The air froze.
The two locked eyes from a distance.
Im had originally intended to turn and leave.
But Ritter's crimson eyes remained fixed on the figure in the pure white mask. Conqueror's Haki erupted outward from him, spreading across the harbor like an invisible storm.
Blood mist rolled through the streets.
The noise and bustle of the town seemed cut off from the world.
"Phantom World."
Ritter softly spoke the name of the technique.
This was someone who would one day rule the world.
Ritter had no intention of holding back.
The message in his eyes was crystal clear.
I've found you.
The white figure stood still for a moment.
Perhaps surprised.
Perhaps amused.
Then, contrary to Ritter's expectations, the figure didn't melt into the shadows and disappear.
Of course, Ritter knew that wouldn't happen.
Confidence born from strength.
Im calmly stepped out from the harbor's shadows.
Sunlight fell across the spotless white robes and the smooth mask.
Ritter couldn't help grinding his teeth slightly.
For once, he was speechless.
Seriously? Bro, sis, come on~
You actually walked out? I wanted to observe a little longer!
Wrapped up this tightly... are you a man or a woman, damn it?
Can't even use your chest to figure it out either... seriously!
The complaints nearly overflowed from his mind.
Yet the expression on his face grew colder and more vigilant.
Im stopped roughly ten paces away.
The gaze hidden behind the mask settled quietly on Ritter.
Then a voice sounded directly in his mind.
"Powerful pirate, the Mist Lord, Ritter."
Ritter raised an eyebrow.
He didn't answer.
He simply pulled the girl in his arms a little closer behind him.
Im seemed unconcerned by the silence.
"Pilurka."
"The foreign power spreading across the seas like a greedy parasite."
"It is eroding the existing order and the rule of the kingdoms."
"Their so-called Divine Maiden Project seeks to steal a power that should never belong to them."
"This world requires your strength."
"Would you be willing to contribute it to justice?"
"Whoa, whoa, whoa."
Ritter let out a mocking laugh.
"You still think I'm some gullible kid?"
"Who exactly are you trying to fool here?"
"If there weren't children around, I'd already be cursing you out."
That wasn't an exaggeration.
Ritter genuinely would.
In his philosophy, if you swallowed your insults, you became dirty.
If you spat them out, your heart stayed clean.
"So what?"
"You people who call yourselves kings came all this way just to complain to me?"
"Don't tell me you actually think some cheap heroic speech is enough to fool me."
"From the sound of it, you're not exactly saints yourselves."
"Survival of the fittest."
"You understand that rule better than anyone."
"Order and chaos are fundamentally different."
Im's voice remained calm.
"We maintain rule."
"Our methods may be harsh."
"But we provide a framework through which people can survive."
"Pilurka is different."
"They steal the essence of life itself."
"They consume the world's energy."
"Wherever they pass, life withers."
"Everything exists only to feed their false god."
"That is the fundamental difference."
"If you keep throwing around fancy rotten phrases like that, I'm going to smack you."
"Idiot."
Im's mental voice paused briefly.
Then, after a moment:
"What I mean is this."
"Though our kingdoms rule the seas, and though nobles can be tyrannical, our system at least gives people a chance to live."
"A small chance, perhaps."
"But Pilurka takes even that away."
"They strip regions bare."
"They erase all hope of survival."
Ritter casually poked his vice-captain's cheek.
"Still sounds like your problem."
"You're nobles because people still exist beneath you."
"If all those people disappear, what exactly are you kings of?"
"You seem far more desperate than I am."
"Has nobody ever told you your negotiation skills are terrifyingly bad?"
The smooth white mask tilted ever so slightly.
Perhaps Im hadn't expected Ritter to be this difficult.
Or this rude.
"Words may be insufficient."
Im remained composed.
"Then let us discuss practical matters."
"The Pilurka Kingdom."
"The core of its Divine Maiden Project."
"Seventy percent of the nation's wealth will belong to you."
"In addition, you may take a complete copy of their research."
"Those resources are the foundation of their power."
"They are also the reason for their eventual destruction."
Ritter dug a finger into his ear.
Now he looked mildly interested.
"Oh?"
"Now we're getting somewhere."
"Keep talking."
Im continued.
"As for the kingdoms and races Pilurka has conquered and enslaved..."
"They are the defeated."
"The weak."
"Their technology, wealth, and even population may be yours if you desire."
"We have no interest in such things."
"The resources of the world naturally belong to the strong and to those who preserve order."
"To be frank, that wealth means little to us."
The law of the jungle was laid bare without any attempt to disguise it.
To Im, only one thing truly mattered:
Whether their system of Order remained intact.
As for who suffered beneath it...
Who was exploited...
Who was sacrificed...
That was irrelevant.
In fact, they were perfectly happy to let powerful individuals like Ritter eliminate unstable elements and profit from it.
As long as the foundations of their rule remained secure.
A flash of understanding crossed Ritter's crimson eyes.
Then amusement.
"You're awfully confident."
"If money means so little to you, aren't you worried I'll ask for something outrageous?"
"I truly have no interest in money."
Im answered calmly.
"Status and authority only exist through stable governance."
"There are only two of you."
"You lack the manpower to convert wealth into lasting power."
Ritter nodded slowly.
"So, in plain language..."
"You want me to be your hired muscle."
"I clean up your problem."
"I earn some rewards on the side."
"That's the deal, right?"
"It is cooperation."
Im corrected him.
But notably, did not deny it.
"Each side obtains what it seeks."
"You gain resources and technology."
"We maintain balance and order."
"We care little how many die."
"We can provide troops."
"A navy."
"The alliance of the Twenty Kings."
"You need only participate in the war."
"Whoa."
Ritter whistled.
"Those terms are way too generous."
"That means there's definitely a catch."
Im stared at him.
"Fish-Man Island."
"The sea monster."
"Your vice-captain."
"The Divine Maiden."
Ritter rubbed his chin.
None of those points particularly bothered him.
He glanced down at the girl in his arms.
She was still quietly eating cotton candy.
Completely indifferent to the tension surrounding them.
Then he looked back at Im's unfathomable figure.
"Cooperation, huh..."
A dangerous smile slowly appeared on Ritter's face.
"Maybe it's worth discussing."
"But empty promises won't cut it."
"I need to see some sincerity first."
"For example..."
"The defense plans for Pilurka's capital."
"The complete details of this Divine Maiden Project."
"And exactly what kind of logistical support you're offering."
"Don't tell me you're expecting me to fight an entire kingdom by myself."
His smile widened.
As for whether either side intended to honor the agreement afterward...
That would depend entirely on whose knife was sharper when the time came.