Imu casually thrust his long sword into the ashen ground that resembled the surface of the moon.
Although there wasn't a single drop of sweat on his body, he instinctively headed to the bathroom for a shower as soon as he returned to the warm and bright wooden cabin.
[Splash——]
The showerhead turned on, spraying warm water. Imu lifted his face, closed his eyes, and enjoyed the comfort of the moment. However, when he dried himself, put on a clean bathrobe, and plopped down on the soft sofa, he suddenly felt a pang of loneliness as he gazed at the empty surroundings.
The initial excitement of suddenly possessing invincible strength, supreme authority, and the wealth of a nation—even the ability to declare himself the ruler of this planet—had long since cooled down. In fact, he had grown somewhat accustomed to his power and status.
But deep down, he was still an ordinary person who had crossed over less than two years ago. He didn't possess the cold, unfeeling heart of the original Imu.
As a normal person, he genuinely wished for someone to accompany him, to share a few heartfelt words now and then, and to ease the pressure in his heart.
Yet, he was also acutely aware that, given his current identity, he couldn't easily allow anyone to get close to him.
The Chamber of the Moon, while appearing supremely majestic and the most mysterious and noble place on the planet, could also be seen as a spacious prison—even though he could leave anytime he wanted.
Back when he first crossed over and became Imu, he thought it was the luckiest possible start compared to other transmigrators who ended up as pirates, civilians, or even slaves and prisoners.
But upon closer reflection, those people could at least venture across the seas, explore beautiful landscapes, and experience thrilling events.
Wasn't the most appealing aspect of crossing into this world of the Pirate King the myriad of bizarre islands and creatures?
Oh, and the abilities of the Devil Fruits! But he couldn't easily experiment with those. If he ever decided to venture out, he'd have to consider all aspects carefully. Still, thinking about it, with his current strength, there shouldn't be anything on this planet that could threaten him.
However, Imu also knew that the oceans of this world were far more mysterious and dangerous than those of his previous life. Supernatural phenomena were commonplace, and encountering the most unimaginable surprises wouldn't be strange.
As for Devil Fruits, honestly, apart from the one he was currently searching for, he didn't care about the others at all! So, it seemed the only thing left was to find someone to accompany him.
And by someone, he naturally meant a woman. Logically, given his status, it would be easy to have a beautiful woman by his side. Even the maids who served him were all top-tier beauties by any standard.
If it were before his transmigration, he would have cherished any one of them as his wife, treating her like a treasure.
But now, things were different. Imu felt that even if he were to build a harem, the quality of the women in it had to be the absolute best!
The timing, however, was a bit awkward. Many of the future great beauties either hadn't been born yet or were still too young—calling them lolis would be inappropriate, and he had no interest in raising them. Some who were once great beauties were now too old, like Vice Admiral Tsuru of the Marine Headquarters.
In the end, for the next decade or so, he would have to endure the loneliness and solitude of standing at the pinnacle of the world.
Sigh————
Just as the de facto King of the World, atop the Red Line Continent thousands of meters above sea level, was immersed in enviable helplessness and jealousy-inducing distress.
Deep in the ocean ten thousand meters below the base of the Red Line Continent, another 36-year-old king was radiating pink bubbles of happiness, gazing adoringly at the blue-skinned infant cradled in his wife's arms on the luxurious bed.
"Otohime, let me hold him. I want to touch Shark Star too."
King Neptune, at this moment, bore no resemblance to the dignified ruler of Fish-Man Island. Instead, he looked like a child entranced by a toy, his eyes filled with longing as he gazed at his beautiful and delicate golden-haired queen.
Queen Otohime's face still showed signs of exhaustion, but her eyes were particularly bright. Hearing her husband's request, she glanced at his towering twelve-meter frame and massive hands, then looked down at the tiny baby in her arms, and finally shook her head firmly.
"No, Shark Star is less than five hours old. He's too small and fragile. You'll have to wait a bit longer."
"Ah..."
Hearing the refusal, King Neptune's face fell with disappointment. But he loved the woman before him too much to insist. Just then, a beautiful mermaid maid entered.
"Your Majesty, the Right Minister has arrived and wishes to report something important to you."
"Is that so? Let him in!" King Neptune said casually.
Normally, he should have gone out to meet the minister in the small hall outside, but at this moment, he was so immersed in the joy of becoming a father for the first time that he truly didn't want to leave his wife for even a second.
"Yes, Your Majesty." The mermaid maid naturally had no objections and respectfully turned to leave.
Soon, the Left Minister, a catfish fish-man, entered wearing a purple robe. At this time, he was still in his middle years, not as old as he would be in the future, and he didn't carry the bullhorn cane.
"Greetings, Your Majesty! Greetings, Your Highness!"
Queen Otohime nodded gently, while King Neptune got straight to the point. "What is it?"
"Yes, the Right Minister has sent word that a ship from the World Government is waiting outside the entrance to the air storage chamber, requesting permission to enter," the Left Minister reported calmly.
The World Government?! King Neptune instinctively turned to exchange a glance with Queen Otohime. After a moment of thought, she said, "Perhaps it's about this year's Levely?"
"That must be it."
King Neptune agreed and immediately instructed the Left Minister, "Notify the Right Minister to welcome them in. Also, have someone prepare the main hall. We'll meet them there!"
"Yes, Your Majesty!"
The Left Minister acknowledged the order and left to handle these matters.
"Your Majesty, may I also be present to listen in later?" Queen Otohime asked softly.
"Well..."
King Neptune hesitated. Of course, he knew what she was concerned about.
When he first became the King of Fish-Man Island, he had heard about his newlywed wife's efforts to promote peaceful coexistence between fish-men and humans.
But to be honest, he didn't quite agree with her ideals, thinking them too unrealistic. He knew all too well what the World Government was like, but he couldn't stop her, so he had let her be.
"Your Majesty~"
Princess Otohime's voice grew even more tender, her blatant coquetry and plea instantly melting King Neptune's defenses. Scratching the back of his head, he chuckled, "Alright then!"
Thirty minutes later, the king and queen, dressed in their resplendent royal robes, sat solemnly in the grand banquet hall. The king looked majestic and robust, while the queen appeared dignified and virtuous.
The hall was extravagantly luxurious, spacious, and towering, adorned with the finest corals and pearls. At its center was a massive shell-shaped stage.
Since they were hosting representatives from the World Government, to maintain a serious atmosphere, there were no musicians or dancers on the stage.
Before long, a gentle young man in a black suit and leather boots arrived outside the hall, accompanied by two similarly dressed, capable attendants. They rode on a giant flounder adorned with bubbles. It was quite amusing—at this point in time, the protagonist couldn't even start a harem if he wanted to. After checking the ages of several beauties, I found that most were either just born or not even born yet.