The ruins of war scarred Mary Geoise.
Im glanced down from above, eyes narrowing.
The Knights of God were scattered and decimated. Only a handful remained, desperately fighting against overwhelming odds. CP0 had been completely wiped out—not a single survivor remained.
As for the Five Elders… after their immortality was exposed, their bodies had been shattered repeatedly under the relentless assault of Sengoku, Kizaru, Zephyr, and others. Their regeneration grew slower with each blow. They were on the verge of becoming ordinary Zoan-type Devil Fruit users—immortality slipping away.
"Stop looking," Rosen said, his voice cutting through the silence. "They can't help you."
Though Rosen couldn't read Im's aura or foresee the future, he understood the World King's thoughts simply by observing the expression on that shadowed face.
"Don't speak as if you can kill me," Im replied coldly. "I admit I am no match for you. However, you cannot do anything to me!"
"Haki can indeed break immortality," Rosen countered, his lips curling slightly, "but only against the Five Elders."
Im had survived being bisected and having her body shattered over a dozen times. Anyone else would have died under Rosen's blade, but she endured thanks to her immortality.
"That is not necessarily true," Rosen chuckled, closing his five fingers. A Zanpakutō materialized in his palm. "A Weapon-Weapon Fruit? Useless," Im sneered, watching the blade form. "Even the Five Elders, granted immortality by me, are immune to Devil Fruit abilities. I am no different."
"Who knows until we try?" Rosen remained noncommittal.
"What a pity," Im raised a massive, draconic claw, pointing it at Rosen. "You won't have that chance."
FWOOM.
The moment her words ended, a five-pointed star array opened beneath Mary Geoise, accompanied by rising black flames. Figures of varying heights and genders appeared one after another within the formation.
"Did you think I was waiting for the Five Elders? Or the Knights of God?" Im enunciated each word clearly. "No. I was waiting for them."
Rosen's eyes narrowed as he recognized the figures descending upon Mary Geoise.
"Finally, we meet. Rosen."
Silvers Rayleigh, sword in hand, stepped out of the pentagram. He looked up, his expression grim. "Honestly, wouldn't it have been better to live a good life and become a legend? Instead, you chose to come here to die."
Rosen's gaze shifted downward, meeting Rayleigh's eyes. "If I could retire, I would not involve myself in your affairs. But it's a pity your subordinate killed my most important friend. I have no choice but to draw my sword and demand an explanation from the invincible one."
Thinking of Hatchan's mangled corpse—impossible to piece together—Rayleigh's eyes glinted behind his glasses. A surge of Conqueror's Haki erupted from him, transforming into dozens of ferocious lightning bolts that ripped through the air, hurtling toward Rosen.
"Don't embarrass yourself with Conqueror's Haki of your level," Rosen said flatly.
Facing the onrushing lightning, Rosen merely glanced at it. His eyes flashed crimson. The lightning bolts froze instantly, suspended in mid-air as if locked in time, unable to advance even an inch.
"Monster!" Rayleigh's eyes widened. Although he had prepared himself mentally, seeing his Conqueror's Haki suppressed by a single gaze made cold sweat bead on his forehead. In his experience, the strongest users were Roger and Rocks—their auras were like fireflies compared to the moon that was Rosen.
"Hehehehe! It's been a while, but your aura seems to have grown even stronger, Rosen!"
Accompanied by an arrogant, disdainful laugh, Kaido stepped out of the pentagram, standing alongside Rayleigh. "You've come to die too, haven't you, Kaido?"
Rosen's gaze swept over the Emperor, expression unchanged. After all, who would be moved by the appearance of a defeated opponent?
"Hehehehe. You're as infuriating as ever. But this time, who dies is really hard to say!" Kaido's eyes shimmered with starlight as he transformed into his Azure Dragon Beast form. His Conqueror's Haki erupted like a volcano, soaring into the sky and transforming into a dragon-shaped lightning bolt. It carried a pressure that made the clouds tremble, sweeping toward Rosen.
"Looks like the lesson I taught you last time wasn't profound enough."
Rosen gently blew a breath.
BOOM!
The Conqueror's Haki spread out like a storm, shattering the sky and clouds, and simultaneously blowing away the oncoming dragon-shaped lightning bolt.
"It's alright. Considering you were used as experimental material, providing the Marines with many artificial Devil Fruits, I'll spare your life this time. However, I will carve Seastone into every bone of yours."
These words reminded Kaido of his imprisonment in the Judge Forbidden Zone, becoming an experimental subject.
BOOM!
Kaido, currently in his human-beast form, was much thinner than before, his body wrapped in ribbon-like flames.
"Truly worthy of being called invincible," a new voice spoke. "Facing so many of us, you still dare to speak so arrogantly."
Shanks gripped his sword in his right hand. His Conqueror's Haki surged forth like a tsunami, transforming into a terrifying creature resembling a griffin. It carried an oppressive force that seemed to shatter the heavens, heading straight for Rosen.
"Do you know why?" Rosen's lips curled slightly. His scarlet eyes widened suddenly. Shanks—the pirate with the strongest spirit since Gol D. Roger—had his Crimson Griffin, formed from his Conqueror's Haki, suppressed like a tiger facing a colossal Sea King. It could not advance.
"Because of rank," Rosen declared. "No matter how many people you gather, or how many methods you prepare, you cannot bridge the gap between you and me."
He surveyed the scene. Besides Rayleigh, Kaido, and Shanks, another man teleported to Mary Geoise by Im—looking exactly like Shanks, with identical hair and appearance. Clearly a member of the Knights of God. In addition, there were the entire Roger Pirates scattered throughout the world.
"Im," Rosen said, glancing at the shadowed figure. "Is this your last resort? I thought it was some formidable power, but it turns out it's just a bunch of defeated dogs."
"Defeated dogs?" Im's voice was ice. "Is that so? What if we add them?"
As soon as Im finished speaking, a colossal figure suddenly appeared in the pentagram array. The so-called giants were pitifully small before it. It was a terrifying warship with a grotesque design, radiating an aura of destruction. Its sheer size far surpassed even that of a colossal Sea King; it was practically an island.
"Pluton?" Rosen's gaze narrowed slightly. Considering the Roger Pirates and the Beast Pirates had joined forces, it wasn't surprising. After all, Kaido alone couldn't possibly find the Ancient Weapon Pluton. But with Rayleigh added, it was a different story.
"It's not just Pluton," Im finished speaking.
Black flames erupted again from the pentagram array. Figures appeared. A dark green cloak, strange tattoos on his face, and an aura of fierce dominance emanating from him. Compared to Kaido, this man was in no way inferior.
"Monkey D. Dragon."
When Rosen saw the leader of the Revolutionary Army, accompanied by a group of army commanders, arriving in Mary Geoise, his first reaction wasn't a change in expression, but a soft sigh.
"Do you know? Mr. Garp will be very sad."
Facing the Roger Pirates, the Red-Haired Pirates, the Beast Pirates, the Revolutionary Army, and the World Government—this five-way alliance—Rosen remained calm and composed.
"From the moment I left Marine Headquarters, I not only severed my ties with the Marines, but also with the hero Garp," Monkey D. Dragon said. His eyes swept over Garp in the distance, then he immediately looked away. When speaking of Garp, his voice was calm and collected, as if he weren't speaking of his father, but of a stranger. Even an enemy.
"I don't mean that Mr. Garp will be saddened by your arrival," Rosen corrected gently. "But… he will suffer the pain of losing his son."
Rosen's words made Monkey D. Dragon's face darken. "To make a hero fighting in the Marines bear the pain of losing his son at this time, Dragon… you've really given me a difficult problem."
Rosen sighed softly. "If that's the case, then you have absolutely no reason to worry. After all, I see no reason for you to win."
Monkey D. Dragon didn't back down. This is a common weakness among those who stand against the seas. As long as one possesses Conqueror's Haki, as long as one stands atop the ocean, no matter how powerful the opponent, before engaging in combat, one will still possess the strongest will.
"Because of Uranus?" Rosen looked at Monkey D. Dragon with a half-smile.
"You actually know!" Dragon's pupils contracted slightly.
Why is he considered the world's most heinous criminal by the World Government? Why is the Revolutionary Army considered a formidable enemy surpassing the Four Emperors? Is it because their goal is to overthrow the World Government's rule? Is it because of their ideology?
No.
It's all because Monkey D. Dragon wields Uranus, one of the three Ancient Weapons.
"Interesting," Rosen's gaze swept over Rayleigh, Shanks, and the others. "Now that everyone's here, let's attack together! The Revolutionary Army, and those pathetic pirates. Of course, you too, Im."
Rosen held his Zanpakutō in his right hand, raised his left, and beckoned to the Roger Pirates, the Red-Haired Pirates, the Beasts Pirates, the entire Revolutionary Army, and Im.
"Attack!"
Shanks, Rayleigh, Kaido, and Monkey D. Dragon exchanged glances.
At this moment, in the world of One Piece, aside from the Marines, almost all the top powers had gathered together, forming a united front, yet each of them was on high alert.
Even if the opponent was only one person, there was still no reason to underestimate them.
Because the man in front of them was named Rosen.
Regarding this… even the incomprehensibly arrogant Im thought so.
—-
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