Storming the Holy Land! Imu’s Death!

A pitch-black steel behemoth floated amid the clouds.

It blotted out the sky.

A hundred-meter-long bird flying high above failed to dodge in time and slammed headfirst into Pluton’s hull. It was knocked unconscious and fell into the sea below.

"Mr. Tom, this altitude still won’t do. We need to rise several thousand more meters. Queen, Judge, Caesar, don’t just stand around watching. Get over here and help!"

The group ran to the lowest level of Pluton’s hull to test the newly installed flight system, but the results were far from ideal.

It could fly!

But it couldn’t fly high!

Pluton often collided with birds in the sky. Some birds were even larger than Sea Kings.

That was dangerous.

Its flight altitude had to be increased further, at least beyond the heights birds normally flew at.

Besides, if it flew too low, people below could see Pluton. How could they possibly launch a surprise attack on the Holy Land then?

"Sir, the three of us barely know a little about mechanical modification. Trying to modify Pluton is simply too much for us. This is advanced technology from the Ancient Kingdom."

Caesar could not help complaining to Chu Yang. Compared to modifying machinery, they were better at modifying living beings.

Chu Yang understood them. Even he was somewhat at a loss. The knowledge he had learned from Marvel was not very useful here.

They were fundamentally different systems!

Pluton was the Ancient Kingdom’s ultimate weapon from eight hundred years ago. The technology inside it had been the pinnacle of its era.

It would take Chu Yang quite a long time to fully learn and master it.

If Mr. Tom had not spent years studying Pluton’s blueprints, even installing this flight system would have been questionable.

"What do we do now?"

Chu Yang was troubled. Giving Pluton the ability to fly was an indispensable part of the plan.

"We can only find Vegapunk!"

"But ever since he left the laboratory on Punk Hazard, I haven’t received any news about him."

Caesar spread his hands, indicating that there was nothing he could do.

Queen and Judge also said they had never been in contact with him.

Chu Yang was not sure whether Vegapunk had already begun researching Ancient Kingdom technology on Egghead Island at this point in the timeline.

Without any intelligence, he could only take a gamble.

Fortunately, Egghead Island was in the New World. Finding it would be troublesome, but it was not entirely without leads.

A large number of Shadow Clones left Pluton at the same time.

Two days passed.

As Chu Yang silently waited for news.

Dragon suddenly came to find him, his expression rather strange.

"Our comrades on the ground sent word. An old man found them and claimed to be Vegapunk."

Chu Yang froze when he heard that.

Then, after thinking it over, he suddenly realized that Vegapunk had come for Pluton!

He wanted Pluton’s core technology!

"I nearly forgot. Pluton is the best bait…"

Chu Yang shook his head and laughed. "How could Vegapunk give up the chance to come into contact with the highest civilization?"

"If he could obtain technology from the ancient robot left behind by the Ancient Kingdom, he’ll gain even more from Pluton."

Vegapunk, who came from the bitterly cold land of Baldimore, had pursued unlimited energy all his life.

He believed that human wars happened because people fought over energy. As long as unlimited energy was available, humanity could enter an age of everlasting peace.

"Do you want to meet him? It could be a trap."

Dragon was an old acquaintance of Vegapunk’s. After Ohara was destroyed, they had even gone to pay respects to Dr. Clover.

"Even if it’s the biggest trap in the world, I’m going."

Chu Yang smiled, completely unconcerned.

Afterward, Chu Yang and Dragon left Pluton without anyone else knowing and headed for land.

The Revolutionary Army base Vegapunk had found was located near a giant bridge close to a winter island.

It had just been liberated.

When Chu Yang saw Vegapunk, his head was still enormous. He had not yet separated it.

Vegapunk, who looked strikingly similar to Einstein, inexplicably gave Chu Yang a sense of familiarity.

The two sat down and chatted for a while, getting along extremely well.

Chu Yang was also a genuine scientist himself, especially in mechanical manufacturing and energy.

He was intimately familiar with things like nuclear reactors.

Vegapunk, however, lacked theoretical knowledge in that area. Thus, he was deeply interested in every word Chu Yang said.

Dragon took a walk around the area, checking for anything unusual nearby. After all, this meeting with Vegapunk had gone a little too smoothly.

In truth, Vegapunk’s arrival had not aroused the World Government’s suspicions.

Or rather, following the Navy’s recent crushing defeat, they were too busy dealing with their own problems to care about Vegapunk at all.

Vegapunk had obtained the information about this base by intercepting World Government intelligence.

"Have you thought this through? Once you board the ship, you’ll be completely opposed to the World Government. If we fail, your fate will be miserable."

"If you stay with the World Government, no matter what happens in the future, it won’t affect you much."

Dragon sincerely spoke his mind to his old friend.

Vegapunk’s response was only one sentence. "I need Pluton."

In the One Piece world, people’s pursuit of their dreams always surpassed everything else, and they were willing to pay an enormous price for them.

Vegapunk, who had always longed for unlimited energy, was extremely resolute.

Dragon and Chu Yang exchanged a glance. Chu Yang stood and held out his hand to Vegapunk. "Then welcome aboard. I think we’ll have plenty of common ground."

Vegapunk shook Chu Yang’s hand and smiled. "I’m looking forward to working with you. Your ideas have given me a great deal of inspiration."

None of the three wished to waste time, so they immediately returned.

The moment he boarded Pluton, Vegapunk’s eyes were filled with nothing but amazement. "So this is the greatest masterpiece of that era… I cannot describe its beauty with words."

"Come with me. I’ll take you to the laboratory."

Chu Yang led Vegapunk into the ship, to the area between the living quarters and the power room.

For convenience, Chu Yang had Tom convert this place into a laboratory, which also served as Tom’s workshop.

Tiger had arranged for many fish-men to assist him.

"It’s a wonderful place, though a little cramped."

Vegapunk tactfully offered his suggestion.

"Once this war is over, Pluton will have plenty of empty space. You can use it however you want then!" Chu Yang said with a smile.

"Mr. Yang, you seem very confident. Do you know what you’re about to face?"

Vegapunk’s expression turned solemn.

"I am not Joy Boy. What he failed to accomplish does not mean I will fail as well."

Chu Yang’s reply carried a deeper meaning.

"It seems you do not care about certain things. In that case, I would not advise you to waste time going to Elbaf."

"When Ohara was destroyed, the giants transferred the library’s books there. That does not seem to hold much meaning for you."

After saying that, Vegapunk turned and pushed open the laboratory door. Queen and the others were working inside, and the moment they saw Vegapunk, all three froze.

"How did you end up here?"

Queen took off his sunglasses and wiped them, staring at Vegapunk in disbelief.

Vegapunk looked around with an expression of nostalgia. "Seeing you three here reminds me of our days at MADS. Looks like we’ll be working together again."

Caesar’s face darkened as he snapped, "If you don’t want to, you can leave whenever you like."

All along, the three of them had been equals in the laboratory. Now that Vegapunk had arrived, he would surely outrank them.

The three knew that perfectly well, so their attitudes were far from friendly.

Vegapunk did not care about their attitudes. Smiling, he wandered around and examined the results of their research.

After making a round, Vegapunk was greatly surprised. Queen and the others’ research into the Lineage Factor was no weaker than the results of his own solitary research over the years.

That only strengthened Vegapunk’s resolve to stay.

While the four traded barbs, Chu Yang stood nearby in a daze.

The land of giants, Elbaf.

A country that had never appeared in Chu Yang’s plans.

Chu Yang had little interest in the giants, because Elbaf was rather exclusionary, and their circumstances were much better than those of other races. At the very least, the World Government sought to win them over.

Taking all these factors into account, the odds of the giants becoming allies were low, so Chu Yang had no desire to waste time on them.

Most of the books preserved from Ohara were studies of history, rather than studies of the Ancient Kingdom itself.

Chu Yang was only interested in technology from eight hundred years ago.

If there was anything that could attract him, it might be the giants’ Lineage Factor.

Three days passed.

Pluton’s flight system underwent a fundamental improvement. Vegapunk added an anti-gravity system to the existing setup.

It drastically reduced energy consumption while ensuring stable flight.

Compared to a week ago, Pluton’s flight altitude had risen by a full ten thousand meters. Standing on the deck, Chu Yang could even faintly make out the outline of Sky Island.

If research funding ever became tight in the future, they could make a trip to the "City of Gold," Shandora, on Jaya Island.

"The time is about right…"

Dragon held a newspaper. It reported that Cobra, King of Alabasta, had formally announced his withdrawal from the World Government’s allied nations.

He refused to pay the Heavenly Tribute and also refused to lead soldiers to Mary Geoise.

Cobra’s actions were like a fuse, prompting nobles across the world to follow suit. With the Navy crippled, the World Government’s control was rapidly declining.

"Mm, we can’t delay any longer."

"Have Mr. Tiger notify our allies to prepare for action!"

Chu Yang’s tone was like that of someone issuing an order, yet Dragon did not find anything wrong with it. He had silently acknowledged Chu Yang’s position as leader.

To everyone aboard the Pluton warship, Chu Yang’s status was even higher than that of a mere leader. He was something more exalted.

Just as Imu was to the Five Elders.

Before attacking the Holy Land, everyone still held a brief strategy meeting.

"The first step in attacking the Holy Land is to seize control of the elevator. Mr. Tiger is very familiar with this, so I’ll have to trouble him to lead the Sun Pirates and the samurai in this operation."

As the biggest scapegoat of the Burning of the Holy Land incident, Tiger was the best candidate.

As Chu Yang said this, the two instinctively glanced at each other, smiling.

They remembered the moment they had first met. Both of them had looked miserable then.

Tiger was deeply moved. The boy from that night was now going to bring a new order to the entire world.

"After Mr. Tiger joins up with our allies, his priority will be dealing with God’s Knights alongside Dragon."

"The Revolutionary Army’s other comrades will handle the Holy Land’s guards."

"Without the Navy intervening, we may not be at a disadvantage in terms of numbers."

Chu Yang laid out the overall plan in detail. Dragon and Tiger would decide the exact execution themselves.

No one in the meeting room asked how the Five Elders and Imu would be dealt with.

They all knew that was Chu Yang’s own problem.

"The plan is not complicated, but it will demand a great price. Casualties are unavoidable. When the time comes, I hope none of you hesitate."

This was the final warning Chu Yang could give them.

After the meeting ended, Chu Yang sought out Vegapunk and Tom separately. As noncombatants, they would remain aboard the Pluton warship.

Some support personnel would remain with them as well.

"Vegapunk, Mr. Tom, I’m leaving Pluton to you. When to launch the attack will be up to you."

Tom might not understand, but Vegapunk certainly understood what Chu Yang meant, because he knew of the Celestial Dragons’ Secret Treasure.

Night fell.

The steel behemoth sailed through the clouds, slowly approaching the Holy Land.

No one noticed anything amiss.

Because their attention was always fixed on the boundless sea before them.

The fish-men of the Sun Pirates and the samurai of Wano Country all carried parachutes on their backs. As Tiger leaped forward, the others also jumped off the deck one after another.

Their target was the elevator control station.

Chu Yang also left the deck, flying toward Pangea Castle at the center of the Holy Land.

The instant Tiger and the soldiers clashed, Pangea Castle received the news. Large numbers of reinforcements poured out of the city.

Chu Yang flew right over their heads.

Observation Haki spread out as Chu Yang searched for Imu’s whereabouts. Before long, he felt as though someone was watching him.

It was Imu’s Observation Haki!

Their Observation Haki collided, and each saw the other through their own perception.

Imu sat upon the Empty Throne, which should have been unoccupied, quietly awaiting Chu Yang’s arrival.

"What an impressive display."

Chu Yang summoned Susanoo and immediately entered its complete form, cutting a path all the way to the Empty Throne.

The Five Elders stood guard before Imu, glaring furiously at Chu Yang.

"You insolent wretch!"

Jaygarcia Saturn Saint was the first to awaken his Devil Fruit, transforming into a bull-headed demon before charging at Chu Yang.

Marcus Mars transformed into a monstrous bird wreathed in flames and followed close behind.

The other Five Elders also transformed one after another, activating their Devil Fruit awakenings as they swarmed Chu Yang and attacked with everything they had.

Imu, however, quietly vanished at that moment.

Pangea Castle was being torn apart by battle.

The same was true outside.

Tiger led the fish-men and samurai in successfully seizing control of the elevator. Before long, they transported the allies who had gathered in advance up to the surface.

The first to appear was the Pirate King’s vice-captain, Dark King Rayleigh.

At his side was the former third-in-command, Scopper Gaban.

The two cleared the way ahead, leading the allied forces as they fought their way into the Holy Land.

Outside Pangea Castle, they saw Dragon and the Revolutionary Army confronting a group of people.

The leader on the other side had hair shaped like a crescent moon and a Western sword hanging at his waist.

The commander of God’s Knights.

Figarland Garling!

God’s Knights had a total of nine members.

Nine supreme powerhouses proficient in Conqueror’s Haki Coating!

Dragon was stopping them from entering Pangea Castle to aid Imu.

Figarland Garling struck first, his slash wrapped in Conqueror’s Haki as it split the earth in two.

Dragon had just been about to make a move.

A figure stepped in front of him.

Dark King Rayleigh also swung his blade, sending out a powerful slash wrapped in Conqueror’s Haki that collided with Figarland Garling’s attack.

The ground tore apart.

"I’ll take this one!"

Dark King Rayleigh slowly walked toward his opponent.

"It’s been a long time since God Valley, Dark King Rayleigh!"

Figarland Garling greeted Rayleigh calmly as though meeting an old friend.

Yet their Conqueror’s Haki was clashing violently, black lightning bursting through the air in every direction.

Rayleigh seemed to have regained the sharpness of his youth, his presence as keen as a drawn blade.

Without another word, the two raised their swords and clashed.

Dark clouds churned overhead, while the phenomena formed by their Haki stood sharply divided.

The others also found opponents of their own, fighting in pairs or using their numerical advantage to hold their enemies down.

War meant doing whatever it took and throwing so-called martial virtue into the trash.

Pluton hovered above the Holy Land, ready to fire at any moment. The reason Chu Yang had not used Pluton to strike first was because he did not know where the Secret Treasure was.

Pluton’s bombardment required time to build up energy.

It was like the Thousand Sunny in that regard, except it required even more time.

If they could not destroy the Celestial Dragons’ Secret Treasure immediately, they would face total disaster while Pluton was recharging.

That was also why Imu had not immediately used the Secret Treasure after discovering Chu Yang.

She, too, had been waiting for an opportunity.

Using the Secret Treasure rashly would not only expose its location, but might also fail to destroy the fully charged Pluton.

Then she would be the one at a disadvantage.

However, compared to Chu Yang, Imu had fewer cards to play. Once the Five Elders were defeated and God’s Knights failed to enter Pangea Castle to rescue her, she would have no choice but to use it.

In the end, overwhelming individual strength was the key that determined the outcome.

The irony was that this was precisely the creed Imu believed in, and the method by which she ruled the world.

Inside Pangea Castle.

Every one of the Five Elders was a Mythical Zoan awakening user. Their ability to take a beating was first-rate, and they successfully delayed Chu Yang.

Seeing Imu leave, he did not want to waste any more time, so he chose to use Domain Expansion.

Malevolent Shrine appeared behind Chu Yang.

Blood-red moonlight illuminated the Empty Throne.

Chu Yang formed a hand seal with one hand and pointed toward the Five Elders from afar.

Violent slashes descended.

Blood immediately gushed from all five of them.

"What kind of ability is this?"

"Armament Haki defense is useless!"

"Damn it! Our bodies can’t recover!"

"AAAAAHHHH!!!"

The screams gradually weakened before ultimately falling into silence.

Blood flowed like a river across the magnificent hall. The Five Elders were nowhere to be seen, leaving behind only five heaps of mangled flesh beyond recognition.

Chu Yang stepped through the pool of blood and pursued Imu.

Deep within Pangea Castle.

Imu also sensed the disappearance of the Five Elders’ presences, and her heart tightened. In eight hundred years, she had never been this panicked.

The enemy’s strength far exceeded her expectations. He was countless times stronger than Joy Boy had been.

"He can’t be human!"

"Could he possess immortality like me?"

"Did he survive from the ancient era?!"

Completely at a loss, Imu began babbling incoherently, trying to assign Chu Yang a plausible identity so that her understanding could make sense of such power.

"It’s fine. As long as I use that weapon to destroy him, everything will return to peace!"

"This time, no matter the cost, I must eliminate him."

The only thing that gave Imu peace of mind was the Secret Treasure hidden deep within Pangea Castle.

There were two conditions for activating the Secret Treasure. One was to provide a powerful energy source, such as Pluton’s nearly limitless power source, technology belonging to the Ancient Kingdom.

The other was to provide a vast amount of life force—lifespan. After the World Government was established, Imu had relied on her own life force to power the Secret Treasure.

But the second method had a flaw. As the number of times the Secret Treasure was used increased, excessive depletion of life force could affect Imu’s immortal state.

That was why she valued Vegapunk. The powerful energy source he created could prevent her from using the second method to power the Secret Treasure.

Before Chu Yang could arrive, Imu activated the Secret Treasure first.

It was a pitch-black bead resembling a pupil. At this moment, it seemed to come alive, staring fixedly at Chu Yang under Imu’s control.

"It can lock onto a target?"

"What a pain!"

When in doubt, stack defenses first. Unsure of the Secret Treasure’s power, Chu Yang brought out every defensive measure he had.

Blazing white light illuminated Mary Geoise, and more than half of Pangea Castle vanished in an instant.

God’s Knights, who had been fighting, turned back in shock and stared blankly as half of Pangea Castle turned to ash.

The white light pierced through the ground beneath Pangea Castle, leaving behind a bottomless void.

The sea level rose once again.

A massive tsunami suddenly erupted nearby.

Imu had locked onto Chu Yang. Everything else affected had merely suffered from the aftermath.

This showed just how terrifying the Secret Treasure’s power was!

Because she was too close to Chu Yang, Imu herself was caught in the blast, blood spilling from the corner of her mouth.

"I can’t let these damned insects get near me…"

"Kill them all!"

Imu’s face twisted viciously as she decided to create an unprecedented tsunami that would drown everywhere except the Red Line.

"You should worry about yourself first!"

Chu Yang slowly flew out from the crater amid the ruins. His clothes had been reduced to rags, and his entire upper body was covered in blood.

But his injuries had long since healed.

"Fuck, that really packed a punch. I almost got taken out!"

Chu Yang cursed under his breath. The Secret Treasure’s power had indeed exceeded his expectations, breaking through all of his defenses.

In the end, Chu Yang had relied on his own powerful physique to endure it head-on.

If his life force had not been absurdly strong, and if Idle Transfiguration had not maintained his soul, allowing him to recover endlessly from his injuries—

It was hard to say whether he could have survived.

Imu was utterly horrified as the pupil-like bead slipped from her hand.

Thump~ Thump~ Thump~

The bead bounced and rolled to Chu Yang’s feet. He bent down, picked it up, and looked at Imu with a faintly mocking smile.

"Y-you… what exactly are you?!"

"Why can’t that kill you?!"

The immense blow drove Imu hysterical. Her expression was crazed, and none of her former mystery or nobility remained.

"Don’t kill me! I’ll give you all the wealth I’ve accumulated over the past eight hundred years!"

Imu suddenly dropped to her knees.

"Looks like no matter how noble someone is, once they’re driven into a corner, they become even more lowly than beggars!"

"You’re not all that different from ordinary Celestial Dragons."

Disappointed, Chu Yang stepped forward and directly cut Imu into a bloody pulp.

"Hahaha! Lord Imu has delivered divine punishment! That slave carrying your hopes is dead beyond doubt!"

"Still, I have to give him credit. He actually made Lord Imu go this far."

"As for you, just die obediently here!"

Figarland Garling threw back his head and laughed wildly, his expression arrogant, as though victory was already in his grasp.

He was not the only one who thought so.

The other members of God’s Knights also surged with confidence, and the Revolutionary Army was beginning to struggle to hold them back.

Dragon was slightly distracted.

Could Yang truly have survived such a terrifying attack?

"Kid! Focus on your own battle!"

Dark King Rayleigh roared, "This isn’t one person’s war! Everyone should fight with the resolve to die!"

Rayleigh’s voice swept across the battlefield, waking everyone up and allowing the battle to stabilize.

"What a troublesome bastard!"

Figarland Garling’s face darkened. He had wanted to use this to crush the enemy’s morale, but Rayleigh had interfered.

That meant they were still at a disadvantage.

But it did not matter. Once the Five Elders and Lord Imu arrived, these people would still die.

At most, he would receive a few scoldings.

The castle that had been sealed off for centuries had lost half of itself, yet because of that, it was embraced by the starlight, which illuminated its dark corners.

Chu Yang stepped out beneath the moonlight and starlight. Looking down at the bead in his hand, he said, "It’s just a controller. I still don’t know where the weapon itself is."

"Forget it. Let the others look for it. The controller is in my hands anyway."

Bare-chested, Chu Yang swaggered toward the outside of the city. Not a single soldier or guard could be seen along the way.

Firelight and smoke filled the surroundings.

Chu Yang spotted Rayleigh.

He was locked in a fierce battle with an enemy.

The opponent’s figure seemed familiar to him, especially his swordsmanship, which constantly reminded him of a red-haired man.

"This should be Shanks’s father?"

Chu Yang strode over.

Rayleigh’s gaze passed over Figarland Garling and caught sight of Chu Yang approaching from behind him.

Ecstasy appeared on his face!

Figarland Garling froze for a moment, an ominous feeling rising in his heart!

He spun around abruptly and met Chu Yang’s eyes, overflowing with killing intent.

"How are you still alive? Where is Lord Imu?"

Figarland Garling cried out in shock, drawing countless gazes.

When the other members of God’s Knights saw Chu Yang, terror appeared on every one of their faces, and their bodies began trembling uncontrollably.

"Dead."

Chu Yang calmly walked past him. After all, the man was Shanks’s father. It would be better to let Shanks deal with him himself someday.

"You?!"

Figarland Garling seemed unable to accept the blow. He looked somewhat deranged as he swung his sword at Chu Yang without another word.

Chu Yang did not even turn his head.

Rayleigh drew his sword and blocked the attack.

After a brief daze, the other members of God’s Knights all abandoned their opponents and rushed toward Chu Yang.

The Revolutionary Army tried to stop them, but they were a step too late.

Eight people, their bodies wrapped in Conqueror’s Haki, attacked Chu Yang from different angles.

Repeatedly using Domain Expansion consumed a massive amount of Cursed Energy, and Chu Yang did not want to waste it on these people.

He activated Ten Thousand Swords Return to Origin. Protective sword qi wrapped in Conqueror’s Haki swept through the surroundings like scattered celestial flowers.

The sound of metal clashing against metal rang out.

Eight members of God’s Knights were pierced through their vital points by sword qi. They collapsed limply to the ground, becoming eight corpses.

Seeing this, Figarland Garling stared blankly as the rapier in his hand slowly slipped from his grasp.

The Revolutionary Army captured and imprisoned him.

Imu was dead, and God’s Knights had been wiped out. This meant Chu Yang had officially overturned the Celestial Dragons’ rule.

As the news spread, the soldiers of the Holy Land abandoned their resistance and chose to surrender.

The slaves who had suffered oppression for so long began to rise up and take revenge. One Celestial Dragon residence after another was consumed by flames.

The few surviving Celestial Dragons fled in panic.

A moment later.

Cheers of victory echoed through the skies above the Holy Land.

When people tried to find their hero again, they discovered that Chu Yang had vanished without a trace.