Chapter 328: One Against Two!

It was simply because when Qilingemu Saint looked at that member of the Divine Group, the other party happened to turn their head and look back at him.

What Qilingemu Saint saw was a pair of familiar eyes.

"This is..."

At the same time.

The Holy Land.

Mary Geoise.

The magnificent palace at the center stands as a witness to the covenant of monarchs from the twenty nations that established the World Government eight hundred years ago.

That covenant was the foundation upon which the World Government continued to exist, and it further established a rule accepted by all.

No one should stand above the Celestial Dragons, above the gods.

Thus, for example, upon the throne surrounded by countless swords, no one should exist.

But at this very moment, a colossal figure sits squarely upon the Empty Throne.

Looking down from on high, gazing upon all living beings.

The Five Elders, who in the eyes of the world dominate the entire globe, are now kneeling prostrate below, appearing awestruck and devout, wishing they could kiss the tips of that person's toes.

"Mm~ It has been a very long time since I encountered something so interesting."

"Yet merely eight hundred years of time have already become so long that people have forgotten awe and wish to lay hands on things that do not belong to them; do you not agree..."

"Garling!"

Accompanying the voice was a pressure as heavy and vast as the abyssal ocean.

The violent waves of qi pressed upon the shoulders of the Five Elders; even as their flesh split and cracks accumulated, not one dared to disobey, even though they knew Imu's target was not themselves.

Simply because this was a gift from god.

Simply because the existence standing upon the Empty Throne was precisely this world's... King!

His name is Imu.

Eight hundred years ago, even the man known as the Sun God was defeated by Imu's hand, his will sinking into the great sea along with his Devil Fruit.

After a long while.

The commotion within the palace slowly subsided.

The Weight on the Shoulder of the Five Elders suddenly relaxed, yet they did not dare straighten their waists until they heard the command from the person above, only then slowly rising to their feet.

Only Garling remained half-kneeling on the ground, his eyes cast downward, his expression and posture no different from those of the Five Elders.

The wounds left from his battle with Red Hair had already healed, and his body, which had been decaying and nearly at its end, now radiated with entirely new vitality.

He even felt that the abilities originally belonging to this body had returned, yet something else had departed from him.

Garling knew that if he were to fight his former self, even while that former self was heavily injured, his current reborn self would not have the slightest chance of victory.

After a long while.

Garling lowered his head and said respectfully:

"Of course."

"Lord Imu."

This scene caused the pupils of the Five Elders standing nearby to constrict.

Garling's private actions could deceive them, but they could not deceive Imu.

Or rather.

From the very beginning, the so-called secret actions of Xia Mu Luo Ke, the so-called actions hidden from Mary Geoise, held no meaning whatsoever.

Simply because none of them were aware of a piece of crucial intelligence.

Among the members of the God's Knights blessed by Imu, there were a mere few who had the honor of bearing Imu's will, and within the Divine Group detachment led by Xia Mu Luo Ke, such an existence was present.

In other words, every action Garling took from the very beginning was conducted right under Imu's nose, with no secrecy whatsoever.

Yet what truly deepened the Five's awe toward Imu by another degree was, on the contrary, Garling's appearance here at this very moment.

To those who pursue freedom and pursue power, eternal enslavement is decreed.

There is no punishment more cruel than this!

Especially forcing him to watch his own son, like a moth flying into a flame, go forth to execute that already shattered plan.

Saint Garling's heart was dripping blood, yet he dared not reveal even a shred of it, with only his heart continuing to pray incessantly.

Praying that Xia Mu Luo Ke would soon realize something was amiss, soon wake up to the fact that everything he did was seen by Imu, and retreat early, perhaps still having a chance to survive.

"What are you expecting?!"

On Imu's face, hidden within the shadows, a trace of fierce laughter surfaced:

"Open your eyes!"

"Look at the fate of those who disobey!"

Imu waved a hand.

An image of the Britannias battlefield projected itself into the mid-air.

Everyone could not help but turn their heads to look.

All that met their eyes was endless dust and smoke, along with churning waves of qi in the mid-air that refused to dissipate.

With wings on his back and his entire body covered in crimson dragon scales, Gao Wen held a blade in one hand, standing proudly in the sky above!

His gaze was indifferent.

Like a monarch gazing down upon everything!

And facing Gao Wen were two figures standing shoulder to shoulder.

One was obese and bloated in form, gripping a great saber with both hands, treading upon thunder clouds, possessing somewhat the bearing of a hegemon!

One radiated a sharp, imposing aura, with a full head of red hair and eyes brimming with murderous intent!

"Xia Mu Luo Ke and... 'One of the Four Emperors,' Big Mom—Xia Luote Lingling?!"

Saint Saturn's brows furrowed slightly:

"With these two joining forces, I fear no one in this vast sea can subdue them."

Saint Nasjuro nodded:

"The combat power of both individuals is terrifying; they are among those closest to the pinnacle."

"In clashes between peers of the same level, victory or defeat may be decided, but to fight two alone—I fear only Whitebeard and Roger of years past could achieve such a feat."

"And even then, it would have been extremely difficult."

Saint Mars nodded.

Upon the Wang Zuo.

Im listened to the group's discussion, feeling a spark of interest arise within him.

Since he ascended the Wang Zuo, eight hundred years had passed; such an immense span of time was long enough for him to have tried nearly every novel thing this world had to offer.

Nowadays, things capable of stirring his interest were few and far between.

This battle in Britannicus, however, was an exception without any doubt.

He looked toward Garling with keen interest:

"Say~"

"Lord Garling, what is your view on this matter?!"

Garling's body stiffened; he slowly raised his head, gazing at the projection in mid-air, his deeply furrowed brows relaxing just a fraction, barely perceptible:

"Saint Nasjuro is correct."

"Although Knight Gao Wen is powerful, having severed Jin Shizi's head in the Paradise and seized the title of the World's Greatest Swordsman on the Sabaody Archipelago, proving he already possesses combat power on the level of a Four Emperor,"

"Big Mom is herself one of the Four Emperors, and Xia Mu Luo Ke has previously defeated Big Mom in a direct confrontation."

"This battle..."

"Is that so?!"

Im chuckled lightly, interrupting Saint Garling's words, his meaning clear:

"You have all overlooked Knight Gao Wen's abilities."

"That so-called legend of immortality in Britannicus may have been somewhat lacking, but the few Devil Fruits existing there are barely acceptable to the eye."

"Although the White Dragon has been lost since the era of Fafnir, the Red Dragon continues to be passed down; has it now fallen into Knight Gao Wen's hands?!"

"The abundant ley line energy of Britannicus, paired with the Red Dragon's abilities, could indeed create a rather troublesome monster."

As his voice landed,

silence fell all around. Garling could not help but raise his head, looking at the two opposing sides in the projection, the worry in his eyes almost impossible to conceal.

Yet, he still held confidence in Xia Mu Luo Ke's strength.

Even if unable to win, escaping safely would not be difficult.

Just as everyone was puzzled, the scene in the projection suddenly changed; even Im's expression could not help but reveal a trace of surprise:

"Oh~"

"Interesting!"

"Stronger than I anticipated~"

"Now this is slightly worth looking forward to~"

Saint Garling's eyes also brightened slightly at this moment.

It was the kind of brightness that carried hope.

A few breaths earlier.

The aftermath of Gao Wen's slash dissipated; the sky was clear and azure, cloudless for ten thousand li, with golden light shining straight down, as if heaven and earth had been plated with a layer of dazzling gold.

"Knight... Gao Wen?!"

Big Mom held her blade in one hand, the hatred in her eyes as she looked at Gao Wen growing even more intense.

Yet he knew all too well that relying on his own strength alone, he was absolutely no match for Gao Wen; after all, even Jin Shizi, who had once firmly suppressed him, had fallen to Gao Wen.

Although Jin Shizi's desire for death played a part, the fact that he could make Jin Shizi willingly accept his fate, leave his life behind, and die without regrets meant that Gao Wen's combat power had undoubtedly earned Jin Shizi's approval.

But the hatred born from countless children being slain by Gao Wen, his vast fleet nearly annihilated, and himself being driven to the brink of despair—this hatred remained impossible to forget even now!

"Hey!"

"Brat of the Figarland family!"

Having already made his decision, Big Mom stared intently at Gao Wen, her voice low and hoarse:

"Then let's join forces!"

"Leave Knight Gao Wen's life here!"

"Good!"

Xia Mu Luo Ke gritted his teeth and responded.

His eyes turned blood-red.

The Haki surrounding his body was pushed to its absolute limit!

The long blade in his hand transformed into a three-headed hellhound, lunging toward Gao Wen!

Claws and fangs flashed, coated with a pitch-black will of Conqueror's Haki!

"Three-Headed Hound—Fierce Claw!"

"Fighting two alone, you have no chance of victory!"

Big Mom let out a furious roar; the long sword Napoleon, having accumulated its aura for so long, erupted at this moment with a boom, transforming into the purest destructive force as it surged to kill the crimson figure high in the sky!

Facing such powerful enemies, neither of the two held anything back.

Under their combined attack, the stirred-up momentum was even stronger than Gao Wen's from just moments before!

The red and white offensive swallowed the sun's brilliance, leaving only howling winds within the agitated air!

Even though the Heart of the Lion was several kilometers away, it was still caught in the aftermath; despite Frankie being at the helm, there remained a risk of capsizing.

"What kind of monsters are these!"

On the deck.

Frankie manned the helm, yet perilous situations still arose one after another.

His gaze fell upon the figures clashing high in the sky, and within his eyes, there grew a few degrees more worry for Gao Wen.

"Can the Captain pull this off?!"

"The opponents are a Yonko and the leader of the God's Knight Corps!"

"With such a lineup..."

Frankie had witnessed the combat power of these two with his own eyes; without a doubt, they were among the top powerhouses of this vast sea.

The might unleashed by their current joint eruption had become so exaggerated it could be called unsolvable.

Within Frankie's mind, he could not even find any way to defeat such opponents!

Just then, a massive wave struck, tilting the ship to one side until the deck's edge nearly touched the water, yet at that very moment, a figure rushed over from afar, slamming heavily onto the deck and, relying solely on physical strength, forcibly stabilized the vessel!

Boom!

Seawater splashed everywhere.

Xiang Keluo raised his hand, adjusted his glasses, his eyes containing nothing but determination:

"In Britannias, there is no opponent Gao Wen cannot handle!"

As soon as his voice landed.

Big Mom and Xia Mu Luo Ke's offensive had already killed its way to before Gao Wen.

Even without being hit directly, the ferocity of their combined attack still caused goosebumps to rise on the back of Gao Wen's hand!

He had faced many powerhouses before.

Among them, quite a few individuals, in one-on-one duels, were superior to Big Mom and Xia Mu Luo Ke.

But when facing this specific move, they would still pale in comparison.

To fight two alone and defeat opponents of the same level—this had never happened in the history of the Pirate King; at least, Gao Wen's mind could not recall any instance.

Even for a same-level one-versus-two battle, there was only that single case of Jin Shizi storming Marine Headquarters to fight alone against Garp and Sengoku joining forces.

This could almost be called one of the hardest combat achievements in the world view of the Pirate King, yet the result was still failure, or one could even say a crushing defeat!

But Gao Wen was different.

Britannias was his home ground!

The endless supply of ley line energy meant infinite stamina and mana!

"Two against one, huh?!"

"It more or less stirs up some interest."

"Let's see just how much you can amuse me!"

A low murmur slowly slipped from Gao Wen's mouth.

He did not retreat even an inch; the blade in his hand hummed, and even Guanshi Zhengzong was excited for the battle to come!

Since its birth, what it pursued was precisely this scene: slaughtering the strong, ceaseless, infinite slaughter!

"Full Moon - Jade Jue!"

Gao Wen went against the tide, raising his hand to swing his blade, directly clashing head-on with the combined force of the two Emperors!

Boom—!

Entangled forces collided high in the sky, and the bursting spray of energy snapped all the towering trees within several kilometers!

Qilingemu Sheng, floating in mid-air, was pushed thousands of meters away by this force, yet was still caught in the aftermath, a scar left upon his face.

Even his self-healing ability was suppressed by the Conqueror's Haki contained within!

And this was merely the beginning.

The collision of the first wave of attacks was merely the overture; extremely dense clashes of blade edges followed one after another in mid-air.

Clang!

Clang!

Clang!

Guanshi Zhengzong, forged into a black blade; the long sword incarnation of the Hellhound; Napoleon in Big Mom's hand.

Three equally extraordinary swords collided in mid-air!

Under the joint assault of Big Mom and Xia Mu Luo Ke, even Gao Wen was suppressed, dense wounds appearing all over his body!

"Is he going to lose, Knight Gao Wen?!"

"The World's Greatest Swordsman, the man who felled legends, ultimately proves no match against the combined forces of Xia Mu Luo Ke and Big Mom!"

"Fighting two alone at the same level is simply too strenuous!"

The members of the God's Knight Corps present wore excited expressions.

After that battle, fear of Gao Wen still lingered in the hearts of many; if they could witness Gao Wen's defeat with their own eyes, how could they not look forward to it?!

Or so they thought.

But Qilingemu Sheng could not smile.

Leveraging the insight granted by the Qilin fruit, he saw far more than anyone else.

Even from several thousand meters away, he could see the wounds on Gao Wen's body.

Dense and numerous, they resembled death by a thousand cuts!

Yet what flowed from these wounds was not blood, but some kind of blue liquid.

These wounds existed on Gao Wen's body for less than a second before healing completely.

The battlefield seemed one-sided, but not in the way everyone assumed!

He suddenly turned his head to look at the land ahead, finally realizing what that blue stream of light flowing through the mountains, rivers, and canyons truly was!

"It's all earth vein energy so dense it's visible to the naked eye. If I remember correctly, the Red Dragon's ability is..."

"To absorb earth vein energy, replenish stamina, heal injuries, and simultaneously use it to unleash attacks over a vast range!!"

The member of the Divine Knight Corps, dominated by Im's will, looked toward the distance with great interest, as if everything were under his control.

"What a pity, though."

"The Virgin's Flame has already been completed ahead of schedule; it is just the time to let those Britannias test how much of its former power that thing still retains."

(End of Chapter)