"How?"
"Why?"
In the Flower Room of Mary Geoise, Imu clutched her head, her eyes wide with disbelief. Though her gaze seemed fixed on the ground, she was actually focusing on Mars' location. Mars was truly gone.
His presence had vanished, disappeared from her control.
As long as she lived, the Five Elders should have been like shadows, tethered to her existence. They shouldn't be able to die.
So why had he died? She couldn't understand. What method had Roy used?
The other four Elders also couldn't figure out what had gone wrong. How had Roy suddenly taken a bite out of Mars and swallowed half his body?
The only one who saw it clearly was York, one of Vegapunk's satellites. She was the only person present at the scene and the sole witness to what had happened.
"T-The Elder... was eaten..." York collapsed to the ground, trembling uncontrollably.
Roy turned to look at York. When she saw his mouth full of fangs, dripping with saliva more terrifying than strong acid, she was consumed by fear.
"Never thought you'd see the day an Elder die, did you?" Roy returned to his normal form, licked his lips, and spoke to York.
"What did you do? An ability I've never seen before... impossible! How could there be a Devil Fruit power I don't recognize in my memory?" York exclaimed.
"Because this is a fruit that doesn't exist. You could say… I created it myself. Bit by bit, shaping it into the ability I wanted," Roy said.
"Impossible! Humans can't create Devil Fruits! Even I can only replicate them, it's impossible to truly create one. Devil Fruits cannot be made by man!" York shouted.
She was Vegapunk. She couldn't accept anyone surpassing her knowledge. That pride was her very core.
"Nothing is impossible. The world is full of wonders. Punk Records still exists. Do you really think you are the complete Vegapunk now? Unfortunately, your memories were tampered with long ago; there's no information about this fruit."
"Only Vegapank's main body and Shaka know about this fruit's ability. You could never have known," Roy said.
"You already knew? You've been conducting experiments behind my back all along?" York screamed, unable to accept it.
"That's right. We knew long ago. You traitor. Enough talk, time to die," Roy took a step forward.
York quickly and naturally fell to her knees.
"Please, please don't kill me! I'll do anything! Please spare me! I swear I'll serve you!" York begged frantically.
"Do you think I need that?" Roy grabbed York by the neck. Her expression twisted in pain as she struggled to breathe. Her hands, once gripping his wrist, fell limp.
Finally, Roy snapped her neck. The hands that had been gripping his wrists went limp and fell away.
Vegapunk York, dead!
"No matter the era or the faction, traitors are unforgivable. Isn't that right, Imu?!" Roy turned and said, his words reaching Imu through the four remaining Elders.
"Lily!!!"
In the Flower Room, Imu roared that name in fury. 'That traitor! If not for her, their plan would have succeeded long ago. The world would already be theirs.'
'What great unity? What building a nation together?'
'No! Only the noble royal families should rule the world and enslave others.'
'Joy Boy was wrong! That great kingdom was wrong! The world should be under our control!'
'The risk of the world sinking was all because of Joy Boy, because he insisted on changing the world and liberating those despicable slaves.'
"Destroy that machine!!!"
Imu issued the command. The four Elders received the order and charged toward Emet.
To Imu, Roy wasn't the real threat. There were many ways to kill him. What she truly feared was Joy Boy, or more precisely, the Sun God.
Meanwhile, Vegapunk's broadcast continued, speaking of ancient machines, the rising sea levels, and today's massive earthquakes.
The world was being destroyed by a weapon. Man-made wars had prolonged this conflict for nine hundred years.
The machine born nine hundred years ago had not been destroyed due to Saturn's research. Imu already felt the urge to kill Saturn.
Boom!
The Elders' assault severed the transponder snail inside the robot Emmet. At the same time, Roy moved from Punk Records to the chamber of the Mother Flame.
The Mother Flame was essentially an eternal flame that could burn even underwater.
Such a flame could provide endless energy and could even be installed into Pluton.
"Atmos, take this away," Roy ordered.
"Yes, Big Bro!" Atmos took the Mother Flame.
"The cloud generator... Vegapunk, you already possessed technology from nine hundred years ago," Roy laughed.
The war back then had shattered the civilization of the moon, reducing a highly advanced technological society to a primitive era.
Shandora was proof, once a city of immense culture and knowledge, now reduced to a primitive tribe, all because of the World Government.
The broadcast being cut off frustrated Roy, but his true goal had been the Mother Flame. That could never fall into the Government's hands.
If they got it, they could power the Celestial Weapon Uranus indefinitely, and continue destroying the world.
Pluton's existence, meanwhile, was a safeguard against a future where the seas swallowed the land, leaving only ships to survive upon.
"Big bro, I'll head back first," Atmos said.
"Mm. They should be arriving soon anyway," Roy nodded.
As Atmos looked back, he realized something had changed in Roy.
This fear he felt it wasn't his own will. It came from deep inside, from his Devil Fruit itself. His fruit ability was afraid of Roy, as if recognizing a natural enemy.
"What's happening? Why am I afraid of big bro?"
Transformed into a dragon, Atmos glanced again at Roy. In his beast form, that fear only grew stronger. If not for Roy's lack of malice, he wouldn't have dared to transform in his presence.
"Could it be… that fruit? The one big bro ate?"
Atmos understood. Ever since Hachinosu, Roy had changed. He'd even caught himself drooling when looking at Atmos, as if he wanted to devour him.
"But… l trust him. Big bro would never harm us."