After Imu departed, that crushing pressure finally lifted.
Whitebeard and the others let out long breaths, wiping sweat from their brows and easing the pounding in their chests. The suffocating weight that had hung over them was gone, but the dread it left behind lingered.
"That power… way too exaggerated," Rayleigh muttered, pulling a bottle of liquor from his coat and downing a few gulps.
In the past, drinking at such a moment would've earned him a scolding. But now Whitebeard just stretched out his massive hand.
"Pass it here."
Rayleigh chuckled, took another swig, then passed it over without a word.
When the group had steadied themselves, Fujitora finally spoke, his tone heavy.
"Good… do you know that man called Imu?"
All eyes turned to Good. Even the blind Fujitora tilted his head toward him, awaiting an answer.
Imu's strength was beyond anything they had imagined — at least equal to Good's own. None of them had expected the World Government to be hiding such a terrifying figure in the shadows.
Holy Land, Mary Geoise — Pangaea Castle, Hidden Chamber
The three surviving Elders jumped when Imu suddenly reappeared before them, as if he had never left at all.
Such was the power of the Space-Space Fruit.
"Imu-sama!"
They sighed with relief. Truth be told, while he was gone, they had felt an irrational fear — that Imu might decide to erase them here and now.
The Second Elder asked cautiously, "Where… where did you go just now?"
Imu did not turn, but beneath his black robes, a faint drop of blood trickled down his arm.
The Gorosei froze, eyes widening. Imu… injured?
And only moments after vanishing? Who could possibly wound him?
Imu answered flatly, "I went to meet Good."
Shock rippled through them. Imu-sama had gone to see Good… and returned hurt?
Could it be that even Imu could not completely suppress him?
This man had lived for eight hundred years, a monster beyond comprehension. To the Elders, his power was absolute. But now… doubt crept in.
Imu's voice cut through their turmoil.
"Don't overthink. He's just a reckless mortal who only knows brute force. If it truly came to a fight, I have full confidence I could kill him."
The truth was simple. Good's fusion of multiple fruits, driven to their limits, had caught Imu off guard and landed a blow. But it was nothing more than a scratch, delivered through a sneak attack.
If they fought seriously, Imu believed Good would still fall.
He was no mere warrior — his strength was not just brute force, but strategy.
Hearing this, the Elders' fear eased slightly. If even Imu could not stand against Good, the World Government's hope would already be gone.
The Second Elder bowed deeply. "Imu-sama, whenever you command it, we will give everything for you."
The others quickly followed suit, voicing their loyalty.
But Imu only chuckled softly.
"No need for me to dirty my hands. A man who relies on force must be dealt with by someone who lives for force."
The Elders froze, puzzled.
Someone else? Imu-sama had… a subordinate stronger than him?
Their confusion deepened as Imu raised a hand, pressing it — not against, but near — the enormous straw hat.
"Captain," he whispered. "I request your aid."
The three Gorosei's faces went from blank to horrified.
C-Captain!?
Imu had a captain? What did that even mean?
Their hearts shook as the giant straw hat released a strange wave. The pulse shot skyward, tearing through the atmosphere, past the moon itself.
On the lunar surface, Enel, who had been subjugating strange tribes, paused mid-command. His brows furrowed as he sensed something unusual. He scanned the heavens, uncertain. Then he shook his head, dismissing it as imagination.
Far, far beyond, on a distant war-torn planet, the true source stirred.
The world itself trembled.
(End of Chapter)
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