"Hmm, so you're their leader? And you actually dare to rebel against a god?" Imu spoke coldly, her voice devoid of warmth.
"Heh... a god?" Guy chuckled darkly at her words. "You're nothing more than a ridiculous traitor who's gotten delusions of grandeur. Actually started believing your own lies, huh?" His eyes narrowed as he looked her up and down. He had half-expected someone with a bit of backbone, but now he just saw a fool intoxicated by her own power.
The word traitor hit Imu like a whip. Her composure instantly shattered. Gone was the calm, aloof sovereign—what replaced her was a bloodshot fury. "What did you just say?" she hissed, her killing intent erupting like a tidal wave, locking firmly onto Guy.
"Traitor, you deaf piece of trash." Guy grinned with vicious mockery.
"Then go die—Chrono Decay!" Imu flung her hand forward, and in an instant, golden energy burst from her palm, engulfing Guy in a radiant stream of light.
"Everything... and everyone… is powerless against the passage of time," she declared with a twisted smile. "Wither away under its flow. Die of old age, and crumble into dust."
And yet, in the next second, her triumphant expression froze.
Guy walked out of the golden stream of time like it was nothing more than a gentle breeze.
"Disappointed?" he asked dryly, brushing some imaginary dust off his shoulder. "Word of advice—I'm one of the Primordial Demons. Your little 'Chrono Decay' trick? It's like playing house to me. Time magic of that level doesn't even scratch the surface of what's needed to hurt me. I mean, did you even train with that fruit, you dirty little joke?"
Without warning, Guy vanished and reappeared right in front of Imu. A dazzling magic circle lit up beneath their feet, radiating ominous energy.
"Magic—Demon's Cage!"
A massive prison inscribed with ancient, cryptic runes descended from above, trapping the two of them inside.
"What is this?" Imu snarled, teleporting a few meters back instinctively.
"Just a little spell. Only one of us is getting out alive. Now," Guy said with a smile that could chill blood, "struggle all you want. It'll make this more fun."
"I am the king of the Celestial Dragons! A creator! You think I'll lose to some lowly demon like you? Die—Eternal Moment!"
With that cry, Imu activated her Time Fruit's ultimate power. The world inside the cage froze—time itself halted, and only she could move. Her body was suddenly coated in a dense, obsidian-black armor, her Haki solidifying into a full suit. Her fists turned into hurricanes of destruction as she pounded Guy mercilessly.
A few seconds later, time resumed.
Imu leapt back, bloodlust radiating from her every pore.
Guy stood still, now bleeding slightly, his face grim. "Tch. What an annoying ability."
Then his lips curved into a grin. "But that's what makes it interesting, don't you think?" His magic flared explosively, crashing against the oppressive force of Imu's Conqueror's Haki.
The two clashed again.
To be fair, Imu was powerful. Eight hundred years of cultivating Haki and mastering the Time Fruit made her a monster. Worse, she kept abusing her time-stopping ability to interrupt Guy's momentum. For the first time in a long while, the Primordial Demon was on the back foot.
Meanwhile, the battlefield outside began to... change.
"Hey!" Garp shouted while dodging and throwing casual punches. "Little miss, what's your name?"
"Shion. Why do you care? Aren't we fighting right now?" she asked as she deflected a punch with noticeably less force than before.
"Aww, don't be like that," Garp laughed. "To be honest, I kinda wanna see the World Government fall too. And all this fighting is such a pain, right? How about we both just... pretend for a bit? Fighting all-out is exhausting."
Shion blinked in surprise but didn't respond right away. Still, her weakening blows spoke volumes.
The two continued their 'fierce' duel, but in reality? Neither was even breaking a sweat.
"The hell is Garp doing? Chatting with the enemy now?" Sengoku grumbled from afar. "Isn't he supposed to be a Marine?"
"Oi! Sengoku!" Whitebeard bellowed with a wide grin, charging in with his naginata raised. "You better start swinging with some force, old man!"
"Damn it, stop trying to actually kill me!" Sengoku gritted his teeth as he blocked the massive slash. "Why am I the one stuck fighting this lunatic? I can't even slack off!"
"Hey, wanna fake a fight too?" Roger called out to Kong with a smile, ignoring the annoyed scowl forming on the other man's face.
After a long pause, just as Roger thought Kong would try to kill him seriously, the man muttered a single word: "Fine."
And just like that, the battlefield had two more expert slackers.
Not everyone joined the acting crew, though.
The two CP9 leaders, diehard loyalists of the World Government, fought with unmatched fury. Unfortunately, their passion didn't help much against their opponents—Hakurou and Benimaru, who absolutely mopped the floor with them.
"Blazing Ash!"
With a roar, Benimaru unleashed a wave of ethereal white flames. A flaming domain erupted, completely engulfing the CP9 commander. Screams echoed. When the fire finally receded, nothing remained but ashes.
"Pfft. Honestly, with that level of strength, they shouldn't have lasted this long," Benimaru muttered, resting his blade on his shoulder. His gaze drifted to the distance, narrowing with mild irritation. "Hmph, those guys are totally slacking off again."
He turned his focus back to the fight, his eyes locking onto the next wave of enemies. A visible shiver ran down their spines under his cold stare.
"Let's hope those slackers finish their fight soon."