The Celestial Dragons' Goal

They had all once been young, like me!

Judge-Haired Elder's words made Gawain nod in agreement.

They too were Celestial Dragons. Along with the other Celestial Dragons, they had lived in the ever-corrupt, fallen environment of Mary Geoise.

So why had only the five of them awakened Conqueror's Haki and become the Five Elders?

Gawain had considered that question many times. He had considered the Five Elders' specific backgrounds, and Imu's will hanging over them.

But before coming to this world, he had always held the Celestial Dragons in extreme contempt, and had never considered another possibility.

What if the Five Elders really were outstanding?

Then again, Gawain wondered whether what the Five Elders had said was merely a polished lie.

What if it was all rhetoric, and throughout the conversation, they had continually overlapped their past with his present?

Then, from his own perspective, if he projected his current state of mind onto the Five Elders' past...

Wouldn't agreeing with his own thoughts mean agreeing with their past?

But even that line of thinking was not rigorous enough. If they were skilled in sophisticated rhetoric, didn't that still make them exceptional?

At the very least, they knew how to talk, right?

Language and thought always formed easy loops. While Gawain silently pondered everything, Sword-Wielding Elder finally carried him, sofa and all, into the Five Elders' office.

Once he realized Sword-Wielding Elder had set him down, Gawain gave a slight nod and said,

"Thank you."

"No need for courtesy, Little Gawain. We merely took your grave injuries into consideration.

If you had been uninjured, then no matter how outstanding you were, you would have had to walk into our room on your own. Those are the rules."

Sword-Wielding Elder exchanged a few pleasantries, after which the five of them each took a seat on their sofas.

As they settled down, Gawain looked around. The Five Elders' room was nearly devoid of furnishings. Aside from several sofas, there were no other notable decorations.

That indirectly proved what the Five Elders had said before: those with Conqueror's Haki would not become overly dependent on external things.

A moment later, the Five Elders had settled in. Long-Bearded Elder, Judge-Haired Elder, and Blonde Elder each sat alone, while Sword-Wielding Elder squeezed onto one sofa with Mustached Elder, their arms slung around each other's shoulders.

They clearly had no intention of making Gawain wait, for Sword-Wielding Elder soon said to him,

"Before we speak with you, there is first a principle we must tell you.

That principle takes the form of a question.

Gawain, why do you think there are five Five Elders?"

After asking the question, Sword-Wielding Elder exchanged glances with his colleagues, then waited expectantly for Gawain's answer.

Gawain was not stumped by such a simple question. During his time as a diplomat, he had encountered far more interesting questions than this.

He spoke leisurely.

"Originally, this should have been a difficult question, because it concerns history from eight hundred years ago.

The position of the Five Elders has existed since the founding of the World Government.

There is no reason for a mere young man in his twenties like me to fully understand its meaning.

But after speaking with the five of you, if I still cannot answer this question, then I would truly be too foolish."

At that, Gawain's gaze paused briefly on each of the five people before him.

"Law, culture, economy, diplomacy, and military affairs. Put those five words together, and there is only one answer.

Politics!

You want to tell me that you are the highest authority among the Celestial Dragons; that you are the Five Elders centered around those five points; and that you are politics itself in today's world.

Am I right?"

"Well said!"

Diplomat Elder nodded, his round face brimming with a smile.

"The foundation of politics is precisely those five points, while rule is the process by which rulers continuously spread their own principles from top to bottom.

That is why the Five Elders system has endured from the time our twenty ancestors founded the World Government to this very day.

And this system, together with our core objective, has become an essential foundation for the Celestial Dragon government's eight hundred years of rule over the world!"

When he finished speaking, the round-faced Elder of Diplomacy glanced at Gawain's thoughtful expression, nodded approvingly, and continued.

"Beyond the meaning of the Five Elders themselves—the five political elements—

Our Celestial Dragon regime has another core of governance: our goal from beginning to end!

Gawain, why not make a bold guess? What exactly does this polity, founded jointly by our twenty ancestors, wish to accomplish?"

Facing Elder of Diplomacy's question, Gawain frowned and asked in return,

"In today's world, the allied nations are beset by chaos, pirate forces are growing ever stronger, corruption among the marines keeps surfacing, and the common people's dissatisfaction with the Celestial Dragon government deepens by the day.

In such an environment, you want me to guess what exactly you intend to do?"

Gawain paused for a moment, then chuckled.

"Do you want to destroy this world?!"

As he spoke, Gawain smiled while discreetly observing the Five Elders' expressions.

He saw the Five Elders first freeze in astonishment, then look at one another. A moment later, they all burst out laughing.

Elder of Economy even laughed as he patted Elder of Culture on the shoulder.

"See? It really is so similar to the question I asked back then. He really is better suited to take my position!"

As he spoke, Elder of Economy looked toward Gawain and continued imposingly.

"But I didn't ask a similar question in that tone back then!

I pointed at his nose and roared.

Scum like you, who occupy your positions without doing anything, can only lead the world to destruction!

That was what I said. More Haki than you, hahaha!!!"

Elder of Economy laughed heartily as he patted Elder of Culture on the shoulder. Clearly, the person Elder of Economy had referred to was the younger Elder of Culture.

At the side, while Elder of Economy continued laughing, Elder of Diplomacy spoke again.

"Just as we thought, the overwhelming majority of those who awaken Conqueror's Haki in an environment like Mary Geoise are dissatisfied with our methods of governance.

Because, as you said, both the corruption of the marines and the dissatisfaction of the common people are facts.

Regarding these problems, you need to understand what I am about to explain: the foundation upon which the World Government was established.

Beyond our emphasis on politics, our other foundation—the goal for which we have striven our entire lives...

Is to destroy the rule of more than one hundred and seventy allied nations over their respective territories, and then seize every inch of land in the entire world!"

As those words fell, Elder of Economy abruptly stopped laughing.

The other Five Elders also turned solemn.

They fixed their stern gazes on Gawain's eyes, observing every minute change in his pupils.

Fortunately, Gawain had developed exceptionally steady eyes long ago.

No matter how cunning someone was, they could never discern from an outstanding diplomat's eyes the true goals his country might conceal behind his prepared speeches!

The Five Elders saw nothing but calm waters in Gawain's eyes, and so they relaxed.

Elder of Diplomacy nodded and continued speaking to Gawain.

"Fortunately, you can still understand our ambition. Your Conqueror's Haki was not born for some so-called free will!

Since that is the case, listen carefully!

Our Celestial Dragon ancestors, the twenty kings who founded the World Government—

What they originally wanted to establish was not some loose alliance with countless member states!

They wanted to establish a true, completely unified, whole nation!"

Smack!

Elder of Diplomacy slapped his thigh hard.

"Gawain, no matter what sort of person you become in the future, you must remember this firmly from us five!

Unlike the other trash in Mary Geoise, true Celestial Dragons like you and me—those who awakened Conqueror's Haki and found our own goals amid the filth!

The sole meaning of our existence is to tear apart the illegal rule that the governments of the major allied nations exercise over their private territories!

Those allied nations, each with their own national governments—their very existence is a grave provocation against the World Government and the idea of centralized power!

We must unify these seas. We must unify the entire world!

Just as the elders before us instructed each of us when we assumed office!

Every Dragon must be like our ancestors...

And carry the dream of great unification!"