Imu had always wondered what kind of man this so-called "End" really was.
Was he someone detached from worldly affairs, absolutely neutral, acting solely according to his own will?
Or was he kind-hearted and passionate, planning to use his immense power to completely change the world?
She had imagined many possibilities.
After all, the moment she first saw Michael, she had been deeply captivated by his saintly, angelic presence.
As the saying goes...
A maiden's heart is always poetic.
And a maiden's heart doesn't conflict with being a queen.
But these were all impressions before she truly got to know Michael.
Now, she had a new perspective on him...
"Con artist! An absolute con artist!"
Imu angrily slapped the table in front of her.
"Wait, you're actually the rebellion!? The rumors were true!?"
"So that means... you're not actually short on manpower?"
"Of course, the more allies and manpower we have, the better," Michael said calmly, sitting across from her with an innocent smile.
"But don't imagine the rebellion as some powerful force... In reality, we're basically at a standstill."
Now it was Donquixote's turn to change expression.
Who negotiates like this!?
Revealing your own weaknesses right from the start!?
But just as he was about to speak, Michael stopped him.
"See, this is my full sincerity. If we cooperate, you can take immediate control of the rebellion. Aside from the title of leader, I can hand over all operational authority of the entire rebellion to you."
After Michael finished speaking, he immediately noticed a flicker of impulse deep in Imu's eyes.
As a man who has been jumping between the Marine, pirates, and the Revolutionary Army for years, he knew all too well how to deal with power-hungry careerists like Imu.
Give her all the real authority—except the title.
After all, the Revolutionary Army didn't exactly have many brains to begin with…
And they certainly couldn't rely on that guy Joy Boy to command the overall situation, could they?
What he needed to do was unleash his talents as much as possible before Michael left this era.
To truly become the man who possessed the "Drums of Liberation."
"Oh? So according to your terms, even you, the leader, would have to follow my orders?"
"As long as you don't do anything so heinous that it makes me want to kill you, of course." Michael pointed at his own face with a finger.
"But I should make one thing clear first… I'm not the leader of the Revolutionary Army. The organization's leader is someone else."
"What!? You're not the leader!? Who could possibly be qualified for that!?" Imu instantly felt extreme dissatisfaction.
She had assumed Michael was the leader of the Revolutionary Army, so with that little flutter in her heart, she could somewhat accept his earlier proposal.
But now she was being told…
Michael wasn't the leader!?
Now she was really going to make a scene!
"Don't be so quick to object…" Michael turned his head. "Donquixote, take her to meet the leader… After all, starting today, we've officially become true comrades bound by fate."
Donquixote looked at Michael, then at Imu.
Finally, he sighed deeply and nodded in agreement.
He had never imagined that the Revolutionary Army could absorb powerful families lingering on the fringes of the Great Kingdom's core power…
He had originally planned to take the route of surrounding the Great Kingdom with smaller nations…
But now, recruiting Imu—even letting her join the Revolutionary Army as a core member—seemed equivalent to pressing a knife right against the Great Kingdom's heart.
When the time was ripe…
They would deliver the fatal blow!
"Meet your leader?" Imu frowned. "Let me make this clear—this person had better satisfy me… Otherwise, even with someone like you here, Michael, I won't cooperate with the Revolutionary Army."
"Don't worry about that." Michael stood up and extended his hand to Imu like a gentleman. "Your Majesty, Queen Imu, shall we proceed?"
Imu hesitated for a moment, then placed her hand in Michael's and let him help her up.
In that instant, a thought flashed through Imu's mind like lightning.
Perhaps this was what they called…
Fate?
...
"Ugh!!"
"You didn't tell me! That meeting your leader would require leaving Dressrosa and even going out to sea! Ugh—!!!"
Imu and Donquixote were both slumped over the ship's railings, vomiting without a shred of dignity left.
Michael wiped cold sweat from his brow.
Who would've guessed that every single one of these ancient nobles from the Red Line eight hundred years ago suffered from severe seasickness!?
This was just ridiculous, wasn't it!?"You never told me that once you're on board, you're just like Donquixote—no different from a corpse hanging off the ship's railing..."
Michael sighed.
"Michael, I can't take it anymore!" Donquixote turned back, his face ashen. "Quick, use that thing now!"
"Huh? What exactly is this 'that thing' you're talking about?" Imu turned back warily. "Listen, Michael! I'll never submit to you! Though if you insist, I can't stop you... Just be gentle, okay?"
Hearing Imu's words, Michael and Donquixote both froze.
"Sigh... This princess clearly isn't used to sailing. Her seasickness is way worse than mine—she's already delirious from it."
"I've truly seen it all now," Michael muttered. As someone from the Great Pirate Era 800 years later, he couldn't comprehend seasickness at all.
It was only after meeting Joy Boy that his Human-Human Fruit: Mythical Zoan, Seraphim Form abilities fully recovered...
On their way back from Elbaf, when Donquixote got seasick, Michael had used Holy Light to alleviate his symptoms.
Though seasickness isn't an illness and can't be cured...
At least with Michael around, they wouldn't suffer from it anymore.
As gentle Holy Light spread across the deck, Donquixote's complexion quickly regained its color.
Imu, whose condition was more severe, took much longer to recover from her drunken-like stupor...
During that time, she clung to Michael's body, whispering countless indecent words in his ear.
Far from exciting him, it only made Michael exhale deeply.
"This woman..."
"Must be seriously sexually repressed."