Without his approval, no one could take her away.
Saint Dio fell silent for a moment, then gave a slight nod.
With permission granted, Stussy no longer hesitated and stepped between the two Cipher Pol Aigis Zero agents.
Before leaving, she glanced back at Saint Dio, her lake-blue eyes conveying, "Don't worry. I know how to handle this." Then she turned and followed the two white figures out of sight around the street corner.
Saint Dio withdrew his gaze and looked down at the three little girls huddled behind him, surveying this "kingdom of gods" with curiosity and fear. He said simply:
"Follow me."
He led the three sisters toward his residence in Mary Geoise.
Meanwhile, guided by the two Cipher Pol Aigis Zero agents, Stussy passed through Mary Geoise's sprawling palaces and corridors, finally arriving before an enormous, heavy door.
The door slowly opened, revealing a lavishly furnished hall filled with solemn grandeur.
An expansive sofa stood in the center of the hall.
Five elderly men sat on it in different postures, some resting both hands on canes, some crossing their legs, and others resting with their eyes closed.
The instant Stussy entered the hall, their gazes fell on her in unison.
The World Government's highest authority-the Five Elders.
Stussy walked to the center of the hall, knelt on one knee, and lowered her head, respectful but not servile.
At 180 centimeters tall, she stood out among ordinary people, yet before the five elderly men seated on the sofa, she seemed considerably smaller.
Still, there was not the slightest fear in her eyes.
She knew why these five had summoned her, and she knew how to respond.
Sure enough, Jaygarcia Saturn Saint, the Warrior God of Science and Defense, was the first to speak.
His opening words carried an imposing pressure without any display of anger:
"Stussy, we need an explanation for what happened in the Sabaody Archipelago."
Without raising her head, Stussy calmly recounted what had happened in the Sabaody Archipelago.
From the pirate attack, to the Kuja Pirates' attempt to take people away, to the sudden appearance of the reclusive Dark King Rayleigh, and finally to Saint Dio being forced to use Jörmungandr's power, causing the island's collapse.
After listening, the Five Elders exchanged several glances.
Following a brief silence, Saint Saturn spoke slowly, the pressure in his voice easing somewhat. "I see... Given the circumstances, you can hardly be blamed."
The commotion in the Sabaody Archipelago had indeed been far too great.
The entirety of Area 26 had been destroyed and sunk into the sea, creating considerable public pressure within the World Government's jurisdiction.
But if extreme measures had been necessary against an opponent of Dark King Rayleigh's caliber, the outcome was at least acceptable.
A layer of cold sweat had already soaked Stussy's back.
Fortunately, Saint Dio had gone over the story with her during their return journey.
When she learned that the opponent her master had fought in the Sabaody Archipelago was none other than "Dark King" Silvers Rayleigh, the right-hand man of Pirate King Gol D. Roger, even someone as accustomed to turmoil as she was could not help drawing a sharp breath.
No wonder her master had been forced to summon Jörmungandr. No wonder that island had been utterly destroyed.
Against a legendary opponent like that, escaping unscathed was already an achievement to be proud of.
She collected herself as that voice sounded before her again:
"How has Saint Dio been lately?"
Stussy stopped in her tracks, turned around, and knelt on one knee again, answering respectfully, "Saint Saturn, sir, Saint Dio has been as he always is, focusing on swordsmanship training every day and following an extremely regular routine. Recently, he went to the Sabaody Archipelago on a whim to purchase a few slaves, but he has displayed no other unusual behavior."
Jaygarcia Saturn Saint nodded slightly at her words.
Then he lightly tapped his old-fashioned cane against the floor.
Thud.
A soft sound.
Yet what followed was an overwhelming, terrifying aura.
That pressure swept through the hall like an invisible tidal wave, engulfing Stussy entirely.
Her body abruptly sank, as though a mountain had settled on her shoulders, making even breathing difficult.
Her muscles tensed involuntarily, and fine beads of sweat appeared at her temples, but she clenched her teeth, refusing to let her body tremble even slightly.
A show of force.
Stussy understood perfectly.
The Five Elders were warning her, reminding her not to forget where her true allegiance lay.
"Stussy," Saint Saturn said slowly, "do not forget your position. Your primary task is to monitor Saint Dio and ensure that he does nothing beyond our control. Keep him safe-that is the purpose of your existence."
Stussy lowered her head until her forehead touched the floor. "Yes. I will always remember."
Saint Saturn watched her for a long time before that oppressive aura slowly receded like the tide.
"...Go."
Stussy felt as though she had been granted a pardon, but dared not show the slightest haste. She merely rose respectfully and backed out of the hall.
Only after her figure had completely disappeared into the corridor outside did a brief silence settle over the hall.
After a long while, the bald elder holding the First Generation Kitetsu, Ethanbaron V. Saint Nusjuro, broke the silence. "To think he could cause such a commotion just by going out. The loss of that island cannot be brushed aside with a simple 'given the circumstances.'"
"In my opinion, we should simply confine him to the Holy Land to prevent further trouble," he added, lightly tapping his fingers against the sheath of the long sword resting across his knees.
Another elder, the blond Saint Shepherd Ju Peter, slowly shook his head, a meaningful glint passing through his narrowed eyes. "That would be inappropriate. After all... Lord Imu personally singled him out."
Chapter 16: Saint Dio's Origins and the Incident That Shook Mary Geoise
At the mention of "Lord Imu," all five elders fell silent.
Ultimately, Saint Topman Warcury was the first to break the silence.
He cleared his throat and shifted the subject. "Kong just sent word that Garp... nearly attacked Saint Dio."
"Garp..." At the mention of that name, the Five Elders reacted with remarkable unanimity, all feeling a headache coming on.
That Navy hero, with his repeated military achievements and defiant nature, was simply the toughest nut to crack within the World Government's system.
What was more, he bore that name-he belonged to the D. Clan.
"Why did Garp go to the Sabaody Archipelago?" Saint Nusjuro asked with a frown.
Saint Warcury sighed and explained, "He was closest to the waters where the incident occurred, so Kong ordered him to handle it. But Garp took the opportunity to demand leave. Kong had no choice but to accept his terms before he would agree to go."
"Hmph. He certainly excels at bargaining," Saint Saturn snorted, his tone plainly displeased.
The reason the Five Elders paid such close attention to Saint Dio, even going so far as to plant Stussy at his side eight years earlier, ultimately traced back to that year.
The earth-shattering incident Saint Dio had caused when he was six.
That year, at only six years old, Saint Dio had used his cheat ability to successfully synthesize a legendary Devil Fruit-the Snake-Snake Fruit, Mythical Zoan, World Serpent Model-and sealed it within his own sword.
Of course, Saint Dio alone knew all of this.
Even now, the Five Elders still believed that Saint Dio had acquired such a Devil Fruit and that its power had been imparted to a sword by accident.
Yet possessing a treasure could make an innocent man a target.
The sword containing the power of a Mythical Zoan soon caught another Celestial Dragon's attention.
That Celestial Dragon belonged to one of the nineteen founding families. Relying on his family's influence and his strength as an adult, he attempted to seize the sword by force, even intending to use the opportunity to swallow up the orphaned Saint Dio's entire estate.
After all, Saint Dio was only six at the time, and his parents had died young. In the dog-eat-dog world of the Celestial Dragons, he was practically a choice morsel delivered straight to someone's mouth.
That Celestial Dragon brought his attendants into Saint Dio's residence and forcibly grabbed Jörmungandr's hilt.
Then the nightmare descended.
Jörmungandr had long since recognized its master.
When an unfamiliar hand gripped its hilt, the slumbering mythical beast was utterly enraged.
That day, all of Mary Geoise witnessed a terrifying sight unlike anything seen since the city's founding eight hundred years earlier.
A colossal serpent that blotted out the sky raised its head above the Red Line.
Its body was vast enough to coil around the entire Holy Land, and its shadow covered more than half of Mary Geoise.
Countless slaves screamed and fled in terror, while Celestial Dragons cowered in the corners of their palaces. Before a true natural disaster, the usually lofty "descendants of the gods" were nothing more than lambs awaiting slaughter.
By the time the Five Elders joined forces to subdue the rampaging mythical beast, horrifying consequences had already ensued.
Three Celestial Dragons died on the spot, and more than a dozen suffered injuries of varying severity. As for the slaves and servants caught in the disaster, the casualties were countless, and the figures remained undisclosed.
The consequences of that rampage were far too appalling.
Three Celestial Dragons dead, more than a dozen injured, and countless slave casualties-such a tragedy was unheard of in Mary Geoise's eight-hundred-year history.
To quell public outrage and reassure everyone, the Holy Knights stepped forward to hold a public trial for Saint Dio.
On the day of the trial, nearly all the Celestial Dragons gathered at the trial grounds.
Some sat and others stood, their eyes filled with anger, fear, hatred... Those tangled emotions converged into an invisible pressure that enveloped the white-haired child of only six.
Many desperately wanted him sentenced to death immediately, his blood offered to their dead kin and his death used to settle the turmoil.
Yet the final verdict left everyone dumbfounded.
Acquitted and released.
Rumor had it that Lord Imu had personally issued the order.
Despite their countless questions, the Five Elders could only bow their heads and obey.
The moment the commander of the Holy Knights publicly declared Saint Dio innocent, a deathly silence fell over the trial grounds.
The anger on the faces of those resentful Celestial Dragons froze in an instant, then turned into a deeper fear that reached into their very bones.
They finally realized who stood behind this six-year-old, white-haired boy.
He had killed three Celestial Dragons, yet could still walk out of the trial grounds unharmed.
What did that mean? No one dared follow that thought any further.
From then on, no Celestial Dragon dared deliberately provoke Saint Dio.
Whenever they encountered him, they kept their distance as though he were a walking plague.
Saint Dio had been surprised at the time too, though after some thought, he more or less understood the reason.
Saint Dio was the Priapus Family's only remaining descendant. If he were truly executed, that family's bloodline would end completely.
After the trial, the Holy Knights invited Saint Dio to join them.
For ordinary Celestial Dragons, joining the Holy Knights was the highest honor, but Saint Dio knew perfectly well that the Holy Knights were under the absolute control of Imu's ability. Joining meant surrendering his own will.
How could he willingly put on those shackles?
As it happened, this incident had been triggered by a newly inducted member of the Holy Knights attempting to seize Jörmungandr.
Saint Dio used that as his excuse to decline the invitation politely but firmly.
His reasoning was defensible. After all, with such a scoundrel among the Holy Knights, it was perfectly reasonable for the victim to be unwilling to join them.
Moreover, he had only been six at the time, so the Holy Knights did not press too hard.
Over the following years, the Holy Knights brought up his joining several more times, but Saint Dio politely declined every time with various excuses.
Eventually, everyone grew accustomed to it.
Imu did not mention it, the Five Elders did not mention it, and neither did the Holy Knights, as though it had never happened. As long as Saint Dio did not raise the matter himself, it would probably be left unresolved.
And that had given him precious time to grow and room to develop freely.
As for Stussy, Saint Dio had personally requested her from the Five Elders.
At the time, he had just demonstrated that astonishing ability, but lacked professional personnel to handle matters for him.
The Five Elders, meanwhile, happened to need someone who could closely monitor Saint Dio's every move.
Both sides had their own agendas, yet immediately came to an agreement.
And so, Stussy was assigned to Saint Dio's side as a "Cipher Pol Aigis Zero agent."
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