One Piece: TWN 4: The Celestial Dragons

The year was 1473 of the Sea Circle Calendar.

Lucifer had spent nearly three years in the Flower Chamber. Now, it was finally time for him to venture outside and experience the world.

Imu summoned the Five Elders and instructed them to bring the current patriarch of the Nerona Family before her.

The order immediately made the five old men somewhat uneasy.

Although Imu had been contacting them more frequently over the past few years, primarily to arrange searches for various Devil Fruits, she had never summoned anyone else. In fact, her interactions with the outside world had remained extremely limited.

Throughout Mary Geoise, only the Five Elders and the Knights of God were qualified to receive an audience with her. The other Celestial Dragons, regardless of their status, did not even have the right to know of her existence, let alone meet her.

Now, however, Imu had suddenly requested the presence of the patriarch of one of the most prominent Celestial Dragon families.

It was difficult not to suspect that something had gone wrong. Perhaps one of them had displeased Imu, and she intended to replace him.

Unfortunately, speculation wouldn't change anything. They could only follow her instructions.

Soon, Nairona Theodore, the current patriarch of the Nerona Family, was informed of the summons.

"Imu-sama!"

The moment Theodore arrived before Imu, he could barely contain his excitement.

There had been rumours circulating within the Nerona Family for quite some time. However, those rumours were so old and mysterious that he might have dismissed them as fabricated stories if the Five Elders hadn't consistently shown his family a degree of favouritism.

That preferential treatment had gradually led him to suspect that there might be some truth behind the rumours.

And now, he was finally going to meet their legendary ancestor.

How could he possibly remain calm?

Furthermore, being summoned personally might also mean that his family was about to receive some special favour.

"This is Nairona Lucifer. From now on, I'll leave him in your care. Make sure you look after him properly."

At that moment, Imu sounded completely different from her usual self.

Her voice was deep and hoarse, bearing none of the gentle, pleasant qualities Lucifer had grown accustomed to hearing. Combined with the ridiculously tall crown perched upon her head, her appearance was rather awkward.

Lucifer had complained about the crown before, but Imu had simply ignored his comments and changed the subject. Judging by her attitude, she was evidently quite satisfied with her choice of design.

Only after hearing Imu's words did the six people below dare to raise their heads.

Their attention immediately settled on the small boy standing beside the throne.

He was approximately one metre tall, with silver-golden hair and a pair of brilliant golden, vertically slit pupils. His handsome little face remained expressionless as he regarded them with an indifferent gaze.

As for Imu, only a faint silhouette could be seen beside him, apparently to preserve her usual air of mystery.

"Your subordinate will make all the necessary arrangements."

"Go."

"Understood, Imu-sama. I'll come to visit you again in a few days."

Lucifer's expression softened considerably when he turned towards Imu.

After all, she had been the one looking after him ever since he arrived in this world. Regardless of how he might eventually get along with the others, his relationship with Imu was already established.

Now, it was time to embrace his new life.

Of course, he would still visit Imu regularly. Maintaining their relationship was important, especially considering that she was his greatest supporter. There was no reason to neglect such a valuable connection.

Although Lucifer was only three years old, his circumstances were considerably different from those of an ordinary child.

After integrating the Devil Fruit's abilities into his bloodline, he could freely assume either his human form or his true dragon form. The two bloodlines had merged perfectly, granting him an effectively limitless lifespan alongside several other peculiar characteristics.

One such characteristic concerned his perception of Imu.

For some reason, the longer Lucifer looked at her, the more beautiful she appeared in his eyes. Sometimes, he would find himself staring absentmindedly at her face.

As he grew older, that particular aspect of his instincts might become more noticeable.

Nevertheless, he remained perfectly rational and could easily restrain himself. There was no reason to dwell on something that wasn't currently a problem.

With that, Lucifer followed the six people out of the Flower Chamber and headed towards the residential district of the Celestial Dragons.

The difference between this place and the Flower Chamber was immediately apparent.

Here, the extravagance of the Celestial Dragons' lifestyle was on full display.

They travelled through the streets while riding upon the backs of slaves, treating human beings as little more than convenient transportation. Even during ordinary walks, many of them casually held iron chains attached to their slaves, displaying their status and authority without the slightest concern for how others might perceive them.

However, Lucifer had more pressing matters to attend to.

Saint Theodore had invited him to dinner, while the Five Elders also needed to arrange suitable accommodation for him.

It wasn't that Mary Geoise lacked available residences. The problem was that most existing estates were intended for ordinary Celestial Dragons and were only suitable for temporary accommodation.

Lucifer, on the other hand, had been personally entrusted to Theodore by Imu herself.

Naturally, every arrangement had to meet the highest possible standards. Neglecting even the smallest detail could potentially invite trouble.

Following Saint Theodore to his estate, Lucifer was greeted by an extravagant display of wealth.

The mansion was filled with luxurious decorations, and the dining table had been prepared with nearly a hundred different dishes.

The moment he saw the spread, Lucifer's eyes lit up.

During his time with Imu, he had grown accustomed to living relatively quietly. Once his strength had reached a certain level, eating and drinking were no longer necessities in the ordinary sense.

Furthermore, after his dragon bloodline had completely integrated, his physical characteristics had become increasingly prominent.

Every so often, he would enter a prolonged period of deep sleep. These periods generally lasted anywhere from a week to a month.

Such hibernation allowed his body to develop and mature more efficiently. Each time he awakened, his physical strength would increase by a considerable margin.

At present, Lucifer had already awakened all three types of Haki.

Although his proficiency was still relatively limited, his overall combat strength was comparable to that of a young Vice Admiral from Marine Headquarters.

Naturally, maintaining such rapid development required enormous amounts of energy.

Whenever Lucifer awakened from his deep sleep, Imu would personally arrange for various giant Sea Kings to be prepared for him.

It was a clear demonstration of how much effort she had invested in looking after him. Her arrangements weren't always perfectly suited to his preferences, but her dedication was undeniable.

Unfortunately, eating giant Sea Kings every time eventually became somewhat monotonous.

The food before him, however, was an entirely different matter.

Although its energy content might be somewhat lower, the variety and appearance of the dishes were considerably more appealing.

Without further hesitation, Lucifer began eating enthusiastically.

"Chew, chew, chew. Saint Theodore, your food is really delicious. Chew, chew, chew!"

"Hehehe. If Saint Lucifer enjoys it, please eat as much as you like."

"Chew, chew, chew. Hmm, it's just a little lacking in energy. Still, the taste is much better than what Imu-sama usually prepares..."

If only Imu-sama could learn how to cook like this.

Lucifer nearly continued speaking, but suddenly realised that something was wrong.

He had almost forgotten that Imu treated him differently from everyone else. Speaking carelessly about her habits in front of another Celestial Dragon could easily cause unnecessary trouble.

Fortunately, he stopped himself before finishing the thought.

However, even those few words were enough to make Saint Theodore nervous.

"Saint Lucifer, you must be joking! How could the food prepared by my humble household possibly compare with Imu-sama's? These are merely dishes prepared by lowly commoners. They are far too crude to be compared with anything Imu-sama might provide!"

Theodore waved his hands repeatedly, clearly afraid that Lucifer's casual remark might be interpreted as disrespect towards Imu.

Lucifer also realised that he had nearly dragged the patriarch into serious trouble through an entirely unnecessary comment.

All he could do was offer an awkward smile.

Meanwhile, Imu had been watching Lucifer the entire time.

Over the past three years, her feelings towards him had become increasingly apparent. She had already decided that once Lucifer eventually surpassed her, he would become the one to follow in her footsteps.

During those years, she had practically become his personal attendant, taking care of almost every aspect of his daily life. Her attention had grown increasingly meticulous, and she had gradually become accustomed to looking after him.

Hearing Lucifer's casual comment about her cooking, Imu actually began considering whether she should learn to prepare better meals.

Despite having lived for more than eight hundred years, her nature remained surprisingly simple.

Perhaps that was also a characteristic shared by many people in this world. The average level of education and exposure to complex ideas was relatively limited, and most people tended to approach matters in a straightforward manner. Once they settled on a particular conviction, changing their minds could be exceedingly difficult.

Even Imu, despite her position and accumulated experience, wasn't entirely exempt from this tendency.

Consider Saturn, for example. Imu was aware that he had concealed the existence of the ancient robot. Yet, she had still been willing to give him an opportunity. Had the matter not eventually been exposed and caused trouble, she probably wouldn't have dealt with him.

Her attitude towards Lucifer was even more straightforward.

As long as he didn't openly rebel against the World Government, Imu would protect him until he was strong enough to stand on his own, regardless of what he did.

Even if Lucifer's growth turned out to be slower than expected, she would continue believing that he was destined to become the future ruler of the world.

For Imu, that conviction was sufficient.

Seeing how frightened Saint Theodore had become over such a trivial remark, Lucifer decided not to remain at the estate for too long.

He wanted to inspect his new residence.

Before leaving, Saint Theodore presented him with several slaves and various valuable items from his personal collection.

Lucifer initially considered examining the gifts, but his attention immediately caught sight of a Devil Fruit.

The moment he saw it, memories of all the Devil Fruits he had consumed over the years came flooding back.

His stomach churned.

He had eaten far too many of those disgusting things already. Just looking at another one was enough to make him feel nauseated.

In the end, he decided to put the collection away and examine it another day. For now, he needed a little time to recover.

Afterwards, Lucifer climbed onto the back of a specially trained slave with Giant blood.

Saint Theodore had specifically selected this individual as one of his gifts.

The difference between a properly trained slave and an ordinary one was immediately apparent. The movement was remarkably steady, and Lucifer found sitting on his back quite comfortable.

There was only one minor inconvenience.

The seat was somewhat small.

If he could obtain a Giant slave and replace the current seat with something resembling a sofa, the arrangement would be considerably more comfortable.

With that thought in mind, Lucifer continued towards his temporary residence.

Upon arrival, he found that the estate was considerably smaller than Saint Theodore's mansion. Nevertheless, it remained sufficiently luxurious by ordinary standards.

The residence had already been prepared with several slave maids assigned to attend to his needs.

However, Lucifer dismissed their services for the time being.

His experiences in his previous life had left him with a considerable sense of insecurity around unfamiliar people. Until he developed some degree of trust, he preferred not to have others constantly hovering around him.

This was, after all, only his first day living independently.

And he was already beginning to miss Imu.

Having to handle even the simplest daily necessities himself was surprisingly inconvenient after spending nearly three years being taken care of.

Still, he would gradually become accustomed to the arrangement.

Once he had settled in, he could select a few slaves whose behaviour and appearance he found satisfactory to serve him.

With that decision made, Lucifer returned to his room, changed into his pyjamas, and quickly drifted off to sleep.

However, his peaceful rest didn't last particularly long.

The following morning, a slave maid entered his bedroom without hesitation.

Having previously served other Celestial Dragons, she was accustomed to their daily routines and apparently saw nothing unusual about entering without permission.

She approached the bed, knelt respectfully, and bowed her head.

"Saint Lucifer, please allow me to wash your face."