Seeing Imu's expression as if her weakness had been exposed, Nero was both speechless and amused.
"I played with you for a while, and you actually gained confidence from it?"
"Hmm, you don't really think you can defeat me, do you?"
As soon as Nero spoke, Imu subconsciously took another half-step back, as if her weakness, once grasped, would truly spell her doom.
"Sigh~ I'm speechless…"
Seeing Imu's wary gaze, Nero casually waved her hand, sending everyone who attacked flying.
She spread her palm as if holding something, a sharp canine tooth peeking out from her curled lips: "I understand, the time is almost up… Let me show you the decisive gap!"
Flames ignited on the ground once more, shattered buildings were swept up by the storm, and the dark clouds in the sky were drawn by this power, converging into a colossal black vortex.
The red and white lightning became even denser than before, a sign of the final judgment descending.
Nero once again chanted ancient incantations, like a demon's song amidst the storm and thunder.
"Calamity comes from the sea—"
The ground beneath Nero's feet transformed into a black watery surface, and her massive body, along with the Holy Grail above her head, sank into it, creating ripples.
Then, Nero's voice came from all directions, piercing heaven and echoing through hell, reverberating in the shattered world.
"Look closely, this is the answer to your prosperity."
"Oh, crimson tide… adorn the end!"
The earth shook as seven monstrous entities, resembling both trees and dragons, burst from underground. Each had a different head and shot straight into the sky.
Twisting and coiling, before anyone could clearly see them, they transformed into 'pillars' connecting heaven and earth.
Yet, the earthquake still hadn't ended; a crimson tide surged from the ground like a fountain, rushing towards the sky.
The subsequent gushes of crimson fountains only intensified the earth's tremors.
Imu flew through the air, attempting to evade the crimson tide, but the same blood-like water gushed from the myriad cracks in the ground.
Before she could escape, it instantly engulfed the world.
When they regained their senses, everyone was submerged in this strange tide.
Drowning in the water, the few realized that their Devil Fruit powers and Haki had lost their effect.
It was as if All the Worlds Evils had condensed within this water, their consciousness gradually being assimilated and devoured.
Above the crimson sea tide, Nero's figure stood alone.
This water didn't truly engulf the world; it was merely a large domain that swallowed the Wano Country.
When the tide receded, no one survived; all were consumed by 'evil'.
The ruined Nicuss Empire appeared as if it had been scoured by thousands of years of time, dilapidated like ancient ruins.
The vast amount of gold also vanished; as the embodiment of humanity's pursuit of desire, most of it had been forged by Nero into a golden Holy Grail.
Nero's smile vanished, her jaw tightening as she stared at her beastly claws: "It's still a little insufficient!"
Her colossal body once again sank into the darkness; the dark clouds dispersed, and sunlight finally shone into this ruined place.
When Nero's figure reappeared on the ground, she had returned to her former appearance.
With emerald eyes and golden-silk-like long hair casually cascading, Nero walked through the desolate city.
The tyrannical desires in her heart had also calmed after this release, though a small spark remained deep within, slowly growing, awaiting its next ignition.
Looking at the remaining ruins, Nero felt no sadness; only the city of Nicuss was destroyed… "Regnum caelorum et gehenna (Heaven and Hell)."
Nero held a bouquet of vibrant roses in her hand, plucked from who knew where, still adorned with fresh dew.
Crimson magic power surged around her, and Nero tossed the flowers into the sky, where they bloomed with golden light.
Nero continued to chant: "Here I shall once again build my skyscraper, and here I shall display the supreme brilliance!"
"Witness my talent, listen to the applause of ten thousand thunders."
"The honor of imperial power blooms like a flower."
"Therefore, praise it—"
"Aestus Domus Aurea! (The Golden Theater of the Roaring Flame)"
Golden buildings rose from the ground, a magnificent and luxurious golden grand theater.
Golden walls and floors were adorned with red decorations, and red rose petals scattered in the air.
The surrounding audience seats were filled with people: Hathaway, Stella, Artoria, Mordred, Holio, Loerke… The nobles of Nicuss sat there completely unharmed, as if they had merely experienced a dream and were still unsure of what had happened.
However, upon seeing Nero in the center of the Golden Theater, their bodies instinctively reacted, cheering and applauding, a thunderous ovation rising.
For the first time, Nero didn't sing here. She raised both hands, bathed in applause and flowers, and slowly closed her eyes… "It should be enough, the toughness is sufficient." Holio, who had recovered his peak-era black hair, tugged at the rope again.
"I have failed the former emperor… failed my ancestors… The Ruh family has been passed down for ten generations, each loyal to the royal family, yet I never imagined that Nicuss would fall in my generation…"
With a song, a closed eye, and a kick of his legs, Holio tearfully hung himself at the entrance of Nero's bedroom.
Nero's face was covered in black lines: "Hang him for three days! Don't you dare come down, you can't die now anyway."
Holio didn't speak, sticking out his tongue, his bulging, dead-fish eyes staring at Nero.
"Hmm… Don't stare! It's creepy!"
Hearing Nero say this, Holio silently rolled his eyes upward, leaving only the whites visible.
"…"
Even creepier… "I must go out no matter what; I don't have time to rebuild Nicuss. Let Lia and Momo rebuild two countries; you can call whichever one Nicuss if you like!"
Holio still didn't speak, hanging at the doorway, turning around to show Nero his back.
"Hmm, well, you just hang there and don't come down. I'm going to have afternoon tea!"
Unable to persuade Nero, she simply gave up, huffily sidestepping past Holio's feet.
Tap, tap, tap, her heavy footsteps echoed down the long corridor, and at the corner, she still couldn't resist looking back, meeting Holio's white eyes.
"…" With a toss of her head, Nero left without a trace of hesitation this time.
Only the swaying Holio remained hanging in place.
Nicuss was used by Nero as the base for the City of Sin, leaving behind only a pile of ruins.
The people of Nicuss were cleansed by her with 'All the Worlds Evils', all restored to their peak condition, and would not age or die.
As one of Nero's authorities, she removed the mental influence of 'All the Worlds Evils'; even if they died, as long as there was enough energy, Nero could still resurrect them.
And most of the people from the Final War were also consumed, becoming existences similar to corrupted Heroic Spirits.
Nero's essence symbolized the inevitable decline of humanity after reaching its peak; both Imu and Luffy, who ate the Nika Fruit, were important nodes symbolizing the peak of an era.
This was also the inevitable rule of the world.
After learning the truth, Robin, Kuina, Chopper, and others also accepted this fact.
In their view, Luffy and the others had only suffered spiritual damage and had not died; one day, they would return.
Nero also did not object; Luffy, possessing the Nika Fruit, was indeed immune to a portion of the baptism of 'All the Worlds Evils'.
Perhaps one day, when Nero understood her authority more deeply, she would be able to restore the consumed individuals to their former appearance.
On the vast sea, Shirahoshi used colossal Sea Kings and Noah's Ark to carry most of the land-dwelling life.
The matter, for now, could be considered perfectly concluded.
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