Diarmuid had encountered people with formidable healing abilities before.
Generally, powerful Zoan-type ability users possessed such strength; meanwhile, those who mastered the Rokushiki to an advanced degree could use techniques like Life Return to control their injuries and accelerate healing.
Diarmuid's own constitution was quite unique. In the past, his recovery was relatively normal, taking ten days to a fortnight to heal. As his physical fitness improved, so did his self-healing; common injuries would now vanish within a day or two. Now that he wielded the power of the Dark-Dark Fruit, as long as he could endure the pain, his wounds could close rapidly.
Even so, he was nowhere near the speed of the woman before him. He had never seen anyone regenerate this fast! It was pure Super Regeneration.
It wasn't just Diarmuid; Sengoku and the rest of the Marine big shots watched Imu with looks of sheer disbelief. Clearly, in their decades of service, they had never encountered a human capable of such high-speed reconstruction.
With her injuries fully mended in the blink of an eye, Imu elegantly swept her hands behind her head, smoothing her slightly disheveled hair.
Once she had restored her appearance, she spoke with total composure: "Is there something so strange about this? I am immortal; is it not only natural that I possess an undying body?"
"Impossible," Sengoku countered without hesitation. "While the Op-Op Fruit provides the effect of eternal youth, that pertains only to lifespan. It has nothing to do with fatal wounds. Even an immortal should die if their heart is pierced."
This intelligence was part of what they had gathered from Donquixote Doflamingo.
Imu gave Sengoku a rare nod of acknowledgement. "Correct. The 'Perpetual Youth Surgery' grants an endless lifespan but bestows no other powers. However... have you misunderstood something?"
"Misunderstood?" Sengoku blinked.
Diarmuid's voice turned low. "You aren't a beneficiary of the Op-Op Fruit?"
"I am," Imu stated calmly.
Diarmuid: "???"
"But I am not only that," she added playfully, noting Diarmuid's bewildered expression. It seemed she only displayed such "emotional" nuances when speaking to him; toward everyone else, she maintained a cold, detached superiority.
"There are many treasures upon the sea, Diarmuid." As she spoke, she reached out to touch the pendant on her necklace. It was an exquisite piece, not overly gaudy but elegantly pale gold, set with a translucent, pitch-black gemstone.
To be honest, Diarmuid had noticed it from the start but had dismissed it as mere jewelry. To his surprise, Imu reached into the pendant and pulled out an elegant glass bottle, as if it were a pocket dimension.
A flash of realization crossed Diarmuid's eyes. "Material Transmission of Devil Fruit powers?"
"I do like a clever man," Imu chuckled.
The pendant was ordinary, but after Dr. Vegapunk's discovery of the Lineage Factor, Devil Fruit research had reached a deeper level. One specific technology allowed the transfer of Fruit powers into inanimate objects, much like the sword of Spandam which could transform into an elephant.
Imu's pendant clearly possessed storage capabilities, meaning it was likely infused with a space-type Fruit. It stood to reason that over her long life, she would have collected items or Fruits with "Space-Time" properties. Using them as "recycled waste" to craft high-end spatial equipment was perfectly logical.
As Diarmuid and Imu exchanged words, Sengoku and the others began to grasp the situation.
Ignoring the pendant for a moment, Imu swirled the liquid in the bottle. Diarmuid certainly didn't believe it was just mineral water.
"If you cooperate with me, Diarmuid, I can give this to all of you," Imu said with a smile.
"What is it?" Diarmuid asked tentatively.
"A treasure of the sea... the legendary Fountain of Youth. It appears on the ocean only once every four hundred years," she whispered.
"The Fountain of Youth!?" Diarmuid was shaken.
The sea was indeed full of strange legends. The Rainbow Mist, rumored to be a gateway through time, was eventually proven to be a spatial anomaly. The Emerald City, a legendary treasure mentioned alongside the City of Gold, had never been found. The Eye of Poseidon, a sapphire said to control storms, was something Shiki had searched for long ago to no avail.
And the Fountain of Youth was one of the most prominent myths. Diarmuid had heard the tales: a single sip could grant eternal life and permanent youth.
"Indeed. Over three hundred and twenty years ago, I was sailing the sea alone when I encountered a thick mist. Deciding to simply sleep through it, I awoke to find my ship anchored at a mysterious island. There, I discovered it... the Fountain of Youth." Imu smiled at Diarmuid.
Diarmuid: "???"
This is just a total handout! For a moment, he felt a surge of envy. Things others would die for, Imu found just by taking a nap during a trip?
At the same time, a deeper confusion took hold. He used to think that Luffy was the "Child of Destiny," or perhaps Roger before him, as they were individuals beloved by the world who survived certain death through pure luck. But now, Diarmuid seriously suspected that the real "Child of Destiny" was this damn Imu woman.
Think about it: Immortal, genius at everything, finds the Fountain of Youth by accident, rules the world, and now has the grand ambition to traverse dimensions. If that's not a Child of Destiny, what is? She literally has the universe's favor centered on her.
"Simply put, the Fountain of Youth is water saturated with immense vitality. Upon consumption, one absorbs this life force to achieve immortality and eternal youth," Imu explained.
Admittedly, Diarmuid felt a slight tug at his heart. Eternal youth and longevity were powerful temptations for anyone.
"So, after drinking it, one gains an undying body with Super Regeneration like yours?" Diarmuid asked.
"No," Imu shook her head. After a pause, she explained, "Because I already possessed immortality through the Op-Op Fruit, the unfathomable life force of the fountain did not need to go toward my lifespan. Instead, it manifested as my undying constitution. The so-called 'Immortal Body' and 'Super Regeneration' are merely physical expressions of concentrated vitality. That is all."
What do you mean 'that is all'!?
Diarmuid now understood. The Fountain of Youth and the Op-Op Fruit were similar in essence, but Imu was special because she had both. Thus, she had evolved from simple "immortality" to the level of an "undying body."
For people like Diarmuid, drinking it wouldn't make them monsters like her, but it would, at the very least, grant them eternal youth.
Well... that's still incredible, right?
"A single sip is enough; more provides no further benefit. This bottle contains enough for over twenty people, Diarmuid... if you choose to cooperate, I will give this to you. As I said, I care for nothing in this world except you."
"Impossible! I—" Diarmuid began righteously.
"Is it truly eternal youth?" Gion, standing behind Diarmuid, suddenly asked. Her previous hostility had vanished, replaced by a much softer tone.
Diarmuid: "???"
Wait... this...
It seemed he had underestimated the weight of the words "eternal youth" to a woman, especially a beautiful one. Not just Gion, even the white-haired Tsuru was looking at Diarmuid with a hint of hesitation. Who wasn't a great beauty in their youth?
Sengoku stroked his braided beard and glanced at Tsuru. His face reddened slightly, perhaps recalling something from the past, and he cast a furtive look toward Diarmuid.
"Of course. Even those of advanced age will be restored to their most youthful, most charming years," Imu said, even offering Gion a small smile.
Because Gion was right behind him, Diarmuid distinctly heard her swallow hard...
"Hey, you're not actually thinking of selling me out, are you? That woman Imulia is clearly after my good looks... she's trying to steal your man!" Diarmuid whispered frantically over his shoulder.
Gion blinked, looking a bit embarrassed and very guilty. "Haha... Hahaha... How could I? I would never sell you out, Diarmuid... right?"
"Ahem. Diarmuid, let me say a few words for the sake of fairness..." Sengoku stepped forward.
Diarmuid: "???"
Generally, when a sentence starts with "let me say a few words for fairness" or "to be perfectly honest," Diarmuid interpreted it as "I have already been bribed."
Thus, the moment Sengoku opened his mouth, Diarmuid interrupted him: "No, no, don't say it! I am irreconcilable with Imu!"
Truth be told, Sengoku's resolve was indeed wavering. Not in the way Diarmuid thought. He wasn't trying to sell him out for a drink of the fountain. It was simply that, at this point, Sengoku felt that continuing the fight with Imu was becoming highly "unprofitable."
First, look at their goal. Why were they fighting her? To crush her conspiracy to rule the world.
Yet, the moment they met, Imu basically said she didn't want it anymore. "Do whatever you want with the world, I'm bored of it."
If Imu were easy to deal with, they'd obviously just finish her off. No mercy. But she had already demonstrated overwhelming power. Even then, "cutting the weeds and pulling the roots" to prevent a future resurgence would be the logical path.
But there was another factor: Imu was planning to leave this world entirely. She had zero interest in it; her goal was to traverse dimensions. From that perspective, she wouldn't "resurge" because she wouldn't even be here.
And now, she had produced the Fountain of Youth as a massive bargaining chip.
As things stood, fighting Imu to the death offered zero benefits. Given her strength, she might actually take a few Marine experts down with her. Conversely, if they ended this peacefully... they might actually walk away with the Fountain of Youth.