Reid had only taken a few steps out of the conference hall when a tall figure silently blocked the center of the corridor, cutting off his path.
The man stood with both hands tucked into the pockets of his white uniform. Beneath his silver hair, his face was utterly expressionless, without the slightest ripple of emotion.
"Ah…"
Reid raised an eyebrow. "Yo. Stinky kid?"
"I am Shanks' older brother, Shamrock," the man replied calmly. "He just happens to enjoy lingering in the filthy lower world."
"Imu wants to see you," he continued, his tone as flat as a weather report. "I am only here to pass on the message."
Blood mist coiled around Reid's fingertips. "And if I say no?"
"Ah…" Shamrock finally opened his eyes. A dangerous glint flashed through his dark red pupils. "Then I can only…"
He suddenly stepped aside, clearing a path. "Continue slacking off."
Reid blinked. "…?"
On second thought, that actually made sense. In the manga, Shamrock's work attitude was famously relaxed. The interrogation of the giant Loki, Loki's defeat, the teleportation array, the transport flights. All of it had been handled by Shamrock alone. If Loki had not mentioned Shanks, Shamrock probably would not have lifted a single finger.
Admittedly, both brothers were fiercely protective in their own way.
Shanks' gaze was sharper, while Shamrock was far more laid back. At least, that was how Reid had felt when reading the Laugh Tale arc. Frustrated, unmotivated, and oddly tired on Shamrock's behalf.
Which meant that all the dirty work in Elbaf fell to this man.
Truly pitiful.
Tesoro: ???
Imu had said, "If you can call him, then do so. If not, then forget it."
Reid nodded. "Alright then. Let's go take a look."
"Go alone," Shamrock said. "If it is you, there should be nothing to fear."
"No problem. Tesoro, you guide the others and give them a tour of Mary Geoise."
"Let's move."
"Ahhh. Sure. Let's go," Shamrock replied, staring lazily into the distance.
"Is 'ah' your catchphrase?"
"No. If I get bored, I just say 'ah' a couple of times."
The Flower Room felt as though it had been frozen in silence for a thousand years. Reid followed Shamrock through layers of curtains until they stopped before an immense and ethereal throne.
Imu stood with their back to him.
Reid clicked his tongue. He had thought he might finally uncover the secret that had haunted pirates for generations.
"So what exactly is it that you cannot tell me? Could you not be a little more honest?"
"You have arrived…" Imu's voice was difficult to define, neither male nor female, yet it instantly dropped the temperature of the entire space.
Saint Garling stood beside the throne. Behind his gold framed glasses, his gaze was sharp as a blade. "Reid, Imu grants you the opportunity to become a Celestial Dragon. This is the highest honor."
Reid dug a finger into his ear. "Hm? Sorry, I could not hear you. Say that again."
A vein twitched on Garling's forehead. "You will become a member of the nineteenth royal generation and enjoy…"
"No," Reid interrupted bluntly. "I have no interest in being livestock."
The Flower Room fell completely silent.
Garling's expression darkened. "You do not understand what is good for you." He raised his hand sharply. "Trifolium!"
"Ah…" Shamrock sighed. His longsword slowly slid from its sheath. The pitch black blade, wrapped in Haki, twisted and transformed into a three headed hound, each head roaring viciously.
Reid's eyes lit up. "Oh? That is a nice sword. Did you eat a Dog Dog Fruit?"
A black arrow shaped barrier suddenly blocked Shamrock's path.
"You seem as if you are prepared for everything, as if you know everything," Imu's voice continued calmly. "Yet you do not understand my current power. Joy Boy, Poseidon, and Pluton together were defeated by the original Twenty Kings. Which means they were defeated by me. Do you truly believe you are stronger than them?"
The voice remained androgynous, unsettling to the ear. Reid frowned as he listened.
What did this voice even sound like?
Ahhh. Can. Can. That kind of feeling.
Reid dug into his ear again. Blood mist gathered and shaped itself into a small amplifier at his fingertips. "Hm? What was that? Can. Can. Could you speak up a little? My hearing is not great."
The air in the Flower Room froze solid.
Imu's robe fluttered without wind. The shadowed figure seemed to lean forward slightly. "Interesting…"
Garling's face turned as dark as burnt iron. "Reid! You dare…"
"Ah yes, yes, yes," Reid waved his hand. "I dare not. I dare not." He turned to leave. "If there is nothing else, I will be going. My dog needs feeding."
"Prosperity!"
The three headed hound surged with Haki. Shamrock's blade tip instantly pressed against Reid's throat. "Ah… I advise you to think carefully."
Reid glanced down at the sword, then up at Shamrock's expressionless face, and suddenly grinned. "Your dog…"
Blood mist erupted outward.
Male or female?
Bang!
There was no stalemate. The collision between the three headed hound's Haki and the blood mist exploded violently. Shamrock was blasted backward with a loud crash.
Garling was forced back several steps by the shockwave. "You…"
"You granted Shanks supreme divine power without even asking me," Reid said calmly, patting his own face. "If I had simply refused, I would have become a Celestial Dragon on the spot. I would not have been able to face anyone afterward."
"I could join the Celestial Dragons anytime I want. Three minutes. I could do it in three minutes. Why would I not join?" He slapped his cheek again. "I care about my reputation."
Garling's fists clenched, cracking loudly. Behind his glasses, his eyes looked ready to burst into flames.
"Yes. Exactly," Reid said, delight rising in his chest as he watched Garling's fury. "No matter what, today I am seeing what Imu actually looks like."
Just as he was about to explode into action…
"That is enough."
Imu's voice drifted softly through the room. Garling froze instantly. A pale hand emerged from the shadows and waved dismissively. "Let him go."
Reid tilted his head. "That is it?" He withdrew the blood mist, regret all over his face. "I thought I might get to tear this broken flower room apart."
Shamrock climbed out of the rubble, brushing dust from his uniform. "Ah…"
Garling gritted his teeth. "Imu! This arrogant pirate…"
"Garling," Imu said calmly. "You are too loud."
The air fell deathly silent.
Reid burst into laughter and turned to leave. "Nothing else then. I am off. I look forward to our next meeting."
He waved as he walked away. Yet with every step, his expression grew more serious.
Imu could have acted personally after growing angry. Or ordered Garling to strike. Reid could even have accepted Garling, the Five Elders, and Imu acting together. He would have simply turned and fled.
The worst possible reaction was this. Letting him go. Complete indifference.
That calmness was far more unsettling than open hostility.
Reid desperately wanted to slap himself. "What exactly did this 'dog' do in the past? If I get the chance, I really need to look into it."
It must be noted that when Reid entered the Flower Room, he did not allow his crew to follow him.