As Conqueror's Haki covered several thousand meters, an even deeper, more ancient aura quietly awakened from the deepest part of the Holy Land.
Imu, who was in the Flower Room and about to return to her bedchamber, suddenly froze.
A flicker of offended anger crossed her dark red ringed pupils, which then turned into a chilling coldness.
"Shanks?"
"You actually dare to return to the Holy Land!"
"And you are so disrespectful, daring to call my son by his name!"
"You're seeking death!"
Before she finished speaking, her dark robe billowed without wind, and a surge of Conqueror's Haki, far exceeding Shanks's, rose like an invisible giant wave, instantly devouring and suppressing the crimson Haki that had swept over.
Immediately after, an indescribable giant silhouette emerged from behind her.
The silhouette was completely black, its outline blurry, with only a pair of ringed eyes identical to Imu's.
The giant silhouette seemed to fully comprehend Imu's thoughts; as soon as it appeared, it transformed into a black stream of light, streaking like lightning towards Shanks's location.
In the blink of an eye, the giant silhouette had arrived opposite Shanks.
Gringo and Shamrock, with their backs to it, hadn't even noticed when a bone-chilling coldness assailed them from behind.
The next second, the arrow-shaped tail behind the giant silhouette tore through the air, emitting a sharp whistle, and shot straight for Shanks's face at an imperceptible speed!
Shanks's pupils suddenly contracted!
Facing the black arrow that instantly magnified in his vision, he had no time to think; his body's instinct had already driven him to draw Gryphon from his waist, wrapping Conqueror's Haki around the blade, and holding it horizontally in front of him.
"Boom--"
A deafening crash echoed through the sky.
The giant arrow, carrying a chilling demonic aura, slammed fiercely into Gryphon's blade.
The moment the two collided, even someone as powerful as Shanks suffered a great loss in this hurried defense. The instant a tremendous force emanated from the blade, he was sent flying backward like a cannonball, his feet plowing two deep furrows in the ground, nearly falling directly from the top of the Red Line into the abyss.
Before he could steady himself, the arrow, which had missed its target, arced strangely in the sky and magnified in Shanks's pupils again, moving at an even more astonishing speed than before.
The next second.
"Pfft!"
The sound of a blade entering flesh was dull yet clear.
The black arrow directly pierced Shanks's left shoulder, raising a spray of blood while hoisting this Emperor of the New World high into the air, suspended.
Shanks's face was pale; the sharp pain and shock made him momentarily lose his composure.
How could this be... Before he could recover from his shock, Imu's gender-neutral yet utterly majestic voice drifted over through the giant silhouette.
"Shanks, do you really think that by crippling one arm, you could escape Imu's control? Naive!"
As the words came out, the arrow piercing Shanks's left shoulder slowly descended, dropping him back to the ground, then silently retracted behind the giant silhouette.
Shanks, losing his support, stumbled, almost falling to his knees, and a trickle of striking blood oozed from the corner of his mouth.
He raised a hand to wipe away the blood, slowly straightened his body, his gaze fixed intently on the giant silhouette opposite him, his voice hoarse: "Losing this arm was not my intention. However... that's not important. What's important is that after that, I truly severed my connection with you!"
"Is that so?" Imu's voice was cold, "That's because Imu wanted to see how much you, with one arm severed, could grow. I must say, your growth rate surprised Imu; in just a few years, you became one of the Four Emperors reigning over the New World."
"However, to think you could escape Imu's grasp so easily, you are still too naive! As long as Imu wishes, Imu can re-dominate you at any time!"
At this point, Imu's tone shifted, and her voice became a little sharper: "As you said, none of this is important. What's important is that Imu allowed you to grow smoothly, not for you to come to the Holy Land to show off, and certainly not for you to disrespect my son Ian in such a way!"
Before the words finished, Imu's voice suddenly rose, transforming into an irresistible decree: "Shanks, kneel before Imu!"
In an instant, the void around Shanks emitted a low hum, and unparalleled Conqueror's Haki, mixed with an absolute suppression from deep within his bloodline, descended from the heavens.
Even someone as powerful as Shanks could not resist at this moment; his legs weakened, and he slowly bent his knees, uncontrollably, towards the giant silhouette.
Just then, unhurried footsteps approached.
Ian, with Hancock's arm in his, slowly walked over.
He glanced at Shanks, who was on his knees, a relaxed smile on his face, and looked at the giant silhouette: "Mom, don't be angry; anger harms the body. Leave such small matters to your son to handle."
As soon as Ian finished speaking, the giant silhouette immediately vanished into thin air, and the terrifying pressure that had enveloped Shanks also dissipated.
Shanks slowly stood up, his gaze burning as he watched Ian, and said in a deep voice: "Saint Ian, if you intend to use Uta to force me into submission, I advise you to give up that idea. I know what you want to do; the Whitebeard Pirates have all been mobilized, and Kaido's Beasts Pirates have also assembled. If you push things too far at this time, the Red Hair Pirates will certainly give you the war you desire!"
"Hey, hey, hey, Shanks, you're being too formal," Ian smiled and waved his hand, "Although you've given up your Celestial Dragon status and fallen to a lower-world commoner, things like bloodline and genes are not something you or I can change. From the moment you became Gringo's son, it was destined that you could never shake off your Celestial Dragon identity."
"So, we're all family here, why would I use the means of holding Uta hostage to force you into submission? This Young Master is merely bringing her back to the Holy Land to acknowledge her ancestors!"
Shanks took a step forward, his voice even deeper: "Uta is not a Celestial Dragon!"
"Oh?" Ian blinked, feigning surprise, "It seems you've indeed been away from the Holy Land for too long, you've even forgotten who I am. Alright, let me introduce myself."
"Listen carefully, I, Nerona Ian, the sole young master of the Nerona Family in the Holy Land, and my mother, is the King of the Celestial Dragons."
After a slight pause, the smile on Ian's face vanished instantly: "Do you think someone with such a prominent identity as myself has the right to decide whether someone is a Celestial Dragon or not?"
Saying this, he pulled Hancock, who was beside him, into his arms, "For example, Hancock, no matter if she was once the Captain of the Kuja Pirates or the Empress of Amazon Lily Kingdom, as long as This Young Master snaps his fingers, she can become a Celestial Dragon enjoying all privileges! Uta is naturally the same; whether she is your biological daughter or not, as long as This Young Master says she is a Celestial Dragon, she is."
Shanks fell silent.
Even the God's Knights have the power to transform any noble or royal family member of a World Government allied nation into a Celestial Dragon enjoying all privileges, let alone Saint Ian, the most powerful crown prince of the Holy Land.
Seeing Shanks fall silent, Ian no longer bothered with pleasantries and got straight to the point: "Since you've returned, go back to the Figarland Family and have a good reunion with your father and elder brother. As long as you behave yourself during the Marineford War, after the war, you can choose to stay in the Holy Land, or you can leave with Uta."
"Of course, whether Uta is willing to go with you depends on how deep your father-daughter bond is."
After saying this, Ian turned his head to Gringo, "Keep an eye on him. Before This Young Master speaks, he is absolutely not allowed to step half a pace out of your mansion."
"If you can't even keep one Shanks under control!"
"This Young Master will order the eyes of everyone in the Figarland Family to be gouged out."
--