Celestial Dragons

Biodata

Background and Hierarchy

The Celestial Dragons are the descendants of the kings who founded the World Government. Their families have held privileged status for eight hundred years, with the Holy Land of Mary Geoise as their home 252 324. Imu, the hidden King of the World, holds authority over them and the Five Elders 12 251.

• Ordinary Celestial Dragons live in privilege; most of the two hundred entrants eligible for the Red Earth Island tournament are described as pleasure-seeking rather than skilled fighters 100 222.
• God's Blades rank below the Holy Knights and seek promotion into their ranks 100.
• Holy Knights are elite Celestial Dragons granted immortal bodies by Imu. Their seats are limited, and competition between families is fierce 100 220.
• Five Elders occupy the highest publicly known offices of the World Government, though they answer to Imu 12 146.

Indigenous Cleansing Tournament

Every three years, the Celestial Dragons hold a competition in which island inhabitants and enslaved people are designated as prey and killed for points. Imu created the tournament to select Celestial Dragon elites; only two hundred Celestial Dragons can participate in each event 169 190. Families compete for entry and standing, while spectators in Mary Geoise follow the rankings 190 223.

At the Red Earth Island tournament, which began on April 4, Marine Calendar 1491, six Devil Fruit treasure chests were among the prizes. The prey received a one-hour head start before contestants pursued them on running ostriches 222. Rare-race captives included Lunarians, Minks, Fish-Men and a member of the Three-Eye Tribe 221 222.

Conflict with the Rocks Pirates

The Rocks Pirates intervened at Red Earth Island, killing and capturing Celestial Dragons while rescuing residents and taking the tournament prizes. Fish-men destroyed fleeing warships, preventing many contestants from escaping 223 233 236. Of the roughly two hundred participants, nearly a hundred had been killed by Rocks officers during the fighting, and more than sixty became Rocks's prisoners 234 236.

Photographs and reports of the tournament and its aftermath spread worldwide. The revelations damaged the Celestial Dragons' image of untouchability and caused unrest among World Government member nations 238 241.

Celestial Dragon Seats

Imu later offered a new Celestial Dragon family seat to member-nation royalty, using the prospect of World Noble status to draw their forces into war against the New World Alliance. The contest contributed to prolonged fighting and rivalry among the participating nations 360 363. After a later purge of five weak Celestial Dragon families, Imu offered six seats to powerful member nations; all six new families had been established within seven days 431.

Fate in the Alternate Spacetime

After taking power in an alternate spacetime, Houka and Loki hunted down the Celestial Dragons while Houka broadcast the purge. He freed the slaves in Mary Geoise, and the loss of their masters led Cipher Pol agents, guards and officials to surrender 558.