Ace: "I suspect that Imu may have stolen some of the Authority belonging to those ancient gods through some means."
Ace: "He wasn't born a god."
If Imu had not been born a "god," but had instead become a "false deity" by stealing divine Authority, then his eight hundred years of control over the world, his concealment of the truth of history, and his fear of "D" all had reasonable explanations.
Because he was not a true god, he feared true gods.
Ace: "As for whether those 'gods' still exist, the records are vague."
Ace: "Some texts imply that they have already vanished. Others vaguely mention that they 'exist in some form in the corners of the world,' while still others describe how, when the 'Time of Promise' arrives, 'Laughter,' 'Earth,' 'Forest,' and 'Rainwater' will appear once more."
Ace: "This 'cleansing' most likely refers to the 'God of Rain.'"
Although Ace had already ended Imu's rule in his own world, he still knew little about Imu's true nature or the truth behind those ancient gods.
The information left behind by the World Government had either been deliberately distorted or mostly destroyed, leaving only fragments that were difficult to decipher.
He could only make deductions from those fragments, combined with the Memory Copy.
However, in that battle against Imu, the strength Imu displayed had indeed been terrifying. It had far surpassed the level of Admirals and the Four Emperors, and his use of Devil Fruits had reached an utterly outrageous degree.
Although the Transmigrator who had become Imu had brought the Devil Fruit Tree with him, he had not been there for long.
How had he developed so many Devil Fruits to such a terrifying extent in such a short time, if not through the Devil Fruit Tree's ability?
Was it