Chapter 2: This Planet Is My Ship

"Change the execution site to Marineford to minimize the chance of any 'accidents.' During the live broadcast, only play Sengoku's voice—then cut the audio entirely. Keep the rest of it silent, to prevent Roger from saying anything… inappropriate before his death."

Sitting atop the Empty Throne, Imu offered a compromise.

The Five Elders reflected silently on those words.

Soon, Mars seemed to understand.

He instinctively stroked his long white beard, which fully concealed his mouth, then smiled with dawning realization.

"Lord Imu is truly wise!"

The four elders to his right glanced at him in confusion.

What exactly did you understand?

"The reason Roger became the universally acknowledged Pirate King…

Was because he gathered all four Road Poneglyphs and reached Laugh Tale."

"In other words, he must have learned something about the history of the world.

Which means… we must guard against anything he might say during his public execution."

"So that's it!"

The others suddenly understood, nodding in agreement.

"Hmm."

Imu hesitated for a second—but ultimately gave silent approval.

Although this reasoning was slightly different from the true concern Imu had, it still made sense.

"We'll handle the Roger matter as discussed. Now let's talk about the future—

That's the real reason I summoned you all here today."

But what Imu said next utterly shocked the Five Elders, who were still kneeling before him.

"I have seen the future."

"Twenty-four years from now, an unprecedented rebellion will erupt across the Four Seas—

A war of such scale that it will directly threaten the rule and very lives of all Celestial Dragons."

The words alone were terrifying.

And yet, Imu's tone remained as calm and detached as ever.

As if nothing in this world could shake him—

As if the cold moonlight draped over his form only emphasized the isolation he seemed to embody.

But below him, the Five Elders were pale with alarm.

Each of their eyes widened in disbelief as they looked up, speechless.

What were they supposed to say?

Deny it?

That would be sheer stupidity. Either they couldn't say it, or they didn't dare.

They had ruled as the face of supreme power for decades—they knew better than to be so foolish.

Besides, deep down, none of them actually doubted the claim of seeing the future.

It sounded fantastical, sure…

But this world had seen stranger things.

Prophetic abilities existed—even if they were rare.

And if anyone were to possess such a power, who better than their exalted master?

So the true shock was not that Imu had seen the future—

But what that future held.

A rebellion across all Four Seas?

A war of catastrophic scale?

Imu, however, had no intention of softening the blow. He continued in the same even tone.

"And the root of this rebellion and war… lies in the relationship between slaves and Celestial Dragons."

"Given the gravity of this, I will personally take control of the world's future course.

The five of you are to assist me—our sole priority will be preserving the rule of the World Nobles."

The Five Elders gradually calmed themselves as they processed Imu's words.

And now, they understood his true intent.

Until now, unless someone appeared who needed to be erased from history, Lord Imu remained secluded in Pangaea Castle, enjoying the peace of eternal solitude.

But now…

He intended to take the helm of the ship known as the World Government himself.

As for the Five Elders—

They might still appear to hold the wheel…

But from now on, they wouldn't be the ones steering.

And yet, none of them felt the slightest resistance.

As the saying goes: "Those who don't know, feel no fear."

They were the opposite.

They knew too much.

And with such knowledge came absolute obedience.

"We shall obey your divine will."

Their voices echoed in perfect unison through the vast, shadowed hall.

Their bowed heads sank even lower.

"Then let it begin—

With this year's World Summit."

Imu's ever-watchful gaze sparkled with unwavering resolve.

Now that he was officially the head of the World Government…

He would not allow that great upheaval twenty-four years from now to ever come to pass.

The Revolutionary Army…

The Pirates…

Elbaf…

One by one, he would eliminate them all.

Imu lifted his gaze toward the heavens—

Toward the vast starry galaxy that surrounded the enormous full moon.

'First, I'll take full control of this world.'

'And then… with this planet as my ship—

I'll sail into that great sea of stars.'

...

"Huu—"

Returning to his own private sanctuary on the top floor, Imu instinctively let out a deep breath.

When he opened the door and stepped inside, he found a fully furnished suite.

Bedroom, dining area, living room, a separate bath and toilet, a bathtub, furniture, Den-Den Mushi—it had everything.

To be honest, he was quite pleased with it.

Back in his original world, he could've never afforded a home like this.

Now that he was back in his own room, without anyone else around,

Imu let himself relax a little—the cold and aloof expression on his face softened.

He slumped onto the soft sofa, leaning back and staring absentmindedly at the wooden ceiling overhead.

It had already been nearly a year since he crossed over into this world—since he took over this body and identity.

From initial shock and excitement to calm acceptance, the whole adjustment period had lasted less than three days.

After all, no matter how intense a person's emotions may be, they never last long.

Once he calmed down, he didn't rush into action.

First, he made sure to get a grasp on the current timeline.

Then, like the original Imu, he remained silent in this area of ​​Pangea Castle.

The goal was simple: to become completely familiar with and master this body's capabilities—and, of course, his memories.

Before transmigrating, he was an ordinary person.

There was no way he could instantly adapt to the strength of this body.

So, he practiced in secret for a while.

To the maids tasked with serving him,

it simply seemed like Lord Imu had taken a sudden interest in physical activity, often seen swinging a sword beneath the moonlight.

The memories were equally important.

This Imu had lived for over 800 years.

Even with the brain automatically filtering out trivial clutter, the sheer volume of information was staggering.

Familiarizing himself with those memories was also a process of understanding himself.

He had to know the original owner's personality and habits.

Otherwise, he might slip up in front of those five elders.

He could always gradually change over time.

For those two reasons alone, even when Roger had achieved international fame as the Pirate King, Imu hadn't taken a single step outside his private area.

Because he knew—

At this stage, nothing was more important than fully mastering his power!

Furthermore, Imu didn't know if it was because his soul had changed, but his eyes had turned golden instead of their characteristic red. Fortunately, due to his previous personality and strength, no one dared to look him directly in the face, much less ask why he had changed.

Only a few days ago did he finally emerge, his training complete.

He'd leaked Roger's hiding place to the Five Elders, prompting them to order the Navy to make the arrest.

Sure, Roger would willingly surrender in a few days anyway—

But surrender and capture were two very different things.

Even if the World Government ended up reporting it as an arrest either way,

Imu still felt that it was better to actually arrest him sooner.

He also figured it was a good opportunity for Sengoku, Sakazuki, Borsalino, and Kuzan to rack up some achievements.

As for calling in Garp—that was just an added layer of insurance.

Even with a terminal illness, Roger was still the Pirate King.

Who knew if, in the absence of a formal surrender, he might choose to fight back?

If Roger really did make a move,

Sengoku alone might not be able to handle him. Worse, it could put 'Chicken, Dog, and Monkey' in danger too.

Those three weren't at their peak yet.

If even one or two of them got seriously injured or taken out… he'd be devastated.

But now—

Everything had gone according to plan.

'No matter what, stopping the Great Pirate Era from emerging is the right move,'

Imu thought to himself.