"Uh… is this fate or what?"
Roy was a bit surprised to see the man atop the sea.
"Big bro!"
Namur and the others were tense. This wasn't just anyone; this was a man who could freeze the ocean beneath their ship and leave them stranded.
If fishmen were invincible in the sea, then against him, they stood no chance.
"It's not fate. I heard you were here and came looking for you on purpose."
The man sat on the surface of the sea, the water beneath him frozen into ice. He was seated on a floating block of ice; he had actually been napping earlier.
At first, they thought they'd found some kind of treasure. When they got closer, they realized who it was.
Admiral of the Marines, Codename: Aokiji. His real name, Kuzan.
"You came for me? You, an Admiral, came all by yourself?" Roy asked, surprised.
"Yeah. Just me."
"Well, then come aboard."
Kuzan vanished from the ice block and, in the next moment, reappeared on the Moby Dick.
Namur and the others retreated toward the back, leaving Roy and Kuzan alone on the front deck.
"So, what do you want from me?"
"There are some things I want answers to, things only you might be able to help me with."
"What answers could you, a Marine Admiral, not find on your own? Anything you want to know should be in Marine records."
"Even an Admiral faces limits. I need to hear it from someone like you."
"What kind of question are we even talking about? I can't answer if you don't tell me."
"…What exactly has happened to this world?"
"That's your question?"
"Yes."
"How would I know what's happened to the world? I'm just a pirate. I only care about the people around me. Back then, I opposed Garp because I disagreed with his actions and decisions, not because I had some grand philosophy about the world!"
Roy could tell Kuzan was lost. His faith in the Marines' justice was wavering. The convictions he'd held for decades were crumbling.
In truth, he probably started having doubts as far back as the Ohara twenty years ago. He just hadn't wanted to confront them.
"Why has the world become like this? What role do the Marines really play?" Kuzan pressed.
"Who controls the world right now?"
"The World Government."
"Wrong. It's Imu."
"Imu? Who's that?" Kuzan froze for a moment. This was the first time he'd heard that name.
"I don't know much either. But among the twenty founding nations of the Celestial Dragons, there was one King named Imu. It's very likely that Imu is still alive."
"That's impossible. The Celestial Dragons have existed for 800 years. No king could still be alive." Kuzan stood up, disbelief written across his face.
"Calm down. It's not that far-fetched. Ever heard of the Ope Ope no Mi?"
"Yeah, I think one of the Supernovas, Trafalgar Law, ate it."
"Good memory. Do you know how much that Devil Fruit goes for on the black market?"
"No idea." Kuzan shook his head.
"Five billion Berries." Roy held up five fingers. "More than my bounty, and I'm worth only 4.5 billion."
"That much?!" Kuzan's eyes widened.
"That's not even expensive, it's always been priced like that. In fact, with inflation, it's probably worth more now."
Compared to thirty years ago, prices have risen significantly. Even newspapers had gone from 50 to 100 Berries.
"Why is it so valuable?"
"Because the Ope Ope no Mi has an ultimate ability, the 'Perennial Youth Operation.' If performed successfully, the person who receives the surgery is granted eternal youth, but the surgeon dies."
Kuzan's eyes widened further.
"Eternal youth? As in… they stop aging?"
"Exactly. They won't grow old, but they can still be killed."
"You're saying that someone from those twenty founding nations used that surgery and is still alive?"
"Yup. The Five Elders have clearly lived a very long time. Haven't they always looked the same to you?"
"You're right…" Kuzan nodded, thinking back.
"There you have it. The Five Elders are basically immortal, too. But their lives are probably granted by Imu. While we don't know the exact relationship, their survival clearly depends on Imu's will. If Imu wants them alive, they live. If not, they die."
"So now you know who really rules the world. The so-called 'Empty Throne'? There's always been someone sitting on it; you just couldn't see who sat on it. Why the Celestial Dragons exist, I don't know. Just a bunch of pigs, really. As for the Five Elders, they're just puppets."
"If you want to know the real truth about this world, you'll have to find the One Piece. That's probably where your answers lie. Honestly, I want to know too."
"Why do you think the truth is there?"
"Simple. Because the Void Century, the hundred-year period erased from history, is when the Celestial Dragons came to power. If you want to understand the truth of the world, you have to look at the records from that time.
"Look at God Valley. How many years has it been? Almost no records remain. Besides those of us who lived through it, who even remembers the Rocks Pirates?"
"Don't underestimate the World Government's ability to erase history. If you want the truth, you'll have to go around them."
"So the only way is to become a pirate…"
"You're catching on. As a Marine, the moment you start digging, the moment you get close to the truth, and the moment they catch a wind of it, they'll eliminate you. Just wait, you'll see. The next one they come after will be Vegapunk."
"Vegapunk? What does he have to do with this?"
"He's been researching history, too. The only reason he's still alive is because the World Government still finds him useful."
"Seriously?"
"No reason for me to lie. Some of my intel comes from him. The world used to have five continents. Then the sea levels rose by 200 meters, and everything changed."
"Why do you think the Celestial Dragons live on top of the Red Line? Do you think they like it up there? No, they're afraid. That's why they ran to the highest place possible."
"I've… never heard this before. The Red Line was their refuge from the rising sea?"
"Exactly. And it's not just hearsay. If you look through various documents and records, you'll find that the world really did go through a massive upheaval, and that's why it's like this now.
"As for the Marines' role? The Marines are just dogs. What else could they be? Unless Sakazuki grows a conscience and rebels against the World Government, the Navy's just a puppet.
"But do you really think that's possible? I don't. He's not that kind of person. You know what he's like; he's the kind of person who massacres civilians to wipe out pirates. You expect him to protect ordinary people?"
...
If you enjoy the story, my p@treon is 30 chapters ahead.
[email protected]/DaoistJinzu