“Bold of you. Who allowed you to gaze directly at Lord Imu?”

The two Elders, relying on Imu’s authority, roared with renewed vigor.

“Annoying!”

A powerful wave of Conqueror’s Haki crashed down like an avalanche, shattering the ground and shaking the palace.

“Pfft!”

The two Elders, already heavily injured, were caught off guard and couldn’t resist the overwhelming force. They coughed up blood, kneeling on the ground in a miserable state.

“L-Lord Imu…”

The two looked toward the throne, pleading for assistance.

But Imu didn’t seem to notice, completely ignoring the crushed subordinates, instead gazing thoughtfully at Kuke.

An inner confusion brewed within Imu.

Why is Kuke so strong?

It defied Imu’s understanding. Clearly, Kuke had no connection to the torchbearers or those legendary figures of the past. So how had he broken through these limits? Even Imu couldn’t fathom it.

“Who are you?” Imu’s voice was cold and distant.

“Kuke. And what about you?” Kuke countered.

“Me?” Imu chuckled faintly. “Just someone who has lived for a very long time.”

And so, the two began an idle conversation.

The two Elders were dumbfounded.

We’re still being crushed by Conqueror’s Haki, kneeling here! Lord Imu, have you forgotten about us? How can you have such a casual conversation with the enemy? He’s the enemy!

After some exchange of words, Imu tilted her head slightly, looking at Kuke with curiosity. “Do you intend to overthrow the World Government and crown yourself the new king?”

“King of the world? Not interested,” Kuke replied casually.

Kuke had never been interested in ruling. If he had truly desired power, the Radiant Eclipse Pirate Crew wouldn’t still be without a proper territory by now—they would already have been the unrivaled rulers of the New World.

Instead of tirelessly pursuing power and authority, Kuke found far greater enjoyment in playing games with his crew aboard the Radiant Eclipse.

“You’re not here to become the ruler of the world, so why did you come to the Holy Land?” Imu asked, her voice calm but probing.

The two Elders were utterly perplexed.

Then, anger ignited in their eyes.

For two years, Kuke had caused the World Government and Navy immense losses. If it wasn’t to overthrow them or seize control of the seas, then what did he want?

“To have fun.”

Kuke’s answer was so absurd it nearly made the two Elders vomit blood.

Achievement points—he naturally wouldn’t mention those. Outside of that? It really was just for fun.

“Not for power.”

Imu looked at Kuke with increasing curiosity, as though seeing shadows of others from the past.

“There is no irreconcilable conflict between us. Leave,” Imu said, waving her hand dismissively.

“Leave?”

Kuke raised an eyebrow, surprised at Imu’s unexpected reaction.

Initially, Kuke had viewed the enigmatic Imu as the most invincible overlord of the seas. How could such a being allow an intruder to leave unscathed?

Either it was Imu’s temperament—or Imu wasn’t as strong as Kuke had assumed.

The two Elders stared at Imu in disbelief.

Let the enemy walk away?

They had entertained the idea earlier, but that was because they knew they were no match.

But Lord Imu? She wielded the ultimate weapon. In this era, no one on the seas could stand against her. How could she let the enemy leave safely?

The two Elders opened their mouths, trying to speak.

But under Kuke’s oppressive Conqueror’s Haki and Imu’s silent aura, they lacked the courage to voice their concerns.

In the outside world, they were revered as the mighty Elders. But here, they were insignificant figures with no authority to speak.

“Leave? At least give me a reason,” Kuke said, stepping closer to Imu on the throne.

“You dare!”

“A lowly creature like you dares approach Lord Imu? You seek death!” The two Elders gritted their teeth and lashed out in fury.

“Scram!”

Kuke swung his hand, sending a shockwave that struck the Elders.

“Whoosh!”

Suddenly, a vast, boundless surge of energy burst from Imu’s fingertip.

The air twisted, forming something akin to a black hole.

It struck silently, without sound or warning, heading straight for Kuke.

“This is your reason!” Imu declared.

“Overlord!”

Kuke drew his blade, unleashing the full force of his Armament Haki and Conqueror’s Haki. His aura coiled around him and enveloped the blade.

With a single slash, the air shattered.

The collision of their attacks twisted and fragmented the air, unable to withstand the immense power.

Yet there was no earth-shattering explosion—everything unfolded in eerie silence.

The only sound was the faint scraping of Kuke’s feet against the ground as he slid back several meters.

The terrifying scene faded, leaving only gentle ripples in the air. The fractures and black holes had disappeared.

“He retreated. That monster finally retreated.”

“Of course. Lord Imu’s attack is unstoppable.”

“But that monster is still incredibly strong. To withstand Lord Imu’s strike and survive…”

“It’s only a matter of time. Lord Imu’s attack was casual, while Kuke had to go all out. The gap is clear.”

The two Elders, who had retreated to a corner, were elated.

They hadn’t grasped the true danger of the clash but could clearly sense the disparity in power.

Kuke raised his head, grinning. “Your strength is decent, but it’s not enough.”

Imu remained silent, her snow-white skin now tinged with a faint blush.

“That’s disappointing. If this is all you’ve got, you won’t survive today,” Kuke said, stretching as if warming up for what was to come.

Imu stayed quiet.

The two Elders were bewildered.

Kuke had retreated, while Imu remained calm and composed on her throne. The disparity was obvious.

So why did the one who retreated act more arrogant?

And why was Lord Imu silent?

The incongruity gnawed at them.

Why?

The two Elders turned to look at Imu, only to see her brows furrowing slightly.

A sense of unease crept into their hearts.

Could it be that every time Lord Imu attacks, it exacts a significant toll?

Piecing together all the clues—Imu’s frequent slumber, her rare moments of lucidity, her earlier willingness to negotiate—the Elders’ faces turned grim.

Kuke and Imu locked eyes.

In that moment, both had gauged the other’s strength.

“Combat power over two million—stronger than me,” Kuke admitted.

Purely in terms of combat power, Kuke conceded that Imu was superior, with at least a 500,000-point gap—the equivalent of an entire Emperor-level fighter.

A significant difference, but not insurmountable.

In Kuke’s initial expectations, Imu was far weaker than he had imagined.

With over two million combat power, equivalent to 0.7 of four or five Emperor-level combatants combined, Imu was undeniably strong.

But that strength didn’t quite live up to the identity of the hidden ruler of the world.

Moreover, Kuke had deduced that every action Imu took came at a great cost.

Coupled with such hidden weaknesses, Kuke felt a tinge of disappointment.

While there was a gap in power, if this was all Imu had to offer, Kuke was confident he could kill her.

Although Kuke’s combat power fell short of Imu’s, he possessed a body that had broken the limits of the seas, along with a resurrection ability—two lives to fight Imu.

He also had an ability to teleport once.

If pushed to the brink, he could even bring the Radiant Eclipse to Mary Geoise, relying on its one-hour invincibility shield.

If he still couldn’t succeed?

Well, there was always next month.

Next month, not only would Kuke gain another teleportation ability, but so would the Radiant Eclipse—two teleportations in total.

Sooner or later, Imu would be worn down and defeated.

——

DONT FORGET POWER STONE

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Source: Webnovel.com, updated by NovelKeep