225 With the Justice System

Holy Land, Mary Geoise.

Panic spread like a plague through the city that prided itself as the center of the world.

Those World Nobles—the Celestial Dragons—who usually stood high above, treating ordinary people as mere insects, were now showing their most pathetic sides.

"Useless! You're all useless! Why aren't you going to help?!"

A fat Celestial Dragon, his face smeared with tears and snot, grabbed a CP0 agent by the collar, screaming hysterically.

"The Elders are fighting! Why aren't you going to support them?!"

"..."

The CP0 agent in the pure white suit had cold sweat beading on his forehead. His voice was dry and trembling.

"Saint... Saint, that level of battle... we can't possibly intervene..."

"I don't care! You're the world government's strongest intelligence agency! You have to go!"

"Kill those traitors! Kill those Marines!"

Scenes like this unfolded in every corner of the Holy Land.

Those self-proclaimed "descendants of gods" had shed all pretense in the face of annihilation, revealing only cowardice and helplessness.

Suddenly—

"BOOM!!!"

A deafening explosion echoed from the horizon.

Everyone instinctively looked up. The sky had turned a foreboding, blood-red hue.

A massive meteor, wreathed in crimson flames, streaked across the heavens with a blazing tail—descending toward Mary Geoise like the end of days!

"Wh–what is that?!"

The Celestial Dragons screamed in terror.

Immediately after, an overwhelming chill swept in from the opposite direction!

"Crack... crack..."

The ground froze over with a layer of eerie blue frost at a speed visible to the naked eye.

Magnificent palaces and lavish courtyards were instantly encased in glittering ice.

A streak of dark red light and a gigantic ice bird descended from opposite directions, landing simultaneously in the central plaza of the Holy Land.

"It's... it's Fleet Admiral Sakazuki!"

"And Admiral Kuzan!"

One Celestial Dragon recognized the figures and gasped.

"Why would the Fleet Admiral and an Admiral come to the Holy Land...?!?"

"..."

Sakazuki and Kuzan stood several dozen meters apart, staring at each other.

Their eyes met midair.

Sakazuki's face was as still as a dormant volcano.

Kuzan's lips curved into a cold smile.

"Ha!"

Both of them laughed at the same time.

The next instant—

Sakazuki's arms turned into torrents of molten magma, blasting upward!

Countless magma fists erupted into the sky, raining down like a storm of cannon fire upon the entire Holy Land!

"Ice Age!"

Kuzan pressed one hand to the ground. Extreme cold spread outward in all directions from him like a living storm!

"RUMBLE!!!"

Magma and ice—two diametrically opposed forces—played in perfect harmony, composing a symphony of destruction!

"AAAAAAHHHH!!!"

The Celestial Dragons' confusion froze into horror, replaced by unending terror and despair.

A Celestial Dragon in extravagant attire tried to order his nearby CP0 agent to block a falling magma fist.

The next second, both he and the agent were vaporized instantly.

Another Celestial Dragon tried to flee. After just two steps, he was frozen into an ice sculpture mid-run, then shattered to pieces when a magma meteor crashed upon him.

"No!!!"

"We are gods! How dare you?!"

"Stop! Stop this at once! We are the World Nobles!"

"STOP!!!"

Wails, screams, pleas, and curses...

All those sounds were drowned out beneath the overwhelming roar of destruction.

The once sacred, untouchable Holy Land turned into a hellish realm of ice and fire within mere minutes.

...

Pangaea Castle, among the Flowers.

This was the deepest, most secluded part of the Holy Land—peaceful and isolated from the world.

Countless rare butterflies danced gracefully here.

But now, violent tremors shattered that serenity.

On the throne at the center of the flowerbed, a slender figure slowly opened scarlet eyes that resembled the Rinnegan.

"Mmm...?"

Imu-sama had awakened.

They sensed the violent tremors from the outside world—the aura of two beings radiating pure destruction.

Their mind cleared instantly.

"..."

"???"

"!!!"

Imu-sama was stunned.

What was happening?

The Five Elders they trusted most—their most powerful subordinates—two of them had completely vanished?!

The remaining three were dim and fading, their life forces on the brink of extinction.

What in the world happened?!

Who could possibly possess the power to devastate the Five Elders so quickly?!

"RUMBLE!!!"

The constant shaking of Pangaea Castle snapped Imu out of their thoughts.

They could feel it clearly now—magma... and ice...

Marines...?

"..."

Imu slowly rose from the throne.

Their face twisted with an emotion they rarely displayed—rage.

Mere mortals dared to wreak havoc in their garden.

"VMMM—"

Imu-sama's figure vanished from the garden of flowers.

...

Holy Land Plaza.

Sakazuki and Kuzan stopped their indiscriminate bombardment.

Both lifted their heads toward Pangaea Castle.

A vile, oppressive aura emanated from there.

"Hm...?"

Sakazuki's brows furrowed tightly.

"Who is that?!"

"Could it be..." Kuzan's tone was as icy as ever. "The World Government still has another top-tier fighter stationed in the Holy Land?"

The next second—

"..."

A tall, slender figure appeared silently in midair.

Wearing a crown and a black robe, their scarlet eyes gazed down upon everything below without emotion.

"Despicable ants."

Imu-sama's voice echoed ethereally, filled with arrogance.

"Who permitted you insects to make such noise in My garden?"

"!!!"

Sakazuki and Kuzan's pupils constricted sharply.

They didn't know who this being was, but the sheer pressure emanating from them was unmistakable.

This was the true "king" perched atop the World Government!

"Another piece of garbage hiding in the shadows, thinking themselves a god," Sakazuki growled, magma boiling violently across his body.

"So you're the source of this rotten world's evil?"

Frost flared from Kuzan's body, freezing the air around him into crystals.

"Hmph."

Imu-sama gave a disdainful snort.

"Ignorant mortals. You're not even worthy to stand before Me."

"Kneel... and die."

"..."

Their answer came in the form of two thunderous roars!

Sakazuki soared into the sky, his magma fist blazing with the fury to burn all creation, striking straight toward Imu!

"Ice Block: Pheasant Beak!"

Kuzan followed right behind, countless ice spears forming from extreme cold, shooting up to pierce the heavens!

"..."

Facing the joint assault of two of the Navy's strongest, Imu merely lifted a finger.

At their fingertip, a droplet of pitch-black void condensed silently.

"Whoosh—"

A slender black arrow shot from their fingertip—soundless, impossibly fast.

Where it passed, space itself seemed erased.

Both searing magma and freezing ice vanished the instant they touched it.

"Pssh—!"

The black arrow effortlessly pierced through Sakazuki's magma body and grazed past Kuzan's ice bird.

"Urgh!"

Sakazuki let out a muffled groan. On his elementalized body, a hole appeared that refused to heal—an eerie force of annihilation was tearing his very being apart.

Kuzan's shoulder was grazed by an arrow as well; a chunk of flesh, along with the frost armor covering it, was completely obliterated.

"!!!"

The two of them exchanged a glance, both seeing the same horror reflected in each other's eyes.

Such terrifying power?!

"Sakazuki, hold it off!"

Kuzan shouted, his entire body erupting with cold air as he pressed his palms together before his chest.

The extreme cold no longer spread outward but instead contracted violently inward, transforming the entire Holy Land—and even the sky above—into an enormous, airtight prison of ice!

"Trying to trap Me?"

Imu let out a derisive chuckle and casually waved a hand.

"Crack—!"

The supposedly unbreakable prison of ice shattered like fragile glass.

Sakazuki seized the moment, turning into a torrent of magma that lunged from behind Imu. A claw of molten lava, burning at its highest temperature, shot straight for the heart!

"Bang!"

Without even turning around, Imu extended a hand behind. A surge of black energy rippled out like a tide, effortlessly scattering the magma and slamming squarely into Sakazuki's chest.

"Pff—!"

Sakazuki was struck as if by lightning, sent flying backward as blood spurted from his mouth, staining the Fleet Admiral's cloak crimson.

"Ice Ball!"

Kuzan's figure appeared above Imu's head. He slammed his palms downward, instantly sealing Imu inside a massive sphere of ice.

Yet the next second—

"Crack!"

The ice sphere split open from within. Imu emerged without a single scratch, crimson eyes flashing with faint irritation.

"The game is over."

Her figure turned into a blur of shadow that darted between Sakazuki and Kuzan.

"Bang! Bang!"

Two dull impacts echoed.

The two strongest forces of the Marines fell from the sky, crashing heavily onto the ruined plaza, severely injured.

Just as Imu was about to continue the assault—

"Whoosh——!!!"

A scarlet streak of light tore through the heavens, descending at incredible speed!

That figure carried an overwhelming momentum; even its mere approach made the entire Holy Land tremble.

"Hm...?"

For the first time, Imu's movements halted.

She slowly raised her head, and for the first time, a grave expression appeared in those crimson eyes.

At that very instant, she clearly sensed the three dim "stars" far away in the New World... all extinguish completely at the same time!

"Boom——!!!"

The scarlet figure landed with a thunderous crash, sending shockwaves rippling through the air.

"Step——!"

Rayne Hawke's silhouette emerged slowly from the smoke and dust.

He glanced at the struggling Sakazuki and Kuzan nearby, and a relaxed smile spread across his face.

"Fleet Admiral Sakazuki, old man Kuzan—you've worked hard!"

"From here on, leave it to me!"

Then, he turned his head. Those deep eyes, like twin drawn blades, locked firmly onto Imu-sama floating in midair.

"Well then..."

In his heart, Hawke muttered softly.

"Boost me up!!!"

[Ding!]

[Host has consumed ten million Justice Points. Conqueror's Haki level has been raised to: Peak!]

[Congratulations, host! Observation Haki, Armament Haki, physique, martial arts, and Conqueror's Haki—all five core abilities have reached the Peak level of this world!]

[Peak Observation Haki: See through past and future—everything lies within your grasp!]

[Peak Armament Haki: Absolute defense, unbreakable might!]

[Peak physique: Strength beyond measure, vitality eternal!]

[Peak martial arts: Conviction through fists—reason shatters all!]

[Peak Conqueror's Haki: Sovereign of all—will made manifest!]

[Host has achieved "The Limit of This World," ascending to an invincible existence within it!]

"Boom——!"

A power unlike anything before—enough to overturn the very world—erupted from within Hawke!

His aura surged higher and higher, reaching boundless heights!

The crimson Conqueror's Haki no longer merely wrapped around him—it solidified into a divine, regal scarlet mantle draped over his shoulders.

He stood there quietly, and it was as though the entire world bowed before his feet.

Hawke raised his hand and clenched his fist.

That single, ultimate iron fist—containing the greatest power of this world—was aimed straight at Imu-sama in the sky.

"Imu—I'm here to play with you!!!"

"..."

[End of Book.]

...

(T/N: There are still a few chapters left)

A/N: The end—celebratory confetti~

Thank you, dear readers, for following this story all the way to the end! 

If you could graciously tap that five-star rating and maybe send a small gift, that'd be perfect!

There's still so much I could write...

The Revolutionary Army's plotline, the ideological reform of the world, Luffy's future story, and of course—the final battle between Hawke and Imu!

There are also many side stories left untold, such as...

What happened after Hawke became Fleet Admiral, Zoro's final duel with Hawk Eyes, the continuation of Kuma and Bonney's story, Kid getting wrecked by Hawke's Conqueror's aura, Hawke and Hibari's wedding, Dane's story, the "Golden Emperor" Tesoro's tale, Luffy's journey ahead, and much more...

But in my view, the most exhilarating part of this novel—the Marineford War arc—has already been shown in full.

Longtime readers know—the original outline for this book was planned for about one million words. (Looking at a certain someone who kept yelling "recruitment arc!"—you know who you are! 😂)

After much consideration, I cut out tons of side plots and went straight for the main story.

Even so, it still ended up being half a million words...

As for the next book—it won't be One Piece. I've been traumatized by Oda!

(Though I did once consider writing a Blackbeard-centered story, since—based on the current plot—it seems like he hasn't actually done anything wrong... But let's wait and see how One Piece develops~)

Since June 2024, over one year and three months, I've written three One Piece novels in a row.

I've been fortunate enough to earn every major honor in the fanfiction category.

My author level has even reached LV5—lucky me.

This break will last at least a month~

How long exactly, I'm not sure myself.

Finally, dear readers—let's meet again someday in the rivers and lakes~