The memories Marco had once forced himself to forget surged back like a violent tide. The woman he had saved, the one who had longed for death, had ultimately become the cause of his own demise. Even after he died, she dragged his name through the mud, ensuring his infamy lived on.
The moment of his death replayed vividly in his mind.
A storm of rage erupted within him, filling his chest with unrestrained fury. At that moment, there was only one thought in his mind, to kill that woman. He had reached out to save her, yet she repaid him by taking his life.
Worse still, she framed him in court. Under the banner of so called justice, he was burdened with crimes he never committed, condemned to eternal disgrace, nailed to the pillar of history as a sinner. Even in death, he found no peace.
Thinking of that fate, Marco's aura grew heavier, more violent, like a beast on the verge of breaking free.
Then, reality pulled him back.
He was no longer in that world. He had arrived in the world of pirates. No matter how deep his hatred ran, revenge was no longer possible.
At that moment, Marco glanced downward, and his expression shifted slightly. The Magic Circle beneath his feet had already climbed to his knees.
A deep, rhythmic sound echoed.
Boom. Boom. Boom.
Marco released a surge of Conqueror's Haki. Though he did not fully understand the nature of the Magic Circle, he knew one thing, Haki could counter Devil Fruit abilities.
As his Conqueror's Haki erupted, the Magic Circle beneath him let out a sharp sizzling sound. Cracks spread rapidly across its surface, and with a crisp snap, it shattered like fragile glass.
The moment it broke, the violent aura surrounding Marco vanished completely.
He exhaled slowly, his voice carrying a trace of lingering caution. "What kind of ability was that?"
He could clearly feel it. If he had not reacted in time, if that formation had fully consumed him, the outcome would have been disastrous.
Replaying the moment in his mind, Marco realized something unsettling. The instant he stepped into the circle, his anger and hatred had been amplified beyond control. That influence had not been natural.
"It seems you are not an ordinary ant."
Imu's ringed pupils shrank slightly. This was the first time in centuries that someone had broken her Dark Conversion. That ability was meant to awaken the deepest darkness within a person's heart.
As long as someone was human, they possessed darkness. Once that darkness was awakened, she could summon it forth, turning it into a separate will and binding it into a contract, creating a loyal servant.
Yet Marco had shattered it.
Imu quickly assessed the situation. The body she was currently using could not withstand her full power, nor could it force a contract upon someone like him.
Her gaze settled on Marco as she spoke in a calm but serious tone.
"As a human, your strength has surpassed its limits. Even those who have received my power cannot reach your level. Yet you are not Joy Boy. Who exactly are you?"
A faint sneer appeared on Marco's lips.
"You don't know?"
His tone turned mocking.
"Of course you don't. You sit at the top of the world. Why would you care about someone insignificant like me? But since you asked, I'll tell you."
He straightened slightly, his voice firm.
"My name is Marco. Captain of the Phoenix Pirates."
"Marco..."
Imu repeated the name softly, committing it to memory. Over eight hundred years, there were very few names she deemed worth remembering.
Then her gaze sharpened.
"Are you the destined child of this era, like Joy Boy once was?"
She paused briefly before continuing.
"But you have not eaten that fruit. Or is it that the destiny of this era lies with the Phoenix Fruit?"
Marco raised an eyebrow, clearly amused.
"So even the ruler of the world believes in something like destiny?"
His smile carried a hint of ridicule.
"Or is it that you, the final villain, are afraid of being defeated by this so called destined child?"
Imu's pupils contracted again.
"You know of the destined child?"
A trace of shock flickered through her eyes.
"Could it be that you are also..."
Marco's expression shifted slightly.
"Also what?"
In that instant, a thought struck him.
Her words, you are also. Was she implying something more?
A possibility surfaced in his mind.
Transmigrator.
If he had crossed into this world, then it was not impossible for someone else to have done the same.
Marco's gaze toward Imu changed, becoming more cautious.
Without hesitation, he suddenly spoke.
"Let me ask you something. What comes after Gongting Yuye Jiu?"
(Idk what that is, so Imma just leave it as it is.)
Imu frowned faintly, confusion appearing in her eyes. She did not respond.
Because she truly did not understand.
That reaction told Marco everything he needed to know.
At the same time, Imu reached her own conclusion. Marco was dangerous, far more dangerous than she had anticipated. Perhaps this era held more than just one anomaly like Joy Boy.
Her voice echoed through telepathy.
"Peter, gather the God's Knights."
Far away, Saint Peter, who had been engaged in battle with Big Mom, responded immediately.
"Yes, Imu-sama."
Without hesitation, he stopped pursuing her and began gathering his strength, preparing a Magic Circle to summon the rest of the God's Knights.
Back on the battlefield, Marco clicked his tongue.
Still no answer.
He tried again, throwing out another phrase from his past life.
"Hey, answer me. Yuanfang, what do you think about this?"
Imu remained silent.
Her gaze stayed cold and indifferent, as if she had not heard a single word. Aside from that brief flicker of confusion earlier, her expression did not change at all.
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