After the Starfish World's Underworld merged with the Titan World's Underworld, Imu ordered Enma to gather the souls of those who had been researchers in life and set up a "Spirit Particle Research Institute" within the Court of Souls.
At present, his alchemy could not function in the Underworld precisely because he lacked knowledge related to spirit particles.
Since it was impossible for him to conduct the research himself, he would have others study it,
then simply acquire and master the results.
That was the proper way for a ruler to solve problems.
Bidding Enma farewell, Imu returned from the Underworld to the world of the living.
But the moment he stepped back aboard Noah's Ark, he received a call from one of the Five Elders—Saint Ethanbaron V. Nusjuro.
"Lord Imu, Enel has sent word—he has arrived at 'Planet No. 2.'"
Upon hearing this, Imu instantly teleported to his study, activated the Star Den-Den Mushi, and had its holographic projection fill the entire room.
In moments, as the light flared, the original view of the study vanished, replaced by a seemingly vast expanse—gold, silver, and gray as the dominant colors, with streaks of purplish-red across the land.
Earlier, the World Government had dispatched Enel and Borsalino, starting from Starfish and exploring planets in opposite directions.
Enel had flown toward the direction of the sun, with two planets to survey, while Borsalino went toward the edge of the star system, with three planets to inspect.
Enel had now reached the first—also the closest planet to Starfish.
Thanks to the holographic projection technology, Imu could stand "beside" Enel and see the planet's true environment with his own eyes.
"This place is all metal… the only one I can recognize is gold. Those mountains over there are all gold, right?"
Enel pointed toward several dazzling golden mountain ranges in the distance, then stepped firmly on the ground beneath him.
Lowering his head, he added, "The ground feels like iron… I'm not entirely sure. Also, there's no air here, the gravity's not light, and it's very hot—kind of like standing on a volcano's crater. Mining this place would be a real headache."
Standing "beside" him, Imu—an alchemist—needed only a single glance to realize that this place held not just a large amount but a vast abundance of various metals.
Gold, silver, copper, iron—those went without saying. But there were also many rare metals, ones found in low concentrations in the crust of most planets and extremely difficult to extract artificially, all lying fully exposed in open-air deposits.
This was truly a world of metal—the Metal Star!
At that moment, the Five Elders were elated.
Although the World Government had already conquered multiple worlds, with natural resources nearly unlimited, seeing an entire planet made up of every kind of metal right next to their own "territory" still stirred a deep excitement and joy.
Imu, however, remained calm.
He had already learned the general appearance of these planets through the Star Map.
He had even named this one Venus.
Enel then made a circuit around most of Venus's surface, confirming that there were no lifeforms or anything else worth noting on the planet.
Lastly, he checked the number of nutrient solution tubes.
With a single injection, these could keep a person from feeling hunger for at least ten days, eliminate the need for sleep or any bodily waste. They were a special bio-serum rushed into production by the Biochemical Research Institute for Enel and Borsalino.
The only side effect was an unbearable mental strain—unbearable for an ordinary human, at least.
Fortunately, neither of them were anywhere near ordinary.
As Enel set off again for the next planet—Mars—the holographic projection surrounding Imu gradually faded away.
Yes, the next planet after Venus, and also the closest to the sun, was a world of volcanoes, lava, and seas of fire—a hellish landscape straight out of purgatory.
It didn't appear to hold the same value as Venus or as the previously surveyed Jupiter and Saturn.
Imu shook his head, sat back down, and began reviewing recent reports.
The first report concerned an earlier incident in the Teigu World: multiple World Government agencies had been attacked by a group calling themselves the "Free Resistance Army."
At the time, he had ordered the matter to be handed over to Longinus and the other graduates of the Heavenly Dragon Academy.
Now the results were in—Longinus and the others each led a team composed of the Holy Land Defense Army, CP8, and the Imperial military, following the existing clues and pursuing investigations in different directions.
In the end, Longinus's unit discovered an archipelago in the southern seas of the Imperial Continent, where they located the headquarters of the "Free Resistance Army."
After confirming the situation, Longinus did not wait for reinforcements from the other teams.
He first directed his troops to form an encirclement, then personally charged into the enemy camp.
According to the report, the "Free Resistance Army" possessed a large number of both cold and hot weapons—long and short firearms, light and heavy firepower, swords, spears, bows, and crossbows. They even had numerous tamed Danger Beasts of various levels.
Leading them were ten mid-ranking Shingu wielders and three high-ranking Teigu wielders.
Yet, as a Celestial Dragon, Longinus charged through the hail of bullets, cutting down every Resistance member he encountered.
In the end, Longinus fought alone against the three Teigu wielders skilled in the Imperial Fist martial art, emerging with only minor injuries while killing two and capturing one alive.
But it didn't end there.
Through probing the captives' memories, they discovered that the "Free Resistance Army" was being funded, armed, and supplied by no fewer than twelve small nations.
In other words, aside from the Empire, the Kingdom of the God Isles, and the Kingdom of Alchemy, most of the remaining kingdoms and principalities were involved.
The reason was simple.
The World Government only accepted the membership of these three major nations.
The Empire, the Kingdom of the God Isles, and the Kingdom of Alchemy likewise refused to allow other smaller nations to join the "Teigu World United Organization Council," insisting they remain as subordinate states.
This had clearly angered those countries, breeding resentment toward the World Government as well.
By secretly supporting the "Free Resistance Army," they sought to create trouble for the "Three Nations Council."
Because so many kings and so many people were implicated, and the potential consequences were enormous, the matter had to be referred to the Other Worlds Strategic Committee.
Imu felt both surprised and yet able to understand the situation unfolding in the Teigu World.
After all, wherever there is oppression, there will be resistance.
The World Government itself was built through military conquest.
And it had only been two years—far too short a time for the majority of a world's population to truly submit.
Not to mention, they had only brought three nations into the fold.
The immense interests involved in this arrangement were enough to make the smaller and mid-sized nations envious—resentful, even.
If this had been the old World Government, the old Imu…
There would have been no discussion. The God's Knights would have been dispatched immediately to wipe out those kingdoms entirely, top to bottom.
But the Imu of today was no longer the Imu of the past, and under his influence, the World Government was no longer the same either.
The eradication of nations and mass slaughter of populations would not be carried out lightly—unless absolutely necessary.
However… the leadership and all related officials of these nations could not be allowed to remain.
A cold glint flashed in Imu's eyes as he made his decision.
National status of these countries: revoked.
The territories of these nations would be incorporated into the Empire, the Kingdom of the God Isles, and the Kingdom of Alchemy.
After finishing the Teigu World report, Imu moved on to the report on the Titan World.
That world's situation was also unique.
It was the first other world to be fully covered by Planetary Dominance.
As a result, its environment had already begun "Starfish-ification."
Pyrobloin particles were gradually appearing in its seawater, marine life was growing stronger and larger, and in a few years, with volcanic eruptions, white seas and sky islands might even form above.
But what most concerned Imu and the World Government was the phenomenon of Devil Fruits beginning to appear in that world.
CP8 had recently captured quite a few natives who had turned into Devil Fruit users.
But there was one matter mentioned in the report that caught his interest.
Among those captured, one man had eaten a rather unusual Devil Fruit.
His ability allowed him to transform into a 15-meter giant with a body entirely covered in rock.
After confirmation by Hange—now a mid-level researcher at the Institute of Biochemical Research—this form was found to be strikingly similar to the early "Armored Titan."
"How interesting… truly interesting."
Imu clicked his tongue in fascination as he watched the holographic projection of Levi battling the Armored Titan user.
"So after Planetary Dominance spreads, these other worlds not only share Starfish's Devil Fruit reincarnation cycle—they can even produce entirely new Devil Fruits with their own local characteristics!"
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