"Why are you looking at this old man with such an expression?"
Because Daren's gaze was so unabashedly direct that Cobra immediately noticed it, furrowing his brow as he asked in confusion.
"Your Majesty Cobra, do you know what 'D' actually stands for?"
Daren paused thoughtfully, not answering right away. Instead, he asked another question.
Cobra shook his head.
"I have no knowledge… Though I've heard the letter 'D' mentioned in certain names here and there, its true meaning remains unknown to me."
"In truth, my visit to the Holy Land of Mary Geoise is not solely to attend the inauguration of the commander of the God's Knights, but also to seek answers from the Five Elders."
Daren frowned.
"What exactly do you expect to learn from those five ancient fossils?"
Cobra spoke slowly.
"After founding the World Government, Queen Lili departed from Alabasta and was never heard from again. I wish to know where she went."
Daren suddenly asked,
"Do you believe she's still alive?"
Cobra shook his head.
"No. The Five Elders may possess some means to prolong their lifespans, but for Queen Lili, that's highly unlikely."
A faint, bitter smile touched his lips.
"If she were still alive, how could she have stayed away from Alabasta all these years?"
"After all, that is her homeland."
Daren said calmly,
"Not everyone holds a special affection for their homeland."
Cobra froze at that, glancing at Daren.
"Don't you miss your homeland?"
A flicker of distraction passed through Daren's eyes before he quickly masked it with a faint smile.
"I find my current life quite satisfactory."
Seeing that Daren seemed uninterested in the subject, Cobra continued,
"Besides that, I also wish to ask the Five Elders… what exactly the 'D' stands for."
"Wait… why are you looking at me with that strange expression again?"
He suddenly snapped, irritation flashing across his face.
This insolent brat truly didn't show any respect for the King of Alabasta!
"So, you intend to tell the Five Elders about Queen Lili's real name?"
Ignoring Cobra's gritted teeth, Daren asked on his own.
Cobra clenched his jaw.
"What else would I do?"
"If anyone on these seas knows where Queen Lili went after leaving Alabasta all those years ago, it must be the Five Elders."
Daren fell silent for a moment.
"Then perhaps you should return that coin to me."
Hearing this, Cobra quickly tucked the coin marked with the letters "NL" beneath his robes, glaring at Daren as though guarding against a thief.
"You brat, are you going back on your word?"
"I've already told you every secret I know!"
"Damn it! What happened to your so-called integrity?"
Daren replied, clearly irritated.
"I mean, since you'll be using that coin soon anyway, I might as well take it back now. It'll save us both the trouble."
Cobra froze, suspicion flashing across his face.
"What do you mean by that?"
Daren sighed.
"What I mean is, if you actually go asking the Five Elders those questions, you won't walk out of Pangaea Castle alive."
"Then I'd have to personally intervene to rescue you—which would be equivalent to you using the coin's power right now."
"—How could that be possible!?"
Cobra blurted out instinctively, his face filled with disbelief.
"You mean... the Five Elders would attack this old man?"
"Impossible... I am the king of a World Government Member Nation, and a member of the Nefertari clan!"
"How dare they attack this old man—"
His words trailed off abruptly.
"Unless..."
Cobra froze in place. Under Daren's half-smiling gaze, he seemed to slowly realize something. His eyes widened, and his pupils steadily contracted into thin slits.
"Unless..."
"Yes."
Daren shook his head. As Cobra's face grew paler, he spoke slowly.
"There's a legend of 'D' that runs across the seas. The Celestial Dragons believe…the 'D Clan' are the natural enemies of the so-called gods—the Celestial Dragons themselves!"
"Bu—but... Queen Lili's name..."
Cobra's hands trembled slightly, beyond his control.
"Precisely. So now you understand the doubt within me?"
Daren shrugged and spread his hands.
"If your ancestor, Queen Lili, was a member of the D. Clan—the natural enemy of the Celestial Dragons—yet she helped the other nineteen 'Kings' destroy that legendary kingdom and establish the World Government..."
"That makes her a traitor to the D. Clan."
"Perhaps she had her reasons, or perhaps circumstances beyond her control. All of that is in the past now. But what is undeniable is that she ultimately chose to bury the secret of her D. family lineage deep within the dust of history."
"Even so, it doesn't change one fact... that you, King Cobra, are still a member of the D. family."
"If that is the case, then use your imagination. If the Five Elders were to learn this secret, do you really think they would allow the 'natural enemy' of the Celestial Dragons to leave Pangaea Castle alive?"
As Daren's final words sank in, Cobra seemed struck by lightning.
Seeing this, Daren couldn't help but shake his head again.
"That's exactly why I advise you not to ask. Even if you did, it wouldn't change anything."
"The Five Elders won't answer your question. They have no right to answer it."
"The only one truly qualified to answer it is the one sitting upon the Empty Throne."
Cobra's entire body trembled.
"What did you say?"
His eyes widened in horror as he stared at Daren, his voice hoarse.
"Someone sits upon the Empty Throne!?"
"How is that possible!"
"After founding the World Government, the twenty kings jointly decided and swore an oath: no one shall ever sit upon the Empty Throne!"
"The Empty Throne... represents equality among the kings of all nations. It is the oath sworn by the twenty kings to never harbor dictatorial ambitions!"
"It is the center of the world, a symbol of peace that no one may defile!"
"It was precisely because of this oath that the Five Elders came into being, selected to become the nominal supreme authority of the World Government, representing the Celestial Dragons in ruling and governing the entire world!"
Daren laughed scornfully.
"That idea was far too naive. No one could possibly resist the temptation of supreme power."
"And the reality is, upon the Empty Throne, such an existence truly resides."
"He has sat upon that chair for an eternity, gazing down upon the entire world."