"Creator God?" Luffy repeated. "I don't know what a Creator God is, but you're interrupting my fight with Shanks."
"How dare you!" the nineteen guards roared in anger.
To them, Imu was the supreme being, and for someone to speak this way to her was unthinkable.
"Shishishi, you're Celestial Dragons, right? Just like those guys before. Then I'll just have to beat you all away to continue the fight," Luffy laughed.
"Pitiful ants. Even if you ate the Nika Fruit, you are not Nika. In the name of the Creator, we shall send you to hell," the red-haired leader said.
"Looks like we're changing opponents," Zoro grinned.
"Yeah, these people are the Celestial Dragons' personal guard. Their main task is to protect their god. Above the Celestial Dragons exists Imu. She is the god of the world, who has lived for who knows how long," Benn Beckman explained.
"Like the Five Elders, ancient monsters who've lived a long time," Sanji said.
"Even longer than the Five Elders. The Five Elders are, at best, merely her servants," Beckman said.
These words shocked everyone in the Straw Hat Pirates. The Five Elders, the highest authority in the world, were actually this person's servants? Just what was the identity of this woman wearing a crown?
"All the better," Zoro grinned, resting his blade on his shoulder. "Cutting down someone like that would feel pretty damn rewarding."
Seeing Zoro like this, Beckman also smiled. These people's status was terrifying, true. But in a world where strength reigns supreme, those who possess the truth do not fear power.
No matter how high your authority, it can be ended with a single bullet.
That's how the world of strength workspower gives rise to authority, and when others surpass you in strength, your authority is worthless.
Pirates never actively picked fights with the World Government because it had overwhelming might. But once a pirate crew had the power to rival the world, they became a grave threat.
The Rocks Pirates were eliminated for this very reason. Their power had threatened the World Government.
The Straw Hat Pirates were even more so. They were almost at the final step.
The World Government had known Roger's crew sought the Poneglyphs, but they also knew Roger couldn't read them.
So they grew lax in monitoring him. They never expected him to take Oden from the Whitebeard Pirates and successfully find Laugh Tale.
To cover up the world's truth, the World Government erased the 'D.' from Roger's name, branded him with the Pirate King label, only said he found the Great Treasure, while hiding the true history completely.
At the same time, they secretly dispatched the God's Knights to hunt down the Roger Pirates.
The smartest move Roger did was scatter his crew across the world, disbanding the Roger Pirates. By the time the World Government reacted, they couldn't find them anymore.
The world is vast, and the seas weaken the Government's grip.
The Great Pirate Era was Roger's design, and now it was bearing fruit.
Imu naturally knew this. So she personally took action to erase Luffy's existence, preventing another Joy Boy from appearing.
"After dealing with you, I will deal with that fellow. Compared to you, that fellow poses a greater threat," Imu stated.
"Is there a threat greater than us?" Nami was somewhat puzzled. They were almost at the final destination, yet they weren't the Celestial Dragons' greatest threat?
"Compared to you, that fellow is the greater threat," Imu said faintly.
"The person you're referring to must be the Whitebeard Pirates," Shanks said.
"Hmm, correct. Originally, the Five Elders were supposed to kill you. But they were intercepted mid-way by the Whitebeard Pirates. Thus, your lives shall be taken by Mu personally," Imu said.
"Shishi, so that's how it is," Luffy laughed.
"Pity. I wanted to go to that battlefield and meet that old man personally," Zoro shook his head.
He had fought Saint Nusjuro before and always wanted a rematch.
He had fought Saint Nusjuro before, and wanted a rematch. After all, Nusjuro's sword was the Shodai Kitetsu, the First Generation cursed blade, lost for centuries, thought gone from the world merely existing in records. Zoro had long wanted to claim it.
"Stop daydreaming, Moss-head," Sanji rushed past him. The guards were already coming for them.
BOOM!
The Red Hair Pirates and the Straw Hats both shifted enemies in an instant.
Shanks, from hundreds of meters away, raised his saber Gryphon and launched a slash directly at Imu.
"Hmph!"
The red-haired guard leader, also from the Figarland Family, wielded a black sword and slashed at Shanks' flying slash, forcibly destroying it with his own power.
Such astonishing strength was already on par with an Emperor.
The Celestial Dragons' hidden strength was truly beyond imagination. More and more powerful individuals were appearing.
It also demonstrated that the Celestial Dragons ruled the world for over 900 years precisely by relying on their strength.
First the Five Elders, then the God's Knights, and now these guard emerged.
No wonder when Celestial Dragons were harmed, Admirals were dispatched, if these people moved instead, the scene would be catastrophic. Likely, long ago, such things happened. Sending an Admiral was actually mercy.
At least it wouldn't lead to the massacre of an island; just capturing the culprit would suffice.
Once the God's Knights took action, the consequences would be unimaginable, and who knows how many would die.
"They're all monsters!"
Zoro faced a swordsman. The moment they crossed blades, the opponent's Conqueror's Haki suppressed him. Zoro countered with his own Conqueror's Haki. The two were evenly matched.
"How can a lowborn have such power?" The swordsman was truly shocked, he hadn't expected Zoro to rival him.
"Lowborn? You're just Celestial Dragons. I've cut plenty down before. In the end, you're nothing but ordinary people who got power," Zoro sneered.
"Insolent! The greatness of the Celestial Dragons is not for you to comment on!" the other roared in anger.
"Is that so? I've never seen the greatness of the Celestial Dragons. I've only witnessed your wickedness, never treating human life as anything important. You don't even deserve to be called human," Zoro retorted.
"The world as it is now, and the survival of humanity, are all thanks to Imu-sama's efforts. Otherwise, the world would still be ruled by aliens, and everyone would still be slaves. It was Imu-sama who saved the world, giving humanity a chance."
"The past is the past. I don't know that history. But looking at it now, even if that happened before, how is your behavior any different from the past? The rotten should be replaced. A new era has arrived."
...
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