Chapter 161 Terrible Im, Seriously Injured Five Elders!

"Kill! As long as you kill one Celestial Dragon, you can join the Ghost Pirates!"

"Find them! There must be other Celestial Dragons in the Golden City!"

"Search every corner! Just kill one, and Laozi won't fear anyone!"

"Get out of my way! Don't fight me. Celestial Dragons are Laozi's prey!"

"Who cares about you? Whoever finds them first gets the prize!"

Countless pirates surged aggressively to every corner of the Golden City.

The hunt had officially begun, and the prey was none other than the so-called nobles of the world—the Celestial Dragons!

The Celestial Dragons in the Golden City were in a desperate situation. Not only pirates but also certain royal families and nobles who held a deep hatred for the Celestial Dragons took the opportunity to join the chaos. They sought to personally eliminate a Celestial Dragon, relishing the prospect of revenge.

For the chance to gain Lucifer's protection, they were willing to disregard the inevitable wrath of the World Government.

In an instant, the Gold Casino was emptied, leaving only Lucifer and the Marines behind.

"Explode!"

With a single word, Lucifer activated his Word Spirit Fruit ability. An invisible force swept through the Marines like an unstoppable storm.

Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang!

One by one, the Marines' bodies exploded into bloody fragments, scattering flesh and blood in every direction. They didn't even have the chance to scream before meeting their end.

The severely injured Marine Vice Admiral managed a brief, agonized cry, but after struggling twice, his body burst into pieces, leaving no remains.

Ding! Host killed Marine Vice Admiral Pedler and earned 30,000 holy points.

Ding! Host killed Marine Colonel and earned 2,701 killing points.

Ding! Host killed Marine Colonel and earned 2,400 killing points.

Ding! Host killed Marine Colonel and earned 2,500 killing points.

Properties Panel:

Host: Lucifer

Age: 24

Devil Fruit: Auspicious Fruit (Awakened)

Physique: Hell Devil

Armament Haki: Domain

Observation Haki: Domain

Conqueror's Haki: Domain

Killing Points: 708,000

With this wave of carnage, Lucifer had gained over 40,000 additional killing points. Not a bad haul.

The slain Marines were ordinary Vice Admirals from Naval Headquarters, far inferior in strength compared to elite Vice Admirals like Ghost Spider and Doberman.

"Let's go. Head to Tezoro's palace."

Lucifer smirked playfully. "After all this chaos, he still hasn't made an appearance. What a master of patience."

He led Enel and the others towards the core of the Golden City.

Though it was Lucifer's first visit to the Golden City, his Observation Haki made it easy to pinpoint Tezoro's exact location.

Naval Headquarters, Marineford

"Damn it! Is it Lucifer again?"

Sengoku leaned heavily on his desk, his hands trembling as he struggled to keep his composure. His back felt stiff, though not from physical pain, but from sheer frustration and exhaustion.

He had just received the report—the Celestial Dragons in the Golden City were being targeted and slaughtered. He was at a loss for what to do.

The World Draft was still ongoing, and Naval Headquarters hadn't fully recovered its strength. The Marines were in no condition to confront the Ghost Pirates.

Bru bru bru! Bru bru bru!

The shrill ring of a Den Den Mushi filled the air. Sengoku sighed deeply. Without answering, he already knew who was calling.

Vice Admiral Tsuru, standing nearby, urged him, "You should answer it. Ignoring it won't change anything."

Reluctantly, Sengoku picked up the receiver.

"Sengoku, you're aware of the situation in the Golden City, correct?"

"Yes. I've just received the report. I was preparing to send troops, but—"

"No need."

Before Sengoku could finish, the voice on the other end, one of the Five Elders, interrupted him sharply.

"Marine is not to interfere in the Golden City. For now, restoring Marine's strength remains the top priority."

Sengoku froze, wide-eyed. Did he hear that correctly? The Five Elders were ordering him not to act?

"The Celestial Dragons are not our concern right now," the voice continued, as if anticipating Sengoku's doubts. "It's too late for Marine to intervene anyway. We've received confirmation—the thirteen Celestial Dragons who traveled to the Golden City have all been killed."

"The identity of the culprit will be sent to you shortly. Immediately issue a bounty."

With that, the Five Elders hung up abruptly.

Sengoku stared at the receiver in disbelief, then exchanged incredulous glances with Tsuru.

"Did the Five Elders take some kind of strange medicine today?" he muttered, unable to hide his confusion. Their decision was unprecedented.

Still, Sengoku couldn't deny his relief. As much as the Celestial Dragons were a headache to deal with, they were now someone else's problem.

He sighed, sinking back into his chair. For once, ignoring their plight seemed like a blessing in disguise.

Holy Land Mariejois

The Five Elders, who had just ended the call, hurried toward the depths of the underground core of Pangaea Castle.

Under normal circumstances, they would have immediately dispatched the Marines to rescue the Celestial Dragons. Even if the Celestial Dragons were dead, retrieving their corpses was a priority.

But this time, the order didn't come from them. It came from the one above them.

Since the breakout at Impel Down, the Five Elders had developed an unrelenting fear of Lucifer. The situation had spiraled out of control, and now they were forced to resort to their final measure—awakening Lord Im.

Today, Im had awakened.

The Five Elders entered the Hall of Emptiness, and a suffocating aura enveloped them instantly. None dared to resist the oppressive presence. They fell to their knees before the Empty Throne.

Sitting on the throne was Im, surrounded by countless sharp swords protruding from its base. The atmosphere was heavy with a terrifying, ancient aura.

Im's eyes were cold and emotionless—neither joy nor sorrow lingered within them. It was the indifference born from ruling over 800 years.

"You've let me down," Im's voice reverberated through the hall, sending chills down the spines of the Five Elders. They trembled, lowering their heads further until they touched the ground.

"We deeply apologize, Lord Im. This failure is entirely due to our incompetence!"

"We are ashamed beyond measure for disturbing your rest!"

All five trembled like leaves, drenched in sweat. The pride, dignity, and authority they wielded vanished in the face of overwhelming terror.

"Hmph!"

A cold snort resounded like thunder, and in the next instant, an invisible force struck the Five Elders, sending them hurtling backward.

They hit the ground hard, coughing up blood. Groaning in pain, they scrambled to their knees once more, dragging their battered bodies to prostrate before Im.

Despite their injuries—organs damaged and blood pooling inside—they didn't dare to complain or even wipe the blood from their faces.

Im's eyes narrowed as he asked, "Is the disturbance this time caused by someone from the D family?"

"No... no, it's not," the curly-haired Elder stammered. "This individual does not belong to the D family. He is... an ordinary human."

"An ordinary human?"

Im's pupils contracted as the curly-haired Elder was suddenly sent flying, his chest caving in with a sickening crunch.

"An ordinary human? You awakened me for this? Has your incompetence reached such depths?"

"I granted you supreme power and unrivaled status. Your only task was to tend to my garden. Yet you fail even in such a simple duty?"

"If you are so incapable, what right do you have to live in this world?"

A terrifying pressure erupted, pinning the Five Elders to the ground. Their bodies were flattened as though crushed beneath an invisible mountain.

"Mercy, Lord Im! Please grant us another chance!"

The long-haired Elder tried to plead, but his words only earned him a harsher punishment.

Boom!

The long-haired Elder was flung into the air, blood spewing from his mouth.

"I didn't permit you to speak. Have you forgotten your place after years of arrogance?"

Im's voice was devoid of emotion, yet it sent shivers down their spines.

The pressure intensified further, their bones cracking, their bodies breaking apart, and blood pooling beneath them. Consciousness slipped from their grasp, teetering on the edge of death.

Even so, none dared use Armament Haki to defend themselves or attempt to resist. They knew all too well the futility of opposing Im's power. Any sign of defiance would only hasten their deaths.

Finally, the crushing weight lifted as Im's voice echoed one last time.

"I will give you one final chance. Do not fail me again."

With that, Im vanished from the Empty Throne.

Even though the overwhelming presence had disappeared, the Five Elders remained kneeling, too terrified to move. They held their breaths, ensuring even the faintest sound would not escape.

After what felt like an eternity, they slowly and cautiously rose, supporting one another as they limped out of the Hall of Emptiness.

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