From the Wandenreich's escape to One Piece

Chapter 122 The Twilight Hermits and Adam

The Conqueror's Haki defense, strong enough to withstand attacks that shatter mountains, was now as fragile as glass in the face of the Black Sun's annihilating energy.

Kong suddenly spat out a mouthful of blood mixed with fragments of internal organs. His marshal's coat instantly vaporized, and terrifying charring and cracking spread across his powerful body. Black flames clung to it, frantically burning away his life and domineering aura!

The powerful impact emanating from that dot instantly plunged his consciousness into the abyss of darkness!

It's now!

Just as Kong's life force was about to be completely extinguished and his soul was on the verge of life and death, Beltz's figure passed through the still-lingering destructive energy and appeared precisely in front of him, placing one hand directly on Kong's charred chest.

At this moment, Sora had no will to resist and was directly taken into Hueco Mundo!

At that moment, the two of them also vanished!

After Beltz disappeared, the entire island beneath them vanished completely after being swept away by the silent black halo.

The sea near the island was also stained black, and black flames burned and spread eerily on the water, forming a sea of ​​deathly fire.

More than a dozen naval warships were also within the range of the black flames, and they didn't even have time to call for help or change course before being swallowed up by the black flames along with the seawater.

The black flames persisted until the navy's reinforcements arrived again.

General Sengoku stared wide-eyed at the black sea of ​​fire before him, his emotions spiraling out of control: "Someone tell me! What's going on?!"

He was about to set sail when he heard that Shiki was preparing to make contact with Roger, but he had only just crossed the Red Line and had not traveled far when he received a message from headquarters.

When news broke that the Navy Headquarters had been attacked and that Fleet Admiral Sora was personally pursuing the attack, Sengoku, a strategist, immediately felt a chill run down his spine, realizing that it might be a trap.

This seems like a diversionary tactic!

But when he thought about this, he was still somewhat unwilling to believe it.

If it is indeed a diversionary tactic, then it means that Shiki is also acting according to the other party's plan. The worst possibility is that the other party is cooperating with Shiki, or even like the rebirth of Rocks!

One, Shiki, drew their attention, while the other secretly infiltrated Marine Headquarters.

He immediately changed course and returned from overseas, but he never expected the battle—

It's already over?

There was no trace of human presence in this black sea of ​​fire before us.

Admiral of the Navy —

died?

Cold sweat beaded on Zhan Guo's forehead, and he clenched his fists.

The black sea of ​​fire ahead was like a wall of death, preventing the navy fleet from entering. There wasn't even a small island further ahead, leaving this Devil Fruit user with nowhere to land.

So even he could only watch from the outside and wait until the flames died down before investigating the situation inside!

But now—

Is further investigation still necessary?

Everyone has disappeared!

Beltz has arrived in Hueco Mundo with Sora!

In the vast white desert, Beltz casually tossed the empty vessel onto the cold sand; the admiral had already lost consciousness.

Beltz looked at Sora without any pity. He didn't kill him in Hueco Mundo, but instead took him back to the human world.

Because everything in Hueco Mundo is made of spirit particles, if you die here, you don't even know if you can still generate a soul.

Only when it reaches the mortal world will the spirit be wrapped in a vessel.

After arriving in the mortal world, he came to a riverbank where there were few people.

Then he pointed to the air with one finger.

puff!

A beam of light shot out from his fingertip and instantly pierced through Kong's head!

Kong let out a muffled groan while unconscious, and then lost his life.

Beltz stood in front of him, quietly watching the changes in him.

Do they have souls?

If there is a soul, from which world would it be?

People from the world of Bleach!

Beltz's lips curled up slightly as he saw Sora's soul gradually detach from his body and then manifest the appearance of a spirit. However, the burden he had placed on Sora when he brought him to the world of the Grim Reaper had also completely disappeared!

This means that after Sora came to the world of Bleach and died there, he was already considered one of their own!

The moment the empty spirit appeared, Beltz unleashed his full power!

Psychological hypnosis!

Kong was very strong in the One Piece world; after all, he was a Marine Admiral, and ordinary psychological hypnosis wouldn't be very effective against him.

However, his strength has declined due to the lack of a physical body.

Although domineering aura is related to a person's will, it can be described as an intangible force such as momentum and killing intent.

However, it cannot be said that it has absolutely nothing to do with the physical body.

The absence of a physical body would also have a significant impact on the people in the pirate world.

In addition, he had just been severely injured and defeated by Beltz, so even now that he had transformed into a soul form, Beltz's attacks were still effective.

Therefore, when he first became a spirit, it was arguably when Kong was at his weakest.

Beltz activated the hypnosis at maximum power, instantly diving into the depths of the empty ocean of the mind!

Tell me your name.

Beltz slowly crouched down and whispered in front of Sora. Sora's spirit form's eyes were somewhat vacant at the moment, and after hearing Beltz's words, it slowly replied, "Sora—"

"Who are you?"

"----navy."

Seeing this, Beltz continued, "What is the Navy?"

"An army that carries out justice under the World Government."

That's right, that's it.

Beltz is now gradually making Kong comply with him; the question-and-answer format itself is a test of obedience.

Then, his voice reached into Kong's mind, and even deeper into his soul.

Does a world government possess justice?

"—Of course they exist," Sora said somewhat hesitantly. "But when you think of the Celestial Dragons, are they still righteous?" Beltz asked. "Indiscriminately killing innocent people, turning them into slaves, abducting women, destroying a country every three years—is that the Navy's justice?"

"No, —" Sora said "no," then looked conflicted, but Beltz continued, "The Navy is righteous, but the Celestial Dragons are not. So, by following an evil master, the Navy is evil."

Beltz said softly, "What you need now is a righteous master. Only by following a righteous master can you truly uphold justice."

"The righteous—master?" Sora asked somewhat blankly. "That's right, that's me." Beltz had successfully entered the core of Sora's mind, where he could even change a person's self-awareness.

He planted a seed here, a seed of loyalty to himself, and with his guidance of the external world, this seed quickly took root and sprouted in the core of his mind.

"Follow me and I will bring peace to both worlds."

Beads of sweat appeared on Beltz's forehead; hypnotizing someone as strong as Kong was quite a drain on him.

Even after eating the Azure Dragon Fruit, he was still somewhat exhausted.

After all, he had just fought a major air battle.

That move, Black Sun, is already his strongest move.

"You must remember that you are only righteous if you follow behind me. Once you turn your back on me, it is equivalent to turning your back on justice."

""

Beltz equated himself with justice.

Actually, the navy is relatively easy to control because they are different from the pirates on the high seas.

The great pirates on the high seas are all unruly, unrestrained, and love freedom. They cannot tolerate anyone riding on their heads.

Even a ruthless man like Rocks was not respected by many others, and Shiki even declared on several occasions that he didn't care if Rocks died.

The Navy is different. Most people in the Navy don't have Conqueror's Haki because they are used to obedience and have even accepted the existence of the Celestial Dragons as their masters.

Even if they possess Conqueror's Haki, they will still obey the rules and framework of the World Government.

Even if they harbor resentment, they will still tolerate it for the sake of justice, allowing the Celestial Dragons to ride roughshod over everyone.

Therefore, in this situation, as long as you change their master and equate yourself with the justice they believe in, you can hypnotize them more easily.

"That should be about right," Beltz said to the air. "Now—wake up."

After saying that, Beltz disappeared again in an instant.

After he disappeared, Kong's blank eyes slowly regained their sparkle.

He looked around, puzzled.

Wasn't I fighting that dragon-man before? And the final result was—

Was he swallowed up by those black flames?

So—am I dead?

So this place is the afterlife?

No, that's not right!

Because he suddenly saw his own corpse!

His body lay before him, charred black by the flames, with a piercing arrow wound on his forehead, clearly beyond saving.

So—I'm dead?

But if he's already dead, then what's wrong with me now?

"Where is this?"

He couldn't help but raise his head and look at the sky, as if questioning the heavens.

"This is another beginning."

As soon as he finished speaking, the world around him suddenly distorted and changed!

The clear sky was swallowed up by an invisible gray fog, and the riverside scenery melted away!

Suddenly, Kong found himself in a magnificent hall whose size could not be measured!

He sat on a high-backed stone chair comparable to a giant's throne, with a huge table in front of him that stretched to the horizon. The tabletop was smooth as a mirror, reflecting the chaotic gray mist flowing from the dome.

On either side of the long table, dozens of equally enormous stone chairs stood empty, with only gray mist flowing over them.

At the very end of the long table, at the highest point, stands an even more majestic and ancient throne, seemingly carved from a single piece of gray-white rock.

On the throne, a figure was shrouded in flowing gray mist and shifting light, making it impossible to see his face or even discern his specific outline.

But the moment Kong's gaze fell upon that figure, an indescribable sense of awe and submission, stemming from the instinct of his soul, surged forth!

It wasn't a suppression of power, but rather a feeling of insignificance and awe brought about by a higher level of existence, like mortals gazing at the stars.

No, it's older and greater than that. If we're talking about something else, it's—the ultimate end of the world? The root of the world?!

He tried to stand up, but found that he couldn't move an inch!

"Who—who are you?"

For some reason, a feeling of submission welled up inside him.

This world —

Does God really exist?

Although the Celestial Dragons call themselves gods, everyone knows that they are just a bunch of demons.

"You may call me Adam."

The man on the throne said calmly, "Welcome to the Twilight Hermits' Guild."

"Twilight—The Hermit's Gathering?"

Kong was somewhat taken aback: "What is this?!"

He had never heard of such an organization in the world.

After all, he is a Fleet Admiral. Although his strength may not be the strongest, there should be no force in the navy that can compare to him.

Adam?

And who is that?

He also did not know that there was a strong man named Adam on the high seas.

The Tree of Adam?

That can't be right.

"A place—to see reality clearly, to guide destiny, and to transform the world." Adam's voice came from above the vast gray fog. The voice sounded very soft, but it gave people a very strange feeling.

"We exist at the boundary between twilight and dawn, witnessing the birth and demise of countless worlds, and occasionally—we reach out and pluck a string that is too taut."

At that moment, he confirmed it.

The voice sounded like an adult and a child, a man and a woman, a demon and a saint. Rather than a person speaking, it was as if these voices automatically arose from within one's own heart, and the speaker was everyone in one's memory.

"Transform—the world?"

For some reason, Sora actually believed Adam's words. Although Adam's words sounded boastful, they did not make anyone doubt his ability to do so!

That transcendent sense of existence is so overwhelming that it's impossible to have any doubts!

"Fleet Admiral, do you wish to uphold your own sense of justice?"

Adam's voice came again.

"————Justice————Of course I want to——————" Sora said, "You summoned me here for a reason, right? Can you tell me what you want me to do?"

"Go and see another world."

Adam said, "Once you find the answers in this world, I believe you'll know you'll make the right choices."

"Another world?" Kong was astonished again, and then the huge hall filled with gray mist disappeared!

He found himself back by the river, and there he saw his own body again!

His mind hadn't even fully grasped the meaning of Adam's words!

What does "another world" mean?

Is this not the world I was in before?

That Adam—he actually managed to travel to other worlds?!

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