One Piece: Don't Worry, I'm a Doctor

Chapter 458: Chapter 458: Despair

The black shadow expanded at an accelerating pace, its form growing larger and larger.

In just two seconds, the shadow had swelled to a height of ten meters, its surface grotesquely bloated, like a balloon on the verge of bursting.

Under the terrified gazes of the onlookers, the shadow, stretched to its limit, exploded with a deafening boom.

A black mushroom cloud shot into the sky, instantly dispersing the gathered storm clouds above.

Even Whitebeard and his crew, who were several kilometers away in the sky, were violently pushed back by the shockwave.

Those with weaker strength coughed up blood under the impact’s force.

Golden Lion and Dragon exerted every ounce of their strength to keep the group steady, but both were already gravely injured. Despite their gritted teeth and stubborn persistence, they were ultimately forced back over a dozen kilometers before coming to a stop.

At that moment, the two of them stood frozen.

Their eyes glinted with barely concealed shock.

They had already been so far from the battlefield’s epicenter, yet they were still pushed back this far.

Wasn’t this shockwave a bit too* terrifying?

The others felt the overwhelming force of the impact just as vividly, their eyes now filled with growing concern.

If even they, at such a distance, were affected this strongly, what about Vir, who had taken the blast point-blank? Wouldn’t he be reduced to ashes?

Dragon and the others feared that if Vir died, they would all follow.

But Chopper and his crew were already on the verge of tears.

“Big Bro…” Chopper murmured, his eyes fixed on Vir, brimming with tears.

Robin’s lips were tightly pressed together. Though she made no move, her worry and fear were plain to see.

At the epicenter of the explosion, where Vir had stood, there was nothing but silence.

A pitch-black void had appeared where Vir once was, its deep, inky darkness sending chills down the spine.

The explosion had also carved a monstrous chasm into the Red Line, rivaling the devastation of Vir’s earlier charged kanabo.

As the target of the attack, Vir was nowhere to be seen.

It was as if he had never existed. Every trace of him had been erased, not a single hint of his presence remaining.

At the edge of the massive crater stood Imu, her face slightly pale.

She appeared calm, but her pallor and trembling hands betrayed the toll this move had taken on her.

Yet, as she looked at the spot where Vir’s presence had completely vanished, a faint smile curled her lips.

No matter how it happened, the outcome was good.

That guy was dead. It was all over.

Behind Imu, the Five Elders and Red-Haired Shanks were long gone. The sheer force of the earlier shockwave had been too much, even for them, forcing them to retreat.

Now that the impact had subsided, they hurried back.

Seeing the massive crater reappear before them, their expressions shifted.

It was like déjà vu—hadn’t they just seen this moments ago?

Their gazes flickered between the crater and Imu, a mix of awe and disbelief in their eyes.

This was supposed to be a clash between the world’s strongest, yet from the start, it had been a spectacle of devastating attacks hurled at each other.

Were true masters really just about one-shotting each other? Whoever landed the final blow won?

This battle had truly upended their understanding.

But seeing Vir completely erased, the Five Elders’ faces lit up with relief.

Whether it was Vir poisoning Imu-sama and then obliterating her with a thunderstorm or him eliminating Saint Garling with a single thought, his actions had left them trembling with fear.

But now, with his presence entirely gone, the weight crushing their hearts was finally lifted.

It was over.

Their king remained unshaken, as always.

No one could challenge her!

Their expressions were fervent, their joy uncontainable.

But among them, Shanks’ face was grim.

His brows furrowed tightly as his Observation Haki relentlessly scanned the massive crater, hoping to find something—anything.

But he found nothing.

A profound sense of loss began to envelop him.

Just moments ago, he had believed Vir truly had the power to overturn everything. But now… it was all over.

As he prepared to plead with Im to spare the Straw Hats, to save Luffy, a faint spark flickered in the seawater below the crater.

It was a pale blue, lotus-like flame, as if cradling something within.

A faint trace of life began to emanate, but it was entirely contained by the blue flame.

Beyond what the naked eye could see, the flame revealed not a single trace of its presence.

“Imu-sama…”

Shanks’ voice drew Imu’s attention upward, causing her to miss the faint glow in the seawater.

In her mind, Vir was already dead. From the moment that black shadow had latched onto his soul, she had considered him gone.

Even if Vir had the same resurrection abilities as her, they would be useless once his soul was destroyed.

Having witnessed Vir’s complete obliteration in the explosion, she had stopped paying attention.

But in just two seconds, the blue lotus flame began to fade.

As the lotus dissipated, a figure with closed eyes slowly emerged.

Clad in pristine white, untouched by even a speck of dust, the figure’s expressionless face carried a trace of chilling coldness. As their body touched the seawater, the surrounding ocean’s temperature began to rise rapidly.

In moments, the sea’s surface bubbled furiously from the intense heat.

“You want to save them? Not a single one of these people will leave here alive today!”

Imu’s voice rang out as she waved her hand lightly.

A ripple of energy instantly struck Shanks, sending him flying backward.

Imu didn’t pause. Though her body had been weakened from obliterating Vir, it had already recovered significantly.

Without hesitation, she vanished in a flash, moving to eliminate the troublemakers who dared challenge her.

With Vir dead, these threats could not be allowed to remain.

Stabilizing himself midair, Shanks looked toward where Imu had disappeared, a flicker of despair in his eyes.

Was this it? Would he really have to watch Luffy and the others die here today?

Was nothing going to change?

Imu’s casual wave had nearly overwhelmed him. Saving anyone from her was a pipe dream.

Shanks’ eyes darkened, his head lowered.

But then, he noticed something unusual in the sea below.

Thin wisps of steam rose, and bubbles began to surface.

What was this?

Shanks froze, his expression shifting to realization.

Even with his vast experience, he couldn’t immediately comprehend what was happening.

The seawater was boiling?

Could it be a delayed effect explosion?

But the blast hadn’t even reached the sea—how could it cause the water to boil?

Unless…

A thought flashed through Shanks’ mind, his eyes gleaming with sudden hope. His Observation Haki locked onto the seawater below, probing intently.

But just as he was about to uncover what was happening, the anomalies in the sea abruptly ceased.

Yet.

A faint smile curled Shanks’ lips. The lifeless air about him vanished.

Because in that fleeting moment, he had sensed the faintest trace of spatial energy.

What that meant was clear as day.

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