Chapter 317: A Deal with Imu
Holy Land Mary Geoise · Chamber of Authority
"A deal?"
Imu's voice echoed in the empty Chamber of the Empty Throne. Those crimson, ringed eyes narrowed slightly, as if they had just heard the most absurd joke in the world.
For eight hundred years, no one had ever dared to speak of a "deal" in their presence.
"I can sense it—"
Imu spoke slowly, carrying an unquestionable oppressive pressure: "You can leave this place at any time."
"I cannot stop you."
"But that does not mean you have anything... worthy of discussing a 'deal' with me."
Roy stood with his hands in his pockets, his gaze meeting those crimson eyes directly: "What if I told you..."
"I can capture the vessel of Joy Boy and thoroughly eliminate it?"
—BOOM!!!
In an instant, the airflow within the Chamber of the Empty Throne vibrated violently. Even the air seemed to solidify, and a dead silence akin to time standing still descended.
Imu's figure leaned forward slightly on the throne, those pupils shrinking to pinpricks abruptly.
"You mean to say..."
Their voice was so low it was almost inaudible: "...that Rubber Fruit?"
Ancient afterimages surfaced in the void, flashing with countless pursuits and failures over the past eight hundred years.
Imu's voice gradually grew deeper, carrying suppressed anger: "In every era, the World Government has attempted to recover it."
"But they have never succeeded—it has always been this way for eight hundred years."
They looked down at Roy coldly: "I do not think this can serve as your capital to make a deal with me."
Hearing this, Roy chuckled aloud. He slowly raised his head, a trace of provocation flashing in his eyes: "Then what if I told you..."
"In this era..."
"...it will awaken?"
His voice suddenly rose, falling like a thunderclap: "Awaken into the legendary—Human-Human Fruit, Mythical Zoan!"
"Model: Nika!!!"
"RUMBLE-RUMBLE!!!"
The space within the entire Chamber of the Empty Throne instantly twisted and crumbled! Imu's figure could no longer maintain its calm!
Pitch-black shadows spread like a tide. Their body abruptly expanded, transforming into a giant demonic silhouette that enveloped the entire throne.
The towering crown vanished. Giant, bat-like wings spread open with a boom. A sharp tail whipped like a spear, and a crimson, arrow-headed spear materialized in their hand!
"ROY—!!!"
Their voice was no longer an ethereal whisper, but a roar that shattered the void: "Just how much do you know?!!"
"SWISH—!!!"
The crimson spear tore through space, piercing straight through Roy's heart in the blink of an eye!
However, the spear tip merely passed through Roy's body, as if striking a phantom.
Roy's figure swayed slightly, as if existing in another dimension, completely unaffected.
He looked down at the unmarred lapel on his chest, the smile on his lips deepening.
"Well?"
He raised his eyes, looking straight into Imu's furious, crimson, ringed eyes.
"This deal..."
"Are you going to take it or not?"
...
The heavy doors of the throne room slowly opened, emitting a low rumble.
Roy's figure walked out from the shadows. His Justice coat snapped in the breeze, his footsteps sounding exceptionally clear in the empty corridor.
Outside the door, the Five Elders and St. Garling had already been waiting for a long time.
The six men had cold expressions and varying demeanors, yet without exception, they all carried an unconcealable complexity.
—They had clearly already received Imu's will.
"Yo~"
Roy grinned widely, his tone flippant, as if he had just walked out of an ordinary tea party.
"You're all here. You guys really give me a lot of face~"
However, no one responded.
An indescribable suppression permeated the air, like the dead silence before a storm.
Finally, St. Jaygarcia Saturn slowly took a step forward. His senile body, however, released an oppressive pressure like an iron wall in this moment.
His voice was low, as cold as freezing iron: "We will obey Lord Imu's orders."
Slightly raising his head, he looked straight at Roy. A dangerous light flashed in those aged yet sharp eyes: "However..."
The air in the corridor abruptly solidified, even breathing seemingly freezing.
"Don't go too far, Roy."
The surroundings fell into dead silence, with only the sound of the wind howling through the gaps in the corridor.
Roy didn't respond. He merely strolled calmly past the Five Elders with a composed expression.
His footsteps were steady and unhurried, as if he were not walking at the apex of world power, but casually crossing an ordinary street.
It wasn't until he walked beside St. Garling that he slightly turned his head, a profoundly meaningful arc hooking the corner of his lips: "You—"
Roy's voice was light, yet every word was like a nail: "You'd better keep an eye on that wild child of yours wandering outside..."
"He's up to no good..."
"SWISH!"
Before his voice even faded, Roy's figure abruptly vanished. In the silent corridor, only the six men remained standing solemnly in place, their expressions varying.
St. Ethanbaron V. Nusjuro's fists abruptly clenched, veins popping as he gritted his teeth and whispered: "Why... did Lord Imu agree to his conditions?!"
St. Saturn remained silent for a long time before slowly uttering a single sentence: "This is not something we can question."
St. Garling, however, kept looking in the direction Roy had vanished. His brow was furrowed tightly, an unprecedented gravity flashing in his eyes.
...
Marineford · Fleet Admiral's Office
The heavy curtains snapped loudly in the night wind. The atmosphere in the entire office was so oppressive it felt as if it had solidified.
"BANG—!!!"
Garp's fist slammed heavily onto the office desk. The hard wood instantly splintered into pieces, wood chips flying everywhere!
This was already the third desk he had smashed to pieces with his bare hands.
"It's been so long!! There's no news at all!!!"
His furious roar made the windows rattle and hum. His aged face was written full of anxiety and anger.
Zephyr stood to the side, a vein twitching on his forehead, his voice deep and urgent: "Roy... has never been out of contact for this long!"
"The Marines cannot lose him!!!"
He abruptly looked up, his gaze piercing toward Sengoku like a blade: "Sengoku! It's time to make a decision!!!"
Even the normally calm Tsuru did not speak to dissuade them this time. She merely stood to the side, her brows furrowed tightly, her expression grave.
Kuzan and Kizaru, who had handed command of the warships to Issho and hurried back ahead of time, also had heavy expressions, watching Sengoku in silence.
In the seat of the Fleet Admiral, Sengoku sat with his hands clasped and resting against the bridge of his nose. His gaze was as cold as a falcon's, his entire person seeming to bear the weight of a mountain.
Just as he was about to speak—
"SWISH!!!"
The space twisted abruptly. A figure stepped out from the void, his Justice coat snapping in the wind.
It was exactly Roy.
And behind him followed Sakazuki, his face ashen.
"ROY!!!"
Garp and Zephyr lunged forward almost simultaneously, grabbing his shoulders from the left and right.
"Are you alright?! That bunch of bastards up top didn't lay a hand on you, did they?!" Garp's voice carried a rare tremble, the rims of his eyes slightly red.
Zephyr was even more full of anxiety, even his eyes trembling.
Roy reached out and gently patted the arms of the two old men, his tone relaxed: "Relax, I'm fine."
His gaze crossed the two of them, meeting Sengoku's directly.
Sengoku gazed deeply at Roy. His eyes trembled slightly, and his taut shoulders finally relaxed. Exhaling a deep breath, he slowly uttered a few words:
"It's good that you're back."
The room fell dead silent for an instant, only the sound of everyone's intertwining breaths remaining.
Roy looked around, his gaze sweeping over everyone's face one by one. Finally, he spoke slowly:
"However..."
"I might have to leave for two years."
"—?!!"
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