Naruto: From Konoha to One Piece

After the terrifying shockwave completely obliterated Imu, it streaked across the sky and barreled toward Mary Geoise below.

A golden light flared around Mary Geoise, forming a semi-circular protective shield. Clearly, this ancient city was not without defenses. 

But the instant the shockwave brushed against the shield, the barrier shattered with a loud crash. Shards of light scattered like glass, vanishing into the void.

The shield, however, managed to deflect the beam slightly. As a result, it grazed the edge of Mary Geoise and struck the ground nearby. 

A thunderous explosion shook the land, leaving a massive crater hundreds of meters wide. The edges shimmered with a glass-like glaze, evidence of the intense heat that had melted the soil. The crater plunged so deep that one could faintly hear waves echoing from below.

Yet the beam's impact was just the beginning. The entire Red Line groaned under the strain. Moments later, Mary Geoise sank dozens of meters, and a colossal crack tore through the continent. 

The fissure slanted downward like a ramp, turning the once-unreachable Red Line into an accessible pathway. From now on, anyone in the world could climb to Mary Geoise by following this new slope.

This seismic shift wasn't confined to the Red Line. Far below the sea, Fish-Man Island trembled violently. Mermen and fish-folk alike cried out in alarm. It wasn't until the tremors finally subsided that King Neptune retrieved his fallen crown, dusted it off, and placed it back on his head.

"What in the world just happened?" Neptune exclaimed, his eyes wide with shock. "Why has it gone dark?"

"Your Majesty!" A panicked guard rushed in, his face pale. "This is terrible!"

Neptune frowned. "I'm fine! What's so urgent that you're shouting like that?"

"It's Sunlight Tree Eve! Half of its roots have stopped glowing!"

"What?!" Neptune's face blanched as he hurried outside to investigate.

Meanwhile, back in Mary Geoise, Shin stood panting in mid-air. The flames of blood and chakra still burned on his body, and his devastating power had not yet subsided.

His focus, however, remained fixed on the void where Imu had been obliterated. Slowly, particles too small to be seen began coalescing under his keen perception. Bit by bit, Imu's form started to reassemble as though time itself were reversing.

Within moments, Imu reappeared, fully formed, though her aura was notably diminished. 

"I almost died," Imu admitted coldly, her gaze piercing. "You are the strongest opponent I've ever faced."

"But it seems this was your final effort. The one who will die here is you."

Imu's eyes glinted with icy resolve as she extended her hand. A devastating combination of armament haki and conqueror's haki condensed in her palm before she unleashed it with a single strike.

Shin, ravaged and unable to maintain even his half-dragon form, could only manage a wry smile. The blood-colored flames and chakra that surrounded him flickered out, and in an instant, his entire body was reduced to black ash scattered by the wind.

Exhaling slowly, Imu observed the drifting ash with a frigid expression. Then, without a second glance, she turned and left.

Time passed. In the spot where the ash had dispersed, it began to gather once more. Just as Imu had been reborn earlier, Shin's body reemerged, whole once again.

"You might be immortal," Shin muttered with a sly grin, "but I've got eight lives."

As his voice echoed faintly, he activated a space-time ninjutsu he had learned in the Naruto world and vanished without a trace.

Imu returned to the sky moments later, her expression wary as she scanned the area. Finding nothing, she frowned deeply before finally leaving.

The reason Shin hadn't resumed his half-dragon form wasn't due to physical exhaustion but because he had swapped his Azure Dragon fruit for the Eight-Headed Serpent fruit.

Long before, Shin had theorized about using the Eight-Headed Serpent fruit to offset the risks of techniques like the Eight Gates Formation or soul-related moves like the Reaper Death Seal. While soul manipulation remained uncertain, the regenerative capabilities of the Eight-Headed Serpent fruit made it perfect for surviving the Eight Gates.

After all, when Might Guy used the Eight Gates, Naruto had been able to save him with Yang chakra alone, suggesting no significant soul damage. If the Yang chakra could heal such injuries, the regenerative power of the Eight-Headed Serpent fruit would be even more suited to the task.

This time, however, the difficulty of regenerating from mere ash was apparent. Upon resurrection, Shin felt his chakra and physical energy reduced to barely two or three-tenths of their peak levels. 

It was this significant depletion that prompted his swift retreat. Otherwise, he might have attempted to finish off Imu with another Eight Gates attack.

Inside the ancient castle of Pangaea, Imu strode through its grand halls. The Five Elders knelt respectfully as she entered.

Accepting a towel from a servant, Imu wiped the blood from her face before addressing them. "What are the casualties in Mary Geoise? And who was the intruder?"

Despite their intense battle, Imu had yet to learn Shin's name.

One of the elders bowed deeply. "The damage is minimal, Your Excellency. While the slaves were freed, civilian casualties were limited, primarily caused by the tremors. As for the intruder... we believe he is the infamous plunderer, Shin. It's said he possesses multiple devil fruit abilities and can forcibly extract them from others."

"Multiple devil fruit abilities? So that's it," Imu murmured, her eyes narrowing in understanding. "No wonder he wielded so many powers in our fight."

In truth, most of Shin's techniques were derived from ninjutsu, not devil fruit abilities. But Imu was unaware of this and dismissed the distinction as irrelevant.

"Spread the word," Imu commanded. "The world government must monitor his movements closely. But do not waste our forces on him—none of them can match him."

She paused briefly before adding, "If the opportunity arises, attempt to exploit his devil fruit weakness. On second thought, his physique seems impervious to such measures. For now, avoid provoking him."

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