The Two Emperors Join Forces, God of the Celestial Dragons

"Reverie?"

"That's right,"

Onboard the Sunny Merry, now setting sail once more, Luffy sat atop the figurehead, munching on a snack, and unusually, showed interest in 'current affairs.' Of course, that was because:

"Did Vivi go too? I really miss her, it's been so long since I've seen her."

Sanji, having just finished smoking a cigarette, calmly nodded, drawing sidelong glances from the other Straw Hat crew members. —Shouldn't he normally be muttering things like, "Ah~, Miss Vivi has grown so beautiful~, it must be because she misses me..."?

"Brulee, another dessert, please!"

Just as Luffy shouted, Brulee, the twin-tailed girl, came out carrying a large plate of chocolates.

"Here, this is the culinary masterpiece of Sanji and me!"

Seeing the girl clinging sweetly to Sanji's arm, everyone nodded in agreement.

I understand.

"Is this my former companion, 'Vivi'?"

Two children in raincoats joined the group reading the newspaper. Merry, in her golden raincoat, introduced the characters in the paper— Vivi, Dr. Kureha —while recounting the Straw Hat crew's adventures to Sunny: Alabasta, Drum Palace...

"In short, the Navy's attention is now focused on the Reverie."

As Roman was involved in everything 'closely', no one knew the Navy's movements better than him. He also clearly knew that the Straw Hat crew were about to face:

"Because we just humiliated Big Mom, the BIG MOM Pirates are practically right behind us now. That means we'll be facing BIG MOM Pirates and the Beasts Pirates in Wano Country at the same time."

!?

"No way, two Four Emperors crews?"

Usopp burst into tears on the spot. Why couldn't they just have a pleasant sea voyage? They faced the Shichibukai as soon as they entered the Grand Line, and now they're fighting the Four Emperors every day as soon as they step into the New World... The difficulty level they chose for their voyage must be at the 'nightmare' level, right?

"Roman,"

Zoro, who was resting with his arms crossed against the ship's railing and his eyes closed, opened one eye and looked at the ship's strategist: Tokovich, the reliable, all-knowing, Doraemon, Roman.

"The Four Emperors are rivals, so why aren't they fighting each other, but instead joining forces to attack us?"

That would normally be the case: the Four Emperors, as pirate crews, each have their own territory and power. And since they are used to obtaining what they want through Milton, it would be reasonable for them to immediately start fighting if they bump into each other.

"The reason for this goes back to a long time ago, to a Rocks Pirates '... no, it should be said that it started with their captain, 'Rocks D. Xebec'."

"Is it 'D' again?"

From Trafalgar Law, the Straw Hat crew learned that those with a 'D' in their names are known as enemies of God, the mortal foe of the Celestial Dragons. Although there are people like Luffy's grandfather who joined the Navy, everyone knows Garp's temper; he would never give the Celestial Dragons any face.

"Rocks D. Xebec, a powerful figure from over forty years ago, harbored ambitions to dominate the world. He gathered a group of strong individuals, preparing to attack the Celestial Dragons and their slaves at 'God Valley'..."

"Oh, he's a good person!"

Luffy looked on with interest, knowing that the Straw Hat crew had a very negative impression of the Celestial Dragons. —Even though Roman was a 'Celestial Dragons,' Roman himself didn't consider himself Celestial Dragons, and his words were full of contempt for those scum.

"But his ambition was thwarted when Vice Admiral Monkey D. Garp defeated him. Since then, Vice Admiral Garp has been known as the 'Marine Hero'."

"Oh, so he's a bad guy."

Luffy looked disgusted.

"Your mark of good and bad has become too... Never mind, it wasn't just Luffy's grandfather who stopped them back then, there was also another rising pirate crew: and their captain was called 'Gol D. Roger'."

King of the Pirates!?

"Do you understand now?"

Facing the serious-looking crowd, Roman slowly revealed these secrets.

"That's a formidable enemy that requires the combined efforts of top fighters from both the Navy and the pirates! He's definitely one of the world's top fighters, and what's even more terrifying is his crew—"

"Whitebeard, Golden Lion, Big Mom, Kaido, Captain John, Ochoku, Silver Axe..."

With each name, Roman would raise a finger, and soon his hands couldn't hold all those names.

"These legendary pirates who later became famous on the high seas, and even three of the Four Emperors, were once members of the Rocks Pirates!"

Si—

The Straw Hat crew gasped in shock! After all, a Four Emperors could command the New World, establish cities and kingdoms, and even the Navy dared not provoke him. Yet the Rocks Pirates actually possessed three Four Emperors?

Even for a future Four Emperors, this level of strength is just too...

"I see,"

Zoro was the first to react.

"So, Big Mom and Kaido were actually 'partners'? But Whitebeard was also..."

"It's different," Roman shook his head. "The Rocks Pirates are different from us. They were more of a group of strong individuals forcibly brought together by Rocks D. Xebec's charisma and strength. They immediately fell apart after losing their captain, and there was no such thing as 'comradeship' among them. But:"

The world's top fighters now have a vague sense that the crown of 'King of the Pirates' is about to fall into someone's hands, and the final world battle is fast approaching. Before that:

To prepare for the impending tide of history, gathering fighting strength by all means is the wise move. Therefore, rather than confronting each other, Big Mom and Kaido are more likely to join forces.

"I see, but there's still one thing I don't understand."

Everyone present was one of their own, Nami raised her hand and asked the question that had been on her mind. —This was also the Straw Hat crew's first reaction upon hearing about the 'Rocks Pirates'.

"Why did Luffy's grandfather and Pirate King Roger team up to fight against that 'Rocks Pirates'?"

"Everyone should know what the Celestial Dragons are like: cities destroyed by pirates because they couldn't pay the 'Celestial Gold'... No, even if they paid the Celestial Gold, ordinary people still live in dire straits..."

Nami's two years in the Navy allowed her to witness countless cities destroyed by the Great Pirate Era and thousands of families torn apart. Therefore, even with its many corrupt elements, even though the Navy is Celestial Dragons ' "watchdogs," ordinary people from every nation on the high seas still regard the Navy as heroes! So many skilled individuals still choose to join the Navy. However:

"To put it bluntly, why didn't Garp and Roger wait until that 'Rocks' overthrew the Celestial Dragons before..."

Nami's words were clear: Garp could easily use someone else to do his dirty work! Regardless of who "Rocks" really is, letting them destroy the Celestial Dragons might not be a bad thing for the world. And after dealing with the damaged "Rocks Pirates," wouldn't the world be—

"Oh dear, Nami, you've 'gone bad' too~~"

Nami blushed at Robin's teasing, "It's all Roman's fault! Seeing him scheming and plotting all the time makes me..."

"Tsk, you put it so harshly. Don't you use your brains for thinking? Are you saving them to make tofu pudding?"

"And if the staff officers don't offer advice and strategies, are they just supposed to lead everyone into a futile charge?"

In an instant, Roman's 'map-wide attack' encompassed a group of empty-headed individuals, Guotou didn't care at all:

"That 'Rocks' must be a big bad guy. If he succeeds, the world will fall into even worse turmoil!"

Although Luffy and his grandfather have significant differences regarding 'ideals,' Luffy is absolutely proud of what Garp has done.

"That's only one aspect,"

Roman looked up at Jinbe, Pedro, Carrot, Brulee.

"What I'm about to say concerns the ultimate secret of this world. — If you know it, your enemies won't just be the Four Emperors or the Admiral, but something far more terrifying... So, does anyone want to back out?"

Despite Roman's words, Jinbe's face remained unmoved.

"I have already accepted Luffy as my captain, and unless the captain tells me to leave the ship, I have no reason to give up halfway!"

"You saved our country, and the reason I'm still alive is to witness the 'dawn' of a new era..."

Jaguar Ranger Pedro touched the empty space around his left eye socket.

"If it's Luffy, risking my life wouldn't be a problem at all!"

"Wherever Mr. Sanji goes, I'll go."

Brulee, clinging to Sanji's arm, looked serene and radiant with happiness.

"Even if it's hell, I'd gladly accept it."

"I····"

"Very good, very conscientious!"

Roman completely ignored the adorable Carrot, after all, what would a simple rabbit girl who was leaving Zou for the first time know about the world situation? She was just a cute creature with an intelligence of 9... although her combat strength was not weak either.

What do you think of the Celestial Dragons?

The Straw Hat crew all looked disgusted when faced with Roman's question:

"Scumbag!"

"Rubbish,"

"Non-combustible waste"

"I'm going to beat them to a pulp!!"

······

"Um, Roman, we're not talking about you. Anyway, you wouldn't compare yourself to those idiots, would you?"

Faced with a barrage of negative comments about the Straw Hat, Roman nodded and then posed a second question.

"So, why do you think the Celestial Dragons have been able to rule the world for eight hundred years?"

"Navy?"

"CP organization?"

"A massive army?"

"Controlling other Affiliated Nation through the Celestial Gold?"

Faced with a variety of answers, Roman shook his head.

"Indeed, what you've said are all part of the Celestial Dragons' rule, but you've overlooked one thing: 'strength'!"

"The Celestial Dragons are generally perceived as a bunch of incompetent, obese, and stupid pigs; they possess the highest power in the world yet accomplish nothing, only bullying men and women, manipulating slaves, and extorting 'Celestial Gold' on a massive scale. So, here's the question:"

"Why weren't all these useless Celestial Dragons killed?"

"Don't say that attacking the Celestial Dragons will attract the Marine Admiral. The Marine Admiral are also human; they have their own values and their own sense of 'justice.' They can't possibly be unaware of the Celestial Dragons' true nature, so what makes them turn a blind eye to the Celestial Dragons' evil deeds?"

Roman glanced at everyone on the deck again. Even Merry and Sonny, the Ship Spirit, were holding hands and listening intently to Roman's next words:

"The answer is just as I said: strength!"

" Among the Celestial Dragons are the elite 'Five Elders,' who possess exceptional political acumen and personal strength. Only when they issue orders can the vast machine of the World Government operate in the interests of the Celestial Dragons. That's one point;"

"But this only works against ordinary people... or rather, ordinary pirates. If a fearless and top-tier expert were to storm the Holy Land Mary Geoise, they could easily kill a large number of Celestial Dragons before even an Admiral- level expert could react. After a few more attacks, there would be no Celestial Dragons left. But such a situation has never occurred in history!"

"Even fifteen years ago, when the Fish-Man hero Fisher Tiger climbed to the top of the Red Line and infiltrated the Holy Land alone to set it on fire, he only managed to rescue a thousand slaves. He didn't even hurt a single Celestial Dragons —though it was thanks to that that he managed to do so."

Amidst the thoughtful expressions of Nami, Zoro, Robin, Franky, and the others, Roman abruptly changed the subject.

"By the way, do you guys remember that Trafalgar Law's 'Op-Op Fruit' has an ability that can grant others immortality?"

"Oh, really?"

Faced with Luffy's astonished Luffy and the group of people frowning and recalling, Roman simply continued speaking on his own.

"Since there are such rumors, it means that someone has undergone 'Eternal Youth Surgery'."

"Could it be—?!"

In an instant, Jinbe had already realized what was happening.

"That's right, there's a 'god' hidden among the Celestial Dragons! He... no, she is the peerless powerhouse who underwent the 'Eternal Youth Surgery,' lived for eight hundred years, and suppressed the entire world for eight hundred years!"

Without her, those pig-like Celestial Dragons would have been wiped out countless times!

In this world, Haki is tied to one's own 'will'. How could a group of CP0 members who only know how to obey orders possibly possess unparalleled Haki? There's never a shortage of powerful individuals dissatisfied with the Celestial Dragons' rule in any era; logically, they should have already razed the Holy Land to the ground! Yet, none of this happened.

Those eyes...

"Do you understand? This is why Luffy's grandfather and Roger wanted to stop 'Rocks D. Xebec'. Even if they gathered so many powerful people, it was simply unrealistic to overthrow the Celestial Dragons' rule. It would only bring greater harm to the world."

For example: tax increases after a war;

For example: The Celestial Dragons kills a chicken to frighten the monkey;

For example, in those eyes, Roman occasionally saw countries disappearing directly in storms, giant waves, thunder, and earthquakes! Those were all the impatient outbursts of those disturbed eyes.

"And I've learned from certain sources that the key to changing all of this lies in Laugh Tale!"

"Only by arriving there at a specific time can the necessary conditions for defeating that 'god' be met—"

As he spoke, Roman placed his hands slightly clenched at his waist. Everyone in the Straw Hat crew who knew him well knew that this was an unconscious gesture Roman made when facing a powerful enemy.

"Do you understand now? If we continue our quest for the King of the Pirates's throne, we'll not only have to face the Four Emperors and the Marines, but also that 'God' who has buried countless top-tier fighters throughout eight hundred years of history!"

···········

Shocked? Stunned? No!

The people on deck were stunned into silence, their expressions frozen in shock. No one had ever imagined that the story of 'King of the Pirates' would involve such a profound secret...

"What the heck~~"

However, a calm voice broke the silence on the deck. Luffy adjusted his Straw Hat, and when he looked up again, his usual smiling face was back.

"So, we just have one more enemy to deal with. What's the big deal?"

"... Hey, this isn't just one more, it's one that's incredibly powerful..."

"Hehehe, isn't that even better?"

Luffy stretched his arms.

"Wouldn't it be incredibly boring if there were no powerful enemies on this sea?"

·······

"Okay, whatever makes you happy."

Although Roman caught up with his own sarcastic remarks, it has to be said that Luffy's three sentences completely dispelled the tense atmosphere from before.

"In short, leave these troublesome matters to me."

Roman stroked his chin.

"I will make sure everyone reaches Laugh Tale together, because—"

This is my dream!

P. S.: This is a long chapter of 4500 words. By the way, please vote with monthly tickets! I only need 1000 to try my luck in the lottery; half a ticket per person is more than enough...