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Sabo nodded.

Having made plans in advance, they had already rescued most of the slaves in the vicinity of this area.

There won't be any problems even if we evacuate.

And at that very moment—

An indescribable sense of oppression, like an invisible tsunami, swept in from the depths of Pangu City!

For a moment, the air froze.

The sounds of wind, fighting, and explosions—all sounds vanished in that instant.

On the battlefield, both the Straw Hat Pirates' soldiers and the World Government's army trembled involuntarily under this oppressive atmosphere.

The Five Elders also stopped what they were doing at that moment.

Their enormous mythical creature forms seemed to shrink in the face of this oppressive aura.

Green Ancient Saint's three faces simultaneously turned towards the direction of Pangu City, his eyes filled with unprecedented awe and fear.

"Lord Im..." he murmured, his voice trembling slightly.

Luffy, Zoro, and Sanji also felt the weight of that oppressive feeling at that moment.

“That guy…” Luffy’s voice lowered, but there was no fear in his eyes. Instead, a fiercer fighting spirit burned within him. “Is he the Im that V mentioned?”

At the top of the clock tower, V's gaze remained fixed on the depths of Pangu City.

In his brain-computer interface, dozens of data analysis streams were flowing wildly, constructing an energy fluctuation model of the shadow deep within Pangu City.

"Finally couldn't hold back anymore..." V murmured to himself, lightly tapping his fingertip on the brain-computer interface, and a command was swiftly sent to the minds of all the Straw Hat Pirates members—

"Everyone, leave the main battlefield. Leave the Five Elders to Luffy and his crew."

"Next—it's my turn to make a move."

As soon as he finished speaking, V leaned forward slightly and, like a white lightning bolt, leaped straight down from the top of the clock tower!

His figure drew a perfect arc in the air, the hem of his white coat fluttering in the air like unfolded white wings.

The next second, V landed steadily on the ruined square in front of Pangu City, standing in front of Luffy, Zoro, and Sanji.

"V!" Luffy exclaimed in surprise, "How did you get down here?"

“Because if we don’t make a move,” V turned to look at him, a faint but confident smile playing on his lips, “the protagonist of this show will steal your thunder.”

His voice was calm, yet it carried a reassuring power.

"Is it alright to hand over the Five Elders to you?"

Luffy grinned, his eyes gleaming with determination: "Of course!"

Zoro slowly drew his sword, its blade gleaming coldly in the moonlight: "Do I even need to ask about an opponent of this caliber?!"

Sanji lit a new cigarette and took a deep drag: "Go do your thing."

V nodded, then turned to face the impenetrable darkness deep within Pangu City.

“Im—”

"Eight hundred years is enough for a dynasty to decay, enough for an order to collapse, and enough for a world to wait to be changed."

"And you—"

"Are you ready?"

The moment the words fell, the thick, impenetrable shadow deep within Pangu City began to surge violently!

It was as if something that had been sleeping in the abyss had finally awakened.

In the deepest shadows of Pangu City, a tall, slender figure slowly rose to his feet.

The moment that figure rose from the Void Throne, the temperature of the entire palace seemed to drop by ten degrees.

The candlelight on the wall flickered, casting distorted shadows that danced on the ancient murals.

Im's steps were light, yet each step caused ripples to spread across the marble floor.

His appearance was always shrouded in an eerie mist, as if even the light was unwilling to touch his true face.

"You... are V..."

Chapter 269 The Final Battle (Part 1)

The voice came from the mist, as calm as a stagnant pool, yet it carried a sense of oppression that struck straight to the soul.

"So the coward has finally come out?" A calm smile appeared on V's lips. "I thought you would stay hidden in the shadows and watch your Five Elders fall one by one."

Im's figure swayed slightly in the mist, like a candle flame flickering in the wind.

“You… are very interesting.” Im’s voice remained calm, yet carried an indescribable chill. “You seem to know a lot of things.”

“Just a little bit.” V shrugged, his tone as casual as if he were chatting about everyday things. “But that kind of thing isn’t important.”

"In the end... we still have to rely on strength to decide the winner, don't we?"

“You’re right!” Im’s tone remained unchanged, as if the two were genuinely having a conversation.

However, the next second...

An overwhelming aura of dominance suddenly erupted from the two of them!

Thunder and flames surged around V.

Silvery-white arcs of electricity snaked across his body, crackling and popping, while crimson flames burst forth from his pores, scorching and distorting the surrounding air.

Thunder and flames intertwined, forming a massive vortex behind him, a scene reminiscent of the apocalypse.

On Im's side, however, the scene was completely different.

Dark flames surged from the void, coiling around his body like living things.

The flames had no heat, yet they exuded a chilling aura capable of freezing the soul—wherever the black flames passed, even light was swallowed up, leaving behind a pure void.

The earth melted silently under the licking of the black flames, leaving no trace, as if it had never existed.

"Is this...your power?" V's voice rang out amidst the roar of thunder and flames, yet remained clear and composed.

Im's figure appeared and disappeared in the black flames, and his eyes, hidden in the mist, seemed to be two deep black holes spinning inside.

“You…make me feel a sense of threat.” Im’s voice remained calm, but there was a hint of seriousness in it. “In eight hundred years, you are the first person to make me feel this way.”

“Then I am honored.” V’s smile deepened as he slowly raised his right hand, a swirling ball of lightning and fire forming in his palm. “However, simply feeling threatened is not enough for you to win this battle.”

The moment the words left his mouth, V vanished!

The next second, he appeared in front of Im, and the ball of lightning and fire in his right hand suddenly expanded, turning into a terrifying beam of light several meters in diameter, which slammed down towards Im's face!

"Thunderfire - Heavenly Punishment!"

boom--!!!

A violent explosion resounded through the sky, and the shockwave from the collision of light and darkness completely leveled the surrounding ruins.

With just this one attack, V's strength far surpasses that of the Four Emperors and the Marine Admirals.

However, amidst the billowing smoke and dust, Im's figure remained motionless.

The black flames condensed into an invisible barrier in front of him, completely blocking V's lightning and fire attack.

“Not bad attack,” Im said slowly, a hint of amusement in his voice, “but not enough.”

He raised his hand and waved it, and endless black flames swept towards V like a tidal wave!

V's eyes narrowed, and his body drew a strange arc in the air, narrowly avoiding being devoured by the black flames.

The black flames landed on a ruin behind him—the ruin vanished in an instant, leaving not a trace of ash.

"What terrifying power." V murmured in admiration, but his eyes gleamed with excitement. "No wonder it has ruled the world for eight hundred years."

“However—” he paused, and the lightning and flames around him suddenly surged, “I’m not so easy to deal with either!”

"Thunderfire Divine Realm Unveiled!"

As V finished speaking, a domain woven from lightning and flames suddenly expanded outwards from him!

Within the domain, lightning moved like dragons and snakes, and flames surged like ocean waves, repelling all forces that did not belong to V.

When Im's black flames came into contact with V's domain, they made a hissing sound, as if two completely different forces were fiercely clashing.

“Interesting…” Im’s voice held a hint of interest for the first time. “I never expected that you could fuse two completely different powers so perfectly.”

"Thank you for the compliment." V's lips curled into a confident smile. "However, this is just the beginning."

He took a deep breath and slowly clasped his hands together in front of his chest.

Thunder and flames gathered, swirled, and merged in his palm—

Ultimately, it transformed into a long spear forged from lightning and fire.

The spear was entirely silver-white, with crimson flame patterns swirling around its shaft, and its tip flashed with blinding lightning, as if it could pierce through anything.

"Thunderfire Divine Spear - Breaking Boundaries!"

The Thunderfire Spear in V's hand shone brightly in the moonlight, its shaft trembling and emitting a deep hum, as if it were alive and waiting to unleash its destructive power.

Im's black flames rolled at the edge of V's domain, making a hissing sound. The two completely different forces collided fiercely in the void, blooming with a dazzling light like the aurora.

"Break it—for me!!!"

V's voice boomed like thunder as he hurled his lightning-fire spear!

The moment the spear left V's hand, it transformed into a silver-white lightning bolt, carrying a terrifying power capable of tearing through space, and thrust straight toward the black flame barrier on Im's chest!

Wherever the spear tip passed, the air was torn apart, and space itself seemed to distort, leaving a dark crack.

Im's gaze, hidden in the mist, sharpened slightly, and a rare hint of seriousness flashed in his black hole-like eyes.

He raised his hand, fingers spread wide—

Endless black flames condensed before him, transforming into a pitch-black vortex. The depths of the vortex seemed to connect to another dimension, emanating a suction force that sent shivers down one's spine.

The moment the Thunderfire Spear crashed into the vortex of black flames, the entire battlefield seemed to freeze for a second.

next moment--