A loud noise came from Pangaea Castle, clearly indicating that Kazu and Imu had begun a fierce battle.
Shanks and the others quickened their pace and finally arrived at the first basement level.
They witnessed Imu kneeling, and each of them felt somewhat superfluous in their presence.
"Seriously, Kazu is as strong as a monster, and he has so many of Lao Liu's skills, how could he possibly lose?"
"Haha, this Imu is really pitiful, look at his eyes."
"Hehehe, looks like Kazu has broken him."
"Pah, Carlmand, don't talk nonsense! My darling doesn't like playing with him!"
Hancock was very sensitive, and Carlmand's words infuriated her.
Isn't this slandering their beloved? What do you mean Imu was ruined by Kazu?
My dear, you should be the one who loves to play the most!!
Yesterday in the bath, my darling said that she loves her own ample bosom the most.
Imu ignored Shanks and the others who had just arrived, his gaze fixed on Her Kazi.
"You are indeed a genius."
Even Joy Boy back then was no match for you.
"But you have one major flaw that you cannot ignore."
Imu stopped fighting, clearly realizing that if he continued, he would just be a punching bag stuck in place, only able to take a beating.
"An unavoidable, major flaw?"
"Hehehe, I have many flaws, but as long as I live comfortably and freely, that's enough."
Kazu raised the Muramasa, its tip pointing directly at Imu, completely unaffected by Imu's words.
Imu knew this was his only chance to survive.
Although he is immortal, recovery still requires physical exertion.
Ordinary attacks are fine, but the damage caused by the Conqueror's Coating requires him to use many times more stamina to heal the wounds, and the healing is extremely slow.
The injuries caused by Kazu's Conqueror's Coating were several times harder to heal than those caused by other Conqueror's Coating.
If this fight continues, he'll probably be worn down to death by Kazu in no time.
As for running away?
The power of time and space wasn't just a name; although he didn't actually possess the power of time and space, he could tell just by thinking about it that he couldn't possibly outrun his opponent.
Moreover, he has a secret that no one else knows: he cannot leave Pangaea Castle for an extended period of time.
His immortality is not without its flaws; he needs to set up a magic circle somewhere, filled with Demonic Energy, to provide him with a continuous source of energy to nourish the cells in his body.
Leaving for a short time is fine, as he has enough Demonic Energy to last for a while. However, if he leaves for too long, he will age rapidly due to the lack of Demonic Energy.
Without the nourishment of abundant Demonic Energy, he estimated that ten days would be enough for him to be completely annihilated in this world.
As for setting up a new magic circle elsewhere, that's possible, but gathering the Demonic Energy would take quite some time.
It would take at least five years for Imu to maintain his immortality.
Setting up a magic circle requires a special material, of which there is only one, which is inherent to his Devil Fruit. To set up a magic circle elsewhere, the one in Pangaea Castle must first be dismantled.
However, his condition was not good enough to support him to collect Demonic Energy for five years, so he had to stay at Pangaea Castle.
The magic circle he has now was set up when he was young. At that time, he was only in his thirties and did not need Demonic Energy to nourish him to live normally in this world. Therefore, there was no problem for him to collect Demonic Energy over the next few years.
Now, more than eight hundred years have passed. If he dares to leave this place for an extended period, he will be punished by the power of time.
What Imu didn't know was that although Kazu didn't know the specifics, he also knew that Imu couldn't leave Mary Geoise for long.
Having read the comics in his previous life, he had long remembered this flaw of Imu's; it was something Imu himself had mentioned during a conversation with his subordinates.
It's okay to leave Mary Geoise for a short while, but not for too long.
Therefore, Kazu isn't afraid of Imu escaping at all. Even if he escapes, he'll have to come back. Otherwise, Kazu wouldn't even need to lift a finger; he'd be finished on his own.
Imu's eight hundred years of life have not been in vain; his acting skills are unparalleled.
Hearing Kazu's answer, he didn't show much emotion. He simply shook his head with pity, sighed, and said, "Even if you possess the strength of the world's number one, you still cannot withstand the power of time."
"A hundred years from now, you'll just be a handful of dust. No one will remember you then."
"But I'm different. I can help you achieve immortality. As long as we join hands, nothing in this world can stop us."
"To jointly control everything in this world, unchanged for thousands of years."
"Aren't you tempted by this proposal?"
Imu's words were like the devil's whisper, full of allure.
People in this world who can resist such temptation are extremely rare.
And coincidentally, Kazu is one of them.
"Hehehe, you've been the world's hegemon for centuries, so this thing must be familiar to you."
Kazu raised his left hand, and a golden ring on his little finger became particularly eye-catching.
"This is..."
Imu seemed to remember something, his eyes filled with shock.