It opened.
The sky and earth changed color.
It sounds like a grand, boastful claim, but in reality, it wasn't an impossible phenomenon. Most top-tier powerhouses could achieve this. In a fit of rage, Whitebeard could make the world tremble; his clash with Shanks tore the very clouds apart through pure pressure.
Diarmuid himself, in his many battles against peak-level combatants, had frequently caused the skies to darken and the winds to howl. None of that was enough to surprise him.
What truly shocked him was that Imu, through the sheer momentum of her Conqueror's Haki, had suppressed the combined presence of all the Marine experts present. Then, with that aura alone, she had literally blown the roof off!
This wasn't even a Haki Infusion; it was a raw, unfiltered release of Conqueror's Haki. Diarmuid had spent decades in the military and fought countless masters, but he had never seen Conqueror's Haki of this purity. The fact that she could block his Abyssal Devourer with pure Haki was far beyond his expectations.
"Don't you dare look down on me, you bastard!!!"
Suddenly, Gion let out a furious roar.
Electricity sparked wildly across her body as she entered a state of total berserk. Her long black hair stood on end, and her pupils transformed into blue-white lightning; one could even see the faint imprint of a lightning bolt in her eyes. With that roar, Gion's presence began to skyrocket.
This familiar sensation...
"Conqueror's Haki!?" Diarmuid exclaimed.
Even Sengoku was stunned.
Among the high-ranking Marines, Conqueror's Haki wasn't unheard of—Garp, Sengoku, Diarmuid, and even the previous Commander-in-Chief Kong possessed it. Among the current three Admirals, Sengoku had always felt that Sakazuki was the most likely to be the second to awaken it after Diarmuid. In fact, Sakazuki was only a step away, simply lacking the right catalyst.
However, despite the Navy's immense power, their number of Conqueror's Haki users paled in comparison to the pirates. Of course, things would improve in a few years. Ace and Luffy were both men destined for it. According to Sakazuki, Ace had already manifested his during several high-intensity combat drills. Thus, while the Navy lacked quantity, they didn't have a generational gap.
The old guard had Kong, Sengoku, and Garp. This generation had Diarmuid and high-potential candidates like Sakazuki. The next generation already had prospects like Ace.
But no one expected Gion, an Admiral Candidate, to silently break through her limits and awaken her Conqueror's Haki right here.
It was a matter of timing. Gion had disliked Imu from the start. Not only was this old hag a tyrant ruling from the shadows, but she also had the audacity to try and seduce Diarmuid right in front of her. Did she think Gion was invisible?
Gion didn't believe for a second that Imu was ignorant of her relationship with Diarmuid. Based on the conversation, Imu knew all the Marine experts well; her bond with Diarmuid was no secret. Gion felt targeted.
But then she realized it wasn't that she was being targeted—she was being completely ignored. Imu didn't even consider her a factor! This only fueled Gion's fury.
Gion was a highly competitive woman. She was brilliant in every way—beauty, stature, and strength. Not only was she a master of swordsmanship, but she was also a Rumble-Rumble Fruit user, firmly in the tier of an Admiral-level fighter. She was proud, even arrogant, though her noble character usually prevented her from showing such "arrogance" to her colleagues.
Facing Imu, her temper flared. And then, Imu's Conqueror's Haki served as the final spark.
When that Haki had suppressed them moments ago, Gion felt a brief, instinctive sense of "insignificance," as if she were looking up at an unscalable mountain. For just one second, she felt inferior.
Under normal circumstances, Gion could acknowledge a gap between herself and a top-tier legend. She wasn't delusional. But against Imu, whom she had detested from the first look, she refused to bow her head.
That refusal, combined with her intense irritation, triggered a massive psychological backlash.
What the hell is Conqueror's Haki supposed to be!? Don't think a little Haki is enough to make me submit!
The moment that thought took hold, it activated the Haki hidden deep within her! Under Imu's provocation, Gion erupted with her own Conqueror's Haki!
Imu's Haki had only stunned the crowd for a moment; as strong as she was, she couldn't suppress Diarmuid and the other Marine powerhouses with aura alone. Gion's awakening instantly ignited her battle spirit. She couldn't control it yet—it was the raw, instinctive discharge of a first-time awakening, pouring out like an endless tide.
Her eyes flashed with blue-white lightning. In the next instant, Gion was in front of Imu, her body wreathed in dense electricity, looking like a goddess of thunder descended to earth.
She threw a punch packed with immense force and lightning. A flash of surprise crossed Imu's eyes, but she raised an arm with lightning speed, blocking the strike precisely. With her Conqueror's Haki defense, even that level of electrical power couldn't break through.
But Gion's temper was past the point of restraint. She let out a guttural scream: "Thunderstorm!"
A blinding flash of white light consumed everything.
"Get back!" Diarmuid barked.
Before he even finished the sentence, he had already smashed through the castle wall, rushing outside. Simultaneously, Sengoku, Sakazuki, and the other experts did the same, evacuating the building.
Before they could even hit the ground, an unparalleled explosion of lightning erupted from within the castle.
A pillar of liquid lightning, nearly a hundred meters wide, shot up from the center of the castle, piercing through the Birdcage and soaring into the heavens. It punched a massive hole through the dark, oppressive clouds. Then, the excess electrical discharge bled into the sky, instantly turning the clouds into a roiling thunderstorm.
The castle had completely collapsed into ruins. Electrical sparks danced in the air, and the very atmosphere felt heavy with a numbing static.
Clearly, in her fit of rage, Gion had "detonated" herself like a powder keg. The power of that storm was so intense that the debris of the castle was being scorched into molten slag.
Diarmuid barely had time to catch his breath before he saw Gion's silhouette flickering through the air at extreme speeds, moving like a bolt of lightning, crackling and popping. Her Conqueror's Haki was still leaking out uncontrollably, drawing everyone's eyes.
Every time Gion moved, a sonic boom followed. Another figure moved just as fast, almost as if teleporting infinitely to trade blows with Gion. It was undoubtedly Imu.
Strangely, it almost looked like Gion was pressing Imu? Was Gion really that strong?
However, a burst of energy is followed by decline. Gion had briefly suppressed Imu because she was burning every ounce of her combat potential at once. Within five breaths, the tide shifted.
First, Gion's frenetic teleportation slowed down. Second, Imu had found the openings to launch counterattacks. After another five breaths, the roles were completely reversed; Gion was now entirely on the defensive!
"Impressive explosive power..." Imu caught Gion's arm with one hand, while her other hand swung Avalon down toward Gion's neck.
Gion was unable to dodge; the lightning in her eyes had faded, and her immense aura was receding. The first eruption of Conqueror's Haki is incredibly draining because it cannot be controlled, it pours out until it is spent. That discharge consumes vast amounts of stamina in a very short time. Gion had been fierce for a moment, acting as if she could end Imu in three breaths, but now she was hitting the wall.
"Let her go!"
Just as the blade was about to strike Gion, Diarmuid suddenly appeared between them. Kokorowatari, clad in the Abyssal Devourer, caught Avalon in a clash of steel.
Simultaneously, Diarmuid grabbed Imu's wrist, squeezing with a force meant to crush bone. It had no effect; her wrist looked slender enough to snap, but it was incredibly hard. She didn't even flinch.
Diarmuid wasn't done. His eyes turned black as a demon's, staring coldly at Imu. Thick darkness erupted from his hand, creeping up her wrist. In that moment, he confirmed she wasn't a Devil Fruit user as the Dark-Dark Fruit elicited no reaction.
"Is this woman very important to you?" Imu asked, looking into his pitch-black eyes.
Diarmuid didn't answer. He simply increased his strength. When the darkness reached Imu's forearm, it began to constrict. The power of the Dark-Dark Fruit wasn't just about absorption; it could use its incomparable gravitational pull to compress and crush anything caught within it.
For some reason, the Conqueror's Haki that had blocked the Abyssal Devourer couldn't stop the Dark-Dark Fruit's compression. In an instant, Diarmuid felt the change, her left forearm was being crushed into powder. If he withdrew the darkness now, he would likely see only bone dust and mangled flesh.
Yet, Imu's expression didn't change at all, as if she had some sort of "pain immunity" cheat active. Then, a smile played on her lips. Avalon, which had been locked against his blade, suddenly tilted, slipping out of the bind.
Diarmuid's Kokorowatari lost its resistance and sliced deep into Imu's shoulder. It cut in nearly fifteen centimeters, wedging into her ribs. The sudden move baffled Diarmuid. Was she trying to commit suicide?
However, because of that sudden shift, Avalon bypassed his defense and thrust toward Gion at his side. Diarmuid reacted instantly, releasing Imu's forearm to grab the blade of Avalon. Neither his darkness nor his Haki could stop the blade's sharpness; it was clearly coated in immense Haki.
Diarmuid gripped the blade tightly. Blood poured from his palm, and the steel threatened to cut through his fingers. His reaction brought another smile to Imu's eyes. She had confirmed it—he truly cared for that woman.
But before her smile could fade, Diarmuid landed a brutal kick to her stomach, launching her away.
Imu didn't fall. She leaped back dozens of meters and landed steadily on her feet.
A massive gash ran down her right shoulder, bleeding profusely. Her left forearm was a mess of crushed meat. These were undoubtedly heavy wounds. Yet Diarmuid felt a sense of unease. It was too easy!
As Sengoku and the others moved in to surround the heavily injured Imu, a phenomenon occurred that left everyone speechless.
Imu's wounds were healing at a visible rate. In moments, the skin closed, leaving not even a scar.
That sensation...
"An immortal body!?" Diarmuid gasped.
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