Personally Steering the World Government!

Loneliness made the night deeper; loneliness was exalted in the darkness.

The ancient full moon cast its cold, solitary light.

Even surrounded by countless twinkling stars, it could not receive the slightest warmth from them.

It simply gazed silently at the ancient castle below.

Suppressing the Four Seas, ruling the world, the center of the planet's highest authority, the supreme Holy Land recognized by all.

All these titles referred to the city standing atop the Red Line.

Mary Geoise!

Even in the night, it gleamed like a resplendent golden crown.

And this ancient castle known as Pangaea was the core of the Holy Land.

The legendary Five Elders lived here, controlling the situation and direction of the entire world.

Yet within this core existed something even more central.

The Empty Throne!

To the people of the world, this crimson-and-gold throne symbolizing peace and equality

would forever remain merely a symbol, placed atop three tiers of platforms. No one would ever sit upon it.

Moonlight spilled down from above, becoming the Empty Throne Hall's only source of illumination.

It made the entire interior seem vast and frigid.

The pointed throne high above basked in most of the light.

Yet in the stillness of the late night,

a deep figure sat upon the throne in the moonlight, his back to the World Government emblem on its backrest.

Those Golden Ripple eyes looked down at the five people kneeling below.

The Five Elders!

"Lord Imu, Gol D. Roger has been successfully captured by the Marines. Sengoku and Garp are currently escorting him to Impel Down."

"His wife, Portgas D. Rouge, has also been placed under house arrest in Marineford as per your instructions. The Female Soldier Unit led by Vice Admiral Tsuru is responsible for guarding her."

Saint Nusjuro was the first to speak.

Then Saint Topman Warcury, kneeling to his right, took over.

"After discussion, the five of us believe that a public execution should be held in Roger's hometown of Loguetown in the East Blue. It would intimidate nations and regions across the world while curbing the increasingly rampant pirates. What do you think?"

"Denied!"

The answer from the one above startled the five men kneeling on the cold floor.

They froze for a moment.

They truly had not expected Lord Imu to reject the proposal.

No matter how they looked at it, a public execution offered many benefits.

And based on past experience,

Lord Imu generally did not interfere too much in such "minor matters."

What they did not know was that the great figure seated above them

still wore that aloof, frigid expression on the surface,

but inwardly, he was caught in an immense struggle.

As a transmigrator, he naturally knew that under normal circumstances, a public execution would benefit the World Government.

But precisely because he was a transmigrator, he also knew what would follow if they did this.

For all he knew, Roger might have been waiting for a public execution!

He did not believe that declaration that ushered in the Great Age of Pirates had truly been improvised just because someone happened to ask him a question.

In any case, he believed that even if no one asked, Roger would definitely have shouted something similar.

Otherwise, wouldn't he have surrendered and died for nothing?

"Hold the public execution at Marineford to prevent any further accidents. During the broadcast, air only Sengoku's voice, then keep the entire proceeding muted afterward to prevent Roger from saying anything he shouldn't before he dies."

Imu, seated upon the Empty Throne, came up with a compromise.

Accidents. Things that shouldn't be said.

The Five Elders carefully considered these two keywords.

Very quickly, Saint Marcus Mars, kneeling on the far left, seemed to understand something.

He first habitually stroked the long white beard completely covering his mouth, then revealed a delighted smile.

"Lord Imu is wise!"

The other four glanced at him in confusion. What did you understand?

"The reason Roger became the universally recognized One Piece was because he gathered all four Road Poneglyphs and reached Laugh Tale."

"In other words, he must know something about the history of the past. We must guard against anything he might say during the public execution."

"I see!"

The other four suddenly understood and nodded in agreement.

"Mm."

After hesitating for a second, Imu tacitly accepted it.

Though it was somewhat different from what he wanted to guard against, the man's reasoning did make sense.

"Roger's matter will be handled this way. Next, let us discuss the future. That is also the main reason I summoned you here."

But what he said next completely shocked the Five Elders, who were still kneeling in worship.

"I have seen the future!"

"Twenty-four years from now, an unprecedented rebellion will sweep across the Four Seas, and a massive war will arise—one capable of directly threatening the rule and lives of every Celestial Dragon!"

Although he spoke such terrifying words,

Imu's tone remained as cold and indifferent as ever.

It was as though nothing in this world could ever change his expression.

Beneath the cold moonlight, he seemed so solitary.

But the five below him underwent a drastic change in expression.

Their eyes widened as they stared up at him in utter disbelief, unable to speak for a long time.

What could they say?

That it was impossible?

They could not utter such thoughtless words. To say them would be utter treason.

They had served for decades as the highest authorities in the world, at least on the surface. They were not lacking in even that much restraint or intelligence.

And besides, they truly did not doubt the existence of future sight.

It sounded fantastical, but such abilities genuinely existed in this world.

At most, they were merely rare and uncommon.

For their great master, Lord Imu, to possess such an ability was only natural!

Thus, what truly shocked the Five Elders was the future described in the prophecy!

A rebellion across the Four Seas?

A massive war?

Imu had no intention of considering their feelings and continued speaking calmly.

"The source of this rebellion and war lies with slaves and the Celestial Dragons."

"Given the circumstances, I will personally control the world's course from now on. The five of you are to cooperate fully. Everything is for the rule of the World Nobles."

After hearing this, the Five Elders gradually calmed down and understood what Lord Imu meant.

Before this, unless there was a "light" outside that needed to be erased from history,

Lord Imu had basically secluded himself within the Moon Chamber and enjoyed the quiet passage of time.

But now, this man intended to personally direct the course of the World Government's great ship.

As for the five of them,

though they still held the helm on the surface,

the direction it turned from now on would no longer be theirs to decide.

Even so, the Five Elders felt no resistance whatsoever.

As the saying went, ignorance was fearless. They were the opposite—they knew too much to dare entertain any improper thoughts.

"We shall obey your will!"

The five elders spoke as one, their voices echoing through the vast, dark hall as their bowed heads lowered even further.

"Then we will begin with this year's Reverie."

The eyes that had looked down upon all things gleamed with determined starlight.

Since he had now become the master of the World Government,

he would never allow the great upheaval twenty-four years from now to occur.

The Revolutionary Army, pirates, Elbaf. He would deal with them one by one!

Imu raised his head to look at the stars and Galaxy accompanying the enormous moon above.

"First, I'll take complete control of this world. Then I'll use this planet as my ship and venture into that sea of stars."