Chapter 707: I've Become Stronger, You've Become Weaker!
Facing the golden Blade Light that visually occupied nearly half of the Sky above his head, Garp merely swelled his robust Muscle. He poured the indescribably vast Strength within his body and the Haki in his Heart, like Flowing Water, into his massive Right Fist.
The Aura on the surface of that dark Fist instantly became even brighter, and then... he swung it upwards without any flourish.
[Duang!]
Garp was like a small, black and red stone that happened to Intercept a certain point on the Blade.
When the two made contact in Mid-air.
Instantly.
A piercing Metal Clashing echoed between Heaven and Earth. The Feeling was like a Sharp Blade heavily striking a hard, small Steel Ball.
And the Result was.
The Blade failed to cut through the Steel Ball; instead, it was Intercepted by this tiny point.
At the same time.
The powerful Strength that erupted acted back on both sides.
Everyone witnessed the gigantic Blade Light, which seemed capable of splitting the Earth, first tremble violently, then show Cracks on its surface, and finally explode in Mid-air with a Loud Noise, turning into scattered Golden Light dancing across the Sky.
[Roar!]
Meanwhile, that 'small Steel Ball' transformed into a black and red Meteor and plummeted downwards, instantly crushing a large area of the Island surface.
Thick Smoke billowed, and Earthquakes occurred repeatedly.
This single strike just now.
In the minds of many, it could be called the peak Clash of Swordsmanship and Martial Arts in the Sea Star World.
Garp's Martial Arts, needless to say, if he claimed to be second in the World, then no one, including Zephyr and Bullet, would dare claim to be first.
As for Shiki's Swordsmanship.
Although it seemed somewhat controversial, upon closer thought, in terms of pure Swordsmanship Strength, glancing at the Peak Experts in the Sea Star World now, excluding Im, you truly couldn't say who was Stronger than him.
And those who could compare with him in Swordsmanship were basically all dead...
Oh, right!
Redfield might be able to compare Swordsmanship with Shiki.
[Bang!]
The Earth trembled violently again. A black Meteor, its surface rubbing out firelight, shot straight into the clouds, wrapped in a Conical Air Shield glowing with Aura, amidst the Roar of Sonic Booms.
"Gyahahaha, well met! I've wanted to settle the Victory or Defeat with you for a long time!"
Shiki in the Air was not surprised but delighted by this. Immediately, he gathered more Haki on his Twin Swords, and at the same time, applied Conqueror's Haki Infusion, forming crackling Dark Red Lightning.
In the blink of an Eye.
In the gloomy Sky with rumbling Dark Clouds, the golden-tinged red Meteor and the red-tinged black Afterimage were almost intertwined.
They demonstrated what it meant to fight fast with fast, what it meant to be Electric Flash.
As the Blades and Fists constantly met, crisscrossing Fist Wind and Blade Light continuously Collided, shattered, and stirred up rolling Gales.
The Clanging Sound of Metal Clashing almost filled the entire surrounding Sea Area.
At the same time.
Circles of Wavy Airwaves formed in the Air, disappeared, and reformed. The two fought from the center of the Island to the west end, and then to the east end.
Sometimes chasing each other, sometimes charging at each other.
The Air along the way turned into a Storm, the Ground they passed over cracked and Tremored, Flying Sand and Rolling Stones, Smoke and Dust billowed, and the brilliant golden Blade Light occasionally shone brightly, illuminating the increasingly dark and oppressive Environment.
The countless Citizens watching the Combat could hardly see any of the Combat Situation through the Screen Feed anymore.
The entire Virtual Screen was completely filled with Storms, Smoke and Dust, Golden Light, and various Roars so loud they had to lower the volume.
It could be said that it had completely become a Torment for the Eyes and Ears.
However.
Many people knew clearly that the 'Summit War' between Garp and Shiki would definitely not be a Combat where Victory or Defeat could be decided in just one or two days, or even four or five days.
Although the rule stated that Shiki only needed to last five days to succeed.
Given his and Garp's tempers, this Combat was destined to end only with one side's Defeat, drawing the Prelude.
Soon.
One day passed.
When the brilliant Milky Way dotted the Night Curtain with stars, the slightly higher Mountain Peaks on the Island no longer existed, either flattened by giant Slashes or completely blasted apart by powerful Fist Wind.
Two days passed.
Many terrifying Rifts, as deep as Canyons, began to appear on the Island, and more than a dozen Pit-like areas, as if struck by Meteorites, were added.
Three days passed.
This Deserted Island began to fail to support itself. Surging Seawater poured out frantically from the Ground Fissures, and the Island Body had begun to show signs of Splitting.
Four days passed.
The Island completely split into Fragments, and the Combat between the two sides was fixed in the Air.
The golden-red Meteor and the black-red Afterimage were still fiercely fighting amidst the exploding Sonic Booms, seemingly completely unfatigued despite fighting day and night without rest or food.
However.
Sengoku, Zephyr, Newgate, and other Powerhouses keenly noticed that Shiki was gradually falling into a Disadvantage, and his Figure, which occasionally paused, also appeared more battered than Garp's.
Five days passed.
Shiki was being suppressed by Garp more and more obviously, and the number of times he fell onto the shattered Island Fragments also increased.
Blood began to seep from his Corner of Mouth, and a shocked Angry Expression appeared on his face.
The sixth day.
Heavy Rain fell from the Sky.
These dense Raindrops instantly formed a rustling Rain Curtain.
At this moment.
Shiki could no longer fly. It wasn't because he lacked Stamina, but because Garp's Iron Fists, swinging across the Sky, could already confine him to the Ground.
He could only rely on the Twin Swords in his hands and his Observation Haki with 'Future Sight' Ability to struggle to block and dodge.
"How is this possible?! Why is this happening?! How could you, you Bastard, become so Strong!"
Shiki completely disregarded the Blood overflowing from his Corner of Mouth and the several areas of Severe Pain on his body, Roaring somewhat hysterically at Garp, who was still smashing Fists at him.
"Puhahaha!"
Garp couldn't help but laugh heartily upon hearing this.
At the same time, the movements of his hands showed no hesitation. His black Fist, moving at a supersonic Speed invisible to the average Human Sense of Sight, instantly swept past the Blade's Interception and struck Shiki's Cheek.
This sent him flying with a cry of pain, finally falling heavily onto the Ground, which was full of Mud and Rainwater.
Only then did Garp stop his Offensive and sneered, "Shiki, you still haven't realized it? It seems I really overestimated you!"
"What did you say?!"
Using the Twin Swords in his hands to prop himself up, Shiki, half-crouching in the Mud, glared at Garp, his Gaze filled with surprise and uncertainty.
"Hmph, my Haki has indeed become a bit Stronger than four years ago, but the reason you couldn't even last six days is because your Observation Color has become weaker compared to four years ago!"
Garp casually tore open his tattered Shirt. His robust Chest, covered in Knife Wounds and Bloody Wounds, was Self-healing at a Speed visible to the naked Eye.
"Also, your Blade is a bit dull..."
Shiki's Expression immediately turned ashen upon hearing this. He began to doubt himself, wondering if he had truly become weaker.
Otherwise, how could he have been defeated so quickly?
This was a one-on-one!
"But you don't need to worry too much. After you experience a few Otherworld Wars later, your Morale will naturally improve. But the current you probably can't even beat that Kid Kaido, after all, he's grown quite a bit in these past few years!"
Just as Shiki was grinding his teeth in annoyance, Garp had slowly walked up to him, a hearty, bright Smile on his face.
He extended his Right Hand.
"Catch up quickly, Shiki, after all, we'll be Comrades-in-Arms fighting side-by-side from now on. If you're this weak, it'll be easy to drag us down~~"
"Talking Nonsense!"
Shiki was furious, slapping Garp's Palm away fiercely. He quickly Stood Up and cursed, "You just wait! It won't be long before I catch up to you! When that time comes, we'll fight again and see who drags who down!"
Garp was also amused by this.
"Don't worry, you'll never catch up to the four-year Gap between us in your lifetime, puhahahaha~~~"
(End of this chapter)
## Chapter 708: I Deliberately Didn't Lose Weight!
After nearly six days and six nights, the 'Summit War' concluded with the defeat of 'Golden Lion' Shiki.
Regarding this Result, Sengoku, Newgate, and others were actually somewhat surprised.
Because in the decades after the 'Rocks Era' and before the 'Stargate Era', 'Golden Lion', 'Whitebeard', 'Gol D. Roger', and 'BIG MOM' could be said to be the 'Four Emperors' of that Time.
Of course, back then, no one had yet proposed the concept of the 'Four Emperors'.
As for Garp, although he held the Title of 'Marine Hero' under the World Government's Propaganda, everyone knew that he was only half responsible for the Value of that Title.
After all, among the people mentioned above, he had never defeated or captured any of them by his own Strength.
Direct Confrontation was certainly not a problem.
But to say that Garp could defeat any of them was truly impossible to judge.
Moreover, Shiki outwardly appeared more ferocious than him, so during the previous Combat, many Marines and Ordinary Citizens were very worried for Garp.
Now that Garp had won, it immediately ignited cheers from countless people in Various Places in the World. They shouted the slogan 'Marine Hero Garp' in unison.
The words Garp said to Shiki also caused the Sea Star Powerhouses to ponder deeply.
Shiki's Haki had weakened. This goes without saying; four years of imprisonment and the experience of having his Body controlled were enough to wear down his Morale.
The key point was that Garp said his Haki had become stronger, and the Reason was the several Otherworld Wars he had experienced, even including Kaido.
Thinking about it carefully, it did make Sense.
When they were in Wars involving hundreds of thousands, millions, or even tens of millions of participants, it would definitely cause a significant Impact and shock to their Essence, Qi, and Spirit.
Haki, originating from Willpower and controlling Mental Level forces like Aura, Killing Intent, and Fighting Spirit, would naturally develop greater Toughness in this process.
And large-Scale Wars like these were unimaginable before the 'Stargate Era'.
Therefore, Sengoku, Newgate, Kaido, and others finally realized the greatest Effect of the Otherworld War for themselves.
It brought not only Honor and Substance but also Training for the Mind and cultivation of Aura, all of which directly related to the improvement of Strength!
As for the World Government, just as Im had thought before, the Victory or Defeat of Shiki was not that important.
Because from the moment he stood on the Deserted Island and chose to engage in the 'Summit War', he had already officially joined the Air Force Headquarters. The only difference was his starting Military Rank.
From then on, the World Government gained another 'Highest Combat Power', and the Air Force became the first Military Branch to have a full roster of Three Great Admirals, which made Sengoku and Raimon extremely envious.
Raimon of the Army Headquarters was slightly better off. After all, Douglas Bullet had just been promoted to Army General, and below him was Sir Crocodile, who could step up at any Time, and Aramaki, who was further back in line.
In comparison, Marine Headquarters only had Issho as a Candidate. And Issho's biggest problem was that he had made it clear he did not want to participate in the Conquest of Otherworlds, which meant he mostly remained stationed on the Sea Star Mainland.
This was actually fine. After all, there was no guarantee that the Sea Star Mainland wouldn't be attacked someday, and having someone who could immediately step up to deal with it would be good.
It just meant fewer opportunities to earn Military Merit. Even as Fleet Admiral, Sengoku could not force a Promotion application for Issho to Saint Jaygarcia Saturn when his Military Merit was clearly insufficient. After all, the current World Government was not that lacking in High-End Combatants.
In the following days, the Popularity surrounding the 'Summit War' rapidly declined. The World Government, while seizing the Time for self-Reform, was also busy preparing for the 'Reverie' to be held on September 15th.
Even the Propaganda Department began summoning artists from the music and dance industries to discuss the various programs for the 'Liberation Day Gala' on the evening of September 15th.
Liberation Day, for the current World, was in a Sense more important than celebrating the New Year. This day Represents the complete liberation and prohibition of Slaves. In addition to Pirates, the Marines' main target of Attack gained another group: Slave Traders.
However, compared to before, if a Slave Trader fled from the Sea to an Island with a Police Station, they would first need to contact the Public Security Department to request cooperation.
However, at this moment, in the Meeting Room of the Propaganda Department, the Atmosphere was somewhat nervous.
Besides some well-known artists from the World, Tesoro, Stella, Brook, Morgans, and even Queen Otohime, who had just returned from the Demon Slayer World, were present.
Only the massive-bodied Queen was glaring angrily at the relatively short Tesoro, one from above and one from below. Clearly, both sides were in a very bad mood.
Near the two, Stella, who was still breathtakingly beautiful, awkwardly hid behind Tesoro, while Tengen Uzui stood beside Queen with a helpless Expression.
Brook, Morgans, and the others naturally watched the show silently.
The cause was that Queen, completely disregarding Tesoro, kept pouring out his affection for Stella. Then, facing Tesoro's Warning, he actually said that Tesoro was not worthy of having Stella.
How could Tesoro tolerate this? He immediately stood Up to fight him, and Queen also confronted him head-on without showing any weakness.
Fortunately, both sides knew where they currently were – the Headquarters Building of the World Government.
"Hmm?"
It was in this Situation that Minister Laurel Solo, dressed in a Suit, just walked into his Meeting Room.
He first glanced at the slightly awkward Secretary behind him, then a Smile appeared on his face as he asked, "Mr. Queen, and this Jonin Tengen Uzui from Sea Ninja Village, why are you here?"
"That goes without saying, of course, to participate in the 'Liberation Day Gala'!" Queen snorted coldly, turning to look at Minister Laurel Solo. "I've prepared some fantastic Funk music, arrange it for me!"
"This..." Minister Laurel Solo was taken aback for a moment, then showed a difficult Expression. "Mr. Queen, you don't seem to be a Professional Musician, and the Gala Time is limited. Which programs are arranged requires multiple discussions and reviews."
"What do you mean?" Queen glared unhappily. "Are you questioning my music level?"
"That's right!" At this moment, Tesoro, dressed in Luxurious Robes and adorned with various Gold Jewelry, sneered disdainfully. "I even doubt if you can read a Musical Staff!"
Queen retorted with a cold face. "I've seen your previous Performance. Honestly, your singing isn't great, and your dancing is terrible. The only commendable thing is the music itself, which is just at my level from ten years ago!"
"Hehehehe..." Tesoro was angered into laughter by these words. "With your aesthetic level, you dare to come here? You really are all fat, thick-skinned enough!"
"This is Muscle!" Queen's massive Body Size leaned forward slightly, giving a visual Sense of Oppression, and his tone became gloomy. "My Body Size is only because I was worried about being too popular and falling into the trouble of Choice, and also didn't want to hurt the beautiful ladies, so I deliberately didn't lose weight!"
"If you're not convinced, we can go outside and compete. Music or Combat, you pick~"
"Alright!" Tesoro responded with a cold face, accepting the challenge. The Gold Jewelry on his Body began to gradually melt into Golden Liquid under the Effect of his Mysterious Ability.
"Tesoro..." Stella worriedly tugged at his sleeve.
"Alright, you two, this is the Headquarters Building of the World Government!" Minister Laurel Solo reminded them with a serious Attitude, then said to Queen and Tengen Uzui. "Since you two are here, please sit down and let's talk, and also see your works."
"No problem!"
"My 'Golden Kagura' will definitely shock the entire audience!"
Tengen Uzui also smiled confidently. "My Flashy Music won't disappoint everyone either..."
(End of Chapter)
Chapter 709: Yo, Hello There!
Time flew by, and the World reached April.
For people living on the Grand Line or the Red Line, apart from the numbers on the Calendar, it was actually impossible to perceive the change of seasons through the Climate. After all, hot places would always be hot, and cold places would always be cold.
Although only a short three months had passed, thanks to the Efforts of countless Personnel, the World Government still absorbed quite a few Resources from the Imperial Arms World.
First were the Personnel. From the Imperial Faction's side, the Agents who originally belonged to Oarberg's Assassination Unit and the Secret Police Force, such as Gozuchi, Najenda, Mine, and others, all successfully joined CIPHER POL Headquarters.
A group of Sword Masters from Shenhe Island Nation arrived at Wano Island and began practicing Haki under Mihawk while discussing the reclassification of their previous Swordsman Rank System based on the Swordsmanship levels of the Sea Star World.
The Blacksmiths capable of forging Ministerial Arms/Nether Treasure were naturally absorbed by the Famous Sword Town of the Udon Sect. They not only brought the related Technology for forging Ministerial Arms to the World Government but also a large amount of records regarding Imperial Arms Manufacturing left by the Founding Emperor of the Empire from a thousand years ago.
As for the Ninjas from the former Shenhe Island Nation, they were absorbed by the Sea Ninja Village, giving the Sea Ninja Village a group of Ninjas skilled in Archery, as well as a group of Kawamatsu they brought. This made the Sea Ninja Village, which had been quiet for a long time, very lively. It was just a pity that the Strength of these Shenhe Ninjas wasn't very good.
Meanwhile, the Alchemists from the Alchemy Kingdom were arranged into various Departments such as the Academy of Science, Medical Academy, Academy City, and Construction Department, based on their respective Knowledge Domains.
It was precisely these Alchemists who caused repeated Exclamations within these Departments.
"Unbelievable!"
"It's simply the Strength of Miracles!"
When Dean Kureha of the Medical Academy, Naiqin, Crocus, Shinobu Kocho, Tamayo, and many other Physicians saw a critically ill Patient with damaged Internal Organs. They were simply placed on the Ground where a complex Circular Formation was drawn. Then, as the Otherworlder, who claimed to be a Biological Alchemist, forcefully slammed both Palms onto the Ground. The seemingly dying Patient, under the effect of the Radiance Circular Formation and flashing Electro, completely recovered from their Injuries in less than a minute, prompting these sounds.
Moreover, it wasn't just external Injuries; even viral Diseases. These Biological Alchemists could also quickly heal people in the same way. It is said that the principle is simply to convert the Virus within the Human Body into normal, harmless Cells. However, the prerequisite is that they must have sufficient Knowledge and Understanding of the Virus's structural characteristics.
This caused a strange Gaze to flash in Kureha's eyes, as she felt that this Bio Alchemy could solve a big problem.
On the other side.
The Academy of Science and the Construction Department were also the same. The former saw the immense effect of Alchemy in the Materials Domain, such as Decomposition, restructuring, and replication, while the latter was delighted by the speed and convenience of Alchemy in infrastructure Construction.
Especially Director Lu Sien of the latter, who was practically overjoyed.
He had just witnessed firsthand someone who claimed to be an Intermediate Alchemist simply slapping a Circular Formation on the Ground, and then, amidst flashing Electro, buildings of different Materials rose one after another.
It could be said that as long as various Materials were sufficient and the design Plan was clearly explained, a skilled Alchemist could essentially equal an Engineering Team, and in terms of Time Efficiency, they could even rival Devil Fruit Users like Teach and Pica.
This led many High-Ranking Officials of the World Government to regard Alchemy as the most valuable gain from the Imperial Arms World.
It also ensured that every Alchemist who came to the Sea Star World received extremely high Importance and Respect.
Meanwhile, the Scholars, Researchers, and other Intellectuals from the Sea Star Mainland strongly urged the World Government to allow them to also learn the Mystery of Alchemy.
Of course, there was no problem with this. The Truth Alchemy Academy Branch Campus in Academy City was prepared precisely for this, and its Principal was Dean Isaac's top disciple, Senior Alchemist Taylor!
However, according to the original Plan, the Academy City would officially open on May 1st. So, these people still had to endure another month of Time.
To be fair, Alchemy was indeed very useful, but the initial Learning cost was somewhat too high.
Besides various Knowledge related to Alchemy, one also had to deeply Learn the corresponding Substance structures they wished to master. This was purely a Supernatural Power prepared for a group of Academic Aces, no, it should be said, Academic Gods. If one didn't possess extremely high Learning Talent or already have a very high Knowledge Reserve, it was best not to even consider it.
Just right.
Im felt he could do it. In terms of Physical Damage, he didn't understand it very well, but in terms of Biology, after several years of Medical Research, he could be said to be an Expert among Experts. Therefore, he directly ordered people to send over the Related Information on Bio Alchemy.
Im planned to look at it himself first, and if it didn't work, he would find a Teacher for himself later.
By the way, although 'Bio Alchemy' and 'Human Transmutation' only differed by one character, the distinction was very significant. Simply put, the former primarily allowed the Creature's Physique to recover to its original state, while the latter was a Forbidden Act that severely violated Natural Law, Transmuting a new Human Body from nothing using Physique, Soul, and Spirit.
"Hmm?"
However, just as Im quickly memorized the Knowledge related to Alchemy. Then, full of confidence, he squatted down and slammed his Palm onto the Bio Alchemy Array drawn on the spacious living room floor.
He found that not only did no Radiance or Electro appear, but even the Chicken inside, which had been cut with a Blade but was tightly bound by a Rope and could only whimper, showed no change.
For a moment, the Atmosphere in the Room became awkward.
"What's the Situation?"
Fortunately, Im had anticipated this possibility long ago and specifically instructed people not to enter, so he merely Stood Up with a calm expression and began to think.
The process of activating Alchemy was for someone who had mastered Alchemy Knowledge to first draw the relevant Construction Formula and Circular Formation on the Ground, guide the Energy from Crustal Movement, and then infuse their Imagination, transformed into Mental Power, by forcefully slamming their Palms.
"Uh, it should be because I'm currently on the Ship Floating in the Void, and the Ship itself is still in Dimensional Space..."
According to the Related Information from the Alchemy Kingdom, only Stigma Alchemists who have come into contact with 'Truth' can use Alchemy freely anytime and anywhere without relying on the Formula Circle and 'Crustal Power'.
"Alright then, I'll go outside and try."
Suddenly, Im flipped his Right Hand, quickly condensing a rapidly rotating mass of Qi. When it burst forth, it instantly formed a bowl-shaped, light blue Domain. With a gentle push forward of his Right Hand, two invisible Doors over three meters high immediately opened inward, revealing a clear blue Sky with scattered white Clouds on the other side.
This was Oimo's Door-Door Fruit Ability! Im actually opened an Air Door leading to reality within the Door-Door Space himself.
However, he seemed to have long been accustomed to this and simply stepped in casually.
[Swish!] The next second, relying on the Ability of Teleportation, he instantly appeared in the Garden within the Royal Palace on Paradis Island from a High Altitude of over a thousand meters.
The beautiful, tranquil Lake, like a Sapphire, was right beside Im but wasn't even worth a glance from him.
[Swish!] Another Whistling Sound. The poor Chicken appeared out of thin Air in the Mid-air beside Im.
As for himself, he began controlling invisible Haki to redraw the Circular Formation on the Lawn.
"Since Alchemy can be successfully activated in the Sea Star World, there should be no problem in this Titan World either."
A moment later, with a 'buzz' sound, Im watched the Alchemy Array before him burst into Radiance with a pleasant Feeling. At the same time, streaks of blue Electro rapidly darted across the Ground.
This meant he had Learned Alchemy.
"Hmm?"
However, he suddenly realized that the Radiance emanating from the Alchemy Array was a bit too bright.
The next second, Im found himself in a pure white, Mysterious Space.
Before he could Think further, a greeting, whose gender was indistinguishable, sounded from behind him.
"Yo, hello there, we finally meet~"
(End of this chapter)
## Chapter 710: Speak, What Do You Want!
Within the Pure White Space.
"Yo, hello there. We finally meet."
When these words reached Im's ears, his Heart sank, because in his Perception world, there was no Aura feedback from behind him.
Fortunately, he could still feel the Haki within his Body normally.
Im turned around with a calm expression. A pair of sharp, golden pupils like Hawk Eyes coldly sized up the strange entity that appeared in his Line of Sight.
There were two strange points.
One was its appearance: within a black mist-like outline, a white sphere roughly the Volume of a Basketball was sketched out. On its surface, only a split-open mouth and teeth could be seen.
The second was its Aura: it was clearly right in front of him, but his Perception was telling him that there was nothing there.
This made Im, who was used to controlling the whole situation and even casually reading minds, feel a bit uncomfortable.
"I think you must be the 'Truth' mentioned in Alchemy theory."
Im was a Transmigrator, after all. As early as when he learned about the existence of Alchemists and the Philosopher's Stone in the Imperial Arms World, he had already guessed that the 'Gate of Truth' might also exist.
"Interesting. You're the first person who didn't immediately ask where this is or who I am."
"Not bad."
"I am Truth, and also the World itself, the Universe itself, or the Gods themselves, or everything, or the only one..."
After listening to the other party's extremely imposing words, Im slightly furrowed his brows and issued a probing question.
"Is that all? I think adding 'or you' or 'I am you' at the end would be better."
"???"
Immediately, three white question marks with black mist outlines appeared on the white sphere's Head, which had a mouth.
Every time it had met the Alchemists who appeared before it, it would indeed add the phrase 'I am you' at the end.
Because they were all people from its own Universe, and it could easily see through their insides and outsides, instantly understanding them better than they understood themselves.
The reason it didn't say this to Im was because Im was neither from its Universe, nor did it find that it could read Im's thoughts, Memory, or Body information at all, which made it a bit uncomfortable.
In this kind of Situation, saying 'I am you' again would truly be pure nonsense.
"I think the reason you just said 'We finally meet' is likely because of the Star Gate I control."
"And the reason you didn't come looking for me directly when the Star Gate opened back then, I guess there are two possibilities."
Im seemed to have no intention of waiting for its answer and continued analyzing on his own.
"Either, out of caution, you decided to wait and see first. Or, you couldn't contact me directly. Or, both are true."
"Thinking again about the process of our meeting now, I guess you need to activate Alchemy to pull the Alchemist's Consciousness into this Domain for Communication."
'Truth' listened speechlessly and watched speechlessly as Im talked eloquently there.
Is something wrong here?
It seems like it was the one who actively pulled the other party here, right? Shouldn't the Initiative be in its 'hands'?"
The key point was that Im's words were difficult to refute, which made it even more speechless.
"Um..."
'Truth' attempted to pull the topic back to the subject it wanted to talk about, but Im suddenly asked it a question.
"Now that you've seen me, what are you planning to do next? Are you going to use your Strength to seize it?"
"No, that's not right. If you are truly as Strong as you introduced yourself to be, or truly have the Ability to seize Control of my Star Gate, then you should have already obtained it by now. There's no need to listen to me talk so much."
"So you actually don't have the Ability to seize it. Therefore, you are preparing to talk to me about Cooperation matters, right?"
People familiar with Im should be able to see by now that his current non-stop talking is very abnormal.
Because he is very Nervous right now.
"Cough cough, roughly... I was thinking..."
Seeing that Im finally gave it a chance to speak, 'Truth' immediately wanted to talk about its thoughts, but who would have thought that Im would snatch the topic away again.
"But this is also very strange. The Star Gate is right there and has always been in an open state. If you want to pass through the Star Gate and enter Another World, logically speaking, you should be able to at any time. Or is it that..."
Speaking up to this point, Im's Gaze flickered as he looked faintly at the 'Truth' floating in Mid-air.
"Because of some reason, you cannot directly enter through the Star Gate? Then what are you in front of me now? A Manifestation? A Phantom Image?"
At this moment.
Having said a lot of words, he relaxed quite a bit, because he saw that the other party seemed to have no Malice.
At the same time.
Im used his Willpower to control the Star Map to appear in front of him. He felt that the Star Map might have some hint that could give him an answer, but this time he miscalculated. There was nothing.
"Are you finished Speaking?"
'Truth' was silent for a long time. Seeing that Im was no longer Speaking, it finally opened its mouth to ask first. It was truly because it had been interrupted so much earlier that its 'scalp felt numb'.
"Mm-hmm."
Im nodded calmly.
"The general Situation is roughly similar to what you said. I do indeed want you to allow me to pass through the Star Gate and come into contact with unknown Knowledge."
After finishing Speaking, 'Truth' unexpectedly felt a sense of relief in its Heart for some inexplicable reason.
At the same time, it felt happy that it could finally say a complete sentence.
Truly absurd!
"Why?"
Im asked in confusion, "The Star Gate outside is open right there. You can come in through it at any time."
"Because that is your Star Gate. According to the Principle of Equivalent Exchange, I need to wait for your agreement and Pay a Price of equal Value."
'Truth' answered him like this.
"So that's how it is..."
Im Understood. It turned out that what was restricting 'Truth' was nothing else; it was precisely its own Core Rules.
Now he felt even more at ease, and a Smile also appeared on his face.
"Then what are you planning to give me?"
"I can let you enter The Gate and Obtain Knowledge equivalent to passing through the Star Gate. This will also make it so that when you use Alchemy, you will no longer need to rely on Alchemy Arrays and the Power of Tectonic Movement."
"Which is to make me become the so-called 'Stigma Alchemist'."
"That's right."
'Truth' grinned, revealing a mouth full of neat white teeth, and Smiled. It felt that Im would not refuse, after all, no one had ever refused such a good thing.
But Im just glanced at the huge Stone Gate behind it with various Markings and patterns carved on its surface, and coldly spat out three words from his mouth.
"I refuse."
"Huh?"
'Truth' was stunned for a moment, even suspecting if it had heard wrong.
But he heard Im calmly say, "We just met for the first time. How could I possibly, because of a few words from you, just walk into a completely unknown place myself?"
'Truth' looked at him helplessly.
"But you already know I am Truth, and you are now already in my Domain. If I had the Heart to harm you, would I still wait until now?"
"My saying you are 'Truth' is purely Speculation. Just because you say you are 'Truth', does that make it true? How did the word 'Lie' come about? I believe you Understand better than me."
Im said indifferently, "As for me being forcibly pulled in by you, that belongs to being unable to help myself, helpless. But if I were to actively walk into that The Gate because of a few words, then I would be a foolish person who easily trusts others."
As the saying goes, the barefoot are not afraid of those wearing shoes.
He is now wearing a pair of Gold shoes inlaid with a large amount of Diamond. In that kind of Situation, how could he possibly, because of the other party's few words that cannot be verified, just walk into the prepared trap?
Furthermore, even if the other party is truly 'Truth', what of it?
Who can guarantee that it won't deceive, that it definitely has no Heart to harm others?
Isn't deception also a type of Knowledge?
As for 'Stigma' Rank Alchemy, if I have it, of course it's great, but if I don't, it's no big deal. If I need to use it someday, I can just directly call over that Dean Isaac.
"But if you don't enter The Gate, how am I supposed to let you Obtain Knowledge? Our previous transaction cannot be completed," 'Truth' let out a sigh, and immediately followed up by complaining, "Aren't you that World Government BOSS? This is too timid!"
Im looked at it calmly.
"It is precisely because of this that I need to be so Cautious. As for the transaction, why can't it continue? You can give me a different Price."
Hearing these words, 'Truth' replied frustratedly, "Then you tell me, what do you want!"
Very grateful to a reader for tipping 1500 Qidian Coin! Bow! Thank you for your Encouragement and Support!
(End of this chapter)
Chapter 711: Greedy Truth!
"I want you to submit to me."
"..."
The Atmosphere in the Pure White Space instantly froze with Im's words.
'Truth' stood there as if completely turned to stone.
It seemed utterly unable to believe what it had heard. After a moment, it spoke without any Feelings: "I thought you were a person of Wisdom and Calmness. I didn't expect you to be another arrogant fellow."
Im didn't get angry upon hearing this. Instead, he looked at the other party with some confusion.
"Could it be that the Knowledge of a New World, oh no, if we include more Other Worlds in the Future, that would be almost Infinite Universe Knowledge. Is such Value not enough for you to submit?"
"So that's it. It seems you've misunderstood something."
Upon hearing Im's words, 'Truth' immediately understood that it had also misunderstood. It then grinned and said, "Let me ask you, do those Universes and Knowledge belong to you?"
"No."
Im denied it thoughtfully, then added, "But isn't it because I agreed to give you Permission to pass through the Star Gate that you were able to enter this World and access that Knowledge?"
"So I only need to Pay a Price equivalent to 'passing through the Star Gate', because only the Star Gate belongs to you. Things that don't belong to you naturally cannot be used to exchange with me."
'Truth' answered in an Un hurried manner.
"And the Value of merely 'passing through the Star Gate' is far from enough for me to submit to you. I am, after all, the Truth of a Universe, the entirety of the Universe, one of the Universe's parts..."
"If that's the case, then I refuse to give you Permission to pass through the Star Gate."
Im didn't argue with it further. It was clear that the other party would not yield on this Matter. He then said, "But I can conduct an Equivalent Exchange with you using Otherworld Knowledge that you don't know!"
'Truth', which had originally wanted to say something after hearing Im's previous sentence, fell silent upon hearing the next sentence.
After a long time.
It spat out two words: Cunning!
Im's meaning was that he wouldn't conduct a one-time transaction with it.
He wouldn't let it freely absorb the unknown Knowledge from the Otherworlds after paying the 'ticket'. Instead, he would keep that Knowledge himself and exchange with it repeatedly.
For 'Truth', this Method was incredibly inefficient, to the point of being infuriating.
But for Im and the World Government, it could maximize the Value of 'Truth', and the Initiative would be completely in their hands.
When to exchange, what to exchange with, were basically entirely up to them to Decide, while 'Truth' could only passively wait and accept.
With such 'inequality', 'Truth' naturally wanted to refuse.
But it was also worried that if it spoke too harshly, it would cause Im to completely cut off the possibility of trading with it.
Although most people might not do this.
Based on their Communication so far, Im's thought process was clearly different from the Alchemists it had encountered before.
"Heh heh, this is just one of the exchange methods I'm offering you."
Im didn't care at all about 'Truth''s evaluation of him as cunning. In his opinion, cunning was a positive term.
"Oh?"
'Truth' heard this, and its Spirit was greatly roused. It quickly asked, "What else?"
It didn't notice that the entire Pace of the Conversation had been completely dominated by Im. Or perhaps it didn't care about these things, only seeking to achieve its desired purpose.
"I can agree to give you Permission to pass through the Star Gate and enter the Other Worlds, and then you can absorb the Knowledge of these Worlds however you like, but you must exchange this for several Promises that you must abide by."
Im spoke the idea he had been somewhat hesitant about.
"What Promises?"
'Truth' felt curious.
Im said with Calmness, "For the first Star Gate, I want you to Promise 'not to harm or obstruct me, the World Government, or the World in any form or manner'."
'Truth' was speechless again.
"You are truly... cautious to an absurd degree. However, didn't you say you didn't Trust me before? Can you believe my Promise then?"
"Indeed, I don't quite believe it," Im nodded.
"However, having you make this Promise seems to cause me no loss. If it's false, then it's the same as no change, everything continues as before."
"But if it's true, then won't I obtain sufficient Safety guarantees?"
"As for the Knowledge you obtain, as you said before, it doesn't belong to me in the first place and cannot be Controlled. What is there to regret?"
There was one last sentence he didn't say out loud.
That was, this Titan World was not the Sea Star World after all, so letting 'Truth' in was fine.
Moreover, he had already lived here for over two years, and it wouldn't be long before he met the 'Star Fate' Conditions and brought it completely under his Control.
Looking at how 'Truth' couldn't take away his 'Star Map' and 'Star Gate' and could only negotiate with him.
It showed that it was helpless against the 'Star Map'.
So once 'Star Fate' covered the Titan World, it was truly uncertain who would have the final say here.
Therefore, in his opinion, this transaction wouldn't be a loss, and both sides would achieve their goals.
"Alright."
'Truth' also had to admit that this was indeed a Method that could allow Im to lower his guard to a certain extent and achieve a win-win situation.
"You said before, the first Star Gate. Then for subsequent Star Gates, I should also need to make some Promises, right?"
"That's right."
Im nodded again and smiled, "When you need to enter the second Star Gate, I Hope you make the Promise to 'fight for me with all your might once, whenever needed'!"
"Heh heh heh, it seems you still haven't given up on the idea of making me submit to you."
'Truth' mocked with a playful tone.
"Not submission, but finding a Guard for myself."
This time, Im shook his head and denied it.
"After all, in the Future, we will definitely encounter existences like you. But by then, if we haven't grown stronger yet, and the other party isn't as amenable to Principle as you, it would be a disaster."
'Truth' also felt that Im's words had Principle after hearing it. Im's idea was correct.
"Okay then."
"However, I must remind you, I'm not very good at Combat. If that day truly comes, I can only do my best." It emphasized the words 'do my best'.
"Acceptable."
Im was already very satisfied, making the Smile on his face even brighter. In his opinion, this was more important than obtaining any Knowledge.
"Alright, you can make the first Promise now. Please..."
A few minutes later.
In the Pure White Space, only 'Truth' itself and the huge Stone Gate remained. It looked at the Position where Im had stood before and let out a light chuckle.
"Nerona Imu, the Ruler of the Sea Star World Government. What an interesting fellow."
Its mood was very pleasant now.
After all, it was about to obtain new Knowledge from a new Universe, and in the Future, there would be even more Universes and Knowledge waiting for it. How could it not be happy?
Whether Im profited or lost, it didn't know.
But it definitely made a huge profit!
However, this also made it increasingly curious about the 'Star Gate' that Im controlled. Its 'Power of Truth' was completely ineffective against it.
Yes.
It had actually tentatively attacked Im earlier, but it had been isolated without a Sound by the 'Star Map'.
Outside.
Im, who had reappeared beside the Azure Blue Lake, looked with a solemn Expression at the latest prompt that had just appeared on the 'Star Map'.
[Information contact with other Star Zone Universes detected Within the Planet you named 'Sea Star World'. After confirmation, the Information Terminal is from the Star Zone Universe where the 'Imperial Arms World' you named is located. Do you wish to isolate it?]
"So that's it. This 'Truth' can not only establish contact with me through Alchemy, but also with the Alchemists Within the World..."
Im thought to himself.
When 'Truth' pulled him into the Pure White Space before, the reason the 'Star Map' didn't give any warning might be related to the fact that this Titan World hadn't been covered by 'Star Fate'.
Without being covered, it naturally couldn't provide the 'Isolation' Function.
And the reason 'Truth' was secretly contacting the Alchemists Within the World now.
It was likely trying to obtain some special Knowledge of the Sea Star World in advance by instructing a certain Alchemist among them, but it didn't expect to be detected by the 'Star Fate' Function.
"This 'Truth' is truly greedy for Knowledge. It was just allowed to enter this Titan World, yet it's secretly reaching out to other Worlds..."
Im sneered, and at the same time, directly issued his Decision to the 'Star Map'.
The World was his Base Camp. How could he tolerate it being arbitrarily infiltrated and spied upon?
"Isolate!"
!
(End of this chapter)