"Let's go. We'll first beg Lord Imu's forgiveness… then prepare for the Holy Land's defense battle."
The blond-haired Saint Ju Peter shook his head.
This time, it seemed even they might have to step onto the battlefield themselves.
Fortunately, his strength hadn't deteriorated too badly over the years.
Facing those two Yonko—or even the being stronger than them, Boros—might be tough, but other enemies? Saint Peter hardly gave them any thought.
Still, the idea of personally taking up arms against those filthy pirates irritated him deeply.
He could only hope that Kong and the Divine Knights would take care of most of the enemies before he had to dirty his hands.
"How's the situation with Saint Garling?"
Saint Mars stood up and led the way toward the Chamber of Flowers, addressing the man in the samurai garb—Saint Ethanbaron V. Nasujuro.
Among the Five Elders, Nasujuro was known as the martial type—the God of Finance and War.
Not only was he the strongest of the five, but he also commanded both the Army and the God's Army.
Even the Divine Knights, who shared a special connection with the God's Army, were under his coordination.
The Divine Knights would serve as the Holy Land's final line of defense.
And that "Cosmic Overlord" who had defeated two Yonko in succession—naturally, he would fall under the responsibility of the Divine Knights' commander, Saint Figarland Garling.
"The Divine Knights are still gathering their members, but Saint Garling has already promised to take the field personally," Nasujuro replied, adjusting his glasses.
If it were twenty or thirty years ago, he might still have had the strength to fight.
But now, Nasujuro knew his own limits well—he wouldn't attempt a battle beyond his capabilities.
Even if the power of Pure Gold could restore his youth, after decades away from the front lines, neither his mindset nor willpower could keep up with such monsters.
Even against the two Yonko, his odds weren't high.
Fortunately, the enemy's top-tier combatants were also limited in number.
As long as Kong could take down one of the Yonko, the five of them fighting together would ensure victory.
The other Elders all relaxed slightly at those words.
After so many years, the thought of facing powerful enemies again truly made them uneasy.
But with the most dangerous opponent left to Garling, the rest didn't seem too concerning.
The group soon fell silent, each lost in thought as they made their way toward the Chamber of Flowers.
When the grand doors opened, the figure seated upon the throne—ancient and eternal—slowly opened their eyes.
The Five Elders, the highest rulers of the world, immediately knelt in utter reverence before that figure, prostrating themselves like the most devout of believers.
After an immeasurable silence…
The being on the throne finally cast their gaze upon them, and a voice—neither male nor female, mechanical and cold as though synthesized by a machine—echoed throughout the Chamber of Flowers:
"Tell me… what brings you here?"
Imu didn't even show the slightest intention of letting the Five Elders rise, as if having them kneel before Him was only natural.
"Please forgive our incompetence, Lord Imu!"
The Five Elders bowed their heads low, not daring to look directly at Him.
Even though they had regained their youth through the power of Pure Gold, the authority they possessed all came from Imu's divine grace.
Imu could grant them power—naturally, He could also take it back. That was the very reason why the Five Elders were so utterly reverent.
"Speak."
Imu frowned slightly. For the Five Elders to come and confess their failure of their own accord, it must have been something troublesome—something beyond their ability to control.
Yet He found it hard to imagine what could exist in this world that even the Five Elders couldn't handle. Could it be… a light He hadn't foreseen?
"It happened a few months ago. In the New World, a pirate appeared, calling himself the 'Cosmic Overlord'—Boros…"
The highest-ranking among the Five Elders, Saint Mars, began cautiously recounting what had transpired. When Imu heard that Boros had subdued two of the Four Emperors, His expression finally changed slightly.
The kneeling Elders didn't see this subtle shift. They continued, bowing even lower, recounting every detail of what had followed with deep reverence.
"You have been negligent in your duty… hmm?"
Before Imu could finish speaking, His attention suddenly focused on the Five Elders themselves.
From His memory, this generation of Elders had been in power for many years—especially the eldest, who had even attended an audience alongside the previous generation.
By all rights, they should have been old and frail by now. Yet Imu could clearly sense a youthful aura radiating from them.
"We have not yet had the chance to report to You, Lord Imu—we discovered the legendary Pure Gold," said Saint Saturn, who knelt beside Mars.
As he spoke, he reluctantly took out a pocket watch inlaid with a small fragment of Pure Gold and held it up with both hands in offering.
The other four Elders followed suit, each producing their own piece of Pure Gold—kept close to their bodies, guarded as though it were their very lives.
"Oh? Fortunate, aren't you. Keep it. If I desire it, I can always have My own."
Imu paid it no special attention. Compared to His eternal and undying life, Pure Gold's promise of eternal youth was trivial. Moreover, the Pure Gold in the Elders' possession did not seem to possess the full legendary potency; otherwise, the youthful aura surrounding them would not be so faint.
"Yes, my Lord!" the Five Elders responded in unison.
The Five Elders finally breathed a sigh of relief. If Im had demanded the pure gold in their possession, no matter how reluctant they were, they wouldn't have been able to refuse.
Fortunately, Lord Im was merciful enough to allow them to continue possessing the pure gold — granting them lifespans that would never reach an end.
"You are guilty," Im's voice resonated softly, "but given that you have rendered slight merit, I will allow you to atone through service."
Not only did Im refrain from immediately punishing them, but even granted them the chance to redeem themselves.
Upon hearing this, the Five Elders were overwhelmed with joy. They lowered their heads even further, nearly pressing their foreheads into the floral-patterned floor.
"Thank you, Lord Im!"
They spoke in unison.
Perhaps because they had faced so much misfortune lately, this rare stroke of luck felt almost euphoric.
"You may leave."
Im's tone was calm and distant. After speaking, he closed his eyes once more, returning to that eternal, unmoving form.
The Five Elders didn't dare utter another word. They quietly left the Chamber of Flowers, and only after the great doors shut behind them did they finally exhale in relief.
No matter how many times they had met Lord Im, that heavy pressure upon their hearts never lessened.
After all, Im was a being who had ruled this world for over eight hundred years. Even the Five Elders dared not show the slightest hint of negligence.
"Then we should act immediately," said Saint Nasujuro, wiping his bald head, which still felt damp with the cold sweat he'd shed in Im's presence. "We must first evacuate the Celestial Dragons to safe locations. Has there been any word from Vegapunk?"
"I'll do what I can to convince the Celestial Dragons," replied Saint Mars with a frown. "But Mariejois is still relatively secure — we should still deploy additional protection, just in case."
Convincing the Celestial Dragons was never easy, but at least now they had regained Im's forgiveness. There was no longer any fear of the nobles rebelling against them.
Besides, with the matter of the pure gold now settled under Im's will, even if all the Celestial Dragons united, they wouldn't be able to seize it from the Elders' hands.
"I'll go urge the allied nations to deploy their forces as soon as possible," said Saint Peter, adjusting his tie. After exchanging brief nods with the others, he left first.
The remaining four Elders also dispersed to handle their respective duties. They were still acting under probation — if their performance in the coming "Holy Land Defense War" proved unsatisfactory, none of them could guarantee that Lord Im wouldn't revisit their sins.
Meanwhile, in the New World, an enormous pirate armada surged forward toward Mariejois with unstoppable momentum. Along the way, countless pirate crews — large and small — joined the fleet. Of course, just as many pirates, or impostors disguised as pirates, quietly slipped away.
Overall, however, the total strength of this grand armada remained above two hundred thousand — and that number continued to climb.
Every town, every nation, even every Marine branch that appeared before them was mercilessly plundered and reduced to rubble.
Even though the Charlotte Family could provide near-endless food supplies, the consumption rate of over two hundred thousand mouths was staggering.
Fortunately, the Big Mom Pirates had long-standing ties with the underground world's major figures. Whenever their provisions ran low, the Sea Transport King "Deep Current" Umit's fleet of cargo ships would arrive just in time to replenish the Cosmic Dark Matter Pirates' stores.
Of course, such supplies came at a price — one so astronomically high that even the combined fortunes of two Yonko crews struggled to keep up.
That, naturally, was when another underworld titan — the King of Loans, Lu Feld — made his grand entrance.
°°°
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