"What you said is indeed partly correct, but it isn't the whole truth. Among the descendants of the Twenty Kings, not everyone is qualified."
Imu seemed to relax.
She walked to the soft sofa opposite Cyrus and sat down.
"That's true. Those pieces of trash dirty my eyes just by existing in my sight."
Cyrus nodded deeply, his tone filled with disgust.
"In any world, there will always be people who stand above others. You, me, or someone else. That cannot be changed. What cannot be denied is that you, Cyrus, have now become such a person as well.
On the sea, there are already very few people qualified to look directly at you, aren't there?"
There seemed to be a trace of a smile in Imu's voice.
"You have now become such a person. What do you think of that?"
What did he think?
Hearing that, Cyrus smiled and leaned back slightly, sinking into the softness behind him.
"I don't think much of it. Perhaps what you said is right, but it doesn't change what I intend to do. If I have to say something, then this world cannot contain two Kings of the World, can it?"
"Mm. That way of putting it is not wrong either. But you cannot kill me, and I cannot kill you."
Imu nodded lightly.
"You don't want to try using that thing above? If it manages to kill me, this world will return to your control."
Cyrus raised his hand and pointed upward.
Imu lifted her head slightly, her red eyes looking toward the high dome of the Room of Flowers.
"It's useless. I already tried it in Dressrosa."
"Then there's nothing to be done. That was perhaps the most likely method to kill me."
Cyrus spread his hands.
With his current methods, physique, and Haki, even he himself could not think of how to kill himself.
Perhaps if he were captured and starved for several years, he might die of hunger?
Or if he stood still and let someone attack him?
Cyrus was briefly distracted, but he quickly pulled his thoughts back and returned his gaze to Imu.
"There aren't that many suitable people, are there? For example, that former queen of Alabasta seemed to matter a great deal to you. Or rather, she matched your aesthetic, which was why you cared so much about her.
Or perhaps people of that bloodline allow you to exert more of your power."
"You know too much."
After hearing Cyrus's words, Imu's voice clearly carried surprise.
She could understand Cyrus guessing part of her ability.
After all, she had used her power in front of him several times.
But how had Cyrus known what he had just mentioned?
"I investigated you. You appeared suddenly in East Blue, but there is no trace of you on this sea before that. The moment you appeared, you were already a user of the Flame-Flame Fruit.
Can you clear up my confusion?"
The two spoke like old friends of many years, completely unlike people who had only met two or three times.
"That?"
Cyrus smiled, sat up slightly, and looked straight into Imu's eyes.
"Probably the same as you. From beyond this world."
Cyrus gave her a real answer.
However, while giving that answer, he also gave her a question.
Most of what Cyrus knew about Imu was actually guesswork.
However, he did know a little about the history of this world as a whole.
After all, extraterrestrials seemed to exist in this world. At the very least, there had been people from the moon.
Perhaps this was why Imu never showed her true appearance.
Speaking of this, Cyrus could not help thinking of another fantasy work from before his transmigration.
The final villain there had also been an alien.
It was difficult to say whether the creator of this fantasy world had been influenced by something like that.
Even though Cyrus had come to this world and caused many changes, altering the direction of the future, some of the underlying foundations should still remain the same.
"You may kill those people. Consider it compensation for this incident."
Imu did not directly respond to Cyrus's words
. Instead, she changed the subject and returned to the reason Cyrus had come this time.
"Not enough." Cyrus shook his head when he heard that.
"Then, what if I'm included?"
As Imu spoke, she spread her arms.
"You may take this life of mine as well."
"That has no meaning."
Cyrus shook his head.
If things were truly as he had said, and Imu could transfer her consciousness through certain bodies, then taking her down would not be easy.
But destroying the World Government did not have much to do with Imu's ability.
After all, Imu could not stop him right now.
"I see. Then, shall we begin a war?"
Imu withdrew her arms and stared at Cyrus as she asked.
"But you don't want to begin a war right now either, do you? After all, the Hunter Exam you have prepared for so long should be very important to you. If war truly begins, that exam may no longer be able to proceed normally.
"Would that really be fine?" Imu spoke again.
"You think I care about that?"
Cyrus smiled and shook his head.
As long as he was there, he could hold another one at any time. At most, it would only cost him some time.
Unfortunately…
"Forget it. This time, I'll agree to your terms."
As Cyrus spoke, he stood up.
"Mm. Then I'll leave this body to you."
After hearing Cyrus's words, Imu's body immediately went soft and fell sideways onto the sofa.
Cyrus looked at the fallen Imu and narrowed his eyes slightly.
Was she showing him her ability?
Cyrus raised his hand and grabbed the black robe covering Imu.
The person revealed beneath it was a pale-faced girl.
However, this girl no longer had any breathing or heartbeat.
Cyrus casually threw the black robe in his hand back over the girl and walked outside.
Outside the Room of Flowers, the maid was waiting.
When she saw Cyrus walk out, her body instantly tensed.
"Relax. This time, I reached an agreement with your master."
Seeing the maid tense up and assume a guarded posture, Cyrus smiled and explained.
Reached an agreement?
The maid froze, looking at Cyrus in confusion.
What had they agreed on?
But soon, she found out.
After taking a few steps forward, Cyrus raised his hand and pressed it against the sword at his waist, then slowly drew it.
"You…"
The maid was shocked.
Just as she opened her mouth, a thread of sword light flashed past, cutting apart everything within sight.
Buildings, trees, rocks, and people.
All of them were split in two!
The upper halves that had been cut away flew high into the air before crashing down.
In an instant, the entire Holy Land fell into chaos.
Swish, swish, swish!
Hundreds of figures arrived before Cyrus from every direction in an instant.
Looking at Cyrus holding his sword, their faces showed shock, anger, and fear.
"It's you?"
The five people at the front saw Cyrus, and their expressions changed drastically.
They transformed in an instant.
Five strangely shaped monsters appeared before Cyrus.
Black flame clouds coiled around their bodies.
"You should count as part of them too, shouldn't you? After all, you're here as well."
Looking at the people who had appeared, Cyrus thought for a moment and spoke.
"That is enough." The maid beside him spoke.
Cyrus froze and turned back.
The maid was already like a completely different person.
"Your speed is pretty fast."
Cyrus curled his lips.
"The lives of several thousand Celestial Dragons are already enough, aren't they? I cannot do anything to you, but I can deal with other people. You should understand that."
The maid's voice was very calm, though her speech was not fast. It seemed somewhat stiff.
Or rather, the person currently controlling this body was very far from here.
"Fine."
Hearing this, Cyrus sheathed his sword, seeming not to care whether he continued attacking or not.
"Oh, right. That Shamrock."
Cyrus, who had already put away his sword and was about to leave, suddenly turned his head.
"I want his right arm. That's fine, right?"
"Hm? Fine."
The maid—or rather, Imu—nodded.
Although she was confused by Cyrus's request, compared with everything else, this request was very simple.
"It has to be the kind that can't regenerate. If I see him with two arms next time, I'll come back."
Cyrus nodded in satisfaction.
His figure turned into a mass of flames, and in the next instant, the flames went out. Cyrus had already vanished.
"Lord Imu!"
After seeing Cyrus disappear, the Five Elders had the others withdraw, then came before the maid and knelt together.
"This matter ends here. You will handle what comes next."
"Yes!"
Although the Five Elders were confused, they still accepted the order.
Afterward, the maid entered the Room of Flowers, and her figure disappeared behind the closing doors.
The Five Elders stood and exchanged looks before turning to gaze at Mary Geoise, which had been reduced to ruins.
The casualties this time were even more severe than last time.
Aside from the Celestial Dragons who were not in the Holy Land, almost all of them had been wiped out.
But why had things turned out like this?
From the way it looked, Lord Imu seemed to have some kind of deal with Cyrus.