The Only Way Is Forward I

...........

Chapter 171: The Only Way Is Forward I

...........

Going through with his plans was a way to make sure he never looks back, just like what Yovan is allowing to happen right now.

Loki's eyes trembled as he couldn't help but close them in fear, but even if he had closed them, the hammer didn't disappear, it was still being brought down upon him.

He could feel its pressure descending upon him before the hammer did, making him realize that he will die, no doubt.

All his preparations. All his preparations. All were for naught, meaningless. His life was also for naught for if he couldn't achieve what he so desperately desire, then what's the point?

He prepared a long in a three decade long plan, but not even in his wildest imagination did he expect Ymir to be so strong.

Loki already believes himself to be one of the strongest individuals in the entire world, yet he felt powerless before Ymir.

Unfortunately, there is nothing that can save him, there is no power he was he was hiding that can turn the table around... He was done.

Death, however, didn't choose to visit Loki just yet, something he realized as he felt the ground beneath him shake, the wind howl, and space crack.

He felt a chilling coldness surrounding him, and heard strange sounds around, causing him to open his eyes, and find himself faced with Ymir, the latter just looking at him.

Loki could see black lines running through Ymir's face, looking quite sickly as if the blood in his veins turned black with poison.

He could see that Ymir brought down the hammer at the ground by his side with such monstrous control that it barely affected him, but it certainly affected that direction.

As far as Loki could see, there was destruction among numerous Ice stretching toward the Treasure Tree Adam.

In fact, much to his dismay, the Ice spikes seemed to be stretching so far above the clouds that they might just rival the Tree in height, a tree that's miles tall.

Only then did Loki realize that Ymir didn't take him seriously at all, and never intended to kill him, "Loki... Take care of Elbaf... Be good to your own people, and don't lose yourself amidst your ambitions."

Loki's stupor came to a stark halt as he did nothing but listen to the words of the dying Ymir, "I leave this to you... Its name is íss. Take good care of it, and always overestimate your..."

Ymir carefully put his hammer right on Loki's chest, leaving behind his last words before the poison caught up to him.

The King of Giants, Ymir, a legend that lived for a thousand years died at the hands of his son.

Maybe if it was anyone else but Yovan around, they would've interfered. Things would've gone a bit differently, but Yovan very much enjoyed the play.

He like Loki understands that he needs to take a step forward to never look back, to make it so the only way is forward.

'Did he realize it?' Loki remained speechless for a while after, frozen in his place, not knowing what to make of things, 'Did he realize that I never poisoned him? That it's just my awakening? So why? Why did he let himself go?'

Loki was confused, perplexed, a mess of emotions swirling widely within him, but most importantly, he felt like he wanted to cry, like tears sought to escape the prison that's his eyes but couldn't.

He stopped himself from crying as he grasped the enormous hammer, 'Ahh, father, you left me a lot of responsibilities... Is this what you really wanted? However, I can only swear on one thing, I will protect Elbaf till the day I die.'

Loki stood up with difficulty, feeling his body trembling, unsure whether it was because of fear of death, or the coldness in the air.

With his trembling hands, he pulled along the enormous hammer before picking up something from the ground, Ymir's eyepatch, grasping it tightly.

"Always overestimate your enemies," Loki murmured as he eyed a certain individual that was watching from afar, none other than Yovan, "Was he talking about you? Did he see something I didn't?"

He first assumed that Yovan was in his illusion, seeing what he allows him to see, but Ymir's words made him reconsider.

"Why do you not speak?" Loki asked with a frown, seeing Yovan's strange calmness and silence, "Could it be?" Without ado, Loki threw his hammer, the latter flying according to his will.

The moment Ymir passed on the hammer to him, he felt a connection to it, like he can control it with his will, or more specifically, his conqueror's Haki, so he did just that.

The enormous hammer was far bigger than Yovan. It's after all a weapon of giants, and it right through him, not because It's that strong but because Yovan turned into a bunch of feathers.

Or as Loki noticed, Yovan was never there in the first place, he created something like a clone with his feathers, deceiving even Loki but not Ymir.

"So he was never under my illusion?" Loki's frown deepened, realizing that he was careless, "But where is he? Could he have noticed?"

Indeed, Yovan had noticed long ago, albeit a bit too late. How could he not when an old friend appeared on his Ship much to the dismay of the Strangers?

The Strangers split up, Yovan going with Loki and the rest going back to the Ship. They found someone waiting for them on the ship, a tall woman, although her face was hidden by a veil.

The Strangers instantly became wary, ready for a fight, and she seemed ready as well as she had a saber in her hand.

"Who..." If the Strangers wanted to say something, they couldn't, not as the invader took a step forward, and almost instantly, most of the Strangers fell to their knees.

It was incomprehensible, especially to Reiju who was still standing, seemingly unaffected by whatever the invader had done.

The Strangers felt powerless, unable to move a muscle. Just like that, they lost. There was no majestic battle to be seen, no excitement, only overwhelming powerlessness.

To some of them, it was a very familiar feeling, the feeling they get when in water, the curse of Devil Fruit users, losing control of their body when in water, but they weren't.

It was a suffocating feeling, but a few of them persevered through it, able to think clearly of who stood before them.

They remembered Yovan's story about the person who rules the world, whom the Empty Throne belongs to, none other than Im.

Reiju couldn't react to Im's mirage-like steps, suddenly standing before Laffitte, and slowly but surely, her saber went through his chest, exactly through his heart, and he watched it all happen.

The only one able to react was strangely Antarisa as she leaped toward Im, her fangs ready to slice the latter's head to shreds.

Im needed only to lift her other hand to hold Antarisa's face in place, the latter writhing in pain, just like Reiju.

Reiju and Antarisa weren't Devil Fruit users, yet Im's powers still affected them, seemingly trying to pull the water right out of them by force, destroying their bodies inside out.

Antarisa, however, still struggled fiercely, persevering through the pain and gaining freedom only to leap at Im once again.

Im ruthlessly pulled out her saber from Laffitte's chest before stepping back, facing Antarisa who chose to stand between her and Laffitte, seemingly protecting him.

"Luhahhahah hem, I'm dying," Laffitte noted with a laugh, side-glancing at the stunned Bege, "I alw... I always thought you'd die and I'd go on a revenge story for you, but... This is better, no?"

The man of chaos persisted only to say those words before letting himself go... He couldn't hold on, not with such a fatal injury.

Im remained emotionless to it all as she took a step forward, changing her target to someone else only for Antarisa to interfere again.

However, this time was different. This time Im vanished like a fading mirage, appearing before Antarisa only to hold her by her golden antlers, and followed was a stab to the head.

That stab would suddenly come to a stark halt, forcefully stopped by a pale hand, the hand of Yovan who had just appeared, coldly saying, "Im, just what do you think you're doing?"