One Piece: I wield thunder and lightning

As the primary target of this strike, Imu felt the direct threat posed by Nicholas.

Especially that charging figure holding the blade—

It stirred certain images long buried in her memory over the past 800 years.

Back in that battle eight centuries ago, a man had also posed a threat as immense as Nicholas did now.

But in the end, she won. Imu still doesn't want to consider whether that man held back during that final strike.

And now, this seemingly similar strike from Nicholas caused her emotions to fluctuate intensely.

Although she managed to muster all her Haki defenses—both Armament and Conqueror's Haki—at the last moment, she was almost cut in half by Nicholas's blow.

The long-forgotten pain and the injury that nearly severed her waist made Imu's pupils widen in shock.

She hadn't expected this man to truly have the power to kill her.

Activating Life Return, the muscles around her wound started to squirm, the severed blood vessels began to close, and the hideous wound slowly healed.

For Imu, as long as she wasn't taken down in one strike, her monstrous vitality and formidable physique wouldn't impair her combat ability in a short time.

Before the wound could fully heal, Imu stopped her movement mid-air, then suddenly vanished, leaving only a terrifying shockwave in her previous location.

In the next moment, Imu abruptly appeared in front of Nicholas and launched a fierce attack at him.

But she only hit an afterimage.

Almost simultaneously as Imu struck, a booming sound from her earlier burst of speed reached the distant sky.

Nicholas, who had dodged the attack, appeared behind Imu.

Clearly, both of them had ample battle experience, often predicting each other's next move based on subtle cues.

"You should be at your limit now…"

Nicholas said slowly as he stared at Imu, while the long sword in his hand mercilessly slashed down toward her.

Imu sensed the danger instantly, so before Nicholas finished speaking, her figure was already in motion.

The slash from Nicholas's long sword grazed past Imu, carving a huge rift in the ground of Mary Geoise below.

Nicholas had evidently noticed Imu's limits by now. With her powers constrained, what she could currently display was already her maximum.

Even the Beast Pills couldn't further enhance her strength at this point.

After all, her body wouldn't deteriorate like Hody Jones' did after using the Energy Steroids to temporarily boost his strength, only to become old and weak later.

But similarly, the Beast Pills have their limits and cannot indefinitely enhance her power.

Which means—

Now is the best time for Nicholas to utterly defeat Imu.

"Then let's end this now."

Nicholas, gripping his sword with both hands, assumed the starting stance for One Sword: Heaven's Burial, looking up at Imu with a smile.

The chirping of a thousand birds resounded through the air once more. Countless bolts of lightning, summoned by their king, gathered around Nicholas, their violent energy channeling into the long sword he held.

Seeing Nicholas's actions, Imu's expression turned grim. Clearly, she sensed the deadly threat from Nicholas's attack.

She wasn't sure if this time, Nicholas's sword would truly kill her.

After all, if she hadn't desperately defended herself against that previous slash, she would have been cut in two.

"…"

Silently, Imu decisively chose to retreat rapidly—her first time doing so since the battle began.

This move made Nicholas's eyes light up even more.

Imu, however, didn't notice the change in Nicholas's gaze. She could tell how threatening Nicholas's attack was to her and saw no reason to face it head-on.

At this moment, she no longer had the calm and composure she had before.

As long as she could hold on, once she regains her full strength, she would have no chance of losing in this war. Then she would unleash a purge far exceeding what she did a hundred years ago.

"Can you dodge this? One Sword…"

Nicholas channeled all his power, his gaze locked onto the retreating Imu in the sky.

"Heaven's Burial."

Before the words were finished, a figure like a dragon streaked across the sky.

In an instant, the dark clouds above split open, revealing a massive rift.

Everyone in Mary Geoise below, whether in shock or awe, looked up at the sky.

And that terrifying attack, filled with overwhelming energy, shot towards Imu at a speed almost too fast to see.

In the blink of an eye, the sky was engulfed in a blinding white light, as if a second sun hung overhead.

It was as if everything was swallowed by that dazzling white light.

Along with it, Imu's figure disappeared.

Boom—

After a brief silence, a terrifying roar erupted.

The impact area was so vast that many felt as if the massive Red Line itself had been shaken.

Several seconds later.

The blinding light in the sky receded, and a dead silence fell over the Holy Land.

A deep fissure that cut through the entire Red Line was particularly striking.

Throughout the Holy Land, everyone, without exception, looked up at the sky.

There, Nicholas stood tall in the sky.

All eyes on him were filled with indescribable shock.

Imu had been defeated…

Countless eyes were now focused on Nicholas.

Many of the Holy Land's guards lowered their weapons in confusion, unsure of how to fight against such a terrifying foe.

But Nicholas paid no attention to those gazes. He looked down at the abyss he had carved into the Red Line.

He knew that Imu wouldn't die so easily.

Under the puzzled gazes of the onlookers, Nicholas leaned forward and plunged into the abyss below.

"It's over."

Dragon retracted his Observation Haki. Although he didn't know what Nicholas intended to do, it was clear that the enemy's general had been defeated.

The situation was now straightforward. Realizing that this grand war could finally end, Dragon couldn't help but exhale deeply.

…

"So, this is what death feels like?"

In a pitch-black space, Imu's low voice echoed.

Suddenly.

One shadow after another slowly emerged from the darkness.

Meanwhile.

Imu's body continued to pierce through the rocks below, descending deeper and deeper, her body oozing blood.

"Merge into one. I will no longer try to control you, and in return, give me all your power!"

…

The Five Elders and a group of Celestial Dragons had barely recovered from Imu's defeat when they saw Nicholas, instead of attacking them, rushing towards the abyss where Imu had fallen.

Suddenly, a monstrous killing intent erupted.

Even in defeat, they intended to make these intruders pay a heavy price.

"We haven't lost yet!"

"Lady Imu won't be defeated so easily."

"Kill these bastards! If we can take them out, we still have a chance!"

"Kill! Kill! Kill!"