On the other side,
Mokomo Dukedom on the giant Zou elephant.
Gaban and other members of Roger's crew found the Straw Hat crew. For the first time, they told them about the Nika fruit and the god of battle fruit.
The reason they chose to be honest with the Straw Hats at this time was because they had received a notice from the Red Hair Pirates.
They were back from Laugh Tale!
With Roger's second-in-command, Rayleigh, leading the way, their journey had been very smooth.
Because of this, Gaban knew he couldn't delay any longer. He had to tell Luffy and the others the truth as soon as possible and lead them to Elbaf.
The Red Hair Pirates and Rayleigh himself would meet them in Elbaf to face the great challenge ahead.
After Gaban had told them everything, the whole Straw Hat crew was shocked.
Zoro, Sanji, Rocks, and Franky were serious, silent, and lost in thought. Usopp and Chopper were so scared that they hugged each other.
Only Luffy still had a carefree look on his face. In fact, he seemed excited and eager to try.
"Uncle Gaban... that name... it's called... called...".
Luffy scratched his head, trying to remember what Gaban had said, but he couldn't remember one of the names, which made him look worried.
Rocks, seeing this, quietly reminded him: "Imu."
"Oh, right!"
Luffy suddenly understood. Then, as if he had suddenly caught a flash of inspiration, he looked at Gaban with shining eyes and asked anxiously:
"Uncle Gaban, is that person called Imu really as strong as you say?"
At this moment, the atmosphere felt frozen, heavy, and oppressive.
Every member of Roger's crew standing here had a thick cloud over their faces. Their serious expressions made people feel an unspeakable tension and unease.
They weren't ordinary pirates. They had lived through the era of Rocks, a time of great change and legends. They had also made it to Laugh Tale, the final island of legend.
Because of this, their understanding of the vast and dangerous sea was far deeper than most people's.
The power of the Celestial Dragons was well known, but for these heroes who had sailed the seas, this knowledge was unforgettable.
Gaban's sharp, hawk-like eyes stared at Luffy. His expression was very serious as he said, word by word:
"Before we reached Laugh Tale, we naively thought, like everyone else, that the Five Elders were the highest power among the Celestial Dragons.However, what no one expected was that above the fearsome Five Elders, there was a mysterious ruler hidden like a king in the clouds. And this elusive figure is the one called 'Imu'!"
Gaban paused for a moment, seeming to choose his words carefully. Then, he took a deep breath and continued:
"Luffy, I must tell you seriously that Imu's strength is far beyond what the word 'powerful' can describe. Although I hate to admit it, in some ways, Imu is like an unreachable god! Facing such a terrifying enemy, neither Roger's crew nor your Straw Hat crew can win alone. Therefore, I hope you can put aside your past feelings and work with Loki from Elbaf. Only then do we have a chance to defeat the almost invincible Imu!"
The others in Roger's crew also looked serious. They really hoped that the Straw Hats would agree to go with them to Elbaf!
"Luffy..." Usopp said softly, his eyes full of pleading.
Chopper was the same.
They were really scared. The thought of fighting such powerful and terrifying Celestial Dragons made them tremble.
"We'll go with you!" Luffy said with a proud and determined look. As soon as he said that, Zoro and the others looked at each other.
As expected!
After Gaban told them this, they knew that Luffy would definitely be involved.
Gaban and the others in Roger's crew were also happy. Although they knew Luffy wouldn't refuse, they were still very glad when they heard him agree.
However...
"Waaah... we're going to die..."
"This is too scary. We're really going to fight the World Government, the Marines, and the Celestial Dragons..."
"Waaah..." Usopp and Chopper cried in fear.
But the others in the Straw Hat crew didn't pay attention to them. They knew that although Usopp and Chopper were scared now, they wouldn't back down when the war started!
"Puru puru puru..."
Just as Klock wanted to ask when they were leaving, Gaban's Den Den Mushi suddenly rang.
The place fell silent.
He immediately took out the Den Den Mushi and explained, "It's Shanks."
Then, he started to answer:
"Moshi moshi, Shanks, where are you now?"
There was no immediate response from the other end of the Den Den Mushi. Just as Gaban and the others were starting to wonder, the voice finally came through.
And it was Beckman's voice.
"Mr. Gaban, we... we may not be able to go to Elbaf for the time being..."
Hearing this, everyone on Mokomo Dukedom was deeply confused and surprised.
"What happened?" Gaban asked sternly.
"We're surrounded by all kinds of strong, giant sea kings!
It seems like these sea kings don't want us to go to Elbaf...
No...
They don't want us to leave this area!
And Shanks' Conqueror's Haki doesn't work on them." Beckman's dull and calm voice came again.
"Super giant sea kings!!!" Usopp exclaimed in shock.
The others were also shocked.
They all saw the shock and disbelief in each other's eyes!
"Beckman... are you saying that these super giant sea kings are being controlled by Poseidon?" Gaban asked sternly.
Beckman slowly replied:
"That's the only explanation. Otherwise, we can't imagine anyone else who could control these behemoths!
Also, Shanks and I think that the sea king Poseidon has already joined forces with the Dream Exploration Team!
It's because of the sea king's support that the Dream Exploration Team has targeted the World Government and the Celestial Dragons!"
...
"So... that's how it is..." Gaban murmured in disbelief.
The hearts of the others remained uneasy for a long time.
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