Chapter 394: Sacrifice

The Horse Talisman, originating from the world of Dragon Ball Adventures, is one of the Twelve Talismans, possessing a conceptual effect that dispels all harmful external forces.

In other worlds, it might be of little use against other bosses.

But in the Pirate World, the Horse Talisman is the ultimate counter to Yimu.

It can not only break the control of Black Transformation Domination, but also sever Yimu’s three-tiered demonic pacts: Shallow Sea, Deep Sea, and Abyss.

It is as if specifically designed to dismantle from the foundational level every ability Yimu has exposed.

Yimu, this mechanical anomaly, if lacking other means, would surely surrender when facing a protagonist with a cheat system.

Garp glanced at the spikes before him, then turned his head with an innocent, pleading look toward Seven.

“You must have a way, right?”

Seven nodded: “Relax, Garp Sen-sei. I’ll make sure you go quickly.”

From Yimu’s calm demeanor after failing to dominate Loki with Black Transformation Domination, and from choosing Garp—who lacks a Devil Fruit power—to dominate, Seven reached a conclusion, uncertain if true:

Black Transformation Domination is ineffective against Devil Fruit users.

Perhaps because users already harbor a Devil, and Yimu’s demonic power cannot dominate the Devil within them.

Unfortunately, information is insufficient.

Seven still cannot confirm it.

Moreover, Seven did not immediately use the Horse Talisman to free Garp from Black Transformation Domination because he intended to try a different approach.

His original plan—exiling Yimu seventeen years into the future—was excellent, but battlefields change instantly; nothing ever unfolds exactly as planned.

Better to adapt as events unfold.

After all, with the Pure Gold Pendant, Garp’s vitality remains fixed, immune to demonic transformation through life-force combustion by Black Transformation Domination.

Seven seemed to have discovered something extraordinary.

The Pure Gold’s function is to weld vitality at its current level, preventing further reduction or leakage.

Black Transformation Domination’s function is to forcibly extract and burn vitality to induce demonic transformation.

Simply put:

Black Transformation Domination is a water pump; Pure Gold is a valve blocking its pipe.

As long as the valve remains, no matter how hard the pump turns, no water can be drawn.

In short,

Pure Gold is the life-force counter to Black Transformation Domination, severing its core mechanism of vitality consumption and stripping Yimu of its most lethal control method.

But it is not invincible, for Pure Gold cannot break Black Transformation Domination’s mental control.

As Seven had suspected,

After being struck by Black Transformation Domination, Garp merely clutched his head, resisting mental invasion, yet showed no signs of demonic transformation.

Instead, a massive humanoid shadow rose above Harald’s body.

Exactly as it had been in the Valley of the Gods, when Yimu possessed Satan Saint.

Thus, after losing one Lunarian vessel, Yimu regained control of the situation.

And as Yimu gazed at the red earth continent split beneath its feet, it could not help but recall the brilliance of that single slash.

“Barzab—

In my lifetime, I have encountered countless brilliant individuals; among those who wielded swords, none surpassed you.

I, Yimu, declare you the strongest.”

During the Battle of Marineford, after witnessing Seven’s attack obliterate Marine Headquarters, Yimu had already regarded Seven as an equal.

That was why it extended an offer to recruit him, despite past grievances.

But that recent slash revealed Yimu had underestimated Seven.

A single cut that severed the Red Line.

What immense power!

At twenty-two, possessing destruction comparable to the Celestial King Unanos—if Seven continued to bide his time for a few more years, even Yimu might not be certain of victory.

In that moment, Yimu felt a flicker of relief.

Relief that Seven had not continued to hide, had not waited another decade to act.

Had he waited, with the prophesied Joy Boy appearing alongside Barzab and others… Yimu might truly have lost.

The sudden shift on the battlefield threw Loki and Warring States into panic.

“Whitehair, my father…”

“Saint Seven, Garp…”

One was Loki’s biological father, the other Warring States’s lifelong friend—if either fell under Yimu’s control, how could they choose?

Warring States admitted he was not great enough to sacrifice Garp’s safety for victory over Yimu.

Loki felt the same; before kin and close friends, they hesitated.

That is simply what humans are.

“Don’t worry. This is nothing.”

Saying this, Seven looked up at the humanoid shadow above Harald—Yimu.

“Lord Yimu, if these are your only tricks, then you must die.”

Hearing this, Yimu spoke softly.

“Barzab.

I have met two others like you—one sought to ring the Drum of Liberation and free the world, the other sought to become King of the World.

But they both failed.

And you, today, will fail too.

Because my world is not yet complete.”

What Yimu’s world truly was, Seven did not know, nor did he care to know.

He felt a quiet disappointment, for Yimu’s performance truly did not match the pressure of a final boss.

This was not arrogance.

The truth was simple: beyond Black Transformation Domination and demonic pacts, Yimu had revealed no ability that inspired despair.

Well, perhaps he was being a bit arrogant.

Without the system, he might not even have had the right to stand before Yimu.

“Barzab. This ends here.”

Losing one vessel had exhausted Yimu’s patience, especially toward Seven, a threat that must be eradicated.

In the instant the words fell, massive five-pointed star arrays appeared simultaneously on the ground and in the sky above the ruined Mary Geoise.

From afar, it looked as if a cylindrical cage had materialized over the ruins of Mary Geoise, engulfing Seven’s party, the Five Elders, the Divine Knights, and the very space around them.

The Five Elders, still struggling, froze in terror upon seeing this.

“Lord Yimu, stop!”

As Yimu’s most loyal servants, the Five Elders had forged the Abyss Pact centuries ago; they knew exactly what the five-pointed star array meant.

It was a live sacrifice.

Not only would they sacrifice the Morning Star Group—they would sacrifice even themselves and the Divine Knights.

Yimu… is a ruthless one.

Having served the World Government for centuries, the Five Elders had earned no small measure of merit and hardship—yet Yimu discarded them like pawns.

This sudden turn caused Kaido and others, who had been fighting the Five Elders and Divine Knights, to halt their attacks.

“Tsk tsk… something big’s about to happen.”

Seeing the Five Elders’ recovery slow, Kaido had thought victory was near—only to face this twist.

Almost simultaneously,

Seven instantly teleported before Harald and applied thirty Universal Sealing Scrolls all at once onto the Giant King.

Though unaware of the five-pointed star array’s exact purpose, the moment it appeared, Seven’s mind flashed with visions of his companions falling.

If he did not interrupt this move, they would die.