The Five Elders had finally resolved to report the Beehive Island incident to the true master of the World Government. For the first time, they would bring Edie's activities to the attention of Imu.
Edie, observing everything remotely, issued commands to a bee scout under his control, instructing it to tail the Five Elders in silence.
After passing through several layers of tight security, the Five Elders arrived at a massive, imposing gate. Saint Saturn waved his hand, dismissing the guards, and a red carpet was unfurled, leading towards a grand staircase. At the summit, an empty throne sat in isolation, a symbolic representation of the World Government's propaganda—equality among nations, and that no one holds absolute power.
But the truth was different.
As the heavy doors closed behind them, the Five Elders shifted their gaze away from the vacant throne and knelt on one knee.
"Lord Imu, we have an urgent matter to report."
Above them, unnoticed, the bee scout hovered near the ceiling, its compound eyes recording everything and converting the data into radio waves, transmitting it back to Edie in Beehive Island. Edie, lounging comfortably with his cheek resting on his hand, began kicking his legs idly, eagerly anticipating his first glimpse of the Ruler of the Celestial Dragons.
Then, something changed.
Suddenly, the surveillance footage became unstable, the signal disrupted by strange, fluctuating waves.
"Hm?" Edie raised an eyebrow, surprised. Electromagnetic interference was distorting the transmission, and in the background, a new sound emerged—the gentle crashing of waves. The scene on the screen blurred, then cleared, then blurred again. And then, she appeared.
A slender woman, crowned with horns, now sat upon the previously empty Void Throne.
Edie leaned forward. A woman?
He momentarily ignored the instability in the transmission, captivated by the sight of Imu. The woman appeared to be in her twenties, with an ethereal, serene presence. She sat motionless, eyes closed, her hands resting elegantly on the arms of the throne.
Then, her eyes snapped open, revealing sharp, piercing scarlet irises that seemed to command immediate attention without words.
What's the matter? Imu's voice was soft but commanding.
In that instant, the screen went completely dark. The transmission from the bee scout was cut off, never to reconnect.
Edie sat back, puzzled. "Is this... Haki?" He pondered aloud. It didn't seem like the bee scout had been discovered and attacked intentionally. Instead, it felt as though Imu's sheer presence, the natural aura of her Haki, had been enough to obliterate the bee scout with a mere glance.
When she opened her eyes, could her Haki alone really be enough to kill the scout? He mused, intrigued by the thought. Still, he had more bees scattered throughout Pangaea Castle. Without wasting time, Edie redirected his focus and commanded another bee to fly to the vicinity.
This time, the new bee remained outside the room, cautious not to enter where the Void Throne was located. By the time Edie managed to pick up another signal, the conversation between the Five Elders and Imu was drawing to a close.
"...Love-Love Fruit... as requested. As for the scientist, I have taken note of him," Imu's voice echoed softly.
"Yes, Lord Imu!" the Five Elders responded in unison, bowing low as they began to exit the hall.
Immediately, Edie controlled the second bee scout to slip through a crack in the door, but when it entered the room, there was no sign of Imu on the throne. The only thing left was a faint, gentle sound that lingered in the air—the rhythmic lapping of waves.
"She disappeared?" Edie murmured to himself, his gaze locked on the screen. "There's only one entrance and exit to this room... How did she vanish like that?"
The sound of the waves continued to echo, a mystery Edie couldn't quite unravel. He smirked, the corners of his mouth lifting slightly.
Interesting. This woman is very strong.
For 800 years, the existence and power of Imu had remained a closely guarded secret. But Edie understood one thing—even a fool could become incredibly powerful after ruling the world for eight centuries.
"Mentally, you can afford to mock your opponents," Edie muttered under his breath. "But tactically, you better give them your full attention."
"If I could get my hands on her cells or blood..." Edie mused, his fingers tapping rhythmically on the table. He entertained the bold idea for a moment before temporarily shelving it. The defensive layers protecting the Holy Land Mariejois were formidable, far from easy to penetrate.
The security of Mariejois could be divided into four distinct levels. The first level consisted of the Marine guards stationed throughout the area. In the event of an attack, Naval Headquarters could immediately send reinforcements, likely dispatching Admirals with impressive speed. The second level involved the Celestial Dragons' personal protection, the elite CPO under the command of the Holy Land's Armed Forces Commander. Next, came the third level—the Knights of God, Celestial dragon warriors known for their exceptional skills. Above them, the Five Elders acted as the fourth level of defense, with Imu herself being the ultimate guardian.
"In other words," Edie thought, "to force Imu out, I'd need to break through all four layers. Not an easy feat."
He couldn't help but wonder aloud, "How did Fisher Tiger manage to cause such a stir in Mariejois and free the slaves last year?"
Edie tapped his fingers again, speculating maliciously, "Could someone have deliberately looked the other way? Otherwise, how could a single fish-man cause so much chaos? Was the Holy Land's defense system really that fragile?"
His mind raced through the possibilities, imagining the scenario like a comical twist of fate—as if a granary was being inspected just when thieves decided to loot it. Yet, he dismissed it with a smirk, knowing the Five Elders couldn't be that careless. Or could they?
For now, Edie set aside his focus on the Celestial Dragons, shifting his attention back to a promise he had made to Whitebeard: developing a high-yield grain variety. This task was far simpler for someone of his expertise. He had extracted P4, a special substance from the Sea Kings, and used it as a revolutionary fertilizer.
Inside his laboratory's growth incubator, the effects were remarkable. The plants were growing at an unprecedented rate.
"If it keeps growing like this," Edie muttered, staring at the oversized grains, "can we even still call it rice? This is starting to look like something else entirely."
His mind wandered, contemplating whether he should rename it altogether. Grain of rice? More like a "boulder" of rice.
However, realizing the conditions in the lab were controlled, he knew field testing was essential. He quickly issued orders to Shenhou, instructing him to travel to Wanokuni. Edie also tasked Caesar with acquiring a hundred acres of land to serve as experimental fields for testing different growth conditions.
"You can't accelerate them artificially. They must grow naturally. We'll wait a few months to observe the results," Edie instructed. With Whitebeard's project now in motion, his attention shifted back to the World Government, which had finally responded to his earlier demands.
The deal was simple: they agreed to exchange the Love-Love Fruit for Celestial Dragon Halifax. Edie, though eager to end Halifax's life, had no immediate need to rush. After all, obtaining Hancock's Devil Fruit was far more important than killing one vile noble.
The exchange process went smoothly. Edie had originally intended to send Momousagi to oversee the deal, but she had adamantly refused to deal with the World Government. Respecting her wishes, Edie instead sent Weiyang and Zishu. The World Government sent a member of the Knights of God—a Beautiful red-haired woman in her twenties or thirties whom Edie didn't recognize from the One Piece manga. She seemed strong, but Edie didn't care. What mattered was the fruit.
Finally, after nearly half a month, Edie secured what he wanted: the Paramecia-type Love-Love Fruit.
This fruit, being a twin fruit, was incredibly rare, with its immense potential making it a coveted power. Edie recalled how Blackbeard, after becoming one of the Four Emperors, had sought this very fruit, a testament to its strength.
"There's no such thing as a weak Devil Fruit," Edie thought sarcastically, recalling the oft-repeated mantra that the real power of a fruit depended on its user. "That's just something they say to fool the inexperienced." He smirked. The truth is obvious—some Devil Fruits are simply superior to others.
Whether it was in the One Piece manga or in Fanfictions Edie used to read, everyone who claimed that there were no weak fruits conveniently wielded some of the most overpowered ones.
Boa Hancock remained in the No. 1 special cloning chamber, still deep in her slumber with an expected week left before she would awaken. Seizing this window of time, Edie turned his attention to researching the Love-Love Fruit. He dissected the Paramecia-type Devil Fruit with meticulous precision, using the fact that it was a twin fruit to his advantage. Through his expertise, he successfully created two new Ability Rings: Love (Pink) and Love (Purple).
At the same time, he embarked on an ambitious experiment—cloning a Devil Fruit for the first time. Though confident in his scientific prowess, Edie knew there were no guarantees. The process was unprecedented, and even with his extensive knowledge, there was no certainty of success.
Days passed, the sterile silence of the lab broken only by the hum of machines. One morning, a loud beeping alarm echoed through the special cloning laboratory and Cloning Warehouse No. 1. The system signaled the completion of Hancock's regeneration process.
Without delay, Edie activated the sequence to wake her. As the filling fluid drained away and the chamber hatch opened, Boa Hancock slowly opened her eyes, groggy from days of slumber. The first thing she saw was Edie, and a warm smile instantly spread across her face.
"Master Edie, I feel like I've been dreaming for a long time," she murmured, her voice filled with affection.
"Sweet dreams?" Edie replied, handing her a cheongsam-style outfit—her favorite—along with a pair of red high heels.
As Hancock accepted the clothes, she suddenly realized she was still naked. Yet, she felt no embarrassment. Instead, a sense of pride filled her, knowing her body could capture Edie's attention. She began dressing with elegant, deliberate movements, her mind still lingering on the vivid dream she'd had.
"It was such a long dream," Hancock said wistfully. "In it, Master Edie and I were married... we had many children together. We grew old by each other's side, and at the end, I lay in your arms, happy and at peace as I died."
Her eyes sparkled with devotion as she finished recounting the dream. "Then, I woke up..."
The dreamy look she gave him was unmistakable, and for a moment, it seemed she wanted to slip back into that perfect dream. Edie, however, was less enchanted by her fantasy. He gave her a playful flick on the forehead.
"Dreams are just dreams, Hancock. We live in reality," he reminded her, though his voice held a trace of amusement. He then reached into the pocket of his white lab coat and pulled out one of the Ability Rings he had created. Taking her hand, he slipped the ring onto her finger with a measured smile.
"I'm giving this to you. Try it out—see if you can use it," Edie said.
Hancock's eyes widened as she looked at the ring on her finger. Her breath hitched, and her face instantly turned a deep shade of red. Steam practically rose from her forehead as the realization hit her.
"This...this...this..." she stammered, her voice trembling with emotion. "This is an engagement ring!"
Her body trembled, and she collapsed into Edie's arms, overwhelmed. "Is this... a proposal?! I accept! I will have no regrets in this life!"
Edie blinked, momentarily speechless at her reaction. "..." He sighed, realizing there was no talking her out of her wild conclusions—dreams or not, Hancock was always lost in her fantasies.