"Declare war!"
The moment those words came out, gasps rippled through the entire Social Plaza.
Yemu was a pirate, and he had appeared in the Holy Land of Mary Geoise. Who he was declaring war on was obvious.
In the eight hundred years since the World Government was established, there had certainly been no shortage of ambitious people. But someone who so directly declared his intention to challenge the World Government was, up until now, likely only the man before them: Fire Dragon Yemu.
Even Rocks, more than twenty years ago, had only sought to rule the Grand Line. He had never been bold enough to declare war on the World Government outright.
Sengoku's expression, filled with disbelief, shock, and fury, showed exactly what he was thinking.
"Fire Dragon Yemu, have you gone mad? Do you even know what you're saying?"
"Of course."
At that moment, Yemu's calm yet serious expression made his intentions perfectly clear.
Behind Sengoku, Vice Admiral Sakazuki, who hated evil with a passion, could no longer hold himself back. His face darkened as he said, "Fleet Admiral Sengoku, don't waste words on this pirate. Let me kill him right here."
"Wait."
Sengoku raised a hand, stopping Sakazuki just as he was about to step forward. He glanced up at the massive celestial body overhead and roared, "Is this what you're relying on? Do you think that thing is enough to make us hand the world over to you?"
At that moment, the princes, nobles, and royals of the various nations nearby could no longer suppress their fear.
"Wait, Marines! The most important thing right now is protecting us and getting us out of here!"
"That's right! Catching pirates is the Marines' job. This place is too dangerous!"
But right now, neither Yemu nor Sengoku had any attention to spare for them.
"No."
Without even raising his head, Yemu looked calmly at Sengoku and said, "I think all of you may have misunderstood."
"!"
Everyone was startled.
Then they heard Yemu state his true target.
"The target of my declaration of war is not the royal families of your kingdoms, nor is it the Marines. It is the source of every twisted, deformed thing in this world: the Celestial Dragons and the World Government!"
"!"
Countless gasps echoed across the plaza once more.
To stand in the Holy Land of Mary Geoise, where the Celestial Dragons lived, and so boldly declare war on the Celestial Dragons and the World Government...
Yet for some reason, everyone instinctively felt relieved. Did that mean they were no longer in danger?
"From the first day I came here, from the first step I took onto the Holy Land of Mary Geoise, I heard the wails of countless imprisoned and abused souls. Humans, fish-men, and all kinds of other races. Beneath this city, as beautiful as heaven, flows the greatest evil and darkness in this world. The source of it all is the Celestial Dragons, and the World Government that preserves their existence. I am very curious. Why can the royal families and nobles of the kingdoms here, who represent the vast majority of the nations in this world, and the Marines, who claim to represent justice, turn a blind eye to such evil? Everyone, can you tell me why? And you, Fleet Admiral Sengoku?"
The entire place fell silent.
Everyone looked at one another. Not a single person dared to answer Yemu's question, and not a single person could answer it.
Even Sengoku, whom Yemu had specifically called out, could only stand there with a dark expression, not daring to answer a word.
Because the ground they stood on had been watered by the blood of those slaves.
"It seems none of you can answer. It is such a simple question. Justice and evil are so clearly divided in this place, yet not one of you, including the Marines, dares to answer. But don't worry. I understand you. After all, you have lived for eight hundred years beneath the pressure of the Celestial Dragons and the World Government, so I can understand your fear of power. The same goes for the Marines. Although I do not agree with some of the Marines' actions, at the very least, you are truly carrying out your own justice. So I will bear the price for all of this."
As his words fell, under everyone's terrified gaze, Yemu took an hourglass from his chest. When he opened his palm, the hourglass floated into the air.
The moment they saw this, Sengoku and Tsuru understood.
"That is Shiki-san's Fuwa Fuwa no Mi ability..."
"That's right. This is indeed Shiki-san's Fuwa Fuwa no Mi ability. So, Fleet Admiral Sengoku, you should understand now. If something happens to me and the celestial body above my head loses the control of the Fruit's ability and falls, then the blame..."
At that moment, Sengoku's expression turned completely grim.
As the hourglass floated upward, Yemu's flame-burning body also rose into the air, entering everyone's line of sight. At the same time, a voice echoed in the heart of every person in the Holy Land of Mary Geoise.
"Everyone in the Holy Land of Mary Geoise, allow me to introduce myself. I am the pirate you call Fire Dragon Yemu, captain of the Sky Pirates, and also the Grand President of the Rainbow Kingdom in the New World, which I founded. From the moment I was born into this world, I have loved this beautiful world. It is filled with romance and fantasy. Only after I came to these seas, learned of the Celestial Dragons, and learned of the World Government did I realize that the masters of this beautiful world were actually such ugly creatures: the Celestial Dragons."
In an instant, every Celestial Dragon in the Holy Land of Mary Geoise, including the Five Elders in the Chamber of Power, was shocked and furious.
"What are the Marines doing? Stop him!"
"How dare he insult us Celestial Dragons!"
"I'll make him my slave!"
And beneath this beautiful city, in the darkness where the light could not reach, countless slaves who had been abused until they lost all hope saw light appear in their eyes for the first time.
Yemu's speech continued.
"I have never seen such an ugly race. They are clearly nothing but ordinary humans, yet they call themselves descendants of gods. They treat other races like ants, enslave them at will, abuse them, and slaughter them. And the one granting them such privilege, the root of all this evil, is the existence known as the World Government."
"So I, Yemu, captain of the Sky Pirates and Grand President of the Rainbow Kingdom, on behalf of myself, the Sky Pirates, and everyone in the Rainbow Kingdom, hereby declare war on the Celestial Dragons and the World Government."
"I do not know what the future will bring. But at the very least, starting today, the twisted root of this world, the Celestial Dragons and the World Government, will be swept into the trash heap of history by my hands and the hands of my companions."
"And as the beginning of it all, as the first act of this war, I will give the Celestial Dragons and the World Government three hours. Within these three hours, I want you to release every slave imprisoned in the Holy Land of Mary Geoise. Otherwise, the meteorite above my head will fall."
"Of course, I cannot be certain that the Celestial Dragons and the World Government will compromise for this. So, to all of you imprisoned on this land, even if I cannot save you, at the very least, I can make the Celestial Dragons and the Holy Land of Mary Geoise go down with you. At the very least, I can spare you from further suffering."
"Now, let the countdown begin..."