The creature before Imu was a being composed entirely of soul.
That was something she had never considered.
Her own power had certain similarities to spiritual abilities. In a sense, it could be described as the manipulation and transformation of souls.
But this creature...
The way Imu looked at the Hollow changed, surprise and excitement entering her eyes.
Was such a thing truly possible?
Could someone discard their physical body and become a pure spiritual life-form?
If so, could Imu accomplish the same?
She controlled an enormous number of souls.
If she transformed herself into a being made entirely of spiritual energy, perhaps she could truly ascend into godhood.
A real god.
With that thought, Imu moved again.
Darkness emerged and enveloped the Hollow once more.
A long time passed before the darkness finally withdrew.
"I cannot place my mark upon it, nor can I understand its exact structure."
Disappointment flashed through Imu's eyes.
Had she succeeded, she would no longer need to consider any other option.
Cyrus was powerful, but once Imu became a true god, even he would no longer be her match.
But now...
Perhaps she could completely destroy the spiritual creature and study its structure piece by piece.
Yet time would not wait for her.
The declaration of war had already placed her in tremendous danger, forcing her to activate the contingency plan she had prepared.
Still, as she had said during her conversation with Cyrus, that plan could cause widespread destruction, but it could not grant her victory.
The world this creature came from might contain many spiritual beings like it.
Perhaps that world even possessed a method of transforming into such a form.
Imu had to make a choice.
She fell silent, staring fixedly at the Hollow lying on the floor.
The atmosphere inside the Room of Flowers became suffocating.
A maid stood respectfully nearby, not daring to make the slightest sound.
"There is hardly any choice at all." Imu murmured.
She truly had very few options.
Completely understanding this creature could serve as her final contingency. Until then, she would wait for it to sense the world it came from.
The problem was time.
There was no telling how long that would take.
It might happen today, a year from now, or much later.
"I know you understand me. Sense the world you came from. That is your only chance to survive."
Imu addressed the Hollow directly.
The creature, which had been lying motionless like a dead fish, stirred at the sound of her voice and slowly turned its head.
More than half the bone covering its face had been torn away, and the ruined mask now faced Imu.
This one did not feel as threatening as the previous monster.
Once it returned home and replenished its strength, it would slaughter every one of these people.
That was what it thought.
Until then, it would pretend to obey.
Having made its decision, the Hollow nodded toward Imu.
"Watch it." Imu instructed the maid.
"Yes, Lord Imu."
The maid bowed.
Imu did not move the Hollow to a separate prison. She simply left it inside the Room of Flowers.
After giving her orders, she went to meet the Five Elders.
They had already been waiting for some time.
The moment faint footsteps approached, all five became even more respectful, though they could not conceal the anxiety on their faces.
"Lord Imu, the war is not proceeding favorably."
Before Imu could speak, the Five Elders began delivering their report.
The war had begun exactly as they feared.
Once the World Government's authority weakened, rebellions erupted across the world.
Kingdoms that had previously been forced to endure endless exploitation now joined the uprising.
World Government personnel stationed within those nations were attacked almost immediately.
Even kingdoms protected by powerful agents had turned against them.
Marine bases scattered throughout the world had mostly withdrawn behind their own defenses.
Only a small number continued obeying the World Government and attempted to suppress the rebellions.
Their efforts were nowhere near enough.
Overall, the situation was disastrous.
The Celestial Dragons had become the primary targets of countless people openly calling for their deaths.
After finishing their report, all five Elders knelt.
"Lord Imu, we ask that you intervene."
That was the true purpose of their visit.
They wanted more immortal warriors to handle the crisis.
But the Five Elders had already discussed the situation many times and understood the problem clearly.
Even if Imu created an entire army of those creatures, defeat would only be delayed as long as Cyrus remained alive.
Everything ultimately returned to the same question.
How could they eliminate him?
"The Marines." Imu finally spoke.
The Five Elders opened their mouths to respond.
"The Marines will assist us. They will hold the enemy back."
Imu fell silent again.
A long time passed before the Five Elders cautiously raised their heads.
The throne was already empty.
They stood and exchanged uncertain glances.
"Did Lord Imu prepare something in advance?"
The Marines had already broken free of the World Government's control, yet Imu's words suggested there were measures even they knew nothing about.
…
Across Marine installations throughout the world, strange tattoos began glowing on the bodies of certain officers and soldiers.
The markings spread outward into bizarre patterns.
Their eyes changed immediately afterward.
Marine bases that had remained barricaded suddenly erupted into chaos before mobilizing once more.
…
In the New World, at the site where Wano had once stood, disorder also broke out among the senior Marines gathered around Pluton.
It took a long time for the violence to subside.
By then, more than half the Marine warships had departed.
"Those bastards."
Sengoku stared toward the enormous fleet sailing away, his expression grave.
"They were controlled."
Tsuru did not sound surprised.
"Several people who suffered fatal wounds during the fighting recovered almost instantly."
Borsalino examined the fingernails he had just finished trimming and spoke in his usual careless tone.
"This is worse than I expected."
Sengoku released a heavy sigh.
He had still harbored a little hope that the situation would not become this severe.
Instead, exactly what he feared had happened.
"So, Fleet Admiral Sengoku, are we entering the war?"
Apparently satisfied with his nails, Borsalino raised his head.
"It's rare to see you this enthusiastic."
Sengoku turned sharply and studied him with suspicion.
"Don't look at me like that, Fleet Admiral. I'm not one of those monsters."
Borsalino raised both hands in surrender.
"I simply don't think the Marines can continue watching from the sidelines."
"If we remain inactive until the fighting ends, then regardless of who wins, how will the Marines justify their position afterward?"
"That doesn't sound like something you'd normally say."
"I'm thinking about the Marines' future."
Borsalino smiled.
"If we want a share of the responsibility for maintaining global order afterward, we need a legitimate reason to claim it."
"After all, we haven't contributed anything yet. We've actually made the situation worse."
"Cyrus may have given us his word, but what will everyone else think?"
"Borsalino, who contacted you?"
Before Sengoku could respond, Tsuru narrowed her eyes and suddenly asked the question.
"Surely you're joking, Chief of Staff."
Borsalino's expression stiffened for an instant before he tried to brush it aside.
"Dragon? Or someone else?"
Tsuru pressed.
"Dragon?"
Sengoku's gaze became much more serious.
"Now that I think about it, Vegapunk's disappearance had quite a lot to do with Dragon. And you once served as Vegapunk's bodyguard."
"All right, all right. Dragon contacted me."
Realizing that he had already been exposed, Borsalino sighed and admitted it.
"So I'm surrounded by people with their own private agendas?"
Sengoku's mouth twitched.
"The Revolutionary Army is currently cooperating with the Hunter Guild. They'll definitely secure a place in the new world afterward."
Borsalino smiled.
"The Marines can't afford to do nothing. In the future, we could work alongside the Revolutionary Army to uphold justice."
"Mm."
Sengoku nodded lightly.
Borsalino was about to continue when Sengoku raised a hand and stopped him.
"That may be true, but who should we send?"
"I could lead the operation."
For once, Borsalino did not attempt to avoid responsibility.
"Contact Sakazuki, Kuzan, and Garp."
Sengoku considered it briefly before giving the order.
"Whoa, Fleet Admiral. You aren't planning to deal with me, are you?" Borsalino asked instinctively.
"Go contact them. Quickly."
Sengoku waved him away.
Borsalino shrugged and left.
"He and Dragon have probably been in contact for a long time."
Tsuru watched him go.
"Possibly, but not in the way you're implying." Sengoku shook his head.
Borsalino might have maintained contact with Dragon, but he was still a Marine. He had not joined the Revolutionary Army.
"I've also been thinking about this."
Worry appeared on Sengoku's face.
"Cyrus said the Marines only needed to stay out of the conflict, but the current situation no longer allows that."
"Not with the fleets that just left or the other Marine bases around the world."
"You want us to fight alongside the Hunter Guild?"
Tsuru asked.
"No. We should divide the responsibilities."
Sengoku hesitated before shaking his head.
"Our priority remains those monsters."
"What about the other Marine bases?"
Tsuru continued.
"What do you think?"
"I believe we must mobilize and stop them. Otherwise, the situation will become far too chaotic."
"They're still Marines."
Sengoku nodded.
"This move may not be difficult for the Hunter Guild or the rebelling nations to deal with, but it creates an enormous problem for us."
The Marines knew that part of their organization had been compromised.
The civilians and kingdoms being attacked did not.
All they would see was the Marines attacking them.
They would not care which faction those Marines belonged to.
"What's happening on Sky Island?"
Sengoku asked.
"The exam hasn't been interrupted."
Tsuru had clearly continued receiving information from there.
"Cyrus remains on Sky Island, and the Hunter Exam is proceeding despite everything that has happened."
"He seems relaxed."
Sengoku nodded.
"He does. Cyrus probably believes victory is already certain."
Tsuru sounded somewhat helpless.
"Based on the current situation, he may be right."
"His strength allows him to ignore too many factors. He alone can determine the direction of this war."
"Unless the World Government possesses a specific method of dealing with him, Cyrus's victory is inevitable. The only question is how long it will take."
"I agree."
Sengoku nodded.
"Fleet Admiral!"
A Marine hurried toward them.
"Whitebeard has returned to the Whitebeard Pirates, and Charlotte Linlin has also reappeared."
"Hm?"
Sengoku paused and exchanged a glance with Tsuru.
"Cyrus released them. It appears they'll be participating in the war."
Tsuru considered the news briefly.
"That's probably correct."
Sengoku nodded.
"They were on Sky Island only a short time ago. If they've already returned to the New World, then Cyrus's transportation ability is far more powerful than we thought."
He released a quiet breath of amazement.
"Let's go. Once the others return, the Marines need to begin moving as well."
Sengoku turned away.
"Clear the area, treat the wounded, and reorganize everyone still capable of fighting. Be ready to mobilize at any moment."
Tsuru issued the order.
"Understood, Tsuru-onee-san."
Gion nodded, then glanced toward Tokikake, whose body was wrapped in bandages.
They had both listened to the entire conversation.
Despite their shock, they also felt a degree of excitement.
As they walked away together, Gion looked at him.
"I thought you would leave with the others."
"So did I."
Tokikake grinned strangely.
"Most of my promotions came directly from the World Government. Technically, I should be one of their people."
He looked at his bandaged left arm.
"But I don't think they can win. I'm not going to throw my life away for a losing cause."
"Hah."
Gion laughed softly.
"What a mess. This is seriously troublesome."
For once, Tokikake had no interest in pursuing the woman of his dreams.
He genuinely felt overwhelmed.
As an Admiral candidate, Tokikake possessed considerable strength and status.
But he was far from free.
He still lacked the power to act entirely according to his own desires.
The Marines continued reorganizing.
…
On Nut Island in the New World, Katakuri stood rigidly upright, staring at the towering figure before him.
Charlotte Linlin looked at him and the frightened siblings gathered behind him.
"Katakuri. You've done very well."
She appeared to be smiling, but the sight of her exposed white teeth did not look remotely pleasant.
"Chairman Cyrus said my brothers and sisters had already been brought here."
Katakuri did not respond to her tone.
He turned toward Brûlée, whose face had gone pale.
She hurriedly opened the Mirro-World and released a large crowd.
"Katakuri, you bastard—"
One person emerged already cursing, only to see Charlotte Linlin.
The entire group froze.
"Mama!"
"Hmph. We're leaving."
Linlin looked at Katakuri and suppressed the urge to beat her rebellious son before turning away.
"Mama, the fleet prepared for you is already waiting."
Katakuri spoke again as she departed.
"Katakuri-nii, now that Mama is back, what are we supposed to do?"
Brûlée was not the only one panicking.
The Charlotte Family members who had chosen to follow Katakuri were equally frightened.
"For now, our objective is the same."
Katakuri's voice remained deep and steady.
"I'll decide what to do afterward."
He had not expected Cyrus to release Linlin.
Still, their mother clearly had reasons to restrain herself.
For the moment, at least, the situation was not as terrible as it could have been.
In stark contrast to the tense atmosphere on Nut Island, the Whitebeard Pirates had already erupted into wild celebration.