The Troubled Five Elders!

Late at night, the enormous full moon appeared once again.

"Lord Imu, the doctors from Drum Kingdom are treating the Merfolk and Fish-Man Race. According to their estimates, they will need roughly fifteen days to recover."

Inside the Empty Throne Hall, the Five Elders knelt below the platform, while the one in the middle delivered the report with utmost respect.

"As for their mental state, although Vice Admiral Tsuru was initially unwilling, she ultimately stepped in and cleansed the negative emotions from their hearts."

Imu was quite satisfied to hear that.

Tsuru simply could not bear to see the merfolk continue living in despair, numbness, and hatred. She was also thinking of their lives; after all, if they continued harboring extreme attitudes toward the World Government, they would only be dealt with. She had no doubt about the World Government's ruthlessness in this regard.

But to Imu, it did not matter what psychological changes she had undergone. As long as the result was satisfactory, that was enough.

"Gecko Moria has also agreed to become a Prison Guard at Impel Down, responsible for cutting off the prisoners' shadows and managing the shadows that have been cut away. According to Warden Columbus' feedback, he is rather cold toward his colleagues, but he is responsible enough at work. The only issue is that he often sends food and fresh water to his fellow clansmen in Starvation Hell without permission, which has given him quite a headache."

"Let him handle that himself. As long as it does not go too far, let Moria do as he pleases. We only need him to obey and work seriously." Imu's tone remained cold.

Nearly six hundred thousand prisoners were imprisoned in Impel Down. The workload facing Gecko Moria was enormous, not to mention the large number who would be sent there later.

According to intelligence reports from CIPHER POL across the various seas, rumors of the One Piece treasure were growing ever more intense, and the Navy had gradually noticed that there were more pirates at sea.

"What is the situation with Thriller Bark?"

This time, Saint Shepherd Ju Peter answered respectfully. "With the help of three Compass Birds found in the forests of Jaya, CP5 has located it in the Mist Sea and is currently exploring how to control it."

"Hurry up with the modifications. The undercurrents of the Great Pirate Era are stirring everywhere. We need it to suppress this 'tsunami' sweeping across the world!"

Imu looked down at them coldly and issued the order.

"Yes, Lord Imu," the Five Elders answered in unison.

"Also, bring that brat from the Donquixote Family to see me. I have a use for him!" Imu added.

The Five Elders were greatly surprised by those words. They exchanged glances, their eyes filled with obvious confusion and incomprehension, but they still agreed at once.

"Your will shall be obeyed!"

Then Saint Topman Warcury, still kneeling in the very center, asked, "Should we summon the other one as well? If I recall correctly, he is almost twenty."

Imu frowned, but quickly realized who he meant. After pondering for a moment, he said, "Not for now. We will discuss it after he turns twenty next year."

For the time being, Imu truly could not think of an arrangement for that boy. It would be better to let him remain free and hone his own strength.

"Yes, Lord Imu!"

Just as the Five Elders thought the audience was over and prepared to respectfully take their leave, another command came from the lofty throne.

"In a few days, I am going out. Prepare a means of transport with the ability to fly. The passenger space must be large!"

What?!

The Five Elders were utterly shocked. They all raised their heads and stared at Imu in disbelief, nearly sharing the same thought: Lord Imu was actually going out?

This was someone who had secluded himself in the Moon Chamber for hundreds of years. Had he truly grown restless from too much stillness?

"What? Am I not allowed to go out?"

Seeing the astonishment in their eyes, Imu asked with a trace of displeasure in his voice. The Five Elders instantly went from shock to terror.

"No, no, no. It is your freedom, and naturally we have no objections. It is simply that your safety is of utmost importance. Could you tell us your destination and when you intend to depart?"

Saint Ethanbaron V. Nusjuro, holding Shodai Kitetsu, asked softly.

"There are quite a few places I intend to visit, and I do not yet know how long I will be away. I will leave once this Reverie is over, so make the preparations quickly. If anything comes up, contact me through a Den Den Mushi."

After giving it some thought, Imu still offered a brief answer.

The truth was, he had remained in the Moon Chamber for more than a year, at most moving about within Pangaea Castle. It had been suffocatingly dull.

The previous Imu might have managed to be a shut-in for over eight hundred years, but he could not. The outside world was so beautiful and exciting; he had long wanted to see it for himself. Besides, there were indeed matters that required his personal attention.

The only thing was that he needed to prepare suitable transport. Traveling by ship was too slow, and it could not fly. If he used Geppo himself, he could fly and move quickly enough, but would that not look far too shabby?

He was Lord Imu, the true ruler of the entire planet. He had to maintain a certain level of grandeur.

Besides, when traveling outside, he would definitely encounter countless trivial matters. He could hardly handle all of them himself, could he?

"Understood, Lord Imu, but what identity do you intend to use while traveling? And your appearance..." Saint Marcus Mars asked worriedly.

"Prepare an utterly unremarkable new identity as a Celestial Dragon for me, along with invisible false pupils that can conceal my eyes without affecting my vision. As for my appearance, I have not shown myself for centuries. No one will recognize me."

Imu had long since considered these matters and calmly laid out his plans.

The Five Elders could tell that their lord was determined to leave, so they said nothing further. From this point onward, they only needed to cooperate fully.

"Regarding Impel Down, I want to transfer someone out. Send someone to notify them." Finally, Imu seemed to recall something and added one more instruction.

After the "six-person meeting" ended, the Five Elders returned to the Room of Authority. The moment they sat down on the sofas, they began another meeting of their own.

"Does anyone have any ideas about the transport Lord Imu mentioned?" Saint Topman Warcury, seated in the central seat of honor, was the first to speak.

"This is indeed difficult. A large interior is easy enough, but the main issue is that Lord Imu requires it to be capable of flight." Saint Jaygarcia Saturn, wearing a flat cap and sporting a bushy beard, said with a troubled expression.

Saint Marcus Mars, whose hair hung long and straight, thought for a moment before suggesting, "How about asking Dr. Vegapunk whether the Science Unit can build a flying ship?"

"Even if they can build one, there are less than three months until the Reverie. Will there be enough time?" Saint Ethanbaron V. Nusjuro asked, Shodai Kitetsu in hand.

"This..."

"Then let us try Devil Fruit abilities, something that can fly." After thinking for a moment, Saint Shepherd Ju Peter suddenly said, "Is Shiki not still imprisoned in Level 6 Infinite Hell? If we can find a way to make him obedient, the problem will be solved!"

"Lord Imu previously said that he has other uses for him. Other than drawing his blood to provide research materials for the Science Unit, we are not to touch him lightly." Saint Topman Warcury shook his head.

"Then what other solution do we have?" Saint Shepherd Ju Peter grew frustrated.

At that moment, Saint Jaygarcia Saturn, the man in the flat cap, said, "Devil Fruits are a good idea. Although we cannot use Shiki, we can look for others. There are so many Devil Fruits in the treasury that they are practically piled into a small mountain. Have the people below search carefully; there must be one we can use!"

A few days earlier, following Imu's orders, they had taken all the Devil Fruits from the other Celestial Dragons, lest those fools waste them recklessly. At the same time, they had people classify and record them according to the encyclopedia.

Therefore, the number of Devil Fruits now in the Five Elders' possession was so great that describing them as a "small mountain" was no exaggeration.

As for the Celestial Dragons causing trouble, ever since one of them had been crippled earlier, every Celestial Dragon had become obedient. Whether it was merfolk or Devil Fruits, they handed them over without complaint.

"Fine, then that is settled. Start searching!"

This was one of the foundations the World Government had accumulated over hundreds of years.

The Five Elders knelt at the feet of all the readers, lowered their heads, and respectfully reported, "We report to the esteemed readers: this book currently has 209 bookmarks, 321 recommendations, 51 monthly tickets, and ranks forty-sixth in the light novel category of the new-book rankings for contracted authors. However, these alone are still far from sufficient to face the opponents of the Heavens and Myriad Worlds. Please issue your instructions."