Why would he ask that question?
The answer was simple.
From the moment this mysterious figure appeared before Yemu, the one who stood above the Five Elders, leaders of the Celestial Dragons, the hidden ruler behind the World Government, the master of the Empty Throne, the woman named Imu, he had noticed it.
Her face looked more than ninety percent similar to Alabasta's princess from the story, Nafirutali Vivi.
Only, her presence was completely different. This Vivi seemed mature, cold, and full of authority, just as her current identity suggested: the ruler of this world. Combined with the black cloak she wore, she truly felt like an entirely different person.
Of course, Yemu could not say that out loud. But it no longer mattered. The surprise in Imu's expression just now seemed to have already given him the answer.
"Nothing. I'm just curious. Alabasta was one of the twenty nations that founded the World Government, yet it was also a traitor. Not only has it remained safe and sound, it even possesses such an important Poneglyph. Is there some special reason for that...?"
At that moment, an extremely dangerous look flashed through Imu's eyes.
And through his Observation Haki, Yemu clearly sensed the terrifying power hidden within this mature woman's body.
Just as Shiki had once told him, standing before this woman felt as though Yemu was not facing a human at all, but some overwhelming force that seemed impossible to defeat, as if his enemy were the entire world itself.
But since Yemu had dared to come here, he naturally was not afraid. So he said casually, "If you don't want to answer, then forget it."
Yet Yemu's question seemed to have flipped some kind of switch.
For the first time since Yemu arrived here, the atmosphere, which had been relatively calm, turned into a dangerous confrontation. Inside the vast, magnificent Chamber of the Gods, the two of them faced each other, neither giving an inch.
Suddenly, a low voice came from Imu's pitch-black figure.
"You are even more arrogant than I imagined..."
"Arrogant?"
The word caught Yemu a little off guard.
"Why would you think that? I've always considered myself quite friendly."
But Imu did not answer his question. Instead, she asked one of her own.
"From the moment you appeared in this world, you have been challenging the order that already existed. Killing Celestial Dragons, causing chaos at Roger's execution, destroying World Government Member Nations, invading Impel Down... Less than a year has passed, and you are already preparing to challenge the World Government, which has maintained this world's stable order for eight hundred years... Looking back from the birth of this world to the present, there has never been anyone as arrogant as you... What exactly is this world to you...?"
Yemu did not answer right away. He thought about it carefully and realized that, when put that way, it really did seem true.
"Now that you mention it, I guess it does."
At that moment, Imu asked another question.
"Do you truly believe you are so unique...?"
To be honest, Yemu very much wanted to answer yes. After all, he was a transmigrator. Even if he was not the protagonist of this world, he could still be considered one of a kind. But after being called arrogant, he wondered whether he ought to be a little more modest.
Just then, however, he heard Imu continue.
"You are familiar with the mermaid named Otohime from Fish-Man Island, aren't you? Then you should know about her ability to hear the thoughts and emotions of others. That is a sign that the Sea King Poseidon is about to be born. And as someone who possesses the power of the Heavenly King Uranus, I have the same ability."
Yemu was somewhat puzzled by this sudden remark.
"What do you mean?"
Then Yemu heard words that shocked him to the core.
"So, did you think I didn't know about that child Nicholas's ambitions?"
"!!! You mean...?"
"In Elbaph, the land of giants, there is a saying: The World Tree grew from the heart of Ymir, ancestor of the giants, bringing land, mountains, trees, and plants to the giants, creating the kingdom that belongs to them. That is Elbaph."
"!!!"
"So what Nicholas took from here and gave to Nox was never some energy nurtured by the Heavenly King Uranus."
"Then what was it?"
"A key. After that man realized his ideals had failed, he left another answer on Laugh Tale, one that could solve all these problems. But that answer can only be opened with a specific key."
All at once, every question seemed to return to the very beginning.
When Rocks created Yemu's body, it seemed he had also been trying to create some kind of key.
"What exactly is this key?"
The moment Yemu asked, he felt a little stupid. Judging from Imu's expression, she definitely would not answer that question.
"Then let me ask it another way. Since this key you're talking about is so precious, why give it to Nicholas and have him deliver it to Rocks...?"
"There are five keys in total. One of them was that man himself. As for the other four, the two belonging to the giants and the fish-men have already been used. The one belonging to the Lunarians was taken away by the group of Lunarians who left the Red Line back then, and its whereabouts are unknown. Only the key in Uranus's hands came to me. But that key was of no use to me or Uranus, because the world as it is now is exactly what we need. However, from the moment Rocks began ruling the seas, Uranus and I understood that the tide of change in this era had inevitably begun to rise. Rather than letting that key go to waste, it was better to put it to use. Whether it ultimately ends up on our side or the enemy's side, having one more answer is better than having only one."
Suddenly, Yemu realized that although they stood on different sides, some of their thoughts were remarkably similar.
Still, from the looks of it, even the supreme ruler of this world did not have much confidence in the coming tide of the era.
"So... was this meeting just to tell me all this?"
"No... Compared to everything I said before, what Uranus and I truly care about is another issue."
"???"
"In certain respects, you truly are unique. There is a power within your body that lies beyond our understanding. It is a form of life completely different from the original Lineage Factor of the ancient gods possessed by GOD D, and completely different from the spirit power of the original World Tree. Perhaps that is why you were able to steal Uranus's beloved children from him. So, as Uranus's envoy, I have met with you in order to reach an agreement. From now on, he does not want his children taken away again. In exchange, in the coming war, unless it reaches the very final moment, neither I nor Uranus will take part in this war..."
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