As one magic teleportation array after another lit up across the Holy Land, five overwhelming presences spread through the air above Mariejois.
Seeing Bundy Walde racing back at full speed, Catarina Devon and Vasco Shot paled, quickly sprinting toward Capone Bege's position.
Even Shiryu of the Rain, his eyes still faintly red from battle lust, snapped back to awareness under the pressure of those incoming forces.
"It seems today's slaughter ends here," he muttered coldly.
Sliding his cursed blade Raindrop back into its sheath, Shiryu rushed toward Bege's living fortress. Without the other members of the Kiryuu Pirates, he had no confidence he could escape the Holy Land alive.
"Yahahaha! Didn't this god tell you? I'll show you what a divine miracle looks like!"
From atop the Ark Maxim, Enel hurled the enormous thunder sphere he had been charging toward Imu and the glowing teleportation arrays.
Without waiting to see the impact, he immediately piloted the golden ark away from the Holy Land. There was no time to summon his mechanical servant to pack it up.
A moment later, the Seraphim Kuma appeared behind the Ark, his black wings beating hard as he delivered a powerful Ursus Shock Push, sending the flying ship accelerating toward the horizon.
"Go—now!" someone shouted.
Transformed into a massive Azure Dragon, Souta Kiryuu soared through the stormy skies, carrying the Pirate Empress upon his back as they dodged the divine spears Imu hurled after them.
Another Seraphim, Tendo, carried Douglas Bullet and Redfield, while the remaining five Seraphim stayed behind, unleashing every ounce of their strength to block the rain of divine spears.
"We don't have time to deal with them! Move!"
Law and Lafitte dashed into Bege's castle-body, noticing several Impel Down prisoners from Levels Five and Six still lingering outside, ignoring the retreat signal. Lafitte only sneered, shaking his head.
"Forget those fools. They've chosen their graves."
"Slash!"
Shiryu appeared in front of them, his blade flashing red. The prisoners who hadn't made it inside the fortress screamed — and fell in pieces.
"Let's go," Shiryu said flatly. "These weaklings aren't worth saving."
"Good riddance," Lafitte said, his voice cold.
"They just saved me the trouble of tracking down their hearts."
Law's tone matched his as he added, "If he hadn't done it, I would have crushed them myself. We can't risk anyone exposing Sky Island's location."
Inside Bege's body, chaos thudded outside — and then, the Seraphim Kuma appeared again, striking the fortress with another colossal palm that sent it flying out of Mariejois' core.
But Bullet and Redfield still hadn't returned.
Moments later, Seraphim Rokudo, wings blazing, shot up into the clouds carrying both men.
"Imu! Gorosei! If you've got the guts — come after us!!"
Now fully transformed into his dragon form, Souta Kiryuu roared defiantly as he ascended above the Holy Land. Below, Mariejois was burning. The pitch-black Divine Spears Imu fired vanished one by one as they passed beyond the clouds.
Imu had just finished swallowing the colossal thunderball — his monstrous form letting out a deep, satisfied burp as thin arcs of lightning sparked from his lips.
The Yatagarasu, a three-legged divine crow, shrieked and soared after the fleeing dragon, but the Seraphim were fast — Kuma, Rokudo, and the others surrounded the crimson dragon in midair, their eyes blank and unreadable.
Bullet and Redfield finally landed atop the dragon's scaled back, gasping for breath. The group hovered together in the night sky, wings and energy blazing against the burning light of the Holy Land below.
On the edge of the Red Line, three monstrous forms stood waiting — the Bone Horse, Boar Demon, and Spider Beast, incarnations of three of the Gorosei: Saint Nasujuro, Saint Vochuli, and Saint Saturn. Their eyes burned with murderous intent as they glared upward at the massive dragon above.
Then, from the shadows, Imu appeared once more — returning to human form, wearing a golden mask that glowed with eerie majesty.
As he walked forward, the three Gorosei shifted back to human form, kneeling on one knee before him, heads lowered. The air was thick with divine authority and fear.
Imu's many-pupiled eyes swept across them coldly.
Had these fools not left Mariejois undefended, Souta Kiryuu's crew would never have succeeded.
"Souta Kiryuu," Imu's voice echoed through the air, both cold and commanding. "Your strength and cunning are impressive. Tell me — do you wish to become a Celestial Dragon? To stand above the world, second only to me? To gain eternal life?"
His gaze, filled with overlapping irises, locked on the dragon before him. Imu could see that this experimental being was far smarter than the five Gorosei kneeling beside him. If Kiryuu submitted, Imu would gladly make him a servant.
But Souta only laughed.
"You trying to recruit me, Imu? Save your breath. How about you pull your forces off Amazon Lily instead?"
The dragon's crimson eyes glowed brighter as he spoke. He had noticed — one teleportation circle had gone dark. One of the Gorosei had been left behind… on Amazon Lily.
That meant trouble.
If Kuma went to rescue them now, it would be nearly impossible.
Even if Dragon joined the fight, freeing the island would be nearly hopeless.
Earlier, when the Gorosei forced Elder Gloriosa into communication, the old empress had shouted critical information before being silenced — the island was guarded by one Gorosei and two Admirals.
Souta knew Dragon well. The revolutionary leader wouldn't throw his life away for the Kiryuu Pirates.
But if the Gorosei left Mariejois completely, leaving only two Admirals on the island, then perhaps Dragon might act.
Imu sneered. "You invaded the Holy Land, captured dozens of Celestial Dragons… for one island?"
He couldn't comprehend it — and his frustration turned toward the Gorosei, who knelt trembling before him.
Those five had deployed all at once for something as trivial as Amazon Lily, leaving the capital unguarded — an unforgivable blunder.
The Gorosei's expressions twisted with silent shame. Their plan had been to wipe out the Kiryuu Pirates once and for all, yet they had underestimated their enemy's speed and ruthlessness. By the time they realized Boa Hancock's deception, it was already too late.
"So what if it was?" Souta's deep voice rumbled like thunder through the clouds. "Next time you come for us, think about the consequences first.
And don't let me find out the Gorosei have left the Holy Land again — because if they do, we'll fly straight back here and burn Mariejois to the ground."
He beat his wings, rising higher, his crew and the Seraphim close behind him.
"If you want your precious Celestial Dragons back…"
His dragon eyes blazed down upon the Holy Land one last time.
"Show me your sincerity."
With that, the massive crimson dragon turned and vanished into the night sky, leaving behind only thunder, fire — and Imu's burning, silent rage.