The Holy Land, Mary Geoise.
Deep inside Pangaea Castle, the center of the World Government's power, was the Room of Authority.
Five elderly men, who stood above almost everyone in the world, sat around a circular table. Every decision made here could decide the fate of millions across the seas, or even the survival of an entire nation.
Right now, the room felt tense.
Slam.
Saint Ethanbaron V. Nusjuro, the Warrior God of Finance, was bald and wore a white robe. His face was grim as he slammed a newspaper onto the table.
On the front page was a photo of Aiden. He was surrounded by lightning, destroying the palace of the Blacksteel Empire like a punishment from above.
"Is this what you call a 'secret cleanup'?"
Nusjuro pointed at the paper, his voice full of restrained anger. "We did get rid of that troublesome Friedrich, and we confirmed the Blacksteel Empire wasn't studying ancient technology on its own. But—"
"The whole world knows about it now! It's on the front page! Who is he trying to intimidate? Is he showing off his power to us?"
"Isn't this blade getting a bit too sharp?"
Sitting across from him was Saint Shepherd Ju Peter, the Warrior God of Agriculture, who had short blond hair. He frowned and tapped the table. "It's not just about that. More importantly—he seems to be trying to slip out of our control."
"We just received news from CP0."
Saint Topman Warcury, the Warrior God of Justice, had a large mustache and spoke in a cold voice. "The agents assigned to monitor him, Raven and Owl, cannot be reached. Their Transponder Snails are completely dead. They have disappeared."
The room fell into a brief silence.
"Missing?" Saint Jaygarcia Saturn, the Warrior God of Science and Defense, wore a flat hat. He looked up with sharp eyes despite his age. "Could it be signal interference? The Blacksteel Empire is full of metal dust—"
"Impossible," Warcury shook his head. "They carried special secure Transponder Snails. The signal would only stop if someone cut it off, or if the snails died."
Saturn frowned and thought for a moment. "Before this, several groups of agents we sent to that country disappeared without a trace. At the time, we thought Friedrich had an elite guard hidden nearby."
"Could it be the same this time? Maybe they were found and killed by the Blacksteel guards?"
"No, this situation is completely different."
Nusjuro scoffed. His sword, the Shodai Kitetsu, let out a faint hum as he interrupted Saturn's guess. "The previous agents were trash. They had to sneak into the palace to find evidence of ancient technology. It made sense for Friedrich's people to find and kill them."
"But this time, Raven and Owl's main task was to watch Aiden."
Nusjuro's gaze moved across everyone in the room. "They would never approach Friedrich on their own, and they weren't stupid enough to attack the palace. They would only stay at the edge of the battlefield."
"And the most important point—"
He pressed his finger hard onto the newspaper, pointing at the ruined palace. "Aiden has already won. He killed Friedrich and likely dealt with that mysterious guard. This proves the strongest fighters of the Blacksteel Empire were already wiped out by Aiden."
"Since the threat is gone, why would two CP0 agents, who were just hiding and watching, go missing?"
The air in the room suddenly grew cold.
The Five Elders knew power and politics better than anyone. Now that the point had been made, the conclusion was obvious.
"If they didn't die at the hands of an enemy, then—"
Ju Peter pushed his glasses up, and a cold light flashed on the lenses. "They died at the hands of one of our own."
Warcury's voice turned colder. "Remember the former Warlord candidate, ''Victor? The two CP agents assigned to him also disappeared without a trace."
"Back then, Aiden reported it as pirate infighting. We had no evidence, so we ignored it."
"It seems our Marine Rear Admiral is not only strong but also incredibly bold. He realized we were watching him, so he didn't just kill the target—he dug out our eyes while he was at it."
"This goes far beyond simple disobedience."
Saint Marcus Mars, the Warrior God of Environment, had been silent until now. He stood up and walked to the window, looking down at Mary Geoise. "He killed Shiki the Golden Lion before and gave the Float-Float Fruit to Gion without permission. Now he openly kills the CP0 agents watching him and turns a secret assassination into a public execution—"
Mars paused and turned to look at the world map on the wall. His tone became even more serious. "What's most unsettling isn't just his ambition, but the strength behind it."
"His strength is growing too fast. Based on reports, his mastery of the Rumble-Rumble Fruit is extremely advanced. Though we haven't fought him ourselves, the evaluation department believes he may already be on par with those three monsters: Kuzan, Sakazuki, and Borsalino."
"A Marine with that much power, who is also ruthless, calculating, and has no respect for the World Government—"
"If we don't stop him, he might become more of a problem than that old man Garp."
At the mention of Garp's name, all five men looked annoyed.
One disobedient hero was already enough trouble. Now a younger, more aggressive one was appearing.
"In that case—"
A cold intent flashed in Nusjuro's eyes. His hand slowly gripped the hilt of his sword. "Is there still a need to keep this 'light' burning? Or should we extinguish it completely before he grows any stronger?"
"That isn't a good idea."
Mars shook his head. "Right now, Aiden's reputation is at its peak. He's the hero who killed the Golden Lion, and now he's the savior of the countries bullied by the Blacksteel Empire. To civilians and low-ranking Marines, he is a symbol of justice."
"Also, much of the Navy stands behind him. If we move against him without a reason, it will cause massive chaos within the Marines. The world is already unstable. The Great Pirate Era started by Roger is spiraling out of control. We cannot cut off our own arm."
"Then what? Just let him be?"
"A decision at this level is no longer for us to make."
Saturn stood up and straightened his suit. His expression became extremely serious. "Whether this light should be extinguished or kept... we need to ask that person."
When "that person" was mentioned, the other four men, who had been arguing, went silent immediately. They looked at each other. The anger and killing intent vanished, replaced by instinctive fear and respect.
In this world, the Five Elders stood at the peak of power.
But above that peak, there was still one person.
The deepest part of Pangaea Castle.
This was a long, dark corridor leading to the true heart of power. There were no guards, because none were needed.
The Five Elders walked with their heads down and serious faces on the cold stone steps. Every footstep echoed in the empty hallway.
They pushed open the huge ancient door.
The Room of Flowers.
This place felt untouched by time.
Warm sunlight fell through the clear ceiling. Countless rare plants that had long been extinct in the outside world grew freely here. The air carried a strange, thick, almost sweet scent.
At the end of that sea of flowers.
Below the massive Empty Throne, the symbol of the King of the World.
A tall figure stood quietly among the flowers.
The person wore a long robe as black as night. The long train of the robe spread out over the colorful petals like dark water, creating a sharp contrast.
On their head was a strange, tall, pointed crown that cast a long shadow in the sunlight.
The King of the World, Imu.
Imu held a pair of gold shears, slowly trimming a red flower.
The movements were slow and careful.
"Imu-sama."
The Five Elders knelt together, their foreheads touching the cold floor. They didn't even dare to breathe loudly.
However, Imu did not acknowledge them at first.
Snip.
Another flower was cut. The sound echoed in the empty hall.
After a long time, the figure with their back to them spoke in a hollow, indifferent voice. It was as if the people kneeling behind them weren't the highest rulers of the world, but nothing more than insects.
"Why have you come?"
Hearing the response, Warcury lowered his head even further. His voice was full of respect. "Lord Imu, a 'light' has appeared on the sea... and we cannot decide if it should be extinguished."
"Oh?"
The shears in Imu's hand paused slightly.
Seeing this, Warcury responded at once. He raised the newspaper with Aiden's photo and the report about the missing CP0 agents. "It is about the Marine Headquarters Rear Admiral, code-named 'Reaper,' Aiden—"
"This man acts recklessly and has ignored government orders multiple times. He is suspected of killing CP0 agents and shows signs of escaping our control."
"However, he currently has a very high reputation in the Navy, and he is already quite strong. We cannot decide if this light needs to be... extinguished."
The garden was silent.
Only the snip of the shears cutting branches could be heard from time to time.
After a long time.
The black figure slowly turned around.
They didn't speak. A hand covered by the black robe reached out and made a slight gesture.
The newspaper seemed to be pulled by an invisible force and floated gently into Imu's hand.
Imu didn't look at the text about the fall of the Blacksteel Empire. Those strange ringed red eyes landed directly on the large photo on the front page.
In the photo, the young Marine Rear Admiral was surrounded by lightning, wearing a provoking smile.
The moment they saw this face.
Snip.
The movement of Imu trimming the flowers stopped without warning.
In those eyes that usually showed no human emotion, the red rings tightened slightly.
For the first time, Imu's calm seemed to crack.
The Five Elders kneeling on the ground couldn't see Imu's expression, but they could feel the change in the room.
Sweat ran down Nusjuro's bald head.
No one moved inside the Room of Flowers.
Imu's finger moved across the newspaper, then stopped on Aiden's face in the photo.
The Five Elders waited in silence, unsure what to think.
Then Imu spoke softly.
"It really has been a long time."
The words hit them at once.
The Five Elders froze.
Long time no see?!
The five men looked up in shock, then immediately lowered their heads again, realizing they were being disrespectful. Their minds started racing.
Lord Imu—knows this Aiden?!
No, that's impossible! Lord Imu hasn't left the Holy Land in hundreds of years, and this Aiden is just a young man not even twenty years old! There was no way they could have met!
Could it be—
Their thoughts ran in every direction.
A bloodline?
Was this young man a descendant of some special family? Did he look exactly like someone from the past?
But they immediately rejected that thought.
That wasn't right either.
During the battle at God Valley, Rocks D. Xebec had been turned into a puppet under Imu's control and eventually died at the hands of Roger and Garp.
Then another possibility came to mind.
Could it be—the legendary one?
The name that had once threatened the world, the enemy Lord Imu still remembered—Joy Boy?!
Is this Aiden Joy Boy?
But they quickly rejected that too.
Saturn frowned.
To become Joy Boy, one would need to eat the legendary Human-Human Fruit, Model: Nika. That fruit was still missing, and there was no news of it awakening.
Furthermore, according to reports, Aiden ate the Logia-type Rumble-Rumble Fruit.
The fruit was wrong. The ability was wrong.
Then why?
Why would Imu say "long time no see" to a young Marine Rear Admiral?
Whatever the truth was, Corvo Aiden was clearly not a normal Rear Admiral.
His identity might be far more complicated than they had thought.
For a moment, the Five Elders were confused, but no one dared to ask.
In front of Imu, no one dared to question anything.
"Lord Imu—"
Warcury swallowed and asked carefully, "Then... do you have any instructions regarding this person?"
Since Lord Imu recognized him, then no matter who he was, he was someone they had to treat carefully.
Warcury wanted to ask if they should kill him, but he was afraid of guessing wrong, so he chose his words carefully.
However.
Imu did not order him to be killed.
The black figure put down the newspaper and walked toward the darkness deeper inside the Room of Flowers.
Only a cold command echoed in the hall: "Ignore it."
"For next year's Levely, have him handle the task of escorting the kings of the member nations."
Right before stepping into the shadows, Imu paused slightly without turning around. "After he arrives at Mary Geoise, have him come directly to Pangaea Castle—to see me."
With that, the figure disappeared completely into the darkness.
The Five Elders remained kneeling, looking at each other. Their clothes were damp with sweat.
"Directly into Pangaea Castle to meet Lord Imu?"
Nusjuro whispered to himself. The shock in his eyes slowly turned serious.
In their understanding, this wasn't just an audience.
Allowing a Marine Rear Admiral to enter the heart of the Holy Land to meet the King of the World—nothing like this had ever happened before.
"Understood," the Five Elders replied in unison.
A moment later.
The Room of Authority.
The heavy door closed slowly behind them with a thud.
The Five Elders returned to their familiar circular table, but no one spoke immediately. They sat back in their chairs, exhausted. Their clothes were still wet with sweat.
Warcury took out a handkerchief and wiped his forehead. His hand was still shaking slightly.
Inside the Room of Flowers, even they had felt powerless.
"Since it is Lord Imu's will, let's follow it."
After a long time, Mars took a deep breath and stood up. He straightened his collar and forced himself to regain his usual dignity, though his voice was still tense. "Regarding Aiden's violations in the Blacksteel Empire, we will not pursue them. As for the death of the CP0—stop the investigation."
Since Lord Imu wanted to see him, those matters were no longer important.
"Since Aiden's matter is settled, let's finish the other one."
Nusjuro seemed to want to ease the heavy atmosphere. He flipped through another file on the table, a post-war report from the Navy. "About the Blacksteel Empire, now that its king is dead—"
His tone became much more casual. "The Navy submitted a plan. It seems Tsuru proposed it. She suggests opening trade routes to replace the old plunder-based economy. The country would use its industry to provide the government with refined steel in exchange for resources."
"That woman, Tsuru, always likes using these soft methods."
Saturn waved his hand impatiently. He still seemed unsettled by what had happened in the Room of Flowers and clearly wanted the meeting to end. "Hmph, these small matters don't matter."
"As long as we confirmed there's no risk of them studying ancient technology, it makes no difference to us whether that country survives through trade or war. Whether they sell steel or steal food, as long as they continue to pay the Heavenly Tribute on time and in full, it's fine."
"Then approve the Navy's plan."