One Piece: I am Imu-Chapter 272: Secrets of Imu

In a spacious room, decorated in a classic and elegant style that exuded an atmosphere of solemnity and luxury, tired eyes slowly opened.

The old emperor's mind quickly cleared as he moved his body instinctively.

The slight sound woke the young man who was sleeping with his head resting on the bed. Blinking, the young man raised his head.

He was a boy with green hair and eyes.

"Father?"

"Ah, Father, you are awake!"

Noticing the Emperor's gaze, the young man reacted with a start. His exclamation, however, only made the Emperor shake his head, somewhat amused.

"I've told you many times. As the crown prince and future emperor of the empire, you must learn to remain calm and composed at all times." Although his words seemed like a reprimand, his tone was extremely gentle.

This young man was the emperor who was tricked by Prime Minister Honest in the Akame ga Kill Series.

"I'm sorry, Father, I'll keep that in mind." The young man replied, bowing his head, then added with obvious concern: "How are you feeling now? Do you want me to call the imperial physician?"

"No need, I'm fine. Tell me, where is your mother?"

The emperor shook his head as he settled himself against the headboard of the bed.

"Mother has been taking care of you for almost two days without a break. Due to exhaustion, she returned to rest." The young man replied in a low voice.

The emperor sighed inwardly, knowing that he had been in a coma for two days.

"Father, do you want me to notify General Budo and the Prime Minister to come?" The young man asked hesitantly.

"There is no hurry. First tell me what has happened these days." Said the emperor, with a slight hint of seriousness in his voice.

The young man seemed to hesitate for a moment. His lips moved, but the words seemed stuck in his throat.

"Speak bluntly. There is no need to hesitate." The emperor said, frowning.

"Yes, father! "

Nervously, the young man began to recount what had happened: how the Shikoutazer was confiscated by the World Government while he was unconscious.

The emperor listened in silence, and in the end, he could only let out a deep sigh.

"Father, we must demand that the Imperial Guardian be returned to us!" The young man exclaimed indignantly. "It is rightfully ours!"

"There is no way to get it back." The Emperor said in a grave voice. "As defeated, neither the Imperial Guardian, nor our empire, nor this world belong to us anymore."

He paused before adding: "Under our circumstances, the World Government's allowing us to keep our nation is, in a way, an act of mercy. You must understand, son: when there is an absolute power differential, complaints are nothing more than empty cries."

The young man could only nod in agreement.

"Son, I have made a decision." The Emperor said after a moment of thought. "When we officially join the World Government, I want to send you to their world to study for a few years."

"What?" The young man was stunned, not knowing how to react.

The emperor continued: "You are the future of this empire. You need to understand the World Government and strengthen your abilities. Now that I can still manage the affairs of the empire, this is your chance to learn and grow."

The emperor understood his son's character. To put it bluntly, he was a kind and naive child who was always pampered.

If it were times of peace, with this kind of character, there should be no problem in being a wise ruler who maintained the status quo step by step.

But with the emergence of the World Government, the whole world is in an era of great change.

This places higher demands on the ability and character of a nation's ruler.

Despite his resistance, the young man understood that his father's decision was immovable.

"Anyway, prepare yourself. Starting tomorrow, your training in knowledge and the physical arts will be intensified. You cannot afford to dishonor our empire."

After saying that, the emperor waved his hand.

"That's all, go visit your mother. While you're at it, inform the Prime Minister, General Budo, Treasury Officer Esdra, Commander Gozuki, Minister Najenda, and Dr. Stylish that I've summoned them for a meeting."

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"Yes, father."

With a depressed expression, the young man stood up and left the room.

As the door closed behind him, the emperor let out a long sigh. He had no alternative.

Although what he had said before was partly true, the main reason behind his decision was much more critical: the empire had lost the National Defense Machine God.

While the Alchemy Kingdom and the Kingdom of the Gods Islands had barely suffered any significant losses beyond some mid- and low-ranking troops, the empire was on the brink of collapse.

In this desperate situation, the only strategy the emperor considered viable was to send the prince to strengthen the relationship with the World Government, taking advantage of the influence it would give him to protect the empire.

But he knew that this course of action, though necessary, was humiliating. Such submission destroyed the dignity and pride that the empire had preserved for a thousand years.

...

Meeting Room of the Supreme Command of the Army.

At this moment, all the officers of the military with the rank of lieutenant general and general were present, along with Raymond, Kong, Sengoku, Zephyr, Tsuru, and the generals who had just returned from the Teigu world, such as Garp, Newgate, and Sakazuki.

The person who had called this meeting was Ethanbaron V. Nusjuro.

"I think you all have already guessed in part why I have summoned you here today." V. Nusjuro said as he adjusted the round glasses on his nose with a finger and gave a stern look to those presents.

After a brief silence, to everyone's surprise, it was Edward Newgate who broke the ice: "Is it about this Saint Nerona?"

Sengoku, Garp, and the others' gazes focused on Whitebeard.

"Exactly." V. Nusjuro replied, his expression calm, looking at Whitebeard. "Incidentally, you are probably the only one here, besides me, who has seen Lord Imu."

Everyone was visibly surprised.

Newgate nodded calmly and continued: "Not only have I met him. I was easily defeated back then. Even my naginata, Murakumogiri, was split in two with a single blow. If not, I wouldn't be sitting here right now."

At that moment, the meeting room fell into absolute silence. Even Garp now had a serious expression on his face.

Nusjuro seemed unfazed by their reactions and continued: "Well, I will let you know some details about Lord Imu."

He paused before continuing: "First of all, I know that all of you have been wondering for some time now where exactly the Dimensional Gate comes from."

Tsuru, Sengoku, Kong, and the others were shocked. Their eyebrows rose as a shocking thought began to form in their minds.

"That's right. The creator of the Dimensional Gate is none other than Lord Imu."

The room became even more still. With serenity, V. Nusjuro continued to narrate the story that Imu had shared with them earlier.

The shock on the faces of those present was evident. From Sengoku to Kaido, each of the top combat powers gathered there seemed to be struggling to process what they had just heard.

"Wait! Wait a minute!" Sengoku, clearly in disbelief, stood up from his seat and looked at V. Nusjuro in astonishment.

"From what you say... are you implying that this Lord Imu has lived for close to a thousand years?"

"Of course." V. Nusjuro replied in a calm tone. "You have already seen someone who has lived for a thousand years: Kibutsuji Muzan, from the Demon Slayer World."

There was a murmur among those present.

"Of course, compared to Lord Imu, that guy is a bit disappointing."

"In other words, all of us are actually subordinates of this Lord Imu?"

At this time, Kaido spoke up to break the gradually solemn atmosphere.

Nusjuro gave him a cold, emotionless look. "Lord Imu, who can lead you to conquer worlds, dominate the star seas, and witness the wonders of the universe, is not qualified to be your leader?"

"I..." Kaido opened his mouth, but he didn't know what to answer.

On the other hand, Sengoku and Tsuru exchanged glances. Their eyes reflected mutual concern, as they had understood what the existence of Imu implied: the true ruler of the World Government.

And what did this represent?

Dictatorship.

Until then, they had believed that the World Government did not have a king with absolute power. All decisions, large or small, were made jointly by several people or groups.

There was even Mary Geoise's Empty Throne which was a symbol of peace, representing that no one can take that place.

However, it now seemed that there was someone who could legitimately sit on that throne.

The leader who led the Original Twenty Kings to found the World Government, the ancestor of the Celestial Dragons, who also controlled the awesome power of the Dimensional Gate.

When they recalled how this being had easily overpowered the out-of-control Shikoutazer, and how even Edward Newgate admitted to being effortlessly defeated by it, everything began to fall into place.

With all these qualities gathered in one person, it seemed natural that he would occupy the Empty Throne.

Sengoku's mind was racing, pondering the impact it would have on the world if Imu's existence was revealed.

In just a few seconds, weighing the pros and cons, he came to a conclusion that even surprised himself: Imu's existence was beneficial to the World Government and the Starfish World.

Or to put it another way, the current World Government needed a leader like Imu, as long as he didn't interfere excessively in its operations for personal reasons.

Furthermore, V. Nusjuro had mentioned that Imu had emerged from his seclusion with the Dimensional Gate only four years ago. Reflecting on the changes in the World Government over these four years, it was evident that everything had improved in the right direction.

[Bang!]

Suddenly, a knock on the table brought Sengoku out of his thoughts. Irritated, he turned to Garp, who was sitting next to him.

Before he could say anything, he saw Garp staring straight at V. Nusjuro and exclaiming, "I just want to know one thing: has this Lord Imu's power reached a higher level? And can we also follow in his footsteps?"

These words lit a spark in everyone present. Even Borsalino, who had been distracted, looked up with interest.

Until now, everyone had believed that they had already reached the apex of power. Even figures like Rocks in the past, or Newgate in the present, did not surpass this limit. But the power that Imu had displayed seemed to be on another level.

A higher level!

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