"Vegapunk," Elior began, "you'll remain in Mary Geoise for now."
He paused, his mind already calculating. Vegapunk could be the perfect dagger — one that would stab deep into the Celestial Dragons' rule from the inside.
The scientist bowed. "Understood, my King."
Elior's gaze drifted toward the real Kuma, lying motionless on the table. A faint idea sparked in his mind.
"How many Pacifistas does the World Government currently have?"
Vegapunk adjusted his glasses. "As of now, one hundred and three units, my King. May I ask your purpose?"
Elior's eyes narrowed.
"You can modify their command protocols, can't you? When the time comes — when I attack Mary Geoise — I want every single Pacifista under my command."
Vegapunk didn't hesitate.
"That poses no problem. I can rewrite their execution orders and have them turn on the Celestial Dragons and the World Government itself."
Elior smiled faintly.
"Good."
He imagined it — over a hundred Pacifistas storming through the Holy Land, lasers lighting up the sky, the sacred city of the Celestial Dragons burning beneath its own weapons.
The World Government would never see it coming.
"In the meantime," Elior continued, "I'll contact you when I have further instructions. Don't draw attention to yourself."
"Of course, my King," Vegapunk said respectfully.
Then Elior added, "By the way — do you know anything about the mysterious weapon hidden in Mary Geoise?"
Vegapunk's expression shifted slightly. "Do you mean… the undying monster?"
Elior frowned. "Undying monster? What are you talking about?"
Vegapunk nodded grimly. "That creature — it comes from the Void Century, the same era as Imu. It was once Imu's subordinate — an immortal being of terrifying power, greater than even today's Marine Admirals. Imu uses it as a weapon for 'historical cleansing'. But it's rarely unleashed — because it's impossible to control. It's an undead monster, stripped of all humanity."
Elior's expression darkened. "And you've seen it?"
"I was once ordered by the Gorosei to study it," Vegapunk admitted. "To find a way to control it. But I failed. That thing is sealed deep beneath Mary Geoise — in a dungeon lined with Sea Prism Stone. Its body is bound by dozens of chains forged from the same material. The Celestial Dragons dare not use it often. Releasing it is easy. Containing it requires Imu herself."
Elior's curiosity was piqued. "Tell me everything you know."
Vegapunk's voice lowered. "According to the Gorosei, that monster came from the same blank hundred years as Imu. It was once her most loyal and powerful follower. But after Imu granted him eternal life, something went wrong. He went insane, losing all trace of human will. Now, he exists only as a weapon — an immortal beast that devours anything in its path."
"Eternal life?" Elior's eyes narrowed. "So Imu can grant immortality? What kind of power is that?"
"I don't know," Vegapunk said, shaking his head. "But it's not the result of the Op-Op Fruit's immortality surgery. Imu ate a mysterious Devil Fruit not recorded in any existing Devil Fruit encyclopedia."
Elior's mind raced. "A fruit not recorded… meaning it wasn't in the compendium I took from the treasure vault earlier."
Vegapunk continued, "Everything I know came from the Gorosei themselves. I earned their trust after decades of service. But even they fear Imu's ability."
Elior folded his arms. "If she can truly extend life — even if it's not true immortality — that power alone is enough to rule the world."
He exhaled slowly. Imu's ability… a fruit capable of granting eternal life? Such a thing could rewrite history itself.
"And this monster," he said finally. "It's still alive, sealed below Mary Geoise?"
"Yes," Vegapunk answered. "I've examined it once. Its body functions like a perpetual motion engine. It only needs to feed once every three months — on human flesh."
Elior's eyes widened. "Human flesh?"
Vegapunk nodded solemnly. "Yes. The stronger the human, the more the creature prefers them. The Celestial Dragons feed it slaves every three months to keep it docile. A hundred each time. They never feed it powerful warriors, for fear it would absorb their strength and break free. The Gorosei suspect it can absorb the life force of those it devours — becoming stronger with every meal."
Elior fell silent for several seconds.
So that was the so-called "cleansing weapon". A man-eating immortal monster from the Void Century, created — or cursed — by Imu herself.
"Be careful, my King," Vegapunk warned. "I've never found a way to control it. If you ever face that creature, you can only resist by force."
Elior said nothing. The air grew heavy around him.
Three full minutes passed before he finally spoke again.
"Vegapunk," he said coldly, "your new task is to gather every piece of information you can about Imu — discreetly. Do not expose yourself. As for the dead personnel here, if the higher-ups question you, tell them a mysterious intruder was responsible. You know what to do."
"I understand, my King. I'll handle everything."
Elior nodded. "Good."
He gave a few more instructions, then put on his mask and hat before leaving the lab.
From that moment on, Vegapunk was no longer a servant of the World Government — but of Elior, the man destined to shatter the world order.
And soon, when Elior moved to strike Mary Geoise, Vegapunk would ensure chaos from within — a perfect assault from both sides.
No one in the Holy Land would ever suspect it.
Meanwhile, in Mary Geoise, chaos had already erupted.
Flames devoured the Holy Land, turning the white palaces into pillars of fire. The heat warped the air, and with no users of ice or water nearby, there was no hope of extinguishing it.
Aokiji was long gone.
And then — through the inferno — Imu appeared.
She stepped silently into the flames, her expression calm and unreadable. As she walked, the scorched earth beneath her feet bloomed with an ocean of flowers.
In an instant, the flames were gone.
All across the burning city, identical figures of Imu appeared — five of them in total — each one walking through fire, leaving trails of blossoms in her wake.
Wherever she passed, flames died, replaced by breathtaking fields of vivid flowers.
But when she departed, the blooms vanished as quickly as they had appeared. Only the scent of ash lingered in the air.
From afar, the Gorosei and the terrified Celestial Dragon elders watched in absolute silence.
Even those who believed themselves gods did not dare to speak.