Chapter 403: Gods Do Not Understand the Human Heart
"So that's how it is..."
At this moment, looking at Imu—who had sprouted twin horns on His head, whose face had turned masculine, and who seemed to have almost completely descended upon Gloriosa's body.
Looking at the massive military formation the Marines below had transformed into, completely different from their previous aura and entirely incomparable to before.
The Zodiacs stood in place, watching Imu, who was still continuously devouring the pure white power from Luffy's body.
Beneath the mask, Roy's face had already revealed a look of sudden realization.
He recalled some things he specifically asked Brook about before this operation.
"The creator of the Freedom Kingdom? Yohohoho... I'm not too clear about that kind of thing."
"Although I was indeed the captain of the royal guard at that time, regarding the creator of the kingdom, that is something only the royal family knows. I only know that it was a great figure."
"However, there is one thing I have heard, and that is the name 'Freedom' was chosen by that first-generation king, and used as the royal family's surname—it's said that the original first-generation king even forgot his own original surname."
"Speaking of this, I seem to have heard His Majesty the King mention it at the time—freedom is the name of the country."
Freedom—Freedom.
"I should have guessed it earlier," Roy thought to himself.
"Gloriosa—the Freedom Kingdom... that place was Joy Boy's 'Kingdom'!"
He thought of what he had heard previously when conversing with that liberator from eight hundred years ago through contact with the knotted rope Joy Boy left behind.
The Joy Boy of that time had mentioned... he would highly likely establish a kingdom, both to attract the World Government's attention for his comrades, and to allow his bloodline and will to be passed down.
And that kingdom was highly likely the "Freedom Kingdom".
This could also explain why the World Government would destroy the Freedom Kingdom, and also explain why that special "Initial Road Poneglyph" would appear in the Freedom Kingdom and be discovered by Vegapunk—it was highly likely because their identity as Joy Boy's descendants was discovered by the World Government, so the kingdom naturally met its destruction.
Of course, the rise and fall of the Freedom Kingdom itself is no longer important today.
What is truly important is...
That "Gloriosa", who was currently standing on the execution platform, her body possessed by Imu.
"Joy Boy's descendant became a Celestial Dragon... This guy Imu really has a sick sense of humor."
Roy could capture that malice from Imu at the very first moment.
But clearly, this matter itself wasn't just as simple as pure malice.
As one of the people in the world today who understood Lineage Factor Source Energy and Devil Fruit abilities the best, Roy knew very well that Devil Fruits themselves actually possessed "will" to a certain extent.
Just like Amatsuki Toki's Toki Toki no Mi would be reborn in Wano Country due to Amatsuki Toki's will.
Just like the Yami Yami no Mi in the original work would seek out "Blackbeard", who was a member of the Davy clan.
Fruit abilities themselves were the incarnations of the wills of all living beings in the sea; they would naturally appear in places where that will survived and would choose their own masters.
And Joy Boy was the person chosen by the Nika Fruit, which symbolized the wish for "freedom".
His will even influenced this legendary Devil Fruit to a large extent, directly resulting in a "Joy Boy" belonging to that era being born in every era.
And the ability of the Nika Fruit itself was that it would influence other people around it—its Drums of Liberation could bring a "Body of Freedom" to comrades and partners.
In other words...
"The bloodline of Joy Boy's descendants would highly likely possess the trait of 'freedom' naturally."
The inheritance of bloodline and will from generation to generation would make the fruit develop a sense of affinity towards a certain family and bloodline. This situation could be seen in the two guardian fruits of Alabasta—they existed in Alabasta for generations.
And as the symbol of "freedom", although the Nika Fruit wouldn't always stay in the Freedom Kingdom, it would highly likely develop an instinctive affinity towards Joy Boy's descendants.
So...
"Under normal circumstances, 'freedom' would resist Imu's bindings, so Imu could never obtain 'freedom'."
"But this era is different—Luffy's fruit ability awakened prematurely before being completely mastered, causing the Nika Fruit to be discovered early."
"Then, Imu extracted the power of the Nika Fruit through Gloriosa..."
Killing "freedom" in front of the world would reduce the Nika Fruit's will to resist to its lowest.
Then, having a descendant of Joy Boy, whom the Nika Fruit felt close to, seize the Nika Fruit's power in order to bypass the Nika Fruit's natural rejection of the Abyss.
Imu's true purpose was to use this execution... to obtain the wish of "freedom" that He had never been able to attain!
And now, He had achieved the first step of His plan—a part of the concept of "freedom" had already been obtained by Him, allowing those bound powers to be partially liberated.
And although it was only "a part" of the power.
That power was already sufficient to drive the Ancient Coffin and create this powerful army in front of them.
"The Ancient Coffin... essentially preserves the souls of the deceased from the past within it, and then uses a carrier from this era to allow them to be 'reborn'?"
Looking at that ancient army with powerful auras and cold, hard faces after they occupied the bodies of the Marine soldiers.
Roy even casually saw through the operating principle of the "Ancient Coffin", this special ancient technological creation.
"Locking down the battlefield so we can't escape, summoning a powerful army, plus Imu Himself continuously devouring the power of 'freedom', His strength is continuously climbing step by step."
"It is indeed a good plan."
At first glance, Imu seemed to have truly achieved a comeback, completely reversing the situation of the battlefield in Marineford that was originally completely dominated by The Zodiac.
But...
"Is that truly the case?"
Roy's gaze looked at Imu on the execution platform not far away.
He then looked at the figures near the execution platform.
Those were the Marine generals.
Starting from the Rear Admiral level, these high-ranking Marines who were generally powerful and had mastered all three types of Haki had not had their bodies occupied by the spirits from the "Ancient Coffin"—this was perhaps because in Imu's eyes, their strength was already sufficient to serve as His army, and there was no need to spend extra Lineage Factor Source Energy to "modify" them.
And among them, the ones who attracted Roy's attention the most were two people.
They were Sengoku, whose face was ashen to the extreme, and Garp, whose fists were tightly clenched and whose body was continuously trembling. Thus... a smile appeared at the corners of Roy's mouth.
"Gods do not understand the human heart."
"Whether in the past or present—that is exactly the reason for the Gods' failure."