Pangaea Castle, Social Plaza.
At the circular ceremonial table, the sand in the hourglass was nearly gone. On the staircase leading up into the sky, not a single slave could be seen anymore. But aboard the pirate ship floating overhead, the deck and cabins were filled with every kind of joyful sob.
"Are we saved?!"
"Thank you so much!"
"Waaah..."
The Sun, the pirate ship belonging to the Sun Pirate Crew, Second Fleet of the Sky Pirates led by Tiger, had been deliberately built enormous for this very moment. It was comparable in size to a Navy warship, and they had even thrown out a great deal of useless cargo from the hold just to make room for more people. Yet in the end, they still nearly ran out of space, which showed just how many slaves there had been.
Listening to those voices, Sengoku let out a long sigh, then looked at Yemu and said, "Now that all the slaves have been released, Fire Dragon Yemu, it's time for you to fulfill your promise..."
"Don't be in such a hurry, Fleet Admiral Sengoku. I'll only move this meteorite once Tiger and the others have safely left, and once all of you Marines have gone as well."
With that, Yemu looked toward Tiger.
"Alright, Tiger. Get ready to withdraw. I'll be fine here."
Tiger seemed like he wanted to say something, but seeing Yemu's calm expression, he ultimately only nodded.
"Got it, Captain. I'll wait for your word."
"Mm. Take this test subject with you when you go. Its mission is complete!"
Tiger disappeared with the test subject whose body was packed with Power Rock. On the Marine side, there was only one response.
"Kid, nicely done! You really are nothing like that bastard Rocks! Hahahaha!"
Though they stood on different sides, Garp still gave his praise before leaving.
The others also glanced at Yemu with mixed expressions before turning away, leaving only Sengoku behind.
At that point, seeing the Marines, the slaves, and the pirate ship departing, the kings of the various kingdoms began to grow restless.
"Um, Captain Yemu, when may we leave?"
One king asked in a fawning tone.
"Right now."
"Huh?!"
Yemu's answer made the royal families of the fifty nations, as well as Sengoku, wonder if they had misheard him.
"Please don't misunderstand. As I said, you are not my enemies. The only reason I took you hostage was to accomplish my first objective: freeing the slaves imprisoned by the Celestial Dragons. Now that the mission is complete, naturally, all of you are free to leave."
At that moment, Yemu's words finally made the kings of the fifty nations, who had spent the entire time on edge, realize they had not misheard him.
"Excellent! Then we'll be taking our leave! Hurry, hurry!"
Some royal families immediately led their guards away, unable to wait another second. Others seemed to see Yemu in a new light and found the courage to speak.
"Captain Yemu truly is an unusual man. I learned a great deal today. Although there may not be much I can do, at least within my own country, I will do my best to forbid the slave trade."
"I truly appreciate that."
"Um, may I ask how we might contact Captain Yemu in the future? Don't misunderstand... I'm simply very interested in the spaceship you mentioned."
"Don't worry. We'll be announcing our contact details very soon."
"That's wonderful. Then I'll take my leave for now."
By the time the sand in the hourglass had nearly run out completely, three hours had passed since the beginning.
Only Sengoku and Yemu remained in the Social Plaza.
Just then, the massive celestial body overhead slowly began to move, and sunlight once again shone down upon the world.
"Well then, Fleet Admiral Sengoku, I'll trouble you to lead the way."
Bathed in sunlight once more, Sengoku was filled with emotion, but he did not say much. He only replied, "Follow me."
...
Crisp footsteps echoed through the air.
Grand, magnificent, and radiant under the sunlight, the Chamber of the Gods, where the Throne of the Void stood as the symbol of the very center of this world, welcomed someone today who never should have come here at all.
At the very center of the Chamber of the Gods stood an immense tiered throne, shaped like a pyramid and divided into four levels: the throne, the upper tier, the middle tier, and the lower tier.
Bright sunlight poured in through the glass set into the surrounding walls, illuminating the chamber in dazzling brilliance.
Whether it was the weapons placed to the left and right of the throne, representing the twenty nations that founded the World Government, or the weapons on the middle tier, each representing one of the more than 130 Member Nations, all of them were already covered in rust.
The five people who represented the highest authority in the world, the Five Elders, stood solemnly and upright on the upper tier. Above their heads, at the very top of the staircase, was the Throne of God, a seat even the Five Elders did not dare touch.
At the entrance to the Chamber of the Gods, under Sengoku's lead, Yemu, a pirate, also stepped onto the red carpet and walked forward step by step, arriving at what could be called the heart of every secret in the One Piece world, apart from the final island, Laugh Tale.
"Clang..."
Almost the instant he entered, Yemu and the Five Elders standing below the throne noticed one another.
The Five Elder standing at the center, the one with a long mustache, spoke at once.
"Sengoku, you may leave."
Sengoku froze for a moment, but then, with a cold expression, he turned and left without hesitation.
His task was complete once he had brought Yemu here.
Watching Sengoku leave, Yemu paid it no mind and continued walking forward, though his guard was now fully raised.
After only a few more steps, Yemu finally arrived below the throne and looked up at the Five Elders above him.
To be honest, he was a little surprised.
He had already prepared himself.
After all, these were the five people said to hold the highest authority in the world, and they were very likely the five who had lived since the founding of the World Government, granted eternal life. Their strength should have been at least on the level of an Admiral.
Yet at that moment, under his Haki perception, aside from the old man with the sword, who gave off a terrifying aura like a wild beast, the other four did not feel all that dangerous.
There were only two possibilities. Either the remaining four of the Five Elders truly did not specialize in combat, or they had already surpassed the limits of Yemu's understanding. But Yemu felt the latter was extremely unlikely.
While Yemu studied the Five Elders, the Five Elders also stared back at him with grim, hostile expressions.
But neither side seemed willing to speak first.
Yemu had no interest in playing such a boring game with five old men.
"If all of you only wanted to see me, then now that you have, I'll be taking my leave."
Yemu's deep voice echoed throughout the vast Chamber of the Gods.
Even so, the Five Elders still did not speak. Their brows only furrowed more deeply. Then, a woman's voice rang out, one even Yemu had not expected.
"Don't misunderstand. They are not the ones who wanted to see you. I am. You may leave."
"As you command, Imu-sama!"
The five men did not dare voice a single complaint. Like Sengoku before them, they hastily left the chamber.
To the right of the Throne of the Void, within a world filled with sunlight, a pitch-black figure dragging a long ceremonial cloak slowly walked forward. She came before the throne and, surrounded by the weapons representing the kings of the Twenty Nations, lowered her head to look down.
This world meeting, one that would determine the future direction of the world, had finally begun...
***
...
If you'd like to support my work and unlock advanced chapters, you can follow me on p-@-treon.
[email protected]/PinkSnake (50 Chapters Ahead).
You can also follow as a free member to read a few advanced chapters.
***