Mary Geoise.
Pangea Castle.
...
Imu stared silently at the skull on the floor that had been split cleanly in two, black smoke slowly rising from it.
"Dead..."
The remaining four Gorosei stood frozen as they looked at the shattered remains of Saint Saturn.
"Just like that... he died as easily as those insects below us..."
For countless years, they had believed themselves immortal, beings far above ordinary life. To them, death belonged only to lesser creatures.
But now, that cold skeleton on the floor destroyed their arrogance completely.
They could die too.
A chilling sense of mortality swept through the chamber.
The Warrior God of Justice, Saint Warcury, trembled visibly. Even his voice had lost its usual authority.
"How... how is this possible...?"
The Warrior God of Environment, Saint Mars, no longer carried his detached and prideful demeanor. Fear had completely replaced it.
"To think that someone besides Lord Imu can actually destroy our immortality..."
His gaze locked onto the ragged slave standing ahead of them, the very man they had dismissed as worthless moments earlier.
"Who exactly is he...?"
The Warrior God of Finance, Saint Nusjuro, narrowed his eyes sharply at the silent figure.
"Before being sealed, that entity calling itself Pride mentioned something important."
His voice turned hoarse.
"The person before us is most likely Shirogai's true clone, Evil Thought."
"Only someone connected to Shirogai could possess such terrifying strength."
The Warrior God of Agriculture, Saint Peter, shivered uncontrollably.
"That slash..."
His voice nearly failed him.
"He killed Saint Saturn with a single attack. If he swings his blade four more times, wouldn't the rest of us die the same way...?"
"He doesn't need four slashes."
Imu's cold voice interrupted them instantly.
Its crimson eyes remained fixed on the silent man standing ahead.
"To kill the four of you, he only needs one."
The Gorosei immediately stiffened.
Only then did they realize how disgraceful their fear sounded in front of Imu.
The four elders hurriedly knelt.
"Lord Imu, we..."
"Enough."
Imu raised a hand, silencing them immediately.
Its gaze never left the silent man.
Dark demonic energy surged violently around Imu's body as its voice became colder.
"Withdraw. None of you can interfere in this battle."
"Leave immediately."
"Yes, Lord Imu!"
The four Gorosei did not hesitate for even a second.
Their pride had already collapsed alongside Saint Saturn's corpse.
Swish!
Four blurred afterimages shot through the shattered windows of the hall, disappearing instantly.
None of them wished to remain near that terrifying figure any longer.
Soon, only Imu and the silent man remained within the Hall of Flowers.
The demonic aura around Imu intensified further.
Dense black energy condensed into heavy armor that completely covered its body.
The armor radiated terrifying pressure, multiplying Imu's defensive power several times over.
Imu had personally witnessed the slash that killed Saint Saturn.
That attack had surpassed every sword strike Imu had ever seen.
Even Gol D. Roger's Divine Departure lacked that unstoppable killing force.
Imu understood one thing clearly.
If that slash had targeted him directly, he would have been cut apart as well.
"A single slash killed my servant."
Imu's blood-red eyes narrowed sharply as it stared at the silent figure.
"You are Shirogai's true clone, aren't you?"
Only now did the strength displayed truly match the level Imu expected from Shirogai himself.
This had to be Evil Thought.
...
The man remained silent.
His scar-covered upper body stood motionless while his tangled gray hair concealed most of his face.
He ignored Imu completely.
Instead, his gaze slowly shifted toward Imu's left hand.
!!!
Imu's pupils shrank violently.
Boom!!!
Demonic energy exploded outward instantly.
The massive tail extending from Imu's armored body shot forward defensively.
Pfft!!!
In the next second, the Grimoire of the Abyss held tightly within Imu's left hand exploded apart instantly.
Even with the tail blocking in front of it, the invisible slash still tore through Imu's arm completely.
Ink-black sealing mist burst outward from the shattered grimoire.
"Hehehe...!"
A playful voice echoed throughout the Hall of Flowers once again.
"Stupid Imu! I'm free again!"
Swish!
Black-and-white smoke gathered together in the air.
Pride reappeared in the form of Shirogai, floating arrogantly above Imu while laughing mockingly.
"Idiot, I already told you that you should've made a contract with me earlier!"
He pointed toward Imu's destroyed arm with a grin full of ridicule.
"Do you regret it now? Too bad!"
...
Imu frowned slightly as it looked at its ruined arm.
The slash from earlier lingered heavily in its mind.
Armor, demonic energy, even Haki, none of it had been enough to stop that attack completely.
Gurgle... Gurgle...
Suddenly, flesh and demonic energy intertwined around Imu's shoulder.
The shattered arm rapidly regenerated itself.
Moments later, the arm was restored perfectly as if nothing had happened.
"Tch."
Pride clicked his tongue in annoyance before floating toward the silent man eagerly.
His tone became strange and seductive, like a devil whispering temptation.
"Great Evil Thought, you should just kill Imu already."
"These demons never learn obedience."
"Or do you seriously believe the main body's ridiculous ideals are corr..."
...
The silent man slowly raised his head.
His blade tilted slightly.
Swish!
A restrained slash flashed quietly through the air.
"If you ask me, the main body is simply too kin..."
Pride's voice stopped abruptly.
He looked down blankly at the smoke dispersing from his own body.
"You're even attacking your own side...?"
He sighed helplessly.
"There's seriously no reasoning with monsters like you."
"I'm leaving."
In the next instant, Pride's body completely scattered apart.
His form dissolved into countless strands of black-and-white smoke.
Under Imu's cold gaze, the smoke slowly drifted toward the silent man.
Like children returning home, the strands quietly merged into his body and vanished completely.
...
The man remained silent from beginning to end.
Not a single unnecessary word escaped him.
Watching this scene, Imu suddenly remembered something Pride had once said while pretending to be Evil Thought.
True strength meant being so superior that even acknowledging others felt unnecessary.
Ignoring them entirely was the ultimate arrogance.
"Shirogai!!!"
Imu's face twisted violently with fury as it glared at the silent man.
"You arrogant bastard...!"
"Are you actually looking down on me?!"
===
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