“Why… why?”

The two Elders collapsed to their knees, utterly defeated.

The one they saw as their savior, their ultimate protector—Lord Imu—had abandoned them without hesitation.

The once-proud Elders could not accept that they, who viewed themselves as the apex of authority, were discarded like trash by their master.

“Desres, your sacrifice is for the greater good. Every member of the World Government must be prepared for such a fate,” Imu stated coldly, looking down at the two Elders.

The Elders forced bitter smiles.

For the greater good.

How familiar those words were.

They had used them countless times to demand sacrifices from the Navy, the World Government’s officials, allied nations, and even entire countries.

At that time, they were the exalted Elders, sitting at the pinnacle of power.

They believed it was natural for others to sacrifice themselves for the World Government, for the greater good of the seas.

Those sacrifices, they thought, should feel honored.

But now, being on the other side of that equation, they finally understood how bitter it felt.

They didn’t even have the right to resist.

“They’re yours. Let this end today, and our pact will be fulfilled,” Imu said, watching Kuke with a trace of tension.

She lacked the courage to go all out.

“Agreed,” Kuke replied after a moment’s thought.

For now, Imu and Uranus combined were too strong for even his resurrection ability to guarantee victory.

It would be a gamble, a test of endurance to see who faltered first.

By Kuke’s estimation, the odds were fifty-fifty—either side could lose.

But Imu had an advantage: reinforcements.

The returning Navy forces, the remaining three Elders, and the World Government’s top fighters could easily overwhelm Kuke’s crew in a direct confrontation.

Since it wasn’t feasible to kill her now, Kuke saw no point in continuing the battle.

There was no greater reward to be gained today.

Imu needed time, and so did Kuke.

If he could accumulate over a million achievement points, his resurrection, teleportation, and other abilities would lose their cooldowns. With enough points, he could use them indefinitely, slowly wearing down any opponent.

Beyond that, his strength and his crew’s needed time to grow.

With stronger crew members and his own power increasing, Kuke’s chances of victory would rise.

He also had plans to secure the Dark-Dark Fruit, which could absorb the sea’s top Devil Fruits and distribute them to his crew.

What level of combined combat power would his crew achieve then? It was unimaginable.

He also needed time for Princess Shirahoshi to awaken the power of Poseidon.

Today, Imu had relied on Uranus to negotiate. Without it, she wouldn’t have had the leverage for a truce.

A ten-year ceasefire? Without Uranus, she wouldn’t even qualify to discuss terms.

She had Uranus, but Kuke had Poseidon.

Time was crucial—for achievement points, for crew growth, for everything.

Ten years was just right.

By then, the Dark-Dark Fruit would have appeared.

After all, the current factions of the seas had already been thoroughly exploited for achievement points. A ten-year buffer would allow the “harvest” to regrow, making it an optimal time to collect once again.

Of course, Kuke didn’t plan to adhere strictly to the agreement.

He doubted Imu would either.

If either side found a clear opportunity to eliminate the other within the decade, they would undoubtedly act.

The pact? It only held as long as both sides remained evenly matched and wary of each other.

“Good.”

Kuke extended his hand.

Imu did the same, and their hands clapped together across the distance, sealing the pact.

The only casualties were the two Elders, now lost in despair, their eyes empty.

They felt anger, helplessness, and overwhelming despair.

The pact was made.

The multicolored light surrounding Imu began to fade. She exhaled in relief. “You’re much easier to negotiate with than I expected. I thought you’d make unreasonable demands.”

“Pfft.”

The two Elders, who had already resigned themselves to their fate, coughed up blood.

Even in their final moments, they were betrayed by their master.

Did she mean that sacrificing us wasn’t even a significant demand? That we weren’t worth more?

Kuke glanced at Imu, who now carried a faintly girlish demeanor. “Your mind… it’s not working too well, is it?”

Imu’s delicate eyebrows furrowed.

Did he just call her stupid?

She considered snapping back but decided against it.

“I can’t give you the other things you might want,” Kuke said, glancing at Imu.

More than the Elders’ lives, what Kuke truly desired was Imu herself.

With over two million combat power, if she joined his crew, his overall strength would instantly surpass the historical limits of any individual in the pirate world.

But it wasn’t realistic.

Imu would never agree, and even if she did, Kuke wouldn’t take her aboard willingly.

The risk was too high—unless Kuke’s strength far surpassed hers.

“Elders, it’s time for you to go.”

Kuke swung his blade casually.

Two flying slashes tore through the air.

“W-we…”

Facing death, the Elders instinctively tried to flee.

But Imu’s cold, indifferent gaze stopped them in their tracks.

Defeated, they closed their eyes.

Blood splattered.

The two Elders were dead.

The Five Elders were now reduced to three.

Kuke’s gaze shifted from their bodies back to Imu.

“You won’t cover this up, right?” Imu asked coldly.

“Smart move,” Kuke replied with a faint smile.

The deaths of the two Elders would undoubtedly yield significant achievement points—not enough to surpass a million but enough to bring him closer to it.

“Well, goodbye. Next time we meet, I hope your mind is sharper,” Kuke said, giving Imu one last look.

In Kuke’s mind, Imu came across as a somewhat naive and foolish woman.

Despite her caution, opening with a clear offer of negotiation wasn’t exactly a clever move.

But then again, her naivety worked in his favor.

Today’s outcome had been surprisingly easy for him.

With those words, Kuke vanished, leaving Imu fuming silently.

“Uranus, am I really stupid?” Imu asked, irritated.

“Uh… maybe it’s because you’ve slept for so long,” Uranus replied hesitantly.

Imu remained silent.

Uranus spoke again, its tone neutral but tinged with exasperation. “Actually, earlier, we could have taken the gamble. Our chances of success were much higher.”

Even Uranus, usually devoid of emotion, seemed frustrated.

Despite their overwhelming strength, their side had seemed weak and hesitant.

“There was no need for that. He’s strong, but in the end, he’s just one of the flames for the future. Ten years from now, if our plan succeeds, today’s humiliation won’t matter,” Imu said with calm resolve.

“Humiliation is temporary. Once we reclaim control of the world for another 800 years, we’ll erase this part of history, just as we did before. No one will remember.”

“You’re right,” Uranus agreed after a moment of thought.

Indeed, far worse humiliations had occurred in the past.

But in the end, the victors were the ones who wrote history.

“Kuke.”

Imu’s cold gaze pierced the horizon.

He had called her foolish.

“Ten years from now, I’ll make you pay. You dare call me stupid? When I unleash my full power without worrying about consequences, I’ll show you what true strength is,” Imu vowed silently, gritting her teeth.

“Leave the rest to you.”

Imu, exuding the aura of a deity, swept her gaze across the room full of terrified World Government officials.

“L-Lord Imu, many Celestial Dragons were killed or injured. I…”

“Those fools? If they’re dead, so be it. As long as they’re not all gone, it doesn’t matter.”

Imu waved her hand dismissively and turned toward the depths of the Holy Land.

“Inform Reis and the others when they return. They are to report to me immediately.”

With that, Imu disappeared into the shadows, leaving a trail of tension and dread in her wake.

——

DONT FORGET POWER STONE

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Source: Webnovel.com, updated by NovelKeep