Boom!
As Kaido's dragon form pierced through the clouds and ascended above the Red Line, he surveyed the scene below. The Holy Land of Mary Geoise, once the seat of supreme authority, was reduced to ruin. Buildings had crumbled into dust, Pangaea Castle stood half-destroyed, and the terrorized Celestial Dragons wailed in the streets. Slaves were fleeing in every direction, and the guards, overwhelmed by the chaos, were unable to protect even themselves.
"Still not enough?"
Kaido was not entirely satisfied. He had expected the fusion of his Tremor-Tremor Fruit's power to completely erase the Holy Land, yet some structures remained. Shrugging off the disappointment, he continued his flight upward.
The Sun Tree Eve lived up to its legendary status, standing as the peer of the Treasure Tree Adam. After Kaido's tremors cleared the white clouds, the true scale of the tree was revealed—it was massive enough to obscure the entire sky. Despite Kaido's colossal size, he felt small in the shadow of this world-spanning giant. Even his strength, capable of fracturing the Red Line, could not penetrate the main trunk of the tree.
As he wound his way through the dense canopy, a strange phenomenon occurred. Above him, the sky turned into a starry expanse; the sun's light vanished, and the temperature plummeted. A desolate planet drifted overhead, indicating that Kaido had breached the upper atmosphere of the world. High above the light-absorbing canopy, an ancient palace stood—not the Room of Flowers where Imu resided, but a ruin built by the ancient visitors from the moon. This was where the full moon people had once harnessed energy from the world's oceans, using the Sun Tree Eve as their conduit.
Boom!
Kaido's body began to shrink until he returned to his human form, landing upon the canopy. Due to the tree's immense density, the surface felt as solid as an island. He sensed a presence waiting in the distant palace and, with an excited grin, walked toward the massive stone gate that blocked his path. It stood as tall as the Gates of Justice.
Creak!
The stone gate groaned open, as if in invitation. Kaido stepped into the darkness within, and as the gate sealed shut behind him, the shadows vanished, replaced by an endless, blinding light. He had entered an independent paradise—a realm reminiscent of Fish-Man Island or the pocket dimensions found on legendary ships. Flowers, rivers, mountains, and forests thrived under a miniature sun, while small robots, identical to those seen in Enel's lunar travels, busied themselves with various tasks.
Kaido observed the machines for a moment before speaking. "So, you had Vegapunk create the Mother Flame just to revive these little guys?"
"That is correct!"
A faint voice echoed through the paradise. A dark figure emerged, a mass of peculiar black substance that stood out as the only stain of darkness in the brilliant light. His gaze was as calm and depthless as a stagnant pool.
"All life in this world originates from these creatures," the figure explained, gesturing to the small robots. "Lunarians, the ancient Giant race, the ancient Fish-Men—when our creators crafted life, they used these beings as blueprints. At that time, they were merely tools operating by instinct, devoid of will."
Kaido studied the World King—the true mastermind behind the Gorosei and the World Government. "So, the Sun God Nika was also once like that?"
Imu paused at the mention of the name. "Correct." The dark figure stroked the head of a small robot, infusing it with black smoke. The robot transformed, shifting into a figure with black hair and black flames—a dark reflection of Nika. "He was the first to awaken his own will. Upon awakening, he mastered this form, as it represented the image of his dreams and the freedom he yearned for."
"Then the records on the Road Poneglyphs are flawed?" Kaido asked.
Imu seemed to anticipate the question. "History is written by the victors. When the Earth God awakened, Nika had already gained the power of the Sun God. Yet, at that time, he possessed the power of freedom without understanding its meaning. He was like a child with a toy, until the flames of the Earth God burned the world. The sight of death taught Nika the value of life and the precious nature of freedom. From then on, he used his power to liberate his kind."
Imu continued, "However, his people did not share his dream of freedom. They yearned for other things. Those who longed for power became the ancient Giants; those who craved the sea became the ancient Fish-Men; those who desired the sky became the Lunarians. Over generations, they interbred, giving birth to the various races—the Buccaneer, the Mink, the Tontatta, the Longarms, and the rest."
"I see!" Kaido nodded, satisfied with the revelation. He looked directly at the World King. "Then, what are you?"
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