The punch launched by Electromagnetic Cannon acceleration carried immense power. Layered atop it was the destructive force of God's Cry Shot, with the current focused into a single line, a piercing, fatal strike.
With that punch, Rowen believed he could even blast a hole straight through the ridiculous moon above his head!
However, the light beam did not pierce through the Room of Flowers. A thick, viscous power caught the attack, dissolving it layer by layer until it dispersed into faint smoke.
Shua!
Two blazing wills of Haoshoku Haki clashed, scattering the smoke.
Imu had caught Rowen's fist with one hand, a faint, unnatural flush crept up his face.
He looked at Rowen coldly. "You think this old man is actually afraid of you?"
Rowen's eyes flashed with cold light as he studied Imu up and down. "Naïve way of putting it."
Their exchange made no logical sense, but Imu understood the intent behind Rowen's words, if either side had felt fear, that punch would never have happened. This was a declaration.
Rowen had seized Imu's weakness: Imu needed his rule to continue. Whether out of ambition or for another purpose, he had to maintain control.
But… the barefoot man fears not the one wearing shoes.
Besides, in the crater tens of thousands of meters below, created by one of Rowen's previous explosions, lay a terrifying monster capable of destroying the world itself. If that thing were ever to awaken, the consequences would be unimaginable.
Rowen's ambition had never been to rule the world, that was merely incidental. But Imu had to rule the world, it was inevitable. That was the fundamental difference between the two.
For a moment, Imu was stunned. Then, suddenly, he released Rowen's fist.
Rowen took a step back, removed the cigar from his mouth, and paused for a moment.
"First, we kill the Posiedon."
Two voices echoed in unison.
Rob Lucci's eyes went wide outside. "What the hell?!"
Even Imu seemed surprised by Rowen's choice, raising an eyebrow curiously.
Rowen only grinned, revealing a mouth full of sharp, white teeth, looking savage and hungry, like a beast.
"Tell me the secret of the Return Offering! Can the power of a god be stolen by mortals?!"
Shua!
"You actually know about that?"
Imu's face darkened, his eyes flicking briefly toward his private chamber. He knew, it must have been that little puppet Flamingo (Doflamingo) who had leaked the secret.
But, no matter.
Terrifying waves of energy surged through Imu's body. With a single wave of his hand, Rob Lucci suddenly felt something slam into him, his body losing control…
Boom!
Caught off guard, he crashed through the wall and was sent flying out.
He tumbled all the way to the streets outside. When he finally lifted his head with difficulty, a pair of familiar boots came into view.
"Chief Commander… Kong?"
"What's going on inside?" Kong's face was grave, his fists clenched tightly.
Lucci stared at him in shock, only now realizing that this man, the former Fleet Admiral who had been promoted to the Holy Land merely as a political appeasement for the Marines, was far from simple.
Still, he shook his head weakly, struggling to his feet as he handed over the man he'd been carrying.
"Orrick's here. I'll leave him to you."
Kong's pupils narrowed. He glanced briefly toward the Room of Flowers, then nodded.
"Take him away!"
Then he shouted loudly:
"Seal the area! First-grade combat alert! Within five hundred meters, anyone who enters dies!"
The commotion outside didn't escape the notice of the two inside, but neither paid it any mind.
Imu stroked his chin thoughtfully and said, "The Return Offering is the source of that being's power. Her blessing allows mortals to become Nobles of Heaven, to gain eternal life…"
"Don't try to fool me with the same nonsense you fed the Celestial Dragons. I'm still young."
Rowen's grin turned mocking as he interrupted him.
Could something that Imu himself desired really be so simple? Nobles of Heaven? Immortality?
From the day he caught that Flamingo puppet, Rowen had known the truth, the Celestial Dragons were deceived.
But there was no need to say it aloud, it would just be an insult to everyone's intelligence. And Rowen wasn't that kind of man.
Imu's hand clenched slightly, the corner of his mouth twitching. After a moment of silence, he murmured,
"You're even more detestable than those royal families from 900 years ago… Greedy!"
"Heh. If you want someone to blame, blame yourselves for coming to this world, Lord Imu." Rowen exhaled a smoke ring, sneering.
"How can one be greedy for something he doesn't even understand?"
In other words, an innocent man may hold a treasure, but it brings him only misfortune.
Imu nodded slightly, agreeing.
"Indeed. If I hadn't come to this planet in the first place, none of this trouble would've ever happened."
Then, with a sweep of his cloak, he turned and sat down.
A chair materialized out of the void behind him, Rowen immediately recognized its design. It was the exact same luxurious Admiral's chair he'd once stolen from the Marine warehouse and stored in the Castle-Castle Fruit ring.
The Holy Land's Room of Flowers wouldn't prepare an Admiral's chair. So why was it here?
As if reading his thoughts, Imu smiled calmly.
"This is the power I brought with me, what you call the Devil Fruits."
"But in truth, they're merely seeds… tools for colonial assimilation."
Rowen's heart jolted, his brow furrowing.
"The Devil Fruit encyclopedia gets updated every year because new ones are always being discovered… That's related to you?"
"Exactly."
Imu was utterly frank, so frank that it made Rowen deeply uneasy.
After all… he himself was a Devil Fruit user.
"You're quite clever," Imu said, sounding genuinely amused. "Even with all your suspicion, you still caught the essence."
He gave Rowen a knowing glance and explained:
"Their true forms, as Vegapunk discovered, are merely subatomic energy fluctuations. When they fuse with the natural elements of this planet, they produce different vibration frequencies, forming shells around them, which you call Devil Fruits."
"It's a long process. But once every substance on this planet has been assimilated by them… I'll have control over everything on this world."
Imu smiled faintly. "Now do you understand?"
Rowen took a deep breath, eyes narrowing.
"…I understand."
Rowen didn't bother asking what Imu would gain from controlling this planet, that was already beyond the scope of their cooperation. Instead, he countered:
"However… manufacturing all these things must consume a great deal of your power, doesn't it? It's making you weaker and weaker, isn't it?"
Buzz!!
The air suddenly turned cold. Imu's face remained indifferent as he asked, "What do you mean by that?"
"Don't be in such a rush to deny it. I have two pieces of evidence." Rowen sneered.
"First, aside from that Flamingo fellow, none of those Celestial Dragon pigs ever eat Devil Fruits. Everyone craves power, so why would they be the exception?"
Given the Celestial Dragons' prestige back then, they could easily obtain even the rarest types of Devil Fruits. Yet, to Rowen's knowledge, only little Lirisk had eaten one out of childish greed, becoming the user of the Green Iguana Fruit. As for Flamingo, he only chose to consume the Ito Ito no Mi (String-String Fruit) after leaving the Holy Land.
So the question arises, why? They fear the growing strength of the Marines, yet refuse to wield power themselves. Contradictory, isn't it?
Unless… they knew something. They wanted to eat, but didn't dare to eat!
Combine that with their so-called "justice," and the century-long blank in history, the answer becomes crystal clear.
"Indeed."
Now that the subject had been laid bare, Imu actually calmed down.
"Back then, they all united against me… only to become the key to my comeback. They begged for my help, yet were forever wary of me. The human heart, truly fascinating, don't you think?"
"But that alone isn't enough proof, is it?"
Rowen smiled.
"Second, on the day Orrick betrayed you, everyone felt that tremor coming from the Room of Flowers. The fact that he still dares to attack you now means you have some kind of weakness… something I don't yet know."
"For example… weakness due to exhaustion."
Seeing the grave expression on Imu's face, Rowen said calmly, "To be honest, even standing here right now, I feel an unprecedented pressure. I don't believe Orrick is an idiot. For him to turn against you, he must have discovered some very interesting truth that gave him the courage to act."
"A pity though…"
He glanced at Imu, whose youthful appearance contrasted with Tsuru's aged form, then shook his head, leaving the rest unsaid. The old fox is always the sharpest.
Clap! Clap! Clap!
Imu couldn't help but applaud, remarking in admiration, "As expected of the cunning 'Soryu (Azure Dragon)', you're far more terrifying than most beings I've met in my long life."
"You flatter me," Rowen replied with a sinister grin.
"I've told you what you wanted to know. Now it's your turn, what can you tell me?"
It was a trade. By revealing that Imu's body was in a weakened state, something he could've easily kept as leverage, Rowen had earned the right to equal exchange. Now it was Imu's turn to show sincerity.
After a moment of silence, Imu replied, "The object you speak of truly belonged to her. When I was on the verge of defeat, I deceived those fools to assist me. Even with their help, I couldn't completely destroy her, only separate her body and soul."
Imu paused for a long moment before continuing,
"Currently, her soul resides within the Posiedon, Shirahoshi. As for her body, the source of her power, it remains sealed within an untouchable space. The 'Offering of Return' is the key to opening that gate."
After skipping over yet another chunk of crucial information, Imu turned his gaze back to Rowen.
"Without a soul, a body is nothing more than a vast reservoir of energy, a precious tonic. How about we split it half and half?"
"Agreed."
Rowen answered decisively, because both of them knew, it was an empty promise.
"Then…"
Imu extended his hand, and a silver goblet appeared in his palm.
Clearly, he wasn't planning to reveal anything more. After all, his opponent was the infamous Soryu (Azure Dragon), and he had just suffered a loss in their earlier clash. A man like that was worth being cautious around. At the same time, it was also a way of showing off, reminding Rowen of the power Imu still possessed.
However, when Imu noticed the outer wall of the cup was fused with melted metal, his face instantly darkened.
"..."
Why is there a Dyna Stone here?!
Unfazed, Rowen reached out calmly, took the Dyna Stone container, pocketed it naturally, and replaced it with a proper goblet.
"Pleasure doing business?"
The corner of Imu's mouth twitched, but he nodded.
"Pleasure doing business."
Bang!
Neither of them mentioned the Blank Century again, because both knew very well:
History is no different from a streetwalker. Whoever pays more, it follows them.
(Chapter Complete)
This novel is finished, and I have posted all the advanced chapters on my Patreon https://www.patreon.com/darkshadow6395