Pangea Castle, Flower Room.
Saint Saturn and Lloyd arrived in a vast sea of blossoms, an endless ocean of color stretching in every direction. Lloyd scanned the surroundings coldly, So many flowers, this Imu must have a very peculiar taste.
At the far end of the sea of petals stood an ancient and magnificent palace. This was where Saint Imu resided. The towering architecture exuded solemn authority and eerie silence.
Saint Saturn briefly bowed in the direction of the palace, then turned to Lloyd.
"Saint Lloyd, I will escort you no further. Imu only said that he wished to see you."
Lloyd nodded once, watching Saint Saturn as he departed. Only after Saint Saturn was gone did he turn and face the palace.
Stepping through the sea of flowers, Lloyd walked toward the enormous door. With a confident push, the thick doors swung open, revealing the hall within.
A blood‑red carpet unfurled like a river of red flowing across the floor, leading toward a towering throne at the opposite end. Sunlight streamed in from high windows above, bathing the throne in an ethereal glow that lent it a sacred aura.
This was the Empty Throne, a symbol of supreme authority in the world. Even the Twenty Kings who once ruled together vowed never to sit upon it, for doing so would mean embracing dictatorship. Yet there, before Lloyd's eyes, sat a dark silhouette on that very throne.
The figure was unmistakably Saint Imu — the secret ruler over the World Government, feared and whispered about by those few who even knew of Imu's existence.
Oddly, the distance between Lloyd and the throne felt smaller than it should have. Normally someone standing that far away would still appear somewhat distant, yet Lloyd could see only a pair of piercing red eyes focused on him.
Saint Imu watched Lloyd without speaking. Lloyd lifted his foot and took a slow step forward, heading toward the throne.
However, before he could take another step, a chilling voice echoed from above.
"Do not move forward any further."
Though the voice had no distinct gender, it carried an unnatural power that forced Lloyd two steps back against his will.
Lloyd's expression remained composed, but a subtle undercurrent stirred beneath his calm exterior. He did not advance, and instead bowed slightly in respect before speaking softly.
"Saint Imu, Saint Saturn said you wished to see me. May I ask the reason?"
For all his aloofness, Lloyd understood when not to act recklessly. In terms of standing and influence, Saint Imu was the pinnacle of authority — far beyond even the Celestial Dragons.
After a long silence, a slow voice emanated from the throne.
"Cassius's final will has completely dissipated, correct?"
Lloyd's expression flickered slightly as he looked up.
"After all, he did not reach the realm of Joy Boy, so his will could not exist in the world for long. Awakening means that he is about to fade entirely."
With these words, Saint Imu rose from the Empty Throne and took a few steps forward. The figure's form wavered ever so slightly, almost imperceptibly, yet Lloyd detected it — a fleeting shift that an ordinary person would never notice.
Lloyd's face remained calm, but inside, a storm churned.
The form seated upon the Empty Throne appeared androgynous, but Lloyd knew that Saint Imu was revealed as male when referenced with the title "Saint" attached to his name. Unlike female Celestial Dragons, male ones are referred to with the Saint title.
Despite the uncertainty in appearance, that small detail was enough for Lloyd to know the truth.
Saint Imu descended two steps from the throne, and on the ground in front of him were twenty great swords planted upright. A subtle flash appeared in his red eyes as he stopped before the blades.
He reached down and grasped one of the swords. Lloyd observed closely and realized that the blade in Saint Imu's hand was exactly the same form as his own Demon Blade Muramasa — the black‑forged sword bound to his soul.
Saint Imu lifted the blade, examining it before speaking.
"Since the true Demon Blade Muramasa has appeared in this world, this imitation has no reason to continue existing."
Without warning, the sword Saint Imu held trembled and shattered into countless fragments.
Then he turned his gaze toward Lloyd, eyes resting on the sword‑shaped mark on the back of Lloyd's right hand.
"Show me the true Demon Blade Muramasa once more. Do not worry, since it has recognized its master. No one in this world will ever take it from you again."
Lloyd narrowed his eyes, expression unchanging. He summoned the Demon Blade Muramasa through his will, but rather than sending it flying to him, he flicked his wrist and threw the blade upward.
Saint Imu raised a hand and caught it, his motion smooth and precise. He examined it silently before releasing the blade, allowing it to return to Lloyd's hand on its own.
As Muramasa rejoined its master, Saint Imu spoke in a low voice.
"Lloyd, since the Demon Blade Muramasa has recognized you, you should understand what your mission is now, correct?"
Lloyd raised a single brow in question. A mission? When had he ever taken on something like a mission? That was typically something reserved for heroes like Monkey D. Luffy, not someone like him.
Saint Imu did not wait for Lloyd's response. Instead, he continued without hesitation.
"Your mission is to kill Joy Boy entirely, and end everything he represents."
At those words, Lloyd's lips curved slightly, almost smirking.
"You mean I'm just a tool then," he said quietly, his voice calm but sharp, as if he found the idea amusing.
Saint Imu returned to the Empty Throne, leaning back casually against its symbolic seat of power, eyes fixed forward with placid intensity.
"He has always been present. Whether it is a fruit like the Nika Fruit, or something else entirely, his will lingers there, guiding selected people to seek traces of his legacy until the real one appears."
Lloyd narrowed his eyes in thought.
"Like Roger?" he asked.
"That is correct," Saint Imu responded without hesitation. "For eight hundred years, beings touched by his will have appeared at the right moment."
Lloyd's eyes darkened further.
"Then why do they do this? What purpose does it serve?"
"It is so the world remains aware that Joy Boy still exists. When he truly returns, there will be those who answer his call," Saint Imu explained with eerie equanimity.
His tone was not one of passion, but of cold inevitability.
This calm, mechanical delivery was typical only of one with absolute authority — one so far beyond ordinary rulers that even the Five Elders would kneel in silence to hear his words.