The colossal Salamander Devil roared, its maw of fangs snapping down toward Ryuuto. In that instant, boundless black and red lightning erupted, striking the space around them and filling the air with deafening thunder.
In response, Ryuuto took a sharp breath, and his entire body exploded into a cloud of purple lightning hundreds of meters wide. Then, with a hum, the crackling energy coalesced, transforming into a gigantic purple tennis racket!
"Get back here!" Ryuuto roared, swinging the racket straight at the charging Salamander Devil.
*Sizzle!*
Countless bolts of purple lightning burst forth! It was truly an imaginative counterattack.
Imu watched, stunned. Ryuuto's attack was something He had never anticipated.
*BOOM!*
A tremendous impact echoed as a powerful shockwave swept outward. The Salamander Devil slammed violently into the purple tennis racket. Under the immense force, its body compressed, folding in on itself until it was just a thick, flattened layer. From the other side of the racket, one could see the Salamander Devil's horns and claws hopelessly tangled in the grid of lightning strings.
"Hahahahahahaha..." Seeing this, Ryuuto burst into laughter.
"Whoa! That was so cool!" Yamato's eyes sparkled, her excitement palpable. The wildly creative attack was a true feast for her eyes.
Even Kaido couldn't suppress the smirk creeping across his face.
*ROAR!*
Feeling the sting of humiliation, Imu bellowed. His body snapped back to its original form, and He planted His powerful legs against the racket, trying to pull His head free. If Saint Garling had witnessed such a posture, Imu's dignity would have plummeted several notches.
But Ryuuto had no intention of letting Imu escape so easily.
*BOOM!*
With another surge of violet lightning, the racket dissolved, reforming into a barrage of menacing thunder spears that shot toward Imu. The roar of thunder carried with it an overwhelming aura of destruction.
"The power this body can channel is too limited. I can't keep this up; it's time to leave! Ryuuto, I will remember you!" Imu finally accepted that this avatar was no match for Ryuuto. No matter how unwilling He was to admit defeat, He could not afford to waste any more time. The best choice now was to retreat. "My main body just expended a great deal of stamina. If this avatar is destroyed as well, it will take a long time to recover."
Imu weighed His options in an instant. As the sky filled with descending thunder spears, His response was simple: He curled his body into a tight, dense ball, letting the apocalyptic divine lightning crash down upon him.
*Bang! Bang! Bang!*
As lightning exploded all around, the Salamander Devil's thick scales glowed with a faint light, completely blocking the assault. For a moment, Imu stood unshaken.
Once the lightning dissipated, before Ryuuto could make his next move, dozens of black, shadowy arms shot out from all directions, grasping for him. These arms were covered in a flowing layer of advanced Armament Haki, their power astonishing.
"As expected of Imu. Even at a disadvantage, He can still launch a powerful counterattack!" Ryuuto thought. A shield covered in sharp spikes materialized before him. He then began to spin rapidly, throwing off a storm of purple lightning. This was the strategy he had devised. While spinning, the shield provided excellent defense, and the spikes could inflict massive damage. It was a perfect two-for-one solution.
*Clang! Clang! Clang!*
Just as Ryuuto predicted, the shadow arms continuously crashed against his defense, creating a series of thunderous booms. Purple lightning arced outwards, but none of the attacks could break through to harm him.
What Ryuuto didn't anticipate, however, was that Imu had already decided to flee.
Watching Ryuuto's defensive maneuver, Imu unleashed all the remaining shadow arms in a single, overwhelming barrage. Amid the cacophony of collisions, He used the opportunity to lunge with His powerful legs, diving for the five-pointed sigil on the ground.
Dragon, who had witnessed the entire exchange, was first struck by a profound shock. The fledgling kid he once knew had grown to such a level that even he had to look up to him. Second, he was watching Imu's every move.
Seeing Imu attempt to escape, he acted on pure instinct.
"Dragon Fang Thrust!" Dragon roared, concentrating the power of a mighty hurricane into his right hand. Accompanied by countless arcs of black and red lightning, he unleashed a vacuum shockwave that shot directly at Imu.
"Damn you! Damn you! It's you again!" By now, Imu was already halfway through the sigil. He cursed inwardly as he sensed Dragon's attack.
But it was too late. The shockwave was incredibly fast, slamming into Imu's back. With a violent crash, the hurricane force exploded, and countless wind blades began shredding the lower half of Imu's body.
*Slice! Slice!*
In an instant, blood splattered everywhere. Under the barrage of powerful wind blades, the Salamander Devil's back and tail were quickly reduced to a bloody mess, the wounds deep enough to expose bone.
Yet Imu's only thought was to escape. Though Dragon's attack had staggered Him, He still threw Himself forward with all His might, leaving only His long tail exposed.
*BOOM!*
Just then, Ryuuto's attack arrived. He had reacted the moment Dragon struck, transforming into a massive heavenly halberd wreathed in apocalyptic divine lightning and bringing it down with a devastating slash! The terrifying aura sent a jolt of fear through Imu's heart.
It fled, he pursued; there was no escape.
With a tremendous roar, the heavenly halberd, hundreds of meters long, cleaved down upon Imu's tail. In that fraction of a second, a hundred-meter-long tail flew into the air as Imu successfully plunged into the five-pointed sigil.
Imu had escaped but had permanently left a part of Himself behind on Pluton. Who could say what impact this severed tail might have on Imu in the future? But He couldn't worry about that now. The moment He landed back in the Room of Flowers, He violently coughed up a mouthful of blood. A vicious glint appeared in His eyes. Then, He dissolved into a shadow and melted into the floor.
"RYUUTO!!"
A moment later, an enraged roar echoed throughout Mary Geoise, heard by every Celestial Dragon.
"Lord Imu..." Saint Garling, who had returned earlier, heard the voice. His expression turned grim as he whispered the name, his gaze shifting toward the direction of Wano Country.
With Imu gone, the battle concluded. Ryuuto finally allowed himself to relax, but the moment he did, a wave of immense fatigue washed over him.
"So... so sleepy!" As drowsiness overcame him, Ryuuto managed to get the words out before collapsing to the ground.
*Snore—*
A steady, powerful snore soon followed. Ryuuto was fast asleep.
This left both Dragon and Kaido in a state of confusion. They weren't exactly allies, yet they had just fought side-by-side against a common enemy in Imu.
"Captain Ryuuto!" It was Yamato who reacted first, rushing to his side.
"Yamato..." Kaido called out as he walked over, still not having given up on bringing her back.
But Yamato completely misunderstood his intentions. Hearing his voice, she leaped to her feet and stood protectively in front of Ryuuto, glaring fiercely at Kaido. She would protect Ryuuto.
"Hah..." Kaido sighed, looking from the unconscious Ryuuto to his disobedient child. A thousand words were lost in that single breath. Even if Kaido had any intention of eliminating Ryuuto, he wouldn't stoop to attacking a weakened foe, especially with Yamato standing in his way. Besides, he had to admit he felt a sliver of admiration for the man. Ryuuto had accomplished something even Rocks could not. As for Dragon, he would find a chance to talk with him later. There was no rush; with Wano Country now on Pluton, they would have plenty of opportunities to meet.
*Thump!*
Kaido heaved his Hassaikai onto his shoulder and began to walk away in silence. After a few steps, he suddenly turned back to Yamato, a faint smile on his face. "Yamato," he said, his voice slow and deep, yet filled with a certain expectation, "when you've seen the truth of this world, come back. I'll always be waiting for you!"
With that, Kaido turned and left without another word. Behind him, King followed, dragging the unconscious Queen along. Even King's impression of Yamato had changed slightly. Perhaps this was the magic of fighting side-by-side. Facing a common enemy had fostered a sense of camaraderie, forging an unexpected bond between them.
"Don't be alarmed! Captain Ryuuto and I are good friends!" Dragon said as he approached, only to be met with the same protective warning from Yamato.
Dragon wasn't offended. His target wasn't Ryuuto anyway, and he didn't care if anyone believed his words. He walked calmly to the severed tail Imu had left behind, hoisted it onto his shoulder, and also began to walk away. As he walked, a wave of immense sorrow washed over him. He had gambled everything on this venture—the lives of all his comrades—but had failed to achieve his ultimate goal.
Seeing everyone leave, Yamato finally relaxed. She gently lifted Ryuuto's body and started walking as well. She now had a new responsibility: to protect him until he woke up. It was the least she could do to repay him for saving her life.
Time ticked by. Walking through the corridors of Pluton, Kaido and his crew were once again struck by their own insignificance. The so-called Ancient Kingdom possessed such terrifying power, capable of building a weapon of war as monstrous as Pluton.
They passed by the cryo-chamber, Room #4, once more. Then, in the grassy expanse of Room #3, Kaido and King found the injured and unconscious Jack. A few minutes later, King was dragging both Queen and Jack. It was here that Yamato also found Hancock and the others.
"Captain, are you okay?"
"Ryuuto, are you alright?"
Seeing Ryuuto, they immediately rushed over, calling out his name in concern. They were relieved to learn that he was simply exhausted and asleep. Burgess took Ryuuto into his arms, where he could rest more comfortably. The group then continued toward the exit.
Meanwhile, Dragon had used his Hurricane Fruit ability to reach the deck ahead of everyone else, only to find a scene of utter chaos. The Beast Pirates who had arrived later were completely unaware of the situation and had attacked the unidentified people on deck on sight.
As for who threw the first punch? It was Ulti, of course. Known as the Beast Pirates' little firecracker, she had a notoriously short fuse.
Dragon's expression darkened as he watched the two groups brawl. While he was glad to see Ivankov and the others were alive, clashing with the Beast Pirates was the last thing he wanted, especially with Kaido right behind him. This was all a misunderstanding; there was no need for more casualties.
"Everyone, listen to me... Stop this at once!" Dragon shouted, dropping the salamander tail to the ground. He flew into the air and unleashed a powerful gust of wind, his voice booming over the combatants.
*BOOM!*
The gale was strong enough to blast everyone apart, forcing them to separate. His words rang clearly in their ears.
"Mr. Dragon!" Sabo was the first to recognize him, immediately ceasing his attack and looking to Dragon for his next command. Ivankov and the other Revolutionaries did the same, a testament to Dragon's authority as their leader.
Ulti, however, was not impressed. Her face was flushed with anger, and she looked ready to charge forward and give Dragon a headbutt. She couldn't understand why this guy was getting in her way. Did he think he could order her around just because he had a bunch of tattoos on his face?
"Rain of Liberation!"
Fortunately, Dragon understood that words alone wouldn't be enough. After shouting his command, he immediately unleashed an attack. In an instant, a massive amount of storm energy gathered high above, forming countless vacuum wind blades as sharp as spears, all hanging suspended over their heads.