TitoVillar
patreon
OPI Chapter 453: Calculated Chaos
🕑 Added 2025-07-06 03:03:37 +0000 UTCThe General Staff was closely monitoring the battle between Sakazuki, Kuzan, Lilith, and Nahamah.
The shockwaves of their clash had already engulfed more than half of the Land of Swamps and several small nations further west.
Volcanic eruptions spewed molten lava, towering seas of pitch-black flame surged across the land, blizzards of blinding snow howled alongside black ice laced with ominous energy—all of it mixed together in a chaotic storm of destruction. Even from space, the scene was visible in startling detail. From time to time, thunderous booms sent concentric shockwaves rippling outward across the sky.
Such terrifying power. Such cataclysmic chaos.
Vast swaths of land west of the Land of Swamps have become a desolate wasteland.
The ground is riddled with rivers of flowing magma or deadly waves of frigid air.
Every city, town, and village along the way, even the capitals of minor nations—every citizen has perished.
...
Teigu World – Noah’s Ark
Imu had just received word that Esdeath, Crocodile, and Guren had returned to Rōran when Stussy pushed open the door and walked in.
“Lord Imu, this is the Logia-type Dark-Dark Fruit, sent from CIPHER POL headquarters.”
She gently placed a white wooden box—swiftly expanded by her right hand—onto the low tea table.
Then, she reached into her jacket pocket and retrieved something no larger than a piece of candy.
Imu, using Kenbunshoku Haki, could clearly 'see' what it was: a black bookshelf stacked with 23 miniature volumes.
But the text and illustrations on the book covers made the corner of her mouth twitch slightly.
“Lord Imu, this is the first volume set of Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba manga, sent by Tesoro. He also mentioned that Muzan Kibutsuji, Kagaya Ubuyashiki, and the remnants of the former Demon Slayer Corps had participated in its production. Apparently, it’s a fictional exploration of how their future might have unfolded if the World Government had never intervened. The series is set to be officially released across multiple worlds next month.”
Stussy relayed Tesoro’s message with a strange expression.
Imu picked up the first volume, now restored to full size, and began flipping through its pages.
The more he read, the more complex his mood became.
Though the content differed from the version he remembered from his previous life…
The protagonists were still Tanjirō and his sister Nezuko.
Still, the main story remained focused on the fight against Muzan and his Twelve Kizuki, but most of the plot had been completely altered.
“So, how did they resolve their hatred with Muzan, anyway?”
Imu felt genuinely curious. After all, Muzan had slaughtered Tanjirō’s entire family.
Even if Muzan was no longer a demon now...
Surely such hatred wasn't something Tanjirō could simply let go of, just like that?
But Imu quickly lost interest in such matters, turning his gaze instead to the white box before him.
“Now then... who should I give the Dark-Dark Fruit to?”
With a wave of Haki, he opened the box lid from afar.
His deep gaze fell upon the round, purple fruit resting inside, its surface swirling like a vortex of shadows.
To the current World Government, the value of the Dark-Dark Fruit had significantly diminished.
Its greatest utility had once been its ability to retain a Devil Fruit's power after the user's death, capturing the “Devil” as it escaped the body. But now, the World Government had found several solutions that could achieve a similar effect.
Of course, just because there's a substitute doesn't mean they could afford to let the Dark-Dark Fruit fall into outsider hands.
“Stussy,” Imu said, “go check if there’s a boy named Rob Lucci on Guanhao Island. If there is, deliver the Dark-Dark Fruit to him.”
Imu had decided to use it to cultivate the next generation of military strength.
As for why Lucci—primarily, it was because of his unwavering loyalty to the Celestial Dragons. And as a transmigrant, Imu was well aware of the boy’s potential.
Imu also recalled that Rob Lucci upheld the doctrine of 'Dark Justice'—a perfect match for the Dark-Dark Fruit.
In the end, he simply wanted to give it to Lucci. So that’s what he decided.
Meanwhile, Stussy had already made contact with the CP2 officer in charge.
“Lord Imu,” she reported softly, standing before him as he sat on the couch, “there is indeed an 11-year-old boy named Rob Lucci on Guanhao Island. His talent in the physical arts far surpasses that of other children.”
“He managed to grasp the basics of Stone Breathing—the most difficult of the breathing techniques—in just one month. Within two months, he reached the level of Total Concentration: Constant.”
Imu wasn’t surprised in the slightest. Rob Lucci was undoubtedly a prodigy.
This only strengthened his resolve to give him the Dark-Dark Fruit.
While it lacked the comprehensive physical enhancements of a Zoan-type, its conceptual powers—darkness, black holes, gravity—held far greater potential at the upper limit.
Stussy soon left, carrying the white wooden box.
She was to arrange for it to be escorted to Guanhao Island on Starfish.
...
At the same time—
Zero Magic World.
Most of the continent’s population had already been successfully relocated to the Albion Sky Island, under the leadership of people like Wales.
The island was now overcrowded, with bureaucrats and nobles run ragged managing the influx.
At the same time—
The entire continent of Halkeginia, aside from the area near the Holy Land—the former capital of the Elf Kingdom—was crumbling at a pace visible to the naked eye.
Natural disasters were erupting one after another. Non-flying magical beasts were dying off in droves.
But to the World Government, which needed to harvest Wind Stones and other magical resources, this was actually great news.
All they needed to do was deploy retrofitted ships beneath the floating landmasses, use engineering tools, alchemy, or even local magic to begin preliminary extraction, and then transport the materials back to the Canberra Continent in the world of the Titans.
Of course, none of this mattered in the slightest to Shiki.
His mood had been awful lately.
Even though Louise could open the Gate of the Holy Land at any time using Void Magic and launch an invasion into the other world, a single executive order from Supreme Command had grounded the entire operation.
Now, all he could do was sit in the office aboard the aerospace carrier, staring helplessly at the blazing battles unfolding in the Shinobi World.
For someone like Shiki—who loved freedom and doing as he pleased—this was pure torture. The suffocating weight of regulations pressing down on him was unbearable.
More than once, he had considered defying orders—forcing Louise to open the Dimensional Gate.
But every time he clenched his jaw and suppressed the urge. He feared losing his military authority… or worse, ending up back in the lightless depths of Impel Down.
Even so, he submitted a request to Supreme Command every day, asking for authorization to attack.
Doing so gave him a sliver of hope to cling to.
[Bang!]
The office door suddenly burst open.
Shiki, lounging in his chair with his chin resting on his palm—bored out of his mind while watching footage of the Demon Army clashing with the ground forces—snapped his head up at the noise.
Hope lit up his eyes as he turned toward his adjutant.
“How is it, Budo?”
“Unfortunately, the response is still the same—stand by.”
Budo sighed, now a Rear Admiral at Air Force Headquarters and formerly a General of the Imperial Air Force.
“But this time they included an explanation: we must wait until the situation with Generals Akainu and Aokiji becomes clear.”
“Damn it!”
Shiki slammed his palm down on the desk in frustration.
“Those two brats—Sakazuki and Kuzan—always getting in my damn way!”
“If it really comes to that, I’ll just file for a transfer to that so-called Shinobi World and clean up those two demons myself!”
...
Teigu World, the next afternoon.
Enma rushed to the Ark Noah, bringing urgent news to Imu.
“Father, the King of the Dead has been defeated!”
“How did he lose?”
Imu’s expression grew grave as he asked, “Was he defeated by Ōtsutsuki Hagoromo? If so, what’s his condition?”
He mainly suspected that Ōtsutsuki Hagoromo might have been injured as well.
“According to some of the Underworld Generals who managed to escape, a white-robed powerhouse suddenly appeared in the Pure Land of the Shinobi World. He effortlessly killed Jabba and suppressed Roger, Rayleigh, and the others. Then, this man joined the battle between the King of the Dead and the Sage of Six Paths, siding with the latter.”
Enma’s face was full of tension.
“So Ōtsutsuki Hamura really is still alive,” Imu muttered under his breath. Then he raised his head again and asked, “So Roger, Rayleigh, Oden, and those who invaded the Pure Land—are they all dead?”
“That’s still unclear,” Enma shook her head and sighed. “What we do know is that Jabba is definitely dead. As for the others… chances are they’re not coming back.”
“So, did the King of the Dead escape, or was he eliminated in the Shinobi World?”
This was the key question on Imu’s mind.
“He was eliminated. Roughly ten days from now, his soul should reincarnate in the Underworld of the Starfish World!”
Enma’s tone suddenly grew excited as she said this.
Because once the King of the Dead reincarnates, his power would be far from what it used to be—barely a tenth of his former strength.
“Excellent!”
A smile spread across Imu’s face. “Immediately lead Senju Hashirama and your underworld army to take over the Starfish Underworld. Occupy the King of the Dead’s citadel and eliminate all dissenters!”
“Yes, Father!” Enma agreed at once, but then asked with concern, “But what if the Shinobi World uses this opportunity to push forward and invade?”
“They likely won’t. After all, there’s still a ‘Gate of the Underworld’ on their side, one that keeps spewing demons endlessly. Until they deal with that mess, why would they risk leaving it behind?”
Imu wasn’t trying to deceive her.
At present, the World Government’s First Main Battle Corps, along with Sakazuki and Kuzan, were engaged in a fierce battle against the demons of the first layer of the Underworld.
That could very well be seen as them protecting the Shinobi World.
Because of this, there was actually room for negotiation between the World Government and Ōtsutsuki Hagoromo and Ōtsutsuki Hamura.
As for the Starfish Underworld’s invasion of the Pure Land—
That was entirely the doing of the King of the Dead. What did it have to do with the World Government?
Now that they were preparing to eliminate the King of the Dead and take his place, their positions were clearly aligned!
Imu was confident that Ōtsutsuki Hagoromo could see the logic in that.
Moreover, he could, at any time, order Sakazuki, Kuzan, and the First Main Battle Corps to withdraw—letting the demon army run rampant. Surely Ōtsutsuki Hagoromo wouldn’t want to see that happen, would he?
Imu explained all of this in full to Enma.
She nodded repeatedly as she listened, the worry on her face gradually easing.
“When you return to the Starfish Underworld,” Imu instructed, “your first priority is to send a diplomatic mission to the Shinobi Pure Land in the name of the World Government. Make it clear that we come in peace.”
Imu’s current goal was to stabilize the situation on the Shinobi side—
—to buy time to take care of the King of the Dead and the Starfish Underworld.
“Yes, Father!”
Without hesitation, Enma created a rippling rift of violet-black energy before her and disappeared into it in a flash.
Sigh... it's still a matter of insufficient strength. Otherwise, why would I have to tread so carefully?
Imu sighed deeply in his heart.
Still, as long as the Shinobi World remained under the control of the World Government, they could keep Ōtsutsuki Hagoromo and Ōtsutsuki Hamura in check.
If those two could be brought to work with the World Government—even in the form of a partnership—their value would be immeasurable.
But if negotiations truly broke down in the end...
Then he would have no choice but to send 'Truth' into the Shinobi Universe—let 'Truth' deal with Ōtsutsuki Hagoromo and Ōtsutsuki Hamura.
