In the great war eight hundred years ago, which nearly destroyed the world, the two sides deployed a total of four devastating weapons.
Joy Boy had three: Uranus, Pluton, and Poseidon.
Imu, who was opposed to Joy Boy, also had a weapon powerful enough to contend with those that would later be known as the Ancient Weapons.
That was the source of the future name Celestial Dragon, a terrifying biological weapon that Joy Boy referred to as the Dragon of the End.
Its name was Níðhöggr!
It was the black dragon depicted in the murals of the Elbaf Thunder God's Scripture!
No one knew the origin of this monster. Joy Boy merely said that this creature possessed terrifying power in no way inferior to Pluton or Uranus! Furthermore, because it was a biological entity, it had far greater mobility than Pluton and Uranus, which caused them immense trouble during that great war.
It was precisely because of this that the war instantly became one-sided after Imu seized Uranus.
This must be the thing!
But how did Imu know he was here? How did she dispatch this thing directly?
And, was the direction it came from a bit off? It wasn't coming from the direction of Marijoa?
"What is that!"
Everyone was stunned by this sudden monster. In the sky, Loki even halted his attack, staring dumbfounded at the rapidly approaching behemoth.
"A dragon? A dragon that huge—wait!"
He suddenly realized something and couldn't help but gasp, "Could that be the dragon Boss spoke of, the one Imu controlled eight hundred years ago!"
Shanks realized the same thing.
Then, the man's mood became somewhat subtle. If it truly was Imu coming to cause trouble, it might actually be a good thing for them. Since they were already helpless against Roa, if Imu intervened, they might be able to seize the opportunity to escape.
But in the next instant, Shanks was stunned again.
Because atop the head of the flying black dragon, an old man with a flower-like decoration behind his head was desperately gripping the scales to keep from being blown away. He shouted at the top of his lungs:
"Rayleigh, Shanks! Are you alright!! We've come to get you!"
"...!!"
Shanks stared with wide eyes, astonished. "Mr. Crocus!!"
As the distance closed further, it was now clearly visible that familiar figures were standing on the black dragon's head, led by the ship's doctor, Crocus, and the former crew members of the Roger Pirates.
"Everyone!!"
At this moment, even after weathering all kinds of storms on the Grand Line, Shanks felt his eyes well up.
Everyone has come!!
At this moment of life and death!
But how could they be with this black dragon? What exactly was going on?
Roa also noticed this and instantly fell into a deeper state of bewilderment. "What in the world is happening?"
Why would the Celestial Dragons' ultimate weapon be carrying the remnants of the Roger Pirates? It couldn't be that Imu and the Roger Pirates had reconciled, could it?
"Hey, Gaban! What's the situation?"
Roa looked down at his most powerful Trained Ghost.
Gaban, also deeply shocked, turned back blankly and quickly said, "I don't know either, Boss!"
As he spoke, he gently kicked the extremely weak Rayleigh with his foot. "Rayleigh, do you know what's going on?"
Rayleigh didn't answer. He didn't even notice the dragon in the sky, only staring blankly at Shakky beside him, who had been directly cut in half by Gaban.
"Old Ray..."
A person cut in half does not immediately die, but the severe pain still twisted Shakky's face. Even so, the woman's voice was gentle: "This time, it's my turn to save you..."
"Shakky..."
Tears streamed down Rayleigh's face. But crying now couldn't change anything.
In the sky, the black dragon had arrived above Amazon Lily.
"Shanks! Hurry over!"
Crocus, clutching the black dragon's scales to avoid being blown away by the headwind, shouted loudly to Shanks in the nearby sky.
Shanks didn't hesitate, stepping on the air to rush toward the black dragon.
But his opponent was somewhat displeased.
"You bastards! Don't get in the way!"
Loki was furious, and his massive war hammer smashed directly toward the black dragon.
Dragon of the End or not? I'm still the Sun God!
But.
"Aung!!"
With a roar, the black dragon merely flapped its wings, and before Loki could even react, it slammed into his body.
The difference in size between the two was not actually too great. The black dragon's wingspan was only about two to three hundred meters, but the power it erupted with was astonishingly strong.
"Waaah!"
Loki only managed a scream before his body turned into a meteor, violently knocked away from Amazon Lily.
"Woah."
Roa couldn't help but click his tongue. Pure brute force can be this strong? If Loki hadn't eaten the Rubber-Rubber Fruit and wasn't virtually immune to blunt attacks without Haki, he would have broken countless bones with just that one collision, right?
Shanks was also shocked by the monster's power. He landed on the black dragon's head and asked loudly, "Mr. Crocus! What exactly is going on! Why is Níðhöggr in your hands!"
"It's that egg!"
Another member of the Roger Pirates shouted, "Do you remember that egg, Shanks!"
"The egg?"
Shanks instantly recalled the giant egg that was always on the Roger Pirates' ship. "Is that Níðhöggr's egg?"
Níðhöggr, a being on par with the Ancient Weapons and possessing world-destroying power, actually laid eggs? It actually reproduced?
The crew member said, "That's right! We didn't realize it at first, we just placed it at our secluded residence. But a few years ago, it hatched!"
"It started as a small snake, then gradually grew horns and limbs. A few months ago, it formed a cocoon. God knows how a snake forms a cocoon, but a few days ago, when it emerged from the cocoon, it had grown wings and transformed into its current appearance!"
"Only then did we realize what we had picked up! Crocus happened to call and contact us, so we brought it over!"
"..."
Shanks was incredibly shocked. So, the egg that Captain Roger and the others had accidentally picked up back then was actually Níðhöggr?
But how did that egg escape from Marijoa?
The World Government never tried to seize the egg. Did even they not know about this?
Shanks was a bit confused about the situation. Joy Boy's legacy was, after all, the truth of the Void Century from over eight hundred years ago. What happened during these eight hundred years was anybody's guess.
"In any case, let's take everyone away first!"
Crocus shouted, "Níðhöggr! Descend! Take everyone with us!"
Thus, the giant black dragon began to lower its altitude, swooping down directly toward Amazon Lily.
On Roa's side.
"...Boss, that's what they said."
Enel, who had appeared beside Roa at some point, respectfully relayed the conversation of the Roger Pirates remnants to Roa.
"Something like that happened?"
Roa was furious. "It was that egg all along!! Roger, you truly deserve to die!!"
He had been very interested in that egg back then and had asked Roger where he hid it. But that bastard Roger was extremely cautious. He had told the last departing crew member to freely dispose of the ship and the egg on board. Roger, who had left the ship early, was completely clueless about the egg's whereabouts.
After traveling to this era, Roa had almost forgotten about it, as he was only curious at the time.
But who could have guessed that it was Níðhöggr's egg!
If he had known this, he would have snatched that egg when he traveled with the Roger Pirates!
Imu, what in the world are you playing at, you idiot?
With Uranus lacking energy, how could she have lost this last card as well? No wonder Níðhöggr didn't appear to clean up the mess even when Marijoa was destroyed by him; it wasn't just confidence in her strength, but because the weapon was missing!
"Everyone, keep your distance from that thing!"
Roa raised his voice.
Power at the Ancient Weapon level even surpassed the peak of Joy Boy and Imu, truly capable of destroying the world given enough time. It was not something human strength could contend with.
Thus, Bege and the others quickly retreated.
"Are we saved?"
Ben Beckman, slightly out of breath, looked up and saw the black dragon swooping down towards them.
"Boss, are we just going to let them go?"
Enel whispered.
"You can try."
Roa said casually.
"Yes!"
Enel grinned excitedly, raising his right hand. Lightning began to jump on his right hand, and streaks of electrical light converged toward the center like swimming snakes. An dazzling ball of light instantly formed. This light ball looked very unstable, constantly dissipating outwards, but in the next instant, an invisible force aggressively pulled it together.
"Woah, a plasma cannon. Not bad."
Roa praised with a smile.
"It's all thanks to your grace, Boss!"
Enel smiled widely.
He had also undergone the Lineage Factor Implantation Surgery. In addition to the standard powers of strength, stamina, recovery, and exoskeleton, he had gained a new Lineage Factor ability: Magnetism.
Since he could transform into lightning, he was already capable of manipulating magnetic fields to some extent. And with the ability to control magnetism, where electricity generates magnetism and magnetism generates electricity, while he couldn't exactly fly by stepping on his own left foot with his right, his power had indeed increased significantly!
Currently, while his Armament Haki and physical combat skills might still be slightly weaker, Enel was absolutely no less powerful than any Navy Admiral, relying solely on his destructive power and mobility!
"Haa!"
Enel flicked his right hand, and the plasma, forcibly bound by the powerful magnetic field, instantly shot out, smashing toward Ben Beckman and the others on the ground.
"Shit!"
Ben Beckman suddenly looked back. The dazzling light almost blinded him. It's too fast! I can dodge, but what about the others?
But just at that moment, a vast wing swept across the sky.
The dazzling ball of light directly struck the black dragon's giant wing.
Then, silently, the light ball that should have erupted with world-destroying power simply dispersed.
"What??"
Enel's face instantly changed. "What's going on?"
"As expected, Devil Fruit abilities have no effect on it."
Roa said with a sigh.
Unlike the Dark-Dark Fruit, which prevents the user from using their ability, this black dragon prevents an ability user's power from affecting it. One is silence, the other is immunity. It feels like it crossed over from the Fairy Tail universe.
Joy Boy speculated that this black dragon might have some connection to the birth of Devil Fruits.
"Haha! Roa! You're finished!!"
Hancock (Boa Hancock) saw this and couldn't help but burst into a triumphant laugh. "Just wait to be crushed!"
However—
Roa looked at the massive black dragon that landed on the ground, and the jubilant pirates beneath its wings.
"I think I've been underestimated. Seriously, isn't it a bit too early to celebrate?"
He snapped his fingers softly.
Boom!!
Beneath the black dragon's wing, a volcano instantly erupted.
The surging, scorching magma instantly swallowed the previously delighted pirates.
The Straw Hat Pirates, the Kuja Pirates, and the Koro Pirates—the surprised pirates were all blasted into the air by the magma, then violently smashed against the black dragon's broad wing along with the magma.
"Aung!"
The black dragon instantly let out a wail, retracting its wing instantly.
"Tch."
Roa clicked his tongue slightly. "Tough, huh?"
The volcanic eruption only made it cry out once, and then it was fine.
Right. According to the information left by Joy Boy, this thing could withstand Pluton's bombardment. However, it seemed smaller than what Joy Boy described. Had it not fully matured yet?
"Everyone!!"
Meanwhile, on the black dragon's back, Shanks's eyes were tearing with rage. They were so close to safety!! How many people had the ability to survive such a volcanic eruption?
But Crocus and the others realized something else. "How is that possible! How could his ability harm Níðhöggr!"
While it didn't harm it, it definitely had an effect!
At this moment, the pained black dragon also noticed Roa floating in the sky.
"Aung!"
The furious black dragon opened its mouth wide, and a beam of black light shot toward Roa.
"Oh-oh-oh, Dragon Breath, is it?"
Roa smiled.
Snap.
With a slight sound, an air-door dozens of meters in diameter suddenly opened in front of Roa. The black beam instantly shot into it and was gone forever.
"Enough! Níðhöggr! Don't get entangled with that guy!"
On top of the black dragon's head, a Roger Pirates crew member shouted, "Bring everyone back first!"
Thus, the black dragon's huge claw reached into the still-erupting magma, grasping the people who were still desperately struggling and not yet dead in the volcano. Then, the behemoth lunged forward, grabbing Nico Robin in its other claw.
At this moment, the people on the black dragon's head finally saw Rayleigh and Shakky lying on the ground, and Gaban standing beside them.
"Yo! Everyone! Long time no see, how are you all doing!"
Gaban greeted the group cheerfully.
Crocus and the others were dumbfounded.
"Gaban,"
Crocus's voice trembled. "You did this?"
"I had no choice,"
Gaban shook his head helplessly. "Rayleigh wanted to be our Boss's enemy, and Shakky ran up and courted death herself. There was nothing I could do."
"..."
The remnants of the Roger Pirates fell silent. Was this what Rayleigh meant by Gaban being controlled by Roa?
"Roa!!"
Then, someone looked up, gnashing their teeth. "You scum!!"
Roa looked at them with a smile. "Just to be clear, we didn't have to fight, but you insisted on refusing, so I'm helpless."
"However, if you're willing to hand over this cute little black dragon to me, I might consider letting them go."
His consciousness instantly took over Gaban's body. The heavy double axes were already positioned over the necks of the barely alive Rayleigh and Shakky. Simultaneously, a streak of lightning appeared on a nearby broken cliff face.
Enel casually struck Gloriosa and Olvia down with two bolts of lightning. With his hands pointed at them, the lightning was poised to strike.
The people on the black dragon's head were silent again. Shanks's eyes were nearly splitting with rage, and Robin, clutched in the black dragon's hand, was close to despair.
"You bastard—"
Hancock, still gripped by the Haki Hand, was stunned. "How can you be this despicable?"
"Because I'm a villain."
Roa chuckled.
Version T0, the eternal God!
However.
"Don't worry about us!!"
Hancock shouted at the top of her lungs, "Shanks! Kill this guy!!"
"Oh? Is that so?"
Roa curved his lips. "So, you don't mind if I destroy Amazon Lily?"
This was now the crucial moment he had discussed with Robin earlier, the necessity of using Amazon Lily as leverage.
Hancock was instantly speechless.
"Besides, are you sure you can kill me?"
Accompanying Roa's laughter, the air-door opened beside him. "If I want to leave, I can do so at any time."
Shanks, this bold and open-minded man, was now practically grinding his teeth. There was simply no way to deal with this scoundrel Roa! But he couldn't hand Níðhöggr over to him either!
It was at this point.
Shanks saw Rayleigh on the ground weakly move his lips.
Don't mind us, go!
Shanks froze.
Then, tears filled the man's eyes, and he abruptly gritted his teeth. "Mr. Crocus, let's go!"
Crocus gave Shanks a deep look, then took a deep breath. "That's all we can do. Go!"
"You bastards!!"
The remnants of the Roger Pirates roared.
"Roa, don't think this is over!"
"Go, Níðhöggr!"
Thus, the giant black dragon flapped its wings, soaring into the high sky in a rush of wind.
Its speed was astonishing.
Roa sighed helplessly. It was likely a teenage version that hadn't fully matured yet. But its aura was already in no way inferior to Imu's true body.
If he chased after it, he would have to truly confront an Ancient Weapon head-on.
What a bother.
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