Chapter 118: Edie vs Imu!

"Saint Saturn!"

The cry of a nearby Marine commander echoed in disbelief as Saint Saturn, one of the revered Five Elders, was flung violently by Kaido's devastating strike. The immense force sent Saturn's body hurtling through the air, slamming into the blazing ruins of Pangaea Castle. The flames roared higher as debris rained down, painting a chaotic scene. The Marine commander stared, paralyzed with shock. How could one of the so-called gods be manhandled like this?

Unlike the Marines, the remaining four Five Elders remained unfazed, their cold, piercing gazes fixed on Kaido. There was no panic in their expressions—only an unsettling calm that promised retaliation.

Kaido, in his Awakened Hybrid form, stood motionless, his massive frame towering over the battlefield. His Azure-scaled body gleamed in the firelight, and his feral eyes locked on the blood splattered across the front of his kanabo. A flicker of curiosity crossed his face as the blood seemed to stir unnaturally, writhing as though alive.

The blood began to move, lifting off the weapon and drifting through the smoke-filled air back toward the fiery wreckage of the castle. From within the inferno, a hulking figure started to materialize, its grotesque silhouette growing clearer with each passing second.

A massive spider emerged, its lower body supported by six monstrous legs adorned with the distinctive swirling patterns of a Devil Fruit. The upper body was unmistakably Saint Saturn, his human form grotesquely fused with that of the arachnid. His dented skull and twisted features, evidence of Kaido's earlier strike, rapidly healed before everyone's eyes, the warped flesh resetting as though time itself had reversed.

"Mythical Zoan?" Kaido muttered, his deep voice tinged with intrigue. His gaze sharpened as he studied the monstrous figure before him. Despite the grotesque transformation, Saturn's aura was stronger, darker, and more oppressive than before.

Saint Saturn's cold, calculated gaze swept across the battlefield. "Do it." His voice, distorted by the spider-like transformation, rang out with authority. As his six legs carried him forward, the ground beneath them melted under the heat of the flames and the sheer pressure of his presence.

"Capture the white-haired man alive! I will deal with Kaido personally."

The Marines, hearing the command, seemed to awaken from their paralysis. They moved with precision and discipline, launching their attack. Rocket launchers were hoisted onto shoulders, their barrels aimed at [White], who continued to bounce and laugh maniacally in the distance.

The rockets flew, detonating mid-air to release massive nets laced with seastone, designed to neutralize Devil Fruit users. [White], mid-jump, tilted his head curiously at the incoming threat. His expression remained playful as he instinctively twisted his body, avoiding the nets in exaggerated, almost cartoonish movements.

"Ha ha ha ha!" [White] laughed, his voice echoing with unnatural glee. Launching himself higher into the air, his rubbery body seemed to stretch endlessly. With a wide grin, he raised his fist, which expanded rapidly into a colossal, cartoonish hand.

"Giant Pistol!"

The massive fist slammed into the ground with terrifying force. The Marines below, unable to dodge in time, screamed in terror as the impact compressed them into grotesque, pancake-like forms. Dust and debris shot into the air as the earth itself seemed to ripple from the blow.

In mid-air, [White] clutched his belly, laughing uncontrollably. "Hahahahaha~!" His childlike demeanor and nonsensical movements contrasted starkly with the devastation he left in his wake.

A Vice Admiral, gritting his teeth, launched himself toward [White] using Moonwalk. Drawing his saber, he accelerated with incredible speed, his blade aiming for [White]'s exposed chest. But [White], still chuckling, bent his body backward in an exaggerated arc, dodging the strike in a manner that defied logic.

Rolling mid-air, [White] countered with a sudden punch to the Vice Admiral's abdomen. The blow didn't penetrate but instead caused the man's stomach to cave in grotesquely, a massive bulge forming on his back before he crashed to the ground, coughing up stomach acid.

The Marines recoiled in horror, but their training took over. One by one, they used Moonwalk to ascend into the air, surrounding [White] with coordinated strikes. Yet their attacks seemed almost laughable against the whimsical yet terrifying force of Nika's powers.

Meanwhile, Saint Saturn's gaze shifted from [White] back to Kaido. His expression darkened, and his deep voice carried a chilling edge. "There's no doubt now. That is the Sun God Nika. But..." His lips curled into a cruel smirk. "It's incomplete. A failure of an awakening. Just a giggling idiot."

His declaration brought a measure of relief to the other Elders.

"Then we have nothing to fear," muttered Saint Mars, the Goatee Elder.

"As long as we capture him alive, the fruit will be ours again," added Saint Peter, his voice calm but tinged with malevolence.

The four Elders began to move, their forms swelling grotesquely as they activated their Devil Fruit abilities. Each transformation was horrifying, reminiscent of demons pulled from the depths of hell.

One Elder's form became a massive snake-like creature with serrated beak-like jaws, crimson wings, and a dripping red cockscomb that oozed viscous liquid. Another transformed into a golden, long-necked beast with a round, radiant head. The third became a monstrous boar with jagged tusks, its eyes gleaming with feral rage. The fourth, a sandworm-like abomination, writhed with grotesque movements, its body exuding black flames.

Their combined presence was suffocating, the air itself growing heavy with an oppressive aura of death and destruction.

Kaido, however, remained unfazed. His lips curled into a savage grin as he gripped his kanabo tighter. "Oh, oh, oh... the so-called gods of the world are nothing but beasts after all." His booming laughter echoed through the battlefield. "Compared to me, your titles are meaningless!"

The snake-like Elder, Saint Mars, hissed coldly. "Don't get cocky, pirate. You'll die here."

Kaido's eyes gleamed with unrestrained excitement. "Bring it on! Let's see who the real king of beasts is!"

The battle was about to erupt into chaos once again, with Kaido standing defiantly against the five monstrous forms of the Elders. The very foundations of the Holy Land trembled under the weight of their impending clash.

"Stand up!"

With a single command, the headless corpses, earlier destroyed by Saint Saturn, began to stir. Their fingers twitched, and one by one, they rose like puppets controlled by invisible strings. Black flames erupted at their feet, engulfing their bodies and transforming them into fiery minions seemingly summoned from hell.

The burning husks charged at Kaido without hesitation, joining the chaotic fray.

The Five Elders, now fully engaged, entered the battlefield.

Five-on-one, coupled with the relentless assault of countless smaller combatants, even Kaido, in his awakened hybrid form, struggled to keep up. But despite being overwhelmed, Kaido's absurd endurance and defense allowed him to weather the storm, still standing amidst the carnage.

In the skies above, Edie observed the battle with clinical detachment. After returning from Saint Saturn's quarters, he had stumbled upon this chaotic scene: Kaido, holding his own against the Five Elders in their mythical beast forms.

"Interesting... are they all Mythical Zoans?" Edie murmured, his sharp gaze fixed on the Elders.

Their transformations were grotesque, blending human and animal features in ways that defied standard Zoan evolution. Saturn, for instance, had the lower body of a spider and the upper body of a horned humanoid. Edie's mind raced, considering the possibilities.

Zoan: Spider-Spider Fruit, Model Gyūki? No…

Zoan: Human-Human Fruit, Model Gyūki? Neither feels right…

The forms before him didn't feel like mere Devil Fruit awakenings. There was something off.

"Sir Heavenly Father, Kaido appears to be at a disadvantage," said [Snake], Edie's subordinate, his tone eager. "Shall I intervene?"

Edie shook his head, his expression calm. "No. We're here to observe and collect data. Kaido is sufficient for now."

As the battle raged, the Five Elders began to reveal their powers.

The birdlike Elder, Saint Mars, summoned black flames and manipulated corpses with terrifying ease. His screeching blasts of destructive energy tore through the battlefield.

Another Elder, whose lower half resembled a skeletal horse, wielded the First Generation Kitetsu, a supreme-grade blade. His strikes exuded icy energy, freezing the air with each swing.

But what stood out most to Edie wasn't their destructive capabilities—it was their immortality.

No matter how devastating Kaido's attacks were, their injuries healed almost instantly. Saturn's crushed facial features would mend themselves within seconds, blood flowing back into wounds as if time itself reversed.

"Self-healing… no, this feels more like a reversal of causality," Edie muttered, narrowing his eyes. This isn't just Zoan regeneration. This is something else entirely.

His mind wandered to legends of ancient demons—creatures like Tot Musica, the unkillable demon sealed in Elegia's musical score. Could the Five Elders be manifestations of such beings?

Are they even human? Or are they the "demon" within their Devil Fruits?

Edie glanced at the battlefield's chaos, noting something peculiar: the Knights of God, who should have been protecting the Elders, were focused elsewhere. The Knights prioritized safeguarding the Celestial Dragons over aiding the Five Elders. Even Saint Figarland Garling was locked in a fierce battle with the Golden Lion Shiki, seemingly indifferent to the Elders' plight.

Suddenly, Edie's train of thought was interrupted.

Below, [White], who had been gleefully toying with a group of Marines, froze mid-laugh. His head snapped upward, his gaze locking onto Edie.

The carefree grin vanished, replaced by a look of pure fear.

"Um?" Edie tilted his head, intrigued.

The Vice Admiral on the ground followed [White]'s gaze and gasped. "Scientist Edie!"

At the mention of his name, all eyes turned skyward—Kaido, the Five Elders, and even the marines.

"You sensed my gaze instinctively? Impressive." Edie smirked, unaffected by the sudden attention.

Saint Saturn's expression darkened. "Rocks' clone..." His voice carried a mixture of anger and disbelief as he noticed [Snake], standing obediently behind Edie. "So, you're the mastermind!"

Before Saturn could act further, an explosion suddenly engulfed both Edie and [Snake]. The Marines cheered momentarily, only to freeze in shock when the smoke cleared.

Edie stood unharmed, brushing the dust off his coat.

"You've become quite troublesome," Saturn growled.

Edie chuckled and gave a simple command. "[White], kill him."

[White], trembling at the order, lunged toward Saturn, instinct overriding fear. His rubberized body bounced off the ground like a spring, launching him forward at blinding speed. In an instant, his fist slammed into Saturn's face, caving it in and sending the Elder hurtling backward.

"Why… is Nika taking orders?" murmured one of the remaining Elders, bewildered.

Kaido seized the opening, targeting Saint Mars with a devastating attack.

"Destroyer of Three Worlds: Ragnarök!"

The black-and-red lightning of Conqueror's Haki surged as Kaido's mace crushed Mars into the earth, creating a gigantic crater that spanned hundreds of meters.

[Snake] who fell from the sky was lying dead, with smoke still coming from his head. 

Seeing that he was about to be hit by falling debris, he jumped up suddenly and flew into the air.

He touched his nose and it was bleeding. 

"You're careless, Should have paid more attention to your surrounding's". Edie Remarked

[Snake] didn't react at all and relied on his physical body to resist the invisible blow from Saturn, but the power was only enough to make him bleed a little. 

"Heavenly Father...it doesn't matter if We kill them all Right?!" 

boom!!

A huge Wave of Conqueror's Haki burst out from the body of [Snake]. 

Energy levels as high as 400 billion have even produced physical effects that affected the world.

The earth shook, and the gravel on the ground even broke away from gravity and slowly floated toward the sky as the entirety of Mariejois Shook. 

Boom——!!

Strong vibrations were transmitted to Pangaea Castle and to the Void Throne. 

Meanwhile, at Pangaea Castle, the Void Throne remained eerily silent.

Tables and chairs kept falling over and glass breaking.

But then, seawater began to seep from the throne, cascading down the steps like a waterfall.

Imu, the enigmatic ruler, stood from her seat, her sharp, ringed eyes filled with quiet fury.

"It seems... I must intervene."

The seawater surrounding her rose unnaturally, forming tendrils that shot outward with deadly precision. Each arrow of water targeted different combatants across the battlefield, bypassing Devil Fruit defenses and striking true.

Even the Golden Lion Shiki, mid-battle with Garling, found himself overwhelmed by the sudden deluge as he was trapped in a water prison.

Above, Edie noticed the waves converging on him from all directions.

"ROOM."

With a flicker of invisible energy, Edie vanished right before the seawater sealed him, reappearing within the heart of the Void Throne.

The moment Edie appeared in the Void Throne chamber, the tension in the air thickened. Sea water swirled around the massive, dimly lit room, creating a haunting reflection of the flames flickering outside. The walls bore the scars of chaos, cracked and crumbling, while the faint echoes of distant battles reverberated through the corridors.

Imu stood at the center of the chamber, poised yet unnervingly serene, her figure illuminated by the eerie glow of the moonlight filtering through shattered windows. Her sharp, concentric eyes—an abyss of cold calculation and hidden wrath—fixed themselves upon Edie. She exuded an aura unlike anything Edie had encountered before, a blend of regality and an ancient, primal force.

Edie, undeterred, stood with his hands casually tucked into the pockets of his pristine white coat, his polished boots stepping lightly over the rippling seawater that blanketed the floor. His ever-present smile—a blend of amusement and intrigue—was now tinged with genuine fascination.

"It's the first time we've met… or rather, the first time for you," Edie said, his voice calm yet edged with deliberate provocation. "I've observed you before, through my Queen Bee monitoring system. I must admit, seeing you in person far exceeds my expectations."

Imu remained silent, her expression unreadable. Yet, the air around her seemed to pulse faintly, as if reacting to her restrained power. The seawater at her feet rippled outward in concentric circles, responding to her subtle movements as though it were an extension of her will.

Edie continued, taking a few slow steps closer, his boots splashing lightly against the water. "Your presence alone disrupts the natural order. I've never encountered seawater that behaves so… obediently. It's almost alive." He tilted his head, observing her closely, as if he were analyzing an experiment. "A being that commands the very essence of the sea… Tell me, Imu, What just are you?"

Imu's gaze did not waver. Instead, she raised one delicate hand, her fingers tracing a slow, deliberate arc through the air. At her gesture, the seawater around Edie suddenly surged, coiling upward like serpents poised to strike. Each tendril shimmered with unnatural energy, reflecting not just moonlight but a spectral glow that seemed to emanate from Imu herself.

"You've strayed too far, mortal," Imu finally spoke, her voice low yet resounding, as though layered with the echoes of countless lifetimes. "Your audacity amuses me, but your existence here… is a blasphemy I cannot permit."