Imu slowly closed his eyes, and with the spatial laws granted by the awakened Op-Op Fruit, he carefully searched for any abnormalities within this space.
"Looks like my luck's holding up."
A pleased smile tugged at the corner of Imu's mouth. In a flash, his figure vanished without a trace, reappearing at a different location on the moon.
There, he swiftly waved his right hand before him, attempting to open a portal leading into the interior of the seal—but things didn't go as smoothly as he had expected.
"That's one hell of a Six Paths: Chibaku Tensei… the strength of this seal really is something."
Imu let out a sigh of admiration.
He had intended to force open a spatial passage, but a power from within stopped him cold.
If he kept increasing the force—using brute methods—a few heavy strikes might just be enough to break through.
But the problem was, Imu wasn't here to release Ōtsutsuki Kaguya.
He had only come to meet her face-to-face and have a conversation, so that kind of approach was clearly out of the question.
"In that case, forget it. I'll go back and continue studying the nature of spatial power."
Disappointed, Imu shook his head.
He realized he needed to learn proper knowledge of space.
Right now, he only knew how to use it—its development was based entirely on intuition and experience. But he had no idea what its underlying principles were.
So what could he do?
Imu pondered for a long while, until suddenly a feasible solution came to mind.
He could have those shinobi in the Shinobi World who specialized in space-time ninjutsu and barrier techniques explain the fundamentals to the World Government's scholars—while he listened in from the shadows.
At that thought, Imu immediately set off, murmuring silently to himself: "Dorry, Brogy… they should be back by now. The value of those Three Great Sage Regions isn't small."
...
Noah's Ark.
This colossal vessel now floated silently in a vast green space.
Beneath it—
The ancient city of Rōran had grown increasingly lively, as the First Main Battle Corps and the upper echelon of the Shinobi Allied Forces steadily returned from the Land of Swamps.
Towering spires and the sky bridges linking them gave the city its signature Gothic architectural style, unchanged through the years.
However, with the surrounding terrain now transformed from desert to moist soil, the traditional sand-woven veils once common here had mostly disappeared.
The once-murky air had turned clear and bright, and the perpetually dim skies were now a vivid blue.
While this transformation surprised the people of Rōran, they greatly welcomed the change.
At that moment—
A figure in white suddenly appeared above Noah's Ark.
It was Imu, just returned from the moon.
Yet rather than heading straight back to his palace, he hovered thoughtfully, surveying the ark.
Now, this impossibly massive vessel was far livelier than it had been before.
The main reason: the presence of numerous flying dragons.
They were everywhere—playing with each other, soaring freely through the vast open space.
As long as they didn't kill each other, no one intervened.
Dedicated crews were assigned to feeding, cleaning, and overall management.
Among them were:
The emerald-winged, gentle-tempered Millennium Dragons from the Starfish World;
The crimson-scaled Fire Wyverns from the Teigu World;
The small Wind Dragons from the Zero Magic World, though Fire Wyverns were the most numerous.
At the moment, however, Imu found the number of dragons before him excessive.
While Noah's Ark was large enough to accommodate them for now, this couldn't go on indefinitely.
The next second—
Imu teleported once more.
In the blink of an eye, he was back in his office. He summoned Stussy.
"Lord Imu, there are a few matters I need to report. Would now be a good time?" Stussy asked with a light smile, watching Imu seated on the sofa.
"Mm, go ahead," Imu replied without objection.
"Very well. First—Saint Doflamingo has already followed your command and left the ark two hours ago, returning to the Starfish World on his own."
Imu nodded slightly upon hearing that.
Doflamingo had already succeeded last week in defeating the combined forces of the Flame Giant Surtur and the Frost Giant Utgard.
That performance alone proved that Doflamingo's strength had reached the standard of what one would call "General-level."
That level was more than enough for him to carry out the task Imu had entrusted him with.
Naturally, he was allowed to leave Noah's Ark.
And truth be told, Doflamingo's task wasn't all that complicated.
It was to form an organization that would manage all the top 100 ranked fighters—past and future.
In other words, the strongest individuals among the Starfish World's civilian population.
But that wasn't all.
In Imu's vision, this organization would also handle the acceptance and issuance of freelance requests from the public.
Something akin to an Adventurer's Guild?
Moreover, similar organizations from other worlds would eventually fall under Doflamingo's jurisdiction as well.
In the future, countless powerful individuals from across the worlds governed by the World Government would inevitably emerge from civilian ranks.
Most of these people would likely resist strict official oversight, which meant they needed a semi-autonomous organization: one officially recognized, but privately operated—with minimal rules and a relatively relaxed atmosphere.
And in terms of identity, strength, wealth, personality, and ruthlessness—Doflamingo was the perfect candidate for president!
"There's also a matter regarding the Zero Magic World—"
Just as Stussy continued her report, Captain Esther of the Kuja Guard walked in.
"Lord Imu, the Giant God Warriors have returned. They are currently kneeling in the Empty Hall, asking for an audience to beg your forgiveness!"
"Hmm?"
Imu raised an eyebrow in surprise, and Stussy's face showed equal astonishment.
Begging for forgiveness?
The Empty Hall.
A crimson carpet stretched forward, leading to a triple-tiered platform, upon which rested a gold-and-red throne.
Four giants clad in golden heavy armor, white cloaks draped over their backs, knelt shoulder to shoulder on the carpet. They bowed their heads in silence, awaiting the appearance of the master who sat upon the Empty Throne above.
Before them—
Five massive glass spheres stood in a row, each containing a snake of a different color.
And then—
A lofty voice tore through the silence of the Empty Hall.
"So that's how it is. Brogy, you did indeed make a mistake."
There, seated on the ornate gold-and-red throne, was a mysterious figure in white.
Imu had already scanned the recent memories of both the giants and the snakes below the platform.
Thus, without needing to ask a single question, Imu already understood everything that had happened.
"Lord Imu, I admit I acted recklessly and caused trouble. I'm willing to accept any punishment— even death itself—if that is your will. But I beg you, please don't agree to the demands of the White Snake Sage. And please, don't drag Dorry and the others into this. I beg you, Lord Imu!"
Brogy removed his golden helmet and pressed his forehead firmly to the crimson carpet, his voice rough and pleading.
The giant's voice echoed through the grand hall, until Imu's voice rang out again.
"Caused trouble?"
"You merely captured a foolish white snake who doesn't know his place. That hardly counts as trouble."
Imu's tone was thick with disdain.
Hearing this, Dorry, Kashii, and Oimo all breathed a quiet sigh of relief.
While inside the glass barrier, the White Snake Sage felt a surge of shame and resentment. After all, he was a sage from one of the sage regions of the ninja world!
"Your fault," Imu said coldly, "lies in acting on your own and failing to carry out the mission I entrusted to you. That alone is already serious enough."
"As for this snake's demands—hmph, nothing but delusional arrogance. She only disgraces herself. Just return and deliver my orders. The punishment will follow."
Of course, there was no chance Imu would accept the White Snake Sage's demands.
Setting aside the question of whether the White Snake Sage had any right to make demands in the first place, the request itself was laughable.
Below the platform, upon hearing Imu's declaration, Brogy's face lit up with joy. His eyes, fixed on the throne above, brimmed with reverence and devotion.
Dorry, Oimo, and Kashii felt the same. In their hearts, they were certain—they had chosen the right master.
"But what's done is done. I will now pronounce judgment upon you."
"We await your will, Lord Imu!"
The four Giant God Warriors answered in unison, utterly convinced.
"First, Dorry, Oimo, and Kashii," Imu said. "When you arrived at Ryūchidō and saw Brogy besieged by the snakes, you acted as you should have—offering aid. Therefore, you are free of guilt, and without fault."
"Thank you, Lord Imu!"
The three immediately raised their voices in gratitude. But inwardly, they were more concerned about Brogy's fate.
"As for you snakes of Ryūchidō," Imu continued, his voice sharp and cold. "You dared to bargain with me, to attack my Giant God Warriors—your offense is grave. Severe punishment is warranted!"
His icy gaze swept over the White Snake Sage and the other four snakes, sending chills through their bodies and despair into their hearts.
"the white Snake Sage is to be imprisoned on Level Six of Impel Down. Life sentence. Should he resist or attempt to escape—kill him on the spot!"
The White Snake Sage's expression turned ashen.
She was about to lose all her freedom.
"As for Aoda, Manda, Garaga, and Tagorihime—you merely followed the White Snake Sage's orders. You are accomplices, not instigators. Thus, you need not be confined in Impel Down. However, from this day forward, you will obey all commands issued by Umigakure without question—until death. And from now on, you are forbidden from devouring any sentient life, regardless of friend or foe. Disobey, and die."
Imu considered imprisoning the other four snakes in Impel Down to be a waste of space.
They were better off handed over to the shinobi of Umigakure, to be used freely as summoning beasts.
Ever since the construction and operation of the Baltigo Grand Prison under the Ministry of Public Security, regular criminals were no longer sent to Impel Down. Even inmates in Impel Down with bounties below 100 million had been transferred out.
As a result, Impel Down was now largely empty—restructured into a maximum-security prison that housed only the most dangerous criminals, including powerful beings from other worlds.
Among the five snakes, only the White Snake Sage was deemed worthy of a ticket to that place.
"Lastly, we come to Brogy."
Imu narrowed his eyes as he looked at the impulsive, reckless, yet kind-hearted Giant Warrior.
"Your status as a Giant God Warrior will be temporarily revoked. You will be imprisoned on Level Six of Impel Down for one year. After serving your sentence, you may return to your duties as a Giant God Warrior."
To put it plainly, this was simply a lesson.
A minor incident in Ryūchidō didn't warrant the permanent dismissal of a Giant God Warrior.
"This..."
Dorry, Oimo, and Kashii exchanged looks, seeing deep concern reflected in each other's eyes.
They had never been to Impel Down, but as natives of the Starfish World, they had certainly heard the terrifying rumors.
A year in there would not be easy for Brogy.
Yet none of them dared speak a word.
Lord Imu's judgment was clearly a lenient one.
"We humbly obey Lord Imu's decree. Thank you, Lord Imu, for your mercy!!"
Brogy accepted his punishment without complaint. He immediately bowed low and knocked his forehead hard against the floor in respect.
Imu remained cold and indifferent. "Hmm. Go on, then. Don't slack off on your training while you're inside. And take the White Snake Sage with you."
"Yes, sir!"
Brogy rose at once, picked up the barrier sphere containing the White Snake Sage, and under the watchful eyes of the Giant God Warriors and the Kuja Guards, strode boldly out of the Empty Hall.
"Oimo stays. The rest of you are dismissed," Imu ordered with a wave of his hand.
Moments later, only Oimo remained below the platform, quietly awaiting his command.
"I'm going to inspect Ryūchidō."
Imu rose from the Empty Throne—he had just conceived an idea.
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