The temperature in the Room of History was particularly low, one could even say it resembled a cold storage, and the lighting was rather dim, creating a dark and eerie atmosphere.
Fortunately, Im felt no discomfort at all.
These historical texts stirred thoughts of Joy Boy within him, preventing him from leaving in haste. The tennis games over the past few days had significantly alleviated his psychological pressure, leaving him in a relatively pleasant mood.
If it were his former self, Im, he would have believed that Joy Boy was dead and would no longer pose a serious threat to himself or the World Government.
But he was different; he understood very well that Joy Boy was likely not completely dead! Im slowly walked to another compartment, where some extremely important historical relics were stored, such as the enormous straw hat in the ice chamber before him.
This was the very straw hat that Joy Boy had worn on his head.
"To entrust one's will to Nika, oh no, the Gum-Gum Fruit, and achieve a form of immortality through the reincarnation mechanism of the Devil Fruit? Quite clever of you, big guy."
Im reminisced about events from hundreds of years ago, smiling lightly. His former self would probably have been very angry.
When a Devil Fruit is consumed, it parasitizes within the human body, and upon death, it transforms into information that returns to nature, seeking a suitable fruit to reappear. There must be some form of intelligent consciousness present during this process, a fact that future figures like Vegapunk in the original timeline have already discovered and utilized.
This was especially evident with Zoan-type Devil Fruits, which inherently possess something akin to a Beast Soul. Therefore, as the awakened user of the Gum-Gum Fruit, Joy Boy could fully achieve consciousness replacement or storage.
It was very clear that people in this world had souls.
However, not everyone had the ability to entrust their souls to a Devil Fruit.
Thus, Im thought of Haki!
As the strongest being in this world, his understanding of Haki was also the deepest. Haki could carry and accept information.
Words written with Armament Haki could be perceived by anyone with the corresponding Observation Haki, even if they did not understand the meaning of the text.
This was one of the effects of what is known as the Voice of All Things! However, he could understand the words on the historical texts, as he was indeed a person from that era.
The three conditions of having Haki that can carry and accept information, a sufficiently strong soul, and the awakening of a Devil Fruit ability should be indispensable.
"Anyone who eats the Gum-Gum Fruit will possess the unique physique of the Lunarians, with rubber-like elasticity and the ability to ignite, and will be parasitized by Joy Boy. When the user awakens their ability, it will be the moment he awakens," Im recounted his speculation based on memories from his past life.
Or rather, this could no longer be considered speculation; it should be called solid evidence.
"Although the 'former self' did not know these things, he knew that the Gum-Gum Fruit was Joy Boy's ability. So in the future, after finding it, he sent CP9, led by Who's-Who, to escort it back, only to be intercepted by Shanks."
Im stood still for a long time, staring at the enormous straw hat in the ice chamber, lost in deep thought, for these matters were crucial.
He was contemplating how to deal with Shanks.
First of all, he was certainly a descendant of the Celestial Dragons; otherwise, he would not have been able to sit on the sofa in the Hall of Power and hold discussions with the Five Elders.
"This kid is probably like Doflamingo, having become a messenger under 'me.'"
"But he's quite the actor; ultimately, he aligned himself with Roger, who raised and taught him, directly snatching the Gum-Gum Fruit because he believed that his Celestial Dragon identity combined with his own strength was enough to handle the World Government's retaliation."
"He succeeded. Mihawk, whom he sent, fought him to a standstill, and they became friends, a classic case of not fighting but becoming acquainted, haha~"
At this point, a cold smile appeared at the corner of Im's mouth.
"In the future, the Five Elders, or rather 'I,' will see Shanks' wings fully grown and continue to maintain contact with him as a Celestial Dragon, hoping to use him to regulate the world's situation and balance."
"But the problem is, what I want now is not balance; the so-called Pirate Emperor must be dealt with. If he can be used, then fine; if not, he cannot be left alive!"
In this way, Shanks' value to the World Government diminished significantly; he was merely a wild descendant with Celestial Dragon blood.
"That little brat Shanks needs to be captured. Since he is a Celestial Dragon, he must return according to the house arrest order I issued!"
As for killing him, that was impossible; the privileges and status of the Celestial Dragons must be upheld. Celestial Dragons could only die of natural causes, never at the hands of others, unless the one who acted was himself.
The death of a Celestial Dragon, a royal gift to another Celestial Dragon, is only natural; this is Im's stance! "I remember Shanks is just fifteen this year and is definitely in the East Blue. This should be easy. Oh, and while I'm at it, have CP1 capture that Buggy kid too!"
Im suddenly recalled the future power of the Buggy Ball. In his view, Buggy should continue to research this area; perhaps he could form a partnership with Cutty Flam in the future.
Ten minutes later, he contacted Shepherd Ju Peter Saint through a Den Den Mushi, issuing a series of commands. Since the content was somewhat extensive, the latter nodded repeatedly on the other end.
"By the way, from now on, CIPHER POL will cancel the rule of imprisoning agents for mission failures. Depending on the situation, there should be certain penalties and demotions for mission failures!"
Im felt that situations like Who's-Who's must be eliminated; who knows how many talents have been lost due to such matters.
Moreover, how much time and resources are required to cultivate an excellent CP agent? As long as there is no malicious betrayal, they should not be pushed too hard.
"Uh, yes, yes, understood. Rest assured, we will definitely change!" Shepherd Ju Peter Saint did not dare to ask anything further, only agreeing, though his mind was filled with questions.
"The historical texts from the Burial Shrine in Alabasta, Shanks in the East Blue, Buggy." After ending the call and putting down the Den Den Mushi, Shepherd Ju Peter Saint's face was filled with astonishment.
"Shanks, a former crew member of the Roger Pirates, is actually a descendant of the Figarland family, a survivor of the God Valley incident?"
"If that's the case, then he indeed needs to be 'invited' back; otherwise, it would be troublesome if he turned into another Doflamingo. But why should Buggy be invited back as well, and sent to the Science Force for training?"
Im returned to the surface, as night had fallen, and made his way back to the Tree House in the Chamber of the Moon. Gion and Stussy were staying in the rooms vacated by the maids, waiting for dawn to continue playing tennis with him.
"Should I mention the Stargate to the Five Elders? Although it would be better to discuss it after deciding on this World Conference, it might be good to give them a heads-up. The first batch of dispatched personnel will also need time for selection."
Lying on the large golden-red double bed, Im pondered over the cosmic starmap that appeared before his eyes.
"It seems I need to think carefully about how to phrase this. Speaking of which, how can I explain this thing to sound reasonable? It's a bit difficult."