Chapter 289

The ground below was instantly blasted away.

The entire castle structure of Mariejois was swept flat by the shockwave, and the clashing Red-Haired Shanks and Black Dragon were also blown away.

The sea of clouds ten thousand meters above Mariejois was directly torn open, leaving a massive void a thousand meters across.

Rumble rumble rumble!

Accompanied by a roaring sound from a great tremor of the earth.

A bottomless, enormous fissure appeared in the ground below.

As if it would split Mariejois in two.

If this enormous fissure continued to spread downward, the entire Red Line would likely develop a colossal canyon connecting the first half of the Grand Line with the New World.

A brilliant gleam flashed and vanished in Luo En's azure eyes.

Imu before him was blasted away by the repulsive force that had erupted so suddenly.

Luo En reached into the void before him and drew out the black blade Shusui.

Gripping twin blades forged to a purple-black by Flowing Sakura Conqueror's Haki, he circulated his most powerful Flame Breathing.

"Twin-Blade Style — Flame Breathing Secret Art."

"Purgatory. Heaven and Earth to Ashes!"

As Luo En, his eyes gleaming red, swung the two purple-black long blades in his hands, wrapped in endless Conqueror's Haki and sword momentum!

The temperature between heaven and earth rose with terrifying speed.

Two slashing attacks—one pitch-black, one crimson—stretching for several thousand meters, wrapped in raging Xiong Xiong black flames, took the form of a cross, and like the cleaving of heaven itself, descended from above upon Imu in the sky!

The entire sky was dyed black and crimson by that strike.

Everyone who witnessed that sword was seized with awe and terror.

Imu's eyes narrowed slightly in the air, and she raised a hand and pressed down.

A terrifying distorting force erupted around her, space twisting and shattering into a barrier before her.

When that cross-shaped slash slammed heavily into the shattered space!

Bang!

The space before Imu grew even more shattered under the impact of that slash; endless black-flame sword aura followed the twisted spatial corridors into the void, while some Purgatory black flames, wrapped in sword aura, scattered across the horizon like meteors.

Seeing that sword strike blocked.

Luo En's mind stirred, and a massive pillar of ice shot from before him, hurtling toward Imu.

Imu's figure flashed.

She reappeared abruptly before Luo En.

She stretched out a hand filled with terrifying distorting force, reaching for Luo En, intending to use the distorting force to shatter his body outright.

But this time.

A divine light flashed in Luo En's eyes.

A pitch-black Truth-Seeking Ball appeared before Imu's palm.

The instant Imu's palm was about to touch the Truth-Seeking Ball, the distorting force gathered in her palm was instantly devoured by that black-hole-like jet-black jewel.

A flash of astonishment crossed Imu's eyes.

The next second.

Accompanied by a whistling sound of tearing air.

Luo En's pitch-black right leg, hardened with Armament Haki, wrapped in terrifying wind pressure, kicked Imu heavily with an unmatched momentum.

Imu's body, like a meteor, slammed heavily into the earth!

Bang!

When she crashed into the ground.

The hard earth of the Red Line trembled violently.

An area several dozen meters across sank downward.

Then an area a hundred meters across sank again.

Then an area roughly five hundred meters across sank once more.

Sinking layer upon layer.

Luo En raised his hand and hurled the pitch-black Truth-Seeking Ball outside him down into the great crater below.

Accompanied by the Truth-Seeking Ball's explosion like a nuclear blast.

The entire Red Line trembled.

The battlefields on the Mariejois side could not help but pause momentarily, looking over in that direction.

The dust cleared.

Luo En hovered in the air, looking down at the enormous deep crater that had appeared at the top of the Red Line.

Within the deep crater, however, there was no sign of Imu.

Luo En's brows knit slightly.

The next second.

A terrifyingly powerful, unmatched aura erupted above his head.

Luo En looked up, his expression hardening slightly.

He saw Imu, clad in a black robe, standing upon the void; the space around her was in chaotic distortion, warping even her figure, like a reflection beneath churning water.

At this moment Imu's black robe billowed, her eyes deep and still, like an ancient king descending upon the world.

Behind her was a sky torn with countless blood-colored cracks.

"That is… the second awakening of a Devil Fruit!"

The Five Elder Stars gazed at her, their faces showing worship and fanaticism.

"This is Lord Imu's power!"

"This is the power of a god!"

The others—Zephyr, Lei Li, and the rest—wore solemn expressions: "To possess power at this level…"

"Can that kid really win?"

Akainu, Fujitora, Aokiji, and the others all halted their attacks and looked up toward that direction.

A flicker of worry crossed the eyes of Empress Hancock and Kuina.

It wasn't that they didn't trust Luo En's strength.

It was just that his opponent seemed a little too absurdly strong.

Now unleashing her full power, the distortion force on Imu's body swelled to an utterly terrifying degree; the highest-grade Conqueror's Haki wove together with her current pressure, dyeing the very heavens and earth a different color.

Everyone could feel that terrifying oppression.

Some weaker Marines fainted on the spot; even battle-hardened officers found it hard to keep their wills clear beneath that pressure, and even felt the urge to bow in submission toward that direction.

Even Luo En felt an immense pressure.

Imu, her eyes empty and merciless, stood in the sky, raised her hand, and pressed it toward Luo En.

The terrifying distortion force transformed into an invisible giant finger, ruthlessly pressing down on Luo En; the space before him shattered like glass beneath that single finger.

Feeling the surrounding space twist, he could not use spatial evasion to dodge this terrifying strike.

"So I can only take it head-on…"

Luo En let out a soft breath.

"No choice, then—I'll go all out on my end too."

Since the battle at Wano Country's Zhidao, it had been quite a while since he last unleashed his full power.

As a brilliant divine light burst from Luo En's pair of azure Rinne Sharingan.

Vast green chakra radiated from Luo En's body, enveloping his entire form; several Truth-Seeking Balls materialized around him.

Rinne Sharingan, Chakra Mode—activated!

Lv5 Extremity of Strength—activated!

Sun Breathing Technique—circulating!

Luo En, his whole body cloaked in green chakra, long hair streaming, resembling a god descending to the mortal world, raised the Blood Blade Moon sheathed in green chakra; three Truth-Seeking Balls shifted form, coiling around the blade like dark quicksilver.

Luo En, now in his strongest form, slashed a single sword toward the heavens.

A colossal, unmatched crimson sword aura became a pillar of light piercing the sky, slamming into that terrifying distortion force.

Boom!

The two terrifying, astonishing energies collided violently; the space at the epicenter of the clash shattered completely into a void-like black hole.