometers in diameter.
With infinite chakra surging through his body and the full might of Susanoo fueling the technique, Vane had turned the meteorite into something truly cataclysmic.
If that thing struck the earth, all of Mariejois would be annihilated.
But the meteor was real, and it was falling. It was so heavy that nothing could stop its descent.
Already, the enormous celestial mass was tearing through the thick cloud layers. No matter how dense the clouds, they stood no chance.
"Hm?"
Im narrowed her eyes at the heavens. Even the blood-red eyes formed within the vortex above began to distort as something massive pressed down from above. The vortex trembled, and the lightning within it twisted unnaturally.
"Something's descending…"
She frowned. The immense pressure above forced the clouds downward, bulging like strained fabric. Then, the swirling black vortex vanished completely.
"A meteorite?"
Her expression changed.
What appeared was only the tip—but the sheer size was staggering.
At that moment, Vane deactivated Susanoo and floated down in front of Im. The two now stood separated by a transparent barrier—her [Conqueror's Territory].
"Take your time and enjoy it," Vane said mockingly, his eyes gleaming. "Think of it as a gift. Maybe this meteorite will add some new décor to Mariejois."
His tone was sarcastic, but his gaze was sharp and serious.
"You—!" Im's rage boiled over, but she was momentarily speechless.
Vane smirked. "Even if you are the King of Heaven, what difference does it make? Just being called a god doesn't mean you can escape reality."
If one meteorite wasn't enough... why not summon a second?
He had unlimited chakra, after all.
Vane glanced down to the battlefield below. Kaido was currently clashing with Akainu. Though battered, the Emperor of the Sea remained unbroken. His defense, aside from Vane and perhaps Im herself, was unparalleled. Even Akainu—famous for his brutal offense—couldn't finish him quickly. And despite Kaido taking the hits, Akainu didn't leave unscathed. His head was already bloodied from Kaido's Thunder Bagua.
Kaido was insane—reckless, fearless, nearly indestructible.
Akainu was powerful, but Vane was sure he wouldn't be the third person to hurt Kaido.
"It wasn't a wasted trip seeing you in person, Im," Vane teased with a cocky grin. "Didn't expect you to be such a beauty."
He gave her a playful wink.
"How about becoming my slave? Or would you rather die horribly?"
High above, the colossal meteorite finally broke fully through the clouds. The black vortex had dissipated, and the lightning bolts once dancing through the sky now stood frozen in place—forcefully repelled. Half the meteorite was now visible, hanging above the battlefield like a blade ready to fall.
"This… This can't be real…"
"How do you fight against something like this…?"
Many Marines dropped to their knees, hopeless and trembling. Neither Vane nor Im cared for their fear—for the rest, it was suffocating.
Im said nothing.
But the tension in her expression was enough. If she didn't stop that meteorite, Mariejois would be obliterated.
Suddenly, a massive repelling force surged from her hands.
She wanted Vane gone.
Coldly, she raised her arm—then released the wave.
But Vane had been expecting it.
He met the repelling force head-on and punched forward, diverting it completely.
Vane reached into the [Golden Capital] and pulled out a blood-red spear, swirling with a destructive aura. Spinning it once in his hand, Vane lunged and drove it forward, straight toward Im.
This was the Spear of Deaththorn. Once enhanced by [Mantra Liberation], it became unmatched in penetrating power. Kaido himself had been impaled twice by it.
Now it was time to test Im's physical defense.
As Vane attacked, Im appeared distracted, still focused on the descending meteor. Her eyes glinted strangely, and her fists clenched—but she didn't move to dodge the attack.
Perhaps it was intentional.
The spear pierced straight through her abdomen.
Her [Conqueror's Territory] flickered, then vanished.
But Im didn't scream.
She barely even winced.
"It's useless," she said calmly, eyes glimmering with a godlike glow. "I am a god."
She stepped back from the spear, the energy still flickering from its point. Despite the gaping wound, she didn't seem fazed at all.
Vane looked at the spear. Blood was dripping from its tip—but this blood wasn't normal. It was translucent, almost crystal-like.
He looked back at Im, and through the hole in her stomach.
"…That's definitely not normal."
Her expression was unreadable—not from pain, but from something deeper. Even though she'd been impaled, she showed no agony. It was… unnatural.
Vane slowly pulled the spear back, relaxing his stance. He drifted downward, letting gravity carry him from the sky.
He was silent now. Something about what he'd seen unsettled him.
Im, however, was not finished.
She raised both hands toward the meteorite looming above.
She paid no mind to the bloody hole in her abdomen. In fact, it was already closing. Her flesh wove itself back together with terrifying speed. The only thing that remained damaged was her clothing.
Her healing was leagues beyond even Kaido's.
In the field of medical lore, the world spoke of the mythical Immortality Surgery, a technique tied to the Ope Ope no Mi—the Surgical Fruit.
But there was more than one type of immortality.
One surgery extended lifespan indefinitely.
Another reshaped the body to become functionally immortal.
Both were incredibly rare, difficult to perform, and had a high failure rate. What's more, the one who performed either technique… died as a result.
Im had undergone both.
Two surgeries for life eternal. Four more for true physical immortality. And that… was why she had lived for over 800 years. That was how she survived a direct impalement from the Spear of Deaththorn.
This was why she sought the Surgical Fruit.
If she could capture someone with the potential to awaken it, she could imprison them—farm their ability—and when the time came, force them to perform the immortality surgeries before death. Once they died, the fruit would be reborn, and the process could start again.
A cruel cycle.
A calculated plan.
And the reason Im now possessed both the undying body… and the eternal soul.