"But human memory would not disappear so easily, especially not with historians around, and with the indestructible Poneglyphs forged using Wano Country's techniques at the dawn of the nation's founding."
"Then what should have been done?"
"First, they needed violence—that was what the people of the World Government said."
"And so, the navy was born."
"Whether through half-coercion or because they had been forced by pirates, they slowly took over the armies and defenses of every nation over a long period of time. In the end, they used those weapons to seize the Poneglyphs from every country and even erased those histories."
"Gradually, over the course of a hundred years, they erased history and erased the past. Then people no longer cared about history."
"Then their descendants degenerated into Celestial Dragons, while they themselves gradually aged and died. In the end, they selected the smartest and strongest among their few remaining descendants to rule the World Government and operate the navy for the long term."
"And then, like the old gods, they were overthrown by people who had suffered oppression for far too long."
"Just like today."
Leo let out a heavy breath. It was as though that breath were a signal, prompting everyone else to sigh in relief as well.
But the question he threw out immediately afterward made everyone's hearts rise again.
"Because they possessed the old gods' technology, they could easily make a person live for a very, very long time. The World Government's core leader, Imu, already possesses eternal life. His strength may also be unimaginably great, having reached a realm we know nothing about."
"And even the lesser Five Elders are old men who have lived for at least two hundred years."
"They could rule humanity for a thousand years or more, then gradually degenerate