"You won't have to fight anymore!"
Saint Mars and Saint Warcury heard Imu's voice echo directly within their minds.
The moment those words reached them, an ominous feeling surged through their hearts.
Saint Mars still refused to believe the conclusion forming in his mind.
Carefully, he asked, "Lord Imu, what do You mean by that? Why won't we need to fight anymore?"
Meanwhile, Saint Warcury's entire body had begun trembling uncontrollably.
Unlike Mars, he immediately understood the implication behind those words.
As one of the Gorosei, he knew better than anyone what kind of punishment awaited those who failed Imu.
"Lord Imu, please give us another opportunity!" Saint Warcury pleaded desperately. "We will never suffer such humiliation again!"
Throughout the world, the Gorosei stood at the pinnacle of authority, beneath only a single existence.
To outsiders, they were the highest rulers of the world.
Yet only the Gorosei knew the truth.
Only they knew how terrifying Imu truly was.
Only they understood the horrors of His punishment.
It was the greatest fear of their lives.
Saint Mars quickly understood as well and hurriedly lowered himself to the ground.
"Yes, Lord Imu! Please grant us one more chance! We will not disappoint You again!"
The two elders knelt with their heads lowered, their voices filled with fear and reverence.
"Please send us back to Brown Square, Lord Imu!" Saint Warcury begged. "We will never be defeated again. That Mosshead is already exhausted. As long as we return, we can..."
Before he could finish speaking, Imu interrupted him.
"Look carefully."
The emotionless voice resounded within their minds.
"Even if I sent you back, what would you accomplish? Would you simply be defeated again and humiliated once more?"
There was no anger in Imu's voice.
No disappointment.
No emotion whatsoever.
Yet those cold words were far more terrifying than any rage.
The two elders slowly raised their heads and looked toward the screen.
What they saw left them frozen.
The green-haired swordsman they believed to be on the verge of collapse was still fighting fiercely.
Not only was Zoro standing, he appeared full of energy.
Together with Kuina, he cut through enemies across the battlefield with overwhelming momentum.
There was not the slightest trace of exhaustion on his face.
Saint Warcury's eyes widened in disbelief.
"How... how is this possible?!"
His voice trembled.
"That hateful Mosshead should have exhausted all of his Haki! How can he still be fighting like this?!"
He clearly remembered Zoro gathering every last bit of strength to unleash that final attack.
By all logic, he should have collapsed long ago.
Yet reality stood directly before him.
Zoro was still fighting.
Still advancing.
Still unstoppable.
Saint Mars swallowed hard before turning toward the invisible presence.
"Lord Imu... this...?"
The two exchanged glances.
Each saw the same shock reflected in the other's eyes.
The situation resembled their own unnatural immortality.
It was clearly not normal.
Imu's voice sounded once more.
"You no longer need to know such things."
The moment those words fell, both men's expressions changed completely.
Bang!
Bang!
Bang!
The two elders repeatedly slammed their heads against the floor.
"Lord Imu, please!"
"Lord Imu, spare us!"
"Lord Imu!"
No response came.
No matter how desperately they pleaded, the voice never spoke again.
Then it began.
"AAAAAAAHHHHHHHHH!"
Saint Warcury suddenly let out a horrific scream.
Wisps of black smoke began emerging from his body.
At first, they were faint.
Then they rapidly thickened.
Soon, the black smoke engulfed his entire figure.
A horrifying sight unfolded.
His skin began dissolving.
His flesh followed.
Muscles, blood vessels, and tissues all disintegrated into streams of black smoke.
Within mere moments, everything that made up his body vanished.
Only a gigantic skeleton remained.
His screams echoed through the Room of Authority.
Then they abruptly stopped.
The aura belonging to Saint Warcury disappeared completely.
He was gone.
Thomas Saint Mars watched everything unfold before his eyes.
His face turned deathly pale.
Every trace of blood drained from it.
His body shook violently.
"Lord Imu... I... I..."
Before he could finish speaking, black smoke erupted from his body as well.
"AAAAAHHHHHHH!"
Another scream echoed throughout the chamber.
Just like Warcury, his body rapidly decomposed.
Skin.
Muscles.
Organs.
Everything dissolved into darkness.
Moments later, another colossal skeleton remained where one of the world's highest authorities had once stood.
Silence descended upon the Room of Authority.
Complete silence.
Only two enormous skeletons remained within the chamber.
The screen continued broadcasting the battle raging at Brown Square.
The contrast created a bizarre and chilling scene.
...
"Zoro-kun, can you still keep going?"
Kuina looked back at the man who occupied such an important place in her heart.
Concern could be heard in her voice.
Without turning around, Zoro swung his sword.
A massive slash burst forward, sending dozens of Special Agents flying through the air.
"Don't worry," he replied confidently. "I'm not losing."
A faint smile appeared on Kuina's face.
"Is that so?"
Even after all these years, Zoro remained exactly as she remembered.
Confident.
Straightforward.
Unwilling to admit weakness.
Meanwhile, elsewhere on the battlefield, Kuro had already consumed a Senzu Bean.
His physical condition had fully recovered.
Unlike Zoro, who had exhausted nearly all his Haki while driving back the Gorosei, Kuro had conserved a significant portion of his strength.
The difference wasn't necessarily because Kuro was stronger.
It was because he fought with careful calculation.
"Honorable Commander-in-Chief Kong of the World Government, it seems your side is gradually losing ground."
Kuzan's voice sounded after another fierce exchange between the two.
Naturally, Kong had already noticed the battlefield's condition.
From every perspective, the World Government's forces were steadily being pushed back.
Yet a faint smile remained on his face.
There was no panic.
No concern.
Only confidence.
Kuzan frowned.
Ever since Kong's arrival, that expression had never disappeared.
A sense of unease suddenly rose within him.
"Does the World Government still possess some hidden force?"
Kong chuckled.
"Since all of you are destined to die anyway, I suppose I can let you learn the truth."
After speaking, he clasped his hands together.
His expression became almost fanatical.
"As long as that Lord exists, there can be no accidents. No matter how many enemies appear. No matter how the situation changes. As long as He remains in this world..."
Kuzan's eyes narrowed.
He already had a rough idea who Kong was referring to.
"Imu?"
The moment that name left Kuzan's mouth, Kong's expression darkened.
"Shut up!"
His furious roar shook the air.
"Kuzan, how dare you speak that Lord's name so casually!"
Kuzan stared at him in silence.
At this moment, Kong resembled a zealot who had completely surrendered his will.
The proud Commander-in-Chief was nowhere to be seen.
Even so, the information remained important.
Rolan had mentioned Imu before.
However, Kuzan knew very little about him.
What kind of person was he?
How powerful was he?
Those answers remained unclear.
What he did know was that the Gorosei's immortality came from Imu.
Five immortal monsters possessing strength comparable to Emperors served directly under him.
Even Kong, another Emperor-level powerhouse, displayed absolute devotion.
Such an existence could only be terrifying.
Thinking of this, an even stronger aura erupted from Kuzan's body.
His goal became crystal clear.
Defeat Kong as quickly as possible.
Then join Rolan in confronting the world's true ruler.
...
The battlefield of Brown Square grew increasingly chaotic.
After the Marines split from the World Government's command, the balance of power gradually shifted.
Victory was beginning to lean toward Peach Garden.
Whether it was the Revolutionary Army, the pirates, or the Marines who had chosen to stand with Peach Garden, everyone fought with growing determination.
"Vice Admiral Doberman, Vice Admiral Onigumo, are you really determined to walk this path to the very end?"
On a separate battlefield, the one-armed Yamakaji stood beside Momonga as they faced Doberman and Onigumo.
Hearing Yamakaji's question, Doberman sneered.
"Heh. And what about you? We are Marines of the World Government. Yet you've chosen to follow Kuzan and betray the Government."
Yamakaji narrowed his eyes.
"Betrayal? You're the ones who continue serving that despicable and corrupt World Government. Is that truly the justice you claim to uphold?"
"Hahaha! Justice?"
Onigumo spun the sword in his hand.
"What right does a traitor have to speak about justice?"
"You...!"
Yamakaji's expression darkened.
Before he could continue, Momonga extended an arm and stopped him.
"There's no point arguing with them."
He slowly raised his sword and pointed it at the two vice admirals.
"Let's settle this with our blades."
"Let's see whose justice truly deserves to prevail."
Doberman and Onigumo exchanged glances.
Without hesitation, they raised their own weapons.
The four vice admirals faced one another.
The atmosphere instantly became tense.
And at that very moment...
...