#695 - Chapter 495: Fate intertwined, undercurrent surges
The summons from the shadows echoed within the knights' bloodline.
The God Knights, one of the World Government's most secretive and powerful forces.
They are not ordinary Marines or CP agents, but a group of monsters cultivated in the darkest corners of the World Government.
Their loyalty never belonged to any regime or organization, but to the supreme being who exists at the pinnacle of the world and controls everything—Imu.
Even though Imu had been declared dead, they could still feel traces of his existence.
Their bodies and souls had long been branded with Imu's will. Under some mysterious contract, they could sense Imu's aura, like believers sensing their god, like creatures in the depths of darkness yearning to devour the light.
Now, that familiar aura that overwhelmed everything had returned to their consciousness.
Figarland Garling Holy quietly stood on the deck, gazing into the distance towards the Red Line.
His eyes narrowed slightly, and a meaningful smile appeared on the corner of his lips.
That heart-palpitating heartbeat, that majesty that transcended time, that tremor buried deep in the bloodline—had revived once more.
"Lord Imu... have you finally awakened?"
The surrounding Knights seemed to have sensed something as well. They all looked up, their eyes filled with fervor, suspicion, or trembling, but without exception, they all felt that familiar summons.
At this moment, they knew—the World Government's order was about to descend upon this world once again!
---
At the same time, in another distant sea, the New Navy was still working hard to clear the pirates from the seas.
After the destruction of Imu, the fall of Mary Geoise, and the turmoil of the World Government, the entire world had fallen into chaotic disorder.
But chaos does not mean freedom; instead, it represents more suffering.
The New Navy knew very well that if they wanted to truly establish a new order, they had to solve one problem first—pirates!
From ancient times to the present, pirates have been a cancer on the world. Their existence symbolizes plunder, slaughter, and endless destruction.
In the past, the World Government suppressed them through forceful means, but now, the World Government's authority has been greatly weakened, and the pirates have become even more rampant. They loot, kill, and pillage everywhere, as if the entire sea has been ignited by the flames of chaos.
And if the New Navy wants to control this world, they must completely suppress the influence of pirates and let people truly see their power and justice.
---
On a Navy warship, Jin quietly stood at the front of the deck, overlooking the sea area in the distance, which was lit up by artillery fire.
"Another pirate den has been cleared."
Jin's expression was calm, his hands clasped in front of his chest, letting the sea breeze flutter his coat.
His gaze swept over the wreckage on the sea, but he felt no sense of pride or joy, only deeper contemplation.
"The existence of pirates cannot be eradicated overnight..."
He knew very well that pirates were not simply individuals, but a phenomenon, a product of the world's chaos.
As long as the world order is not completely rebuilt, and poverty, oppression, and exploitation still exist, pirates will grow like weeds, one after another, and cannot be completely eradicated.
But Jin also knew that if he wanted to win the world's recognition, he must first eliminate the most direct threat.
Only by suppressing the pirates can he win the trust of the people!
Only when ordinary people no longer live in fear, only when merchant ships no longer need to hire armed escorts, only when small towns are no longer looted by pirates, will the New Navy's ideals truly be accepted by the world.
"The New Navy has only just been established, and we need more supporters."
Whitebeard stood beside Jin, and said in a deep voice,
"We cannot only rely on strength to conquer, but we must make people willingly accept our rule."
Jin nodded slightly, his eyes like a deep ocean, flashing with calm and firm light.
"Then wipe out all the pirates."
This war will not end overnight, but the New Navy must continue to expand its influence until the entire world accepts their existence.
At this moment, he did not know that the World Government, far away in another sea, was planning an even greater conspiracy.
The revival of Imu and the gathering of the God Knights, a new storm, is quietly approaching...
At the summit of the Red Line, Mary Geoise.
Night fell, and the silhouette of Pangaea Castle cast a hideous shadow under the moonlight.
The air was filled with a faint smell of blood, a trace of the war that had passed.
Although the World Government had regained this sacred place that symbolized power, its authority was no longer what it once was.
However, tonight, the atmosphere here was different.
—Something indescribable was awakening.
—A will buried by time was returning.
—An invisible summons echoed in the bloodline of the God Knights.
---
Figarland Garling Holy, wearing a black cloak, stepped into Pangaea Castle with steady and swift steps.
His figure cast a long shadow from the tall palace, and complex emotions surged in his heart.
He rushed back here as quickly as possible, and the shock in his heart had not yet subsided.
Lord Imu... is really still alive?
No, that was an obvious answer.
As a member of the God Knights, his connection with Imu could not be severed.
Since Imu was defeated and disappeared in Mary Geoise, this connection had been dormant, as if some supreme being had been completely erased.
However—just now, that familiar and terrifying aura reappeared, so clear that it could not be ignored.
At that moment, Figarland felt as if he was in the abyss, being swallowed by invisible darkness.
His breathing became rapid, his heart beat wildly out of control, and the blood in his body seemed to be awakened by some ancient force, boiling.
That was Imu's will!
Although that aura was more strange, obscure, and even mixed with some inexplicable mutation than in the past, Figarland knew that Lord Imu had returned!
Without any hesitation, he immediately summoned the other members of the God Knights.
---
Pangaea Castle - Sanctuary
Deep within Pangaea Castle, in a hall carved from obsidian, darkness flowed like a substance, enveloping the entire space.
Figarland stood in the center of the hall, his cloak slightly raised, his sharp eyes scanning the surroundings.
"God Knights, assemble."
His voice was not loud, but it carried an irresistible authority.
After a moment of silence, figures emerged from the shadows.
A man in silver armor slowly walked out, his cloak embroidered with the ancient World Government emblem, his face bearing hideous scars, his eyes cold, as gloomy as the Grim Reaper.
Another slender woman, wrapped in a black robe, gently raised her hand, and a wisp of black energy flowed from her fingertips, her smile cold and eerie.
A bald strong man carried a huge battle axe on his back, his muscles like cast iron, exuding a violent murderous intent, each breath like the roar of a beast.
The members of the God Knights appeared one by one.
They were either hidden in the dark corners of the world or lurking in the core of the World Government. In the past, under Imu's rule, they were high above and invincible.
But now, their existence had been shaken, and their faith had been ravaged by the collapse of the World Government.
However, at this moment, they gathered again because they felt that supreme summons.
Figarland's eyes were deep, and his voice was low and solemn:
"Lord Imu... has returned."
In an instant, the air in the entire hall seemed to freeze.
The pupils of everyone present contracted slightly. Although they had already sensed that familiar power was awakening, when these words were truly spoken from Figarland's mouth, it still stirred up a storm in their hearts.
"Lord Imu... is really still alive?"
The silver-armored man murmured in a low voice, his fists clenched tightly, his knuckles making a "crackling" sound.
The corners of the black-robed woman's mouth raised slightly, and a hint of excitement and fanaticism flashed in her eyes:
"Hehe... I knew it, how could that lord fall so easily?"
The bald strong man did not speak, but his beast-like eyes revealed an extreme excitement, as if a beast had smelled its prey.
Everyone understood what this meant.
Imu's return meant the true revival of the World Government.
It meant they could stand at the peak again and control the world!
It meant that those Marines who betrayed them and those New Marines who tried to change the world would face true judgment!
Figarland slowly raised his head, his tone steady and solemn:
"We will immediately go to the place where Lord Imu is."
No one questioned it. They just silently suppressed their surging emotions and silently followed Figarland's footsteps.
They were the God Knights, and their mission had never changed.
Imu's return was the moment their battle flag was raised again.
However, they did not know that some kind of mutation had already occurred in the darkness deep within Pangaea Castle.
