The natural system started off strong, but the navy finally reached its peak!

It was this moment of intense emotional fluctuation and a void in one's mental defenses!

“It’s done.” Im’s consciousness whispered coldly.

On the soft couch, that dense shadow representing Im's primary will and power...

It began to peel and shrink like flowing water, following those tentacles.

At an astonishing speed, it surged toward Blackbeard's body, especially toward his pupils that were gradually losing focus!

"Uh... Ahhh..."

Blackbeard's body trembled violently, emitting unintelligible hoarse sounds.

In just a few breaths.

The shadows on the soft couch... vanished completely.

Within the flower garden, only the unchanging, false light, the cloying fragrance of flowers, and the babbling brook remain.

as well as……

Marshall D. Teach, who had been kneeling on the ground, slowly rose to his feet with a stiffness and sluggishness completely different from Blackbeard's usual demeanor.

He kept his head down and remained motionless.

A few seconds later.

He raised his head.

Those eyes... were no longer the original color of Blackbeard.

Marshall D. Teach's lips were pulled to the sides, eventually forming a completely unfamiliar shape...

smile.

[Im's Will, fueled by Blackbeard's intense emotional reaction to the truth that "his father Rocks was being manipulated to hunt him down."]

They successfully broke through its mental defenses and completed the initial occupation and fusion of "Blackbeard's" body.

A new "Im-Blackbeard" complex has been born.

Chapter 722 Waiting for You

Junzi stepped into the flower garden with lighter and more cautious steps than ever before.

At the same time, my gaze instinctively and immediately fell upon that eternally soft couch.

But it's empty.

That shadow, which had lingered for eight hundred years and symbolized the ultimate power and source of terror in the world, has vanished.

Junzi's heart skipped a beat upon seeing this, but years of service and his understanding of Im's methods...

This made her instantly look away and focus her gaze on the figure standing with his back to her in front of the soft couch.

Tall and slightly overweight, with a sturdy body beneath tattered clothes and a head of black curly hair...

It's Blackbeard Marshall D. Teach.

But their temperaments are completely different.

Gone is Blackbeard's signature arrogance, cunning, and restless, calculating nature.

Instead, there is a stillness.

"grown ups."

Junzi instantly suppressed all the surging emotions in his heart and called out softly in the most respectful manner and tone.

The figure slowly turned around.

It was Blackbeard's face, his features unchanged, his missing tooth still grinning, but the expression on his face... made Junzi feel a strong sense of unease.

That wasn't any of Blackbeard's usual expressions.

It was not a greedy laugh, not a sinister scheme, not a twisted rage, and not even a feigned humility.

Instead, it's calm yet refreshing.

It's like someone who has just put on a perfectly fitting, highly functional new outfit and is carefully experiencing its material and performance.

"You've arrived."

The voice was Blackbeard's, but the tone carried a condescending rhythm.

Blackbeard raised his hands and held them in front of his eyes, admiring them.

In the palm of his left hand, a deep, seemingly light-devouring darkness silently emerged—the Dark Fruit.

With a gentle clench of his right hand, the surrounding air immediately trembled and hummed, and a pale halo flowed around his fist—the Tremor Fruit.

Immediately afterwards, a surge of Conqueror's Haki spread out from him, not as a deliberate attempt to exert pressure.

Yet, it caused the exotic flowers and rare herbs among the plants to bow down instantly, and the stream to ripple unnaturally.

Junzi felt as if he couldn't breathe!

"Um……"

Blackbeard tilted his head slightly and uttered a satisfied syllable.

"This body... is amazing."

The design is ingenious.

It's not just an 'alien' compatible with two Devil Fruits, but also possesses a deep-seated thirst for and capacity to withstand 'power'.

David was practically a breeding ground for Mu's will.

Im stretched his neck, making a slight clicking sound, his tone carrying a rare hint of ease.

"Especially after taking over, the pain of having one's soul burned by those eerie flames..."

In the blink of an eye, it vanished completely.

It's very comfortable.

He seemed to be talking to himself, or perhaps explaining something to Junzi.

Junzi kept his head down, watching everything out of the corner of his eye.

Looking at that face belonging to Blackbeard, full of wildness and ruggedness, yet now displaying such a calm, even indifferent expression.

Hearing those incongruous words spoken in that black-bearded voice...

The intense sense of disconnect and eeriness sent a chill down her spine.

This is even more unsettling than facing Im in his shadow form.

Because the image of "Blackbeard" is too specific.

But Im's will is too profound.

The combination of the two creates an uncanny valley effect that is difficult to describe.

But she still forced herself to suppress all discomfort, lowered her head even further, and reported the important matter.

"My lord, the remaining members of the Knights of God, as well as all available defensive forces of the Holy Land, have been redeployed according to the previous orders."

The key points of the defense are the important passages and the perimeter of the flower garden in Pangu City.

From the Navy Headquarters, our sources have sent vague information.

They should be conducting a large-scale pre-war mobilization.

It is expected that most of the top-tier combat forces will be deployed, and the offensive may be extremely fierce in a short period of time.

She presented the current situation as concisely and clearly as possible, highlighting the crisis.

It's just a pity...

"Hmm, there's no need to know that."

Im frowned.

This gesture looked particularly strange on Blackbeard's face.

He turned his head and glanced indifferently at Junzi, who was kneeling on the ground.

There was not a trace of worry about the impending battle in his eyes.

There was also no recognition of subordinates' due diligence reports.

There was only a pure, extreme impatience, like looking down on ants.

"These are matters concerning you, the Five Elders, and the Knights of God."

Im's voice remained steady.

"Do you have the right... to complain to Mother?"

He softly repeated the word "complain," his mocking tone like a whip lashing at Junzi's heart.

Yes, complaining.

According to Im, Junzi's report indicated an approaching powerful enemy and a shortage of troops.

It's not a "strategic problem" that requires his attention or resolution as a "god."

Instead, it's a problem that the slaves and tools below should handle themselves, and they're even complaining to him about their incompetence!

The Celestial Dragons view all living beings as inferiors.

Im, who stands above all the Celestial Dragons and calls himself the "Creator," has an even stronger mentality!

In his eyes, the Five Elders were nothing more than slightly higher-ranking contracted servants.

The Knight of God is the watchdog, and Junzi is the messenger.

Their purpose is to carry out orders and solve problems, not to throw problems at them.

"I wouldn't dare!" Junzi's forehead was almost touching the cold ground, his voice trembling.

She realized her "overstepping" was wrong.

In Im's mind, all she needed to do was convey the final command and receive the final result.

The process and difficulties in between are not worth mentioning at all; in fact, mentioning them is an offense.

"Hmph." Im let out a short, nasal sound, no longer looking at her.

He then turned his gaze to the area outside the flowers.

"Mmm, I'll be here... waiting for Tianzhen."

His tone returned to its usual calm, yet it contained a chilling anticipation and absolute confidence.

"You can handle the rest."

The final sentence, falling lightly, set the tone for this report and for the impending fate of the Holy Land.

"Yes."

Junzi bowed deeply, not daring to utter another word. Maintaining the most submissive posture, he slowly rose, backed away, and quietly left the flower garden.

As she stepped back into the corridor outside the Hall of Power, she sensed the faint sounds coming from afar.

Amidst the clamor of the Holy Land's garrison preparing for battle, my heart felt icy cold.

She knew that Lord Im (or rather, the being who possessed Blackbeard's body) did not disregard this war.

On the contrary, he attached great importance to it, so much so that he personally intervened and changed the "container".

But the only "opponent" he cared about was Gern Reginald Sigma, or rather, this "variable".

As for the Holy Land, the Celestial Dragons, the Knights of God, and even the survival of their servants...

In Im's eyes, it might really just be an unimportant "other thing".

If he wins, everything will remain the same, or be reshaped according to his will.

We lost...?

Junzi dared not think too deeply about it.

But she had a vague feeling that, for Im, as long as Gern was "dealt with"