One Piece: I am Imu-Chapter 267: Guren’s Choice

World of the Titans, Noah's Ark.

Imu was sitting on the Empty Throne, with his eyes closed, resting.

Time passed in silence, until Oimo and Kashii slowly pushed open the huge white doors of the hall.

Imu's eyes suddenly opened, radiating a cold glint.

Stussy led a sturdy old man with perfectly coiffed gray hair and a crisp white suit. The two walked until they reached the front of the throne.

"Bowen Knohen, Commander of Cipher Pol - Aigis 0, pays tribute to His Excellency Saint Imu." The old man said, kneeling reverently and holding a white case above his head.

"I report that the Op-Op Fruit has been successfully brought in." Bowen continued, a mix of excitement and pride in his voice.

For someone like him who had dedicated his life to protecting the Celestial Dragons, standing before the God of the Celestial Dragons who created the World Government and developed the Dimensional Gate, was the ultimate honor.

"You've done a good job." Imu replied in a calm, yet distant voice. "Hinaki, bring the case."

"Understood, Lord Imu." The eldest of the Ubuyashiki sisters replied softly. With graceful steps, she descended and took the case from Bowen's trembling hands. She then returned to the second level of the platform, where the rusty ancient weapons of the first twenty kings who had followed Imu were located.

Imu, with a movement of his will, made the case float towards him. He opened the lid and looked at the Op-Op Fruit. Although he longed for it, he closed the case after a few seconds and looked back at Bowen.

"You've done an excellent job. When you retire, you'll be able to live here."

"..."

Imu's words caused a visible tremor in Bowen's body, who, moved to tears, bowed deeply.

"Thank you... thank you very much, Your Excellency, for your infinite grace!"

Imu, indifferent to Bowen's emotions, waved her hand. "Put the ring on. You may leave."

"Ring?"

When Bowen looked up, he saw a diamond ring in front of him, one he hadn't noticed approaching. His surprise quickly turned to acceptance – after all, what was impossible for the God of Celestial Dragons?

After his departure, Stussy took a step forward.

"Lord Imu, Admiral Garp and Kibutsuji Muzan have successfully captured the Super Class Danger Beast named Guren. It will arrive at the ark tonight."

Imu slowly stood up.

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"Inform Queens Historia and Esdeath. When the Giant Fox arrives, we will watch it together."

"Understood, Lord Imu." Stussy replied, bowing. But when she looked up, the throne was already empty. This left a bitter taste in Stussy's heart.

...

Meanwhile, Imu had already used his teleportation ability to return to his room.

Without a second's hesitation, he opened the lid of the case and ate the Op-Op Fruit.

Imu's face twisted into a grimace of disgust after eating the fruit.

Then he slowly closed his eyes to accept his new ability.

When he opened them again, he raised his right hand.

As he extended his palm downwards and lightly closed his fingers, a white vortex appeared, spinning at high speed. Within seconds, the vortex expanded, turning into a pale blue space that covered the entire room.

"So... this is ROOM." Imu muttered.

He looked around, examining every object in the room with fascination. He could feel how everything within this space was completely under his control, as if every corner of the place was waiting to be manipulated according to his will.

When Imu tried to sense how far he could extend the ROOM, he discovered that his ability at full power could encompass ten Noah's Arks together.

This extension was enough to control the entire island of Punk Hazard.

Next, Imu decided to first master all the techniques he remembered from Law before creating his own.

Thus, time passed slowly in a cycle of continuous practice and development.

...

When Imu realized that it was already night, he stopped practicing the Op-Op Fruit's abilities and went to the deck of Noah's Ark.

There he saw Historia and Esdeath talking under an umbrella, while Mikasa and Levi kept watch from a distance.

As Imu approached the guards and maids bowed in respect.

"Greetings, Lord Imu!"

Meanwhile, Historia and Esdeath approached to welcome him.

Imu had no intention of changing this kind of label. Because he knew that both Historia and Esdeath were not with him out of love, so this kind of relationship between the emperor and the harem was more comfortable for him.

"Everyone get up." He ordered indifferently, then directed a gentle smile at the two women in front of him.

"As you may have heard, Guren will soon be arriving from the Teigu World. According to legend, she is a divine being. From now on, she will be your guardian beast."

Focusing on Esdeath, he added: "That fox is also the source of your Teigu's power. I hope that one day you will be able to subdue Guren completely with your own power."

"Okay, I will do it!" Esdeath replied confidently.

"Speaking of which, it's about time you had your own personal guards as well. When the matter of the incorporation of the Teigu World is resolved, I will have ten elites from the Partas clan selected to serve you."

Hearing these words, Esdeath immediately interjected: "Personal guards? If so, I'd rather choose them myself. Is that possible?"

"Alright, do you have someone in mind?"

"Yes. I want Akame and Kurome." Esdeath answered without hesitation, as if she already had the answer prepared.

She didn't even stop to consider that both were key figures within the Empire, one of them being the leader of the Imperial Guard. But that didn't worry her, because she fully trusted Imu's power and influence.

After chatting a bit more with Esdeath and Historia, Imu sat down in the center chair with Esdeath and Historia sitting to him left and right respectively.

Imu turned to Esdeath and asked: "How is your progress with physical skills?"

"I have already mastered Geppo. The other five styles, thanks to the body control techniques I learned at the Imperial Fist Temple, are things I could already perform. You call those techniques Seimei Kikan..."

Esdeath, a battle maniac, began to talk nonstop, sharing every detail of her progress and theories about the various techniques she has learned. Imu, far from being impatient, listened with obvious interest, reveling in Esdeath's passion.

Historia, Mikasa, and Levi, who were watching in silence, couldn't help but be surprised. They too had trained in all the techniques Esdeath was mentioning, but none of them had managed to master them in such a short time or develop new ideas from them. Esdeath's exceptional ability impressed them, though it filled Historia with unease. She felt that Imu preferred Esdeath over her, which caused her increasing anxiety.

While they were talking, Stussy returned, accompanied by a small white fox with dazzling fur. It was the little cloud fox that Imu had brought back from Sky Island.

"My lord, this is the Nine-Tailed White Fox."

Stussy placed a cage covered with a black cloth in front of them. When the cloth was removed, everyone saw a tiny white fox with nine tails and a green ring around its neck, resting peacefully inside the cage.

Esdeath and Historia couldn't hide their amazement, though it soon gave way to disbelief. They had expected an imposing and majestic creature, but what they had before them was a tiny, adorable figure.

Imu, observing the fox's attitude of apparent indifference, smiled amusedly.

"Take that ring off your neck and give it back its size. I don't need a little fox who only knows how to pretend to be helpless."

Guren, hearing these words, felt a mixture of shame and anger, but she restrained herself, understanding that regaining her freedom and power depended on obeying.

"But Lord Imu, this fox has the combat power comparable to that of a general, and..." Stussy hesitated.

"Remove it."

"Yes!" After receiving Imu's direct order, Stussy quickly agreed, then took out Den-Den Mushi to notify Taklama.

Soon, the green ring on Guren's neck automatically disappeared.

As the power of the Less-Less Fruit disappeared, Guren's body rapidly expanded at a speed visible to the naked eye.

Stussy picked up the little cloud fox at her feet and disappeared in an instant, reappearing near Imu.

[Bang!]

In the next second, the iron cage that trapped Guren completely exploded.

Metal fragments flew in all directions like projectiles.

However, just as Cipher Pol agents Mikasa and Levi were preparing to intervene and stop the remnants, they were surprised.

The fragments did not advance more than two meters before stopping in mid-air. Then, they began to move in an orderly fashion, accumulating at a certain distance.

Imu had activated the ROOM at some point and now calmly watched as Guren continued to regain his original size.

Sixty meters.

When the colossal creature appeared before everyone, none of them showed any signs of panic; they simply silently watched Guren.

"Ah~~"

Free at last, Guren raised her head and let out a howl of satisfaction. An intense gust of energy surged from her body, like a hurricane wind.

After releasing some of her frustration, Guren lowered her head, and her blue eyes fixed on Imu's small figure.

But when their eyes met, a feeling of unimaginable terror rushed into Guren's mind like an avalanche.

Unable to bear it, Guren quickly looked away, lowered her head, and took a few trembling steps back.

The fear she felt filled her with shame, but she did not dare to look at Imu again.

'How is it possible?'

'How can there be such a strong human? It's even more terrifying than the old dragon's momentum when he is angry. Is this really a human?!'

Guren felt like he was on the verge of madness.

In just a few days, she had faced opponents from the other world, each one stronger than the last.

But the individual in front of her was different. With just one look, Imu managed to completely paralyze her, robbing her of any trace of will to fight.

"Who I am is something you will discover in time." Imu said, breaking the silence that filled the atmosphere.

"But you must understand and accept your new identity."

"From today onwards, you will no longer be a Danger Beast of the Teigu World."

"You will now be the Guardian Beast of Noah's Ark. You will have the same rank as the Giant God Warriors."

After hearing this, Guren was extremely unwilling.

Imu added: "Of course, you can refuse."

Guren was taken aback. "Hmm?"

But then Imu continued: "As a recognition of your strength, I allow you to die with your pride and give you one minute to consider."

"..." Guren was stunned but couldn't utter a word.

Around her, Esdeath, Historia, Stussy and others silently waited for Guren to make her decision.

Time passed second by second, intensifying the tension in the atmosphere. The pressure on Guren increased with each instant, as if death itself was inexorably approaching.

"I accept!" Guren shouted abruptly with her eyes closed, her trembling voice echoing around the place.

Imu, showing no surprise, ordered in an indifferent voice: "Then kneel down."

"Gu... Guren greets... her master...." She answered with difficulty, as she slowly bowed, her front legs bending until her massive body lay prostrate on the grass.

Imu nodded in satisfaction. Turning to Stussy, he ordered: "Good. Tell Utgard to prepare a snowy area for her residence."

"Understood!" Stussy replied immediately.

Meanwhile, Esdeath stared at Guren with a blank stare. Seeing a deity, praised for over a thousand years in her world, bow down without resistance was something beyond all imagination.

"You may stand up. Now answer my questions."

"Yes, master!" Guren replied submissively.

"Esdeath gained her ability to manipulate ice after drinking your lifeblood. Does this mean anyone could gain that power by drinking it, or does it also require the help of the Philosopher's Stone and alchemy?"

Guren replied reverently: "Master, to my knowledge, of all the Teigu created by the First Emperor, my blood was the only one that was not processed with the Philosopher's Stone or alchemy. Instead, it was stored in a golden vessel that preserves its vitality indefinitely."

"However, my blood contains a powerful will and bestial energy, making it extremely dangerous. It is easy for someone to lose their sanity or for their body to be unable to withstand it and end up dying. Furthermore, it requires an exceptional affinity with the ice element. Throughout the centuries, only Lady Esdeath has managed to successfully adapt."

Imu was intrigued.

"I want you to extract your lifeblood later. If necessary, you will repeat the process every three months."

Imu decided to send a sample to the Biochemical Research Institute first. Maybe they can find out something.

Guren sighed internally but had no choice but to nod. "Yes"

Then, Imu continued: "Now tell me about the natural energy you control. I am very interested in that."

That was, after all, the real reason they had brought her here.

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