Imu's face changed slightly. "Hmph, does the truth even matter? Sunlight Tree Eve and I are already one. As long as Sunlight Tree Eve exists, no one can kill me!"
"Really?" Shin, now only steps away, retracted his half-beast form, shifting back into his human state. It seemed as if he had no intention of attacking. Instead, he looked at Imu with piercing, ice-cold eyes.
"Are you truly despicable enough to use yourself as a threat against the world?"
"The world belongs to the victors! Survival is the only thing that matters. I am the pillar of stability that holds this world together. Without me, everything will collapse!"
Shin's hands moved in a blur, forming intricate seals. "You almost make sense, but there's one problem. I don't believe you."
"Soul Transfer Sealing Jutsu!"
[T/N: This is the Jutsu he just got from the Naruto World.]
A powerful force surged from Shin's outstretched palm, gripping Imu's very essence. For the first time, genuine panic flickered across her face. "What is this? What kind of Devil Fruit ability—?!"
Shin's lips curled into a smirk, his eyes glowing with a deep purple hue. His palm met Imu's forehead, activating the full potential of his Rinnegan's soul manipulation.
Under the simultaneous pressure of these two overwhelming forces, Imu's soul unraveled.
A pained gasp escaped her lips as her essence was pulled apart, unable to hold itself together. The remnants of her existence were forcefully sealed within Shin's hand.
"Tch. If you really were the soul of Sunlight Tree Eve, I might have been in trouble. Who knows? If I had exorcised you, the tree might have died."
Shin exhaled, watching as Imu's presence vanished entirely.
"But no," he muttered, "you were nothing more than a parasite. Even without you, Sunlight Tree Eve will continue to stand—unbothered, untouched."
As Shin turned to the exposed roots of Sunlight Tree Eve, now pulsating with golden sap, a strange thought crossed his mind.
"Could it be...? Was the Red Line built to protect this tree?"
It didn't seem far-fetched. The Sunlight Tree Eve was said to illuminate Fishman Island from 10,000 meters below the sea. But if its roots extended even deeper—
Then where was its trunk? Its branches? Its leaves?
His gaze drifted upwards. "No... It can't be that the top of the Red Line is just covering it?"
Then another realization struck him. Mary Geoise.
"Wait. The Holy Land is positioned several kilometers lower than the rest of the Red Line... Was it artificially built to conceal something?"
He scanned the terrain. The geography of Mary Geoise had always been oddly distinct—almost as if a portion of the Red Line had been dug out and rebuilt.
"If they went this far just to shield Sunlight Tree Eve... what exactly are they hiding?"
Shin let out a long breath. With the threat of Imu eliminated, he turned to the matter at hand. He clasped his hands together, activating Wood Release.
The roots of Sunlight Tree Eve responded, though sluggishly. Its vitality far surpassed that of an ordinary tree, making the healing process far more energy-draining than Shin expected.
Even with his chakra reserves, it took over two hours to restore the damaged sections. By the time he was finished, sweat trickled down his temple, and he let out a slow exhale.
"That should do it..."
With the final repairs completed, he activated the Flying Thunder God Technique and vanished, reappearing in Dressrosa.
Dressrosa had become the primary battleground between the New World Pirates and the Marine Headquarters.
The Marines had consolidated its entire elite force at its former G1 branch, reinforcing the location as the new Marine Headquarters.
Veterans like Garp, Sengoku, Kong, and Zephyr had all been stationed there, along with the strongest forces from the Grand Line and New World naval divisions.
Every day, the great pirate captains took turns clashing with the Marines.
Whitebeard, Charlotte Pudding, and Kaido would take the field one by one, while Garp, Sengoku, Kong, and Zephyr rotated as their Marine counterparts. The battles would rage for dozens of rounds before both sides pulled back.
There were no casualties. No conclusive victories. Just endless battles.
Both factions knew that the real fight wasn't here—it was in Mary Geoise.
And both sides were waiting for news.
Shin had been watching the choreographed battle cycle for a few days when Violet entered his chambers.
"Shin, we have visitors. Admiral Sengoku has arrived."
Shin raised an eyebrow. "Sengoku? Here?"
Violet nodded. "He's docked at the port now. He's also brought Vice Admiral Tsuru."
"Hah... The Chief of Naval Staff, too?" Shin tapped his fingers against the chair's armrest. "Alright. Let's hear what he has to say. Bring them in."
Sengoku and Tsuru walked through the streets of Dressrosa, taking in the sights. It was not the city they remembered.
A silence stretched between them before Sengoku muttered, "Tsuru, did you hear what the people are saying? Doflamingo has become the most diligent and patriotic king in Dressrosa's history."
The skepticism in his voice was obvious.
Tsuru, however, had a peculiar expression. "That might not be a joke, Sengoku."
He turned to her in mild surprise. "What?"
"The reports say Doflamingo has been... different." Tsuru's eyes darkened slightly. "The Marine's intelligence confirms that he now spends over eight hours a day handling government affairs. If necessary, he works through the night."
Sengoku scoffed. "That doesn't sound like the Joker we know."
"No," Tsuru admitted, "It doesn't."
She glanced ahead as they approached the palace. "The laws of Dressrosa have become incredibly structured. The economy is thriving. Infrastructure is being rebuilt. And oddly enough…"
Sengoku frowned. "Oddly enough, what?"
"Not a single one of these policies benefits the Donquixote Family. Every law, every reform—it's all for the people."
Sengoku came to a stop.
"Ha... Are you telling me that Doflamingo has genuinely become a good king?"
Tsuru looked straight ahead, her voice quiet but firm. "I think it's more likely that Doflamingo has been replaced."
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P.S. Can anybody help me create a new cover fic? I don't know where to create a fire cover. Just drop it in the comments. Shin will travel to the multiverse after this One Piece Arc.