After all, there are very few powerful pirates left in the New World today. If these great pirates were to swear allegiance and come under his command, El's power and influence would instantly surpass everyone else in the entire world.
And if that happened, Imu would certainly not sit back and do nothing!
That said, El did not fear Imu. If they were to fight, he believed he held a ninety‑nine percent chance of victory!!!
But… that remaining one percent was the unknown factor that gave him pause.
He had no idea what kind of Devil Fruit Imu — who had lived for eight hundred years — might have consumed, or what kind of fundamental powers and rules he might command.
For now, El had no intention of entering into conflict with him. As long as Imu did not provoke him, he would do the same in return. If he simply let time pass and continued to grow stronger and acquire more abilities, the final victory would surely be his in the end.
There was therefore no need to rush and expand his power base right now, which would only draw Imu's attention and bring that inevitable final battle much sooner than necessary.
If El had any regret right now, it was this: if the System Shop had granted him access to all of Ōtsutsuki Kaguya's powers when he made his purchase, he would have declared war against Imu this very moment.
But since he had not gained her full range of abilities, he had decided it was best not to act rashly and start a war he was not yet fully prepared for.
Hearing El's words, Shiki looked on with deep confusion.
They had assumed that El and Rocks had already reached an agreement — that as long as they swore loyalty, their lives would be spared. Yet now, while Rocks wanted them to submit, El had outright refused.
It was not only Shiki and the others who were confused; even Rocks glanced at El with an expression of surprise and bewilderment.
This was the perfect opportunity to bring Shiki and these other powerful figures under El's command! With their support, combined with El's already unmatched strength, Rocks was convinced they could overthrow the World Government once and for all.
For El to simply turn down such a chance left him completely unable to understand his reasoning.
El noticed the confusion in Rocks' expression and quickly offered an explanation.
"You may not be aware, but the World Government is not only led by the Five Elders. There also exists someone who stands above them all — a being known as Imu. I have already fought against this person, and as of yet, I still cannot fully grasp the true extent of their power. That is why I have chosen not to go to war against the World Government for the time being."
"If these men were to join me now, it would immediately spark that conflict. I know how much you want to see me rule over the entire world, Rocks… but now is simply not the right time."
"Imu?"
Hearing this unfamiliar name, Rocks could not help but frown.
He had sailed these seas for decades, yet he had never once heard this name spoken before. As far as he knew, the highest authority of the World Government should have been the Five Elders — so who exactly was this person?
Upon hearing the name, Shiki was also taken aback. He paused to think it over, and then quietly drew in a sharp breath, his mind racing with thoughts.
Is there actually someone in this world powerful enough to make even El feel wary?
Although this was the first time he had ever heard the name Imu, the very fact that El — a man whose strength was almost beyond measure — felt even the slightest caution toward this person told him everything he needed to know: Imu was certainly no ordinary individual.
"Imu…?" Kaido also repeated the name, falling into deep thought.
In his eyes, El's strength was already terrifying enough to allow him to conquer and rule the entire world if he wished. Yet it seemed there existed someone else in this world who could stand as his equal and challenge him in battle!
Rocks remained silent for a moment before speaking again.
"If that is truly your decision, then I will not interfere any further, El."
Since El had made it clear that he did not wish to start that final war just yet, Rocks would respect his choice completely. No matter what happened, he remained convinced that El would one day stand at the very peak of all existence, and that this so‑called Imu would eventually be cast down from his throne.
"Captain Rocks, we were fully prepared to accept your terms — to swear loyalty and follow El. We believed that by doing so, all the grudges and bad blood between us would be wiped away once and for all."
"Even though El has ultimately chosen not to accept us… I trust you will still keep the promise you made just now, won't you?"
Charlotte Linlin suddenly spoke up from the side.
She and the others had truly intended to do exactly as Rocks had asked, but in the end, it was El himself who had refused their offer.
Right now, Charlotte Linlin could not help but feel a growing sense of fear and anxiety. She was worried that El's rejection might cause Rocks to go back on his word, abandon their agreement, and decide to kill them all anyway.
Hearing her words, Rocks turned his gaze toward her. The coldness in his eyes was so intense that it instantly made every hair on her body stand on end in sheer terror.
However, Rocks did not choose to make things difficult for them. Instead, he spoke in a calm and steady tone.
"Of course. I always keep my promises."
Even though El had decided not to accept them into his ranks, Rocks knew very well that he could not simply kill them now — doing so would only cause unnecessary problems for El.
Upon hearing this assurance, Shiki, Charlotte Linlin, and Kaido all let out long breaths of relief, their bodies visibly relaxing as the tension left their muscles.
Now that Rocks had given them his word, it was clear that none of them would lose their lives here today. In that moment, all three of them felt nothing but gratitude and relief that they had set out immediately upon hearing the news and traveled all the way to the Kingdom of Drostland — and that their efforts had finally earned them Rocks' forgiveness.
It was at this moment that Whitebeard, who had remained silent throughout the entire conversation, suddenly spoke up in shock.
"Captain Rocks… your hand?!"
Everyone immediately turned their eyes toward Rocks' right hand.
The skin and flesh had completely vanished, leaving only pale, bare bone visible beneath. What was more, this process was happening with frightening speed; in the blink of an eye, the skin and muscle had receded from his entire right arm, turning it entirely into nothing but a skeletal limb.
"Has… my time finally come?"
Rocks glanced down at his hand, then clenched his left fist tightly. He could no longer feel any sensation or movement in his right arm at all.
"W‑What… what is happening? Captain Rocks, where did your hand go?!"
Shiki stared at Rocks in complete disbelief.
Hadn't El successfully brought Rocks back from the dead? How was it that he now appeared to be turning back into a skeleton once again?
"Just as I thought… the power to bring back the dead is the greatest taboo of all in this world. Even though someone as powerful as El managed to perform the impossible and revive you, it seems such a miracle can only last for a very short while."
Charlotte Linlin watched as Rocks' physical body continued to fade and crumble away, speaking in a quiet voice.
In this world, the existence of Devil Fruits — objects that grant powers beyond all reason and imagination — means that people often achieve things that seem impossible to ordinary men.
Yet the act of bringing the dead back to life is something no one has ever heard of being done before. It is a power so miraculous that it can turn decay into life, and there are very few Devil Fruits in existence that can ever grant such an ability.
Everyone already knows that El possesses immense power and a vast array of incredible abilities, but his ability to restore life to the dead is something that has sent shockwaves across the entire world.
Now, however, it seems that while El truly does possess this power, those he revives cannot remain among the living for very long.
In a way, this makes perfect sense and follows the natural laws of the world: any ability of such immense power will always come with its own limitations and drawbacks.
El looked directly at Rocks and spoke with utmost sincerity.
"Even though our reunion and time together has been brief… I promise you, I will bring you back to life once again, Rocks!"
To be honest, El could not help but feel deeply moved and surprised by the loyalty and devotion Rocks had shown him.
Who would have ever imagined that the legendary man who once dominated the entire world in the old era would, upon being revived, dedicate himself so completely to El?
Not only did he firmly believe that El would one day conquer and rule everything, but he also considered that killing Shiki and the others would only create instability and problems for El across the seas.
That was why he had set aside his own long‑held hatred and resentment, offering terms and conditions in the hope that these men would join El and support his rise to power.
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