When Zoran adjusted his sleeves and returned from the cosmos, the environment on the ground had already reverted to a state of absolute calm.
He had indeed sensed a slightly stronger aura earlier, one distinct from the other Devil Fruit users. If he had to make a comparison, it was roughly the difference between an ordinary ant and a particularly robust ant. It was likely the former master of this world, the so-called strongest being, the King of the World: Imu.
Zoran had no intention of intervening, and Bai Tza proved completely reliable, settling the dispute entirely on her own.
From Zoran's vantage point back on the moon, Bai Tza's clash with her opponent had been remarkably brief. It essentially amounted to Bai Tza making a move, Imu retaliating in fury, Imu suddenly realizing they were completely outmatched, Imu attempting to flee, and Imu failing to escape.
Game over.
The entire process had unfolded with staggering speed. By the time Zoran extracted the power of the Rumble-Rumble Fruit and touched down on the surface, nothing remained to greet him but a harmless, gentle breeze.
To be honest, Zoran found nothing surprising about this outcome.
In his memory, that individual was supposed to be a mastermind puller of strings, pulling the levers of the World Government from the shadows. But a truly powerful being has no need to hide in the dark. Take Bai Tza, for example, even at her absolute weakest in history, she had boldly proclaimed her name to the entire world the moment she set foot here. If one truly identified with the status and power of being the "King of a Whole World," they naturally shouldn't harbor fear toward anything.
Of course, there was another reason.
In this specific world, Bai Tza was an absolute cheat-code existence. Her ability to manipulate seawater at such a supreme level inflicted a brand of despair upon the locals that far eclipsed what Shendu had managed when he participated in the Holy Grail War as a Servant. While both scenarios ultimately ended in defeat, one at least allowed for a desperate struggle; the other left people completely devoid of even the will to resist.
The surface of the sea fell back into a profound silence. Zoran scanned his surroundings, casting a final glance over this world.
Bai Tza still needed to remain here to fully restore her strength, and there was no longer anything left in this realm capable of threatening her. A clan centered entirely around her had already formed. These people looked upon her with a mix of adoration and helpless resignation, though, of course, there were exceptions, like a certain rather wretched-looking fellow who was comfortably slacking off.
But regardless of their feelings, they all had to accept this reality. When a higher echelon of power descends, it signals a cataclysmic shift in the era. Against such forces, individual strength is utterly negligible. A single grain of dust from an era can weigh like a mountain upon an individual.
"Bai Tza, my sister," Zoran spoke serenely, standing suspended over tens of thousands of miles of ocean. "I am about to depart. Once you have fully restored your power, you may contact me so that we can avenge the past together."
Bai Tza materialized from the water, her face tinged with a hint of perplexity.
She had indeed planned to stay behind in this world, which suited her perfectly, to recuperate, just as they had previously agreed. Yet Zoran's words carried an underlying weight that suggested something more. She caught an unusual nuance in his tone.
"Brother Tso Lan, are you not returning to our original world to wait for me?" she asked, puzzled.
Zoran slowly shook his head. "I must maintain a balance between liberating our siblings and growing stronger myself. Therefore, my next destination is another world."
Bai Tza fell silent, carefully digesting the implications of his words.
She was by no means foolish. In fact, ever since she arrived in this world, her intellect had been steadily returning alongside her rising power. She nodded quietly, seemingly grasping his perspective.
The Demons were not entirely invincible; otherwise, they would never have been sealed away by the Eight Immortal Sages in the first place. Armed with the power to traverse different worlds, Zoran was bound to see far more than any of them. At the same time, as the eldest among the eight brothers and sisters, he had to constantly ensure he did not lag behind anyone else, maintaining the capacity to handle any crisis that might arise.
This was the burden of the eldest.
A spark of admiration flashed deep within Bai Tza's eyes, and her voice grew resonant. "Go then, Brother! I shall await you here!"
Zoran gave a slow nod. With a flick of his finger, a brilliant golden portal materialized, floating just above the sea. He let out a soft sigh, clasped his hands behind his back, and drifted toward the gateway.
In Bai Tza's eyes, he still carried that same unshakeable, detached aura. But this time, he wasn't humming a tune. Instead, he was quietly murmuring to himself as he approached the extra-dimensional rift that had brought them here not long ago.
Bai Tza strained her ears, barely catching his low whispers.
He said softly:
"Since I grew weary of the search, I taught myself to find..."
As Zoran's silhouette gradually dissolved into the portal, his final whisper drifted past Bai Tza's ears:
"Since a headwind blew in my face, I sail with every wind."
Watching the portal vanish before her eyes, Bai Tza murmured, "Is Brother talking about... everything that has happened over these past ten thousand years?"
Given her own personal history and experiences, she could only relate his words to the tumultuous ups and downs the eight siblings had endured between the Netherworld and the mortal realm. Looking bewildered, she shook her head and plunged back into the depths.
Had Zoran been able to hear her final musings, he likely would have just shaken his head without a word. But he was already out of earshot.
Crossing an immeasurable expanse of space, the true form of the Moon Demon emerged on the other side of the portal, stepping into an entirely unknown world.
Zoran had no intentions of returning to his world of origin. His brothers and sisters were right, he did need rest, but not right now. If anything, he needed to become even stronger.
Having traveled through so many dimensions, he could see far beyond what Shendu or Bai Tza could comprehend. Just moments ago, he had witnessed firsthand how Bai Tza, an outsider to that world, had effortlessly obliterated the native powerhouse, Imu. Looking out across the cosmos, power was infinite; he could only do his utmost to climb to a higher peak.
He needed to be an entity like Bai Tza, not a casualty like Imu. With no time to waste on leisure, he had to push himself harder. Between liberating his siblings and empowering himself, neither task permitted any complacency.
The portal slowly sealed shut, vanishing entirely. Zoran successfully made landfall in the world beneath his feet.
He found himself near a school, the ringing of a class bell echoing in his ears. Scanning his surroundings, he suppressed the volatile fluctuations of his true form, his demonic silhouette gradually shifting into a human guise.
Moments later, a lean, refined middle-aged man in his early forties stood in his place. He was accustomed to utilizing this appearance, just as he was accustomed to adapting to local customs wherever he went.
Zoran sighed lightly. The days ahead would likely be somewhat exhausting, but the rewards would be easily as grand as any world he had visited before.
Now in human form, he cast his gaze into the distance. Within his line of sight, a pink-haired figure was walking into the school.
With a bit of calculation, Zoran instantly deduced the current timeline.
It was the perfect moment.
There were still a few days left before the commencement of the 100,000-year cycle. It appeared he had ample time to prepare himself and weave his way into the timeline of this grand reincarnation.
At the school gates, Phoebe suddenly halted her steps. She glanced around her surroundings but found no unusual gazes directed her way. Frowning slightly in confusion, she turned back and continued walking into the campus.
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