Imu's words left Claudius surprised. In fact, from the moment he had stepped into this hall, Imu's attitude had been throwing him off.
He had come here to overthrow him, yet Imu was completely calm, as if he didn't care at all.
If he remembered correctly, the Five Elders had said that Imu admired him greatly—so much so that he had planned to meet him after the Reverie.
Claudius had assumed that meant Imu had been unaware of his true intentions, but looking at him now, it didn't seem like he was pretending at all.
And at his level, would he even need to play games like that? If he tried and got exposed, wouldn't that be embarrassing?
"You're confused, aren't you?" Imu asked softly.
Claudius didn't bother hiding it. He nodded and said, "I am. After all, as far as I know, you admire me a lot."
"I do admire you." Imu smiled, his tone carrying a trace of genuine amusement.
Claudius became even more confused. He frowned and asked, "Then… do you not know what I'm here to do?"
Imu smiled again, casually patting the armrest of his throne before replying, "You want to sit in this seat—you want the Void Throne, to become the so-called King of the World."
Claudius fell silent.
It was clear that Imu wasn't stupid. There was no way he wouldn't see through his intentions.
"And yet, you still admire me?" Claudius asked again.
Imu raised an eyebrow. "Is there a contradiction?"
Claudius was momentarily stunned. Then, after hesitating for a moment, he replied, "Isn't there?"
"Is there?" Imu chuckled, seemingly amused by Claudius's confused expression.
Claudius tried to follow his train of thought but quickly realized, he had been playing along with Imu's rhythm ever since he stepped into the room.
I came here to fight you, so why does it feel like I've been dragged into some kind of deep conversation?
And worse yet, this rhythm felt so natural that it didn't even seem wrong.
Should he be impressed? This guy really was an ancient monster who had lived for over 800 years.
"Maybe I should just listen and see where this goes," Claudius thought. After all, he was genuinely curious about Imu.
"Alright," Imu nodded, completely unbothered.
"So let me get this straight—you admire me, and you've known all along that I was planning to overthrow you… yet you still let me grow unchecked? Until I finally stood here before you?" Claudius asked.
Imu nodded again and added, "Not just until now—even now, I admire you."
"???"
Claudius was completely lost at this point.
"Are you trying to get yourself killed?" he asked bluntly.
"No." Imu didn't seem offended at all. In fact, he answered honestly.
"Then what the hell do you mean?" Claudius pressed.
Imu glanced at him, then said softly.
"Claudius… times have changed."
Hearing these words, Claudius suddenly felt a strange sense of déjà vu.
Usually, he was the one saying cool lines like that to others.
Now, hearing Imu say it to him… it was almost embarrassing.
"You're wondering—if I saw through your intentions early on, why did I still allow you to grow? Why did I even hint to the Five Elders to train you harder, to give you more opportunities and power?" Imu smiled as he asked.
Claudius listened and didn't deny anything. Instead, he nodded and said, "Yeah. Because in my mind, only an idiot would do that. And you are obviously not an idiot. So yeah—I've been wondering."
As he spoke, Claudius studied Imu's face carefully.
Could it be that people at the top just think differently?
After all, without him, Mihawk had been training Zoro, helping him grow into a swordsman strong enough to challenge him one day.
That whole idea seemed ridiculous to Claudius. Sure, it was grand and romantic, but he would never do something like that himself.
If Mihawk wanted to train an opponent, that was one thing—he was a sword fanatic. It made sense for him.
But for Imu to do something similar?
"That just doesn't feel right."
Imu, however, remained calm in the face of Claudius's skeptical tone.
"The reason you can't understand… is because we see the world from different perspectives, hold different positions, and think on different scales. That's all."
Claudius frowned and replied, "I don't want to sound arrogant, but I think my perspective is big enough."
"That's just what you think," Imu replied without missing a beat.
Claudius nearly choked on the response.
Damn it, I was just being polite! You were supposed to deny it!
But Imu ignored his reaction and continued.
"From the beginning, you've always seen me as an enemy. That alone proves your perspective is still limited."
Claudius blinked.
Wait… isn't that normal?
He had set out to dethrone Imu and take his seat. How else was he supposed to see him? As a friend? A mentor?
"So… we're not enemies?" Claudius asked after a brief silence.
"Perhaps in your eyes, we are," Imu said. "But tell me—when have I ever treated you as an enemy?"
Claudius was stunned again.
He suddenly realized, since the moment they met, Imu had never spoken with hostility.
"For me, this is simply a trial, a test." Imu continued.
At that moment, Claudius's mind suddenly clicked.
"Wait—you mean… everything I've done, in your eyes, has just been a way to prove myself?"
"That's right." Imu nodded.
"Prove what?" Claudius pressed.
"That you are worthy to sit in this throne."
Claudius's expression darkened slightly. "So you're telling me… that all this time, you've been cultivating me to take your place?"
From Imu's perspective, did that mean everything he had done was just… some grand test?
"Why be so angry?" Imu asked, amused. "Isn't that what you wanted too?"
"No, it's not the same." Claudius's voice grew cold. "Everything I've done, I did on my own. But the way you say it—it makes it sound like a gift, like you were handing it to me."
"Look at you," Imu chuckled. "This is what I meant by perspective. You're upset, but I never said I gave you anything. Nor have I ever denied your talent, ability, or achievements. You're the one making those assumptions. So tell me, Claudius—why are you angry?"
His tone was light—almost fatherly, like an elder speaking to a younger generation.
Claudius clenched his jaw.
He was good at arguing, but right now, it felt like he couldn't win against Imu.
Because technically, he wasn't wrong.
But even so…
"Do you really think everything will go as you planned?" Claudius asked through gritted teeth.
Imu shook his head. "Not necessarily. But in this matter… it already has. Tell me, Claudius, do you really have a choice?"
Claudius froze.
No.
There was no way back.
And the worst part?
He was the one who had cut off all his own escape routes—just so he could keep moving forward.
(To be continued.)
***
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