Chapter 4: In Search of Claudius Saint

The so-called Imperial Engine — the name of this Haki originates from the One Punch Man world. It's believed that the prerequisite skill of the king, known as the 'strongest man on the ground,' causes a frenzy once activated. In the blink of an eye, he can reduce his enemies to a fleshy pulp or worse.

In reality, this Imperial Engine is merely a 'joke.' The strongest man on the ground is essentially a king of picking fights. It's akin to the Conqueror's Haki wielded by those like Buggy, reaching god-tier status in the Pirate World.

The effect of the Emperor's Engine is the constant acceleration of the heartbeat. King has been mythologized as 'the strongest on the ground' due to this 'ability.'

At this time, the ability Claudius acquired was similar: constant acceleration of the heartbeat. Initially, as a pragmatic man, Claudius was quite skeptical upon obtaining this ability. Wasn't this preposterous?

Couldn't he have been bestowed an ability less ostentatious? It seemed futile. He was even willing to trade his beautiful blonde hair for baldness, if need be!

Initially, Claudius regarded this ability to accelerate the heartbeat as merely a facade. He didn't believe that with his luck, he could rely on this ability to become the 'strongest man on earth' in the Pirate World or anything of the sort.

However, after several experiments in practical application, Claudius found this ability to be surprisingly potent. The continuous acceleration of the heartbeat inevitably heightened blood circulation and, presumably, enhanced hematopoietic function.

After several studies and experiments, Claudius concluded one thing at least: once the 'Emperor Engine' was activated and his heartbeat accelerated, he could indeed enter a kind of 'runaway' state, or what one might call a 'violent state.'

The ability to use the Imperial Engine to enhance physical fitness in a short period was evident in the recent chase of the wild boar. Currently, Claudius could only achieve this much with his current physical fitness and abilities, but the potential for further development and exploration remained high.

Once his physical fitness caught up, sudden bursts through the Emperor Engine could become a formidable move, overpowering enemies of equal or greater strength.

Coupled with a few theatric lines like 'I'm getting serious now,' 'Seems like you're worthy of my full attention,' and 'I didn't expect you to push me to this extent,' one could significantly elevate their image in one fell swoop.

Thus, Claudius remained quite content with the capabilities of this "Emperor Engine." Whether in practical or prestige use, its developmental potential warranted further study and contemplation in the future.

As for his last acquired ability, the 'Zero Hour Mizi,' it seemed to stem from some world akin to Shakugan Shana's, though Claudius didn't possess much knowledge about it.

Fortunately, a manual existed in his mind, providing insight into its workings.

The Zero Hour Mystery allows one to 'cause time to halt at zero hour,' essentially enabling the user to restore all existential power at that moment.

Of course, such existential power doesn't exist in this world. Claudius grappled with this for several days. Eventually, through experimentation and research, he discerned some usefulness in this ability.

In essence, it resembled the "Hundred Healings Mark" in the Hokage world. Although lacking existential power, it could store residual energy and physical strength of the day within this zero-time mystery.

When needed, the user could tap into this ability at zero hour to restore their state based on the stored physical strength.

Currently, it wasn't particularly outstanding, but perhaps it could prove valuable in the future, perhaps in protracted battles or for more covert activities?

"That's it. Claudius is a Celestial Dragon, after all, a noble of the world. Marrying ten or more wives isn't an issue, right? It's even customary and legal. If overexertion becomes an issue, and the body can't cope, well, let's just activate the Zero Hour Mizi... It's exhilarating to think about it; it seems there wouldn't be a problem until dawn," Claudius mused as he waited for the wild boar's blood to drain away, envisioning a bright future with this ability.

Once the wild boar's blood had pooled, Claudius snapped out of his reverie and used Shinsō to carve out the meat with better taste, feeling a twinge of discomfort. "Come to think of it, it's been two weeks since I was attacked, right? They should almost have dispatched a rescue team by now? Surely, they don't think I'm some predecessor capable of surviving a shipwreck alone for two weeks..."

As Claudius contemplated, five massive warships sailed towards the island not far from the deserted shore.

On the deck of one such warship stood a middle-aged man, cloaked in justice, cigar in mouth, sunglasses donned, arms folded across his chest, silently gazing ahead at the sea.

With lavender disheveled hair and a robust figure, albeit somewhat subdued, he exuded a formidable aura.

This man was none other than Admiral Zephyr of Headquarters· Black Arm, also known as Zephyr the Just. His life could be described as tragic yet resilient. Despite his Admiral status, he refused to kill pirates, earning him the moniker of the Admiral who couldn't kill.

However, his benevolence led to dire consequences when his beloved wives and children fell victim to vengeful pirates. Resigning from his Admiral post, he became a mentor at the officer training camp, nurturing many future Marine leaders.

Yet, fate dealt him more sorrow. Disillusioned with the World Government and Marine, he founded 'neo Marine' with intentions to reform the New World, ultimately meeting his end. Such was the tragic yet heroic life of Zephyr.

At present, the task of his fleet was both simple and complex: locate the Celestial Dragons·Donquixote·Claudius, shipwrecked in these waters over two weeks ago!

Zephyr, however, harbored doubts about this mission. The delayed rescue of the Celestial Dragons hinted at a conspiracy within Mariejois. While he outwardly appeared as a promising Admiral, to those in Mariejois, he was merely expendable.

Participating in such matters carried high risks, but with only two Admirals at Naval Headquarters and Garp refusing promotion while Sengoku dealt with other pressing issues, Zephyr found himself reluctantly tasked with the mission.

Nonetheless, if anything went awry with the Celestial Dragons, the highest echelons of power would intervene. Thus, an Admiral was deemed necessary, and the responsibility fell upon Zephyr.

As Zephyr pondered, a young yet nonchalant voice broke the silence behind him.

"Admiral Zephyr, still dwelling on the Celestial Dragons? I doubt there's much cause for concern. A shipwrecked rescue delayed by two weeks would've likely resulted in shark bait even for a more formidable individual, let alone... esteemed Celestial Dragons. So, I reckon this 'rescue mission' is merely political theater, isn't it?"

Turning, Zephyr flashed a smile at the speaker. Two years ago, he took an interest in mentoring at the

 Marine Officer Training Camp, where he discovered promising individuals like Kuzan, now a Rear Admiral.

"You're quite astute, Kuzan," Zephyr commended. "This mission likely won't yield much, but I fear upon my return, the Celestial Dragon lords will blame Saint Claudius's death on Naval Headquarters' inadequate rescue efforts. Then... we'll face difficulties beyond words."

Kuzan, still young and naive, hadn't considered this. After a moment of surprise, he queried, "But surely they wouldn't be so unreasonable, right?"

"Heh," Zephyr chuckled, "When you ascend to Admiral, you'll understand their unreasonable nature better. For now, focus on the task at hand and avoid getting entangled with Celestial Dragons. Some may wish ill upon Saint Claudius, but our duty remains the same. Regardless of the odds, if there's even a slim chance Claudius Saint survives, we'll bring him back to Mariejois unharmed... Understand?"

Respecting his mentor, Kuzan nodded solemnly. "I understand, teacher. I'll heed your advice."

With a pat on Kuzan's shoulder, Zephyr imparted his final wisdom. "Remember, Kuzan, there's much you don't yet grasp. But always prioritize duty over personal opinions, especially concerning Celestial Dragons. Focus on the mission, and let the rest unfold as it may."

Kuzan nodded again, his resolve strengthened. "I won't forget, teacher. I'll uphold your teachings."