Imu picked up the golden Den-Den Mushi on the desk and called Saint Topman Warcury.
"Lord Imu?"
"Have someone send over the 'Star' from Hoshigakure."
"'Star'… Understood. I will notify the 'Holy Land Treasury' at once."
After the call ended, the likewise golden handset returned through the air to the back of the Den-Den Mushi.
Imu then took out a white magatama from within his pocket dimension and carefully examined the juvenile Ten-Tails sealed inside it.
This little fellow that looked like a white octopus was at this moment sleeping soundly with its eyes closed, sprawled atop its own tentacles.
As for the "Star," he intended to feed it to this juvenile Ten-Tails, and at the same time take the opportunity to use it as a medium to establish a master-servant contract.
Imu had no chakra, so he could not use a summoning contract, and without magic, a familiar contract was even less possible.
Thus, he could only use the "Kabbalah Tree of Life Diagram" on the back of his left hand to sign a Truth Contract.
To be honest, Imu also felt he was a bit too reliant on "Truth."
But given the current situation, it was indeed the best choice.
...
Inside the city of Rōran.
At the center of the underground palace filled with a faint violet glow.
Sakazuki sat cross-legged on the circular altar with his eyes tightly shut, letting the Dragon Vein energy rising from beneath the ground envelop his whole body.
After confirming that the "evil god" had not caused any adverse effects on Shiryu, he returned here to continue his daily training.
However, Sakazuki had set three rules with Shiryu.
If it was discovered that he killed recklessly, or that his mind showed signs of disorder—
He would personally wipe out both him and the "evil god."
At the same time, Sakazuki said he would observe the other for a period of time.
After all, the "evil god" clearly didn't look like anything good, and of course Shiryu was about the same.
During this period, Shiryu's rank would not change, his identity would still be adjutant, until Sakazuki confirmed there was no problem.
By then, Sakazuki would personally apply for his promotion to general.
Thus, the matter of Shiryu came to a temporary close.
Sakazuki began focusing single-mindedly on strengthening his own power.
During his training—
The "Four-Tails" Son Gokū would stand guard at the stone gate on the far end of the aerial bridge.
At that moment, Sakazuki was reflecting on his own power, and the power of those around him whom he knew.
Now, among the top-tier battle strength inside the World Government, a clear gap had already begun to open.
The most typical example was Garp.
The colorless Haki training method provided by Imu had allowed him to break through his previous limits at once, granting him the overwhelming might to fell Douglas Bullet with a single punch.
And as for Douglas Bullet, it was said he had already succeeded in purging the Assimilation Fruit from his body.
Thus, between Bullet and Colorless Haki, there was no longer any obstruction.
Next was Kuzan. The Blood of Guren had allowed him to begin harnessing natural energy earlier, and he had even mastered "Mahapdama," a technique that could freeze space-time.
Later, when he joined forces to battle the highest-ranking devils Lilith and Nahamah, he further grasped the ability to "freeze rules and concepts."
Sakazuki believed that Kuzan should be stronger than himself.
Lastly was Aramaki.
He had already learned what the "White Kama" was, and what it would bring to Aramaki.
Sakazuki neither envied nor resented it, but indeed it stirred a sense of urgency in his heart.
If he did not have sufficient strength, how could he carry out his own justice and crush all the evildoers daring to oppose the World Government?
For this, he had to become incomparably strong, at least to possess the power to stand at the very forefront of the battlefield!
But how should he do it?
Sakazuki was deeply troubled. The power of the Dragon Vein, though wondrous and indeed enhancing the Magma Fruit's might, was still far too slow.
At this rate, his future would be only mid- to lower-tier among the generals.
Just then, on the bridge between the circular altar and the stone gate, a mass of white light suddenly appeared out of thin air.
"Who goes there?!"
The smaller form of Son Gokū instantly rose to his feet, roaring at the white light gradually forming into a circle.
At the same time, it was also a warning to Sakazuki on the altar.
"Hm?"
Sakazuki opened his eyes, his gaze filled with authority as he swept them toward the blond youth stepping out from the white light.
"Do not be alarmed. I am Brimir of the Star God Hall, specially ordered by Lord Imu to deliver a secret treasure to General Akainu."
Brimir held a purple sandalwood box in his left hand, smiling broadly as he explained his purpose to the now-standing Sakazuki.
"Star God Hall?"
Sakazuki raised his brow, then signaled to Son Gokū that the man was not an enemy.
Last time, he had heard of this organization from Lord Imu, and knew that the Sage of Six Paths was one of its members.
So Sakazuki shifted his attention to the item in Brimir's hand.
"What secret treasure?"
Since it was sent under Lord Imu's order, there was surely a profound meaning.
"This is the 'Lava Ancient Dragon Crystal,' evaluated by the Sacred Land's treasury as a 'Mythic-Class Secret Treasure,' its worth equivalent to that of a Zoan-type Mythical Beast Fruit, or perhaps even a high-grade Logia Fruit."
As Brimir spoke, he used magic to open the lid of the box from a distance.
Soon, a prism-shaped crystal, like obsidian yet flashing with fiery light like a beating heart, slowly floated into the air, coming into the view of Sakazuki and Son Gokū.
"Under Lord Imu's command, I erased the intelligence of the Lava Ancient Dragon born of the greatest volcano in our Zero Magic World, then, using a complete Philosopher's Stone bestowed by Lord Imu as a medium, refined all its magic power and soul with Void Magic into a magic crystal that could be absorbed."
"Though the magic power it contains is far too fierce and scorching for most people, I believe with General Akainu's talent, you will be able to adapt."
"Finally, Lord Imu entrusted me with a message for General Akainu." As he spoke, Brimir's expression suddenly turned solemn.
"Your future lies in magic, so you must step onto this path as soon as possible. Do not hesitate—press forward bravely. The justice of the World Government still needs you to protect it!"
Hearing this, Sakazuki was filled with immense emotion.
"How is this used?" Sakazuki took the black crystal, roughly the size of his palm, and asked.
"Use your spiritual power to make contact, then guide it into your body."
Brimir explained softly, then instinctively offered a reminder: "Its magic is extremely scorching. Because within it lies not only the Ancient Dragon's own magic, but I also poured in magma from the Fire Dragon Mountain Range until it reached the very limit the crystal could withstand!"
This was his own idea.
He figured that, in any case, the Zero Magic World was basically finished.
Especially since the volcanoes of the Fire Dragon Mountain Range had drifted into the sky, causing lava to endlessly pour down into the sea below, destined to be wasted sooner or later.
So why not make it a gesture of goodwill for Sakazuki?
"Much obliged."
Sure enough, Sakazuki understood the goodwill he had released, and acknowledged the favor.
At once, he habitually used his Observation Haki to make contact with the Ancient Dragon Crystal in his hand.
[Buzz——————]
The next instant, the ink-black prism crystal suddenly burst forth with a red glow carrying waves of heat, pressing down the violet light of the Dragon Vein that radiated from deep underground around the altar.
The heat within that red light was indeed terrifying.
The surface of the altar beneath Sakazuki's feet, even the surrounding walls of the palace, actually began to show signs of melting.
If this went on, the underground palace would soon be in trouble.
Luckily, Sakazuki had already begun to draw in great gulps of the magma-like magic from the crystal.
Whether by intention or by instinctive reflex, he at that moment entered an elemental state, becoming a humanoid mass of blazing magma.
Viscous lava dripped continuously onto the ground, steaming as it struck.
"An interesting energy… it seems similar in essence to my own power."
At this moment, an old-sounding voice echoed through the vast palace.
It was none other than the spirit of the Dragon Vein of the shinobi world.
"Who goes there?"
Brimir raised an eyebrow, growing wary in his heart.
He knew that Sakazuki was absorbing the power of the Dragon Vein, but he did not know that the Dragon Vein's power possessed its own consciousness.
"I am the spirit of the Dragon Vein, under the command of Lord Imu!"
From deep beneath both sides of the circular altar, a surge of violet energy like flames burst forth.
In the blink of an eye, under the gaze of Brimir and the Four-Tails it took shape as a divine dragon.
"Oh?"
Before Brimir could ask, a sudden upheaval erupted from Sakazuki's side.
[Boom!!!]
A surging mass of firelight burst from his body, forming an astonishing pillar of flame that shot straight toward the ceiling of the palace.
Like a roaring Fire Dragon, it instantly melted into molten iron the two elevators that had been constructed before but later abandoned.
The surrounding walls likewise turned into fiery red magma.
The pillar of fire then shattered the glass that sealed the top opening and pierced the skies, blasting through the thick cloud layer above the city of Rōran.
In that instant, the entire city was shaken to its core.
From every corner, large numbers of black-clad shinobi leapt out, swiftly converging on the location of the underground palace.
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