"Buggy… this Nerona Imu—she couldn't possibly be the same one you mentioned before… the ruler of the Void Throne, the one who's ruled the world for over 800 years, right?"
When Dragon voiced the question, the name that had been buried in the back of everyone's minds resurfaced like a ghost breaking the surface of a still sea.
Nerona Imu.
Buggy had spoken that name not long ago—the sovereign of the Holy Land, Mary Geoise. The woman who sat atop the Void Throne in the grand Pangaea Castle.
The true King of the World.
And now, that same name—etched again and again throughout Robin's research into the Blank Century—was beginning to take center stage. Until now, they had only regarded her as the "Minister of Science for the Sun God Kingdom." A footnote in the grand empire.
But suddenly, all the puzzle pieces began snapping into place.
"If you look at it that way… doesn't everything line up!?" Ivankov cried, clutching his head.
Yes!
Exactly!
The realization sent a jolt through the room.
"That Imu... she really lived for over 800 years?" Kalifa muttered.
Law narrowed his eyes and spoke softly, almost to himself."Did someone… perform the Perennial Youth Operation on her?"
"It's the only explanation," Hogback chimed in, hoisting Princess Mansherry onto his shoulder as he threw his arms wide. "I mean, who could resist the temptation of immortality? Especially someone like Imu… a rebel with an empire-sized ambition."
He jabbed a finger into the air dramatically.
"If she didn't want to live forever, the Ope Ope no Mi wouldn't be hyped to high heaven! A fruit worth five billion berries? Enough to buy Whitebeard's head?"
His words sank in. Heads nodded. Eyes widened.
Just imagining it—the idea of someone surviving for eight centuries—made Imu feel even more ominous. Less a monarch and more a myth.
"If she's really lived that long," Bullet said, voice buzzing with dangerous energy, "how strong is she now? Stronger than Buggy?"
Swish.
Everyone turned to Buggy in unison.
Buggy casually raised his hands and shrugged."What's the big deal? We'll find out soon enough—once we personally pay a visit to Mary Geoise."
The entire room sucked in a collective breath.
There it was again—that Buggy flair for theatrics. The kind of grandstanding that made your heart race and your sense of reason go sprinting for the hills.
Leave it to Captain Buggy to talk about storming the Holy Land like he was announcing a festival.
Laughter erupted.
But then... they noticed. Buggy wasn't laughing.
He stared back at them, calmly. And after a few moments of stunned silence, the six Vegapunks turned to him with pale faces, speaking in eerie unison:
"You're… serious?"
Buggy simply crossed his arms. "What do you think?"
Silence.
A heavy, breathless stillness fell over the room. They were pirates. Lunatics. Maniacs, even. But this? Even the boldest among them hadn't seriously considered attacking Mary Geoise. Not like this. Not head-on.
Not even the Rocks Pirates had dared it—only striking Celestial Dragons in secret during the incident at God Valley. And Rocks had paid with his life.
They all wanted to object. To question. To stop him. But none of them could find the words.
At that moment, Boa Hancock rose from her seat with an elegant snort. Her eyes locked on Buggy as she lifted her chin with regal defiance.
"Hmph! So what if it's the Holy Land? Buggy, I shall follow you to the very end!"
"I'm going too!" S-Snake jumped up, hand raised high in the air like an eager student.
Buggy couldn't help but smile.
Bullet grinned as well, cracking his knuckles with anticipation."Seriously, don't go comparing Buggy to Rocks. That's like comparing an Island whale to a simple whale."His gaze swept over the room. "Even Dragon wants to storm the Holy Land and make the Celestial Dragons bleed."
Little Hawkeye unsheathed the smaller Yoru, its edge gleaming. He smiled with unsettling cheer. "Then I'll use the blood of the Celestial Dragons to earn myself a spot among those who bring the change in eras."
"Celestial Dragon zombies… now that's got a ring to it," Gekko Moria said, licking his lips. Ever since Kaido's fall, the weight on his heart had vanished—along with a good chunk of literal weight. His once-bloated frame had trimmed down, his Haki had sharpened, and while he still lacked a Conqueror's aura, his Armament and Observation had climbed to elite Vice Admiral levels.
"If we're going to fight, then let's do it quickly," Crocodile muttered, exhaling smoke through clenched teeth. "The Empire still has infrastructure projects that need my attention."
That earned a round of laughter.
"Didn't know public works was so addictive," Lucci snorted.
"Wherever the captain goes, I go too. Hehehe," San Juan Wolf rumbled, scratching his oversized head.
"You're all mad," Gabban said, shaking his head with a chuckle. "But fine. I'll start prepping a few more reef islands—just in case we need cover."
The room buzzed with laughter and chaotic excitement. No one in the Buggy Pirates seemed to treat a direct assault on the Holy Land like a death sentence. If anything, they looked forward to it like an evening stroll.
The revolutionary army members watching were speechless.
Buggy... truly wasn't Rocks.
Where Rocks had ruled through fear and dominance, Buggy inspired madness through unity. Through loyalty. Through absurd, infectious charisma.
"If you're already set on this," Dragon finally said with a smile, "then I'll return and summon the commanders of the Revolutionary Army. We'll fight together."
"Wait, Dragon—are you serious?" Ivankov's eyes bulged in shock.
Buggy's crew turned their heads as one, equally surprised.
Dragon nodded, expression unwavering."Ivan… if even this alliance can't take down the Celestial Dragons, then this world has no future."
"Well said!" Buggy burst out laughing as he stood."In that case, let's begin the final preparations!"
"Final preparations?" Doringo blinked, confused.
Buggy turned toward the massive window of Pluton's bridge, golden light spilling over his coat as he smirked.
"Don't you think it'd be thrilling if we made this location public?"
Crash.
The moment the words left his lips, the room exploded in an uproar.
"HAH?!"
"Hahahahaha! That's so like you, Captain Buggy!"
"You mean… Raftel? You're going to publicly reveal Raftel?! Are you insane?!"
"The sea's big names are going to lose their minds!"
"This time, we're not just opposing the government—we're declaring war on the whole damn world!"
But amid the storm of excitement, a quieter voice broke through. Dragon, more composed than most, tilted his head and asked, "Buggy… what's the point of revealing Raftel now?"
Buggy turned, flashing a grin that could outshine the sun.
"To bring an end to the era of great pirates."
Dragon's eyes widened in disbelief.
And one by one, the laughter died.
The room grew still, like the world was holding its breath.
Red Line.
Holy Land — Mary Geoise.
Pangaea Castle, Five Elders' Council Chamber.
A thick silence weighed over the chamber like an executioner's blade.
"I don't know why," murmured Topman Warcury, fingers steepled before his face, "but I have a gnawing sense of unease…"
"No signal for days from Egghead Island. Completely severed. How is that even possible?" grunted Marcus Mars, his voice sharp with suspicion.
"Wait one more day," said Ethanbaron V. Nusjuro, his eyes narrowing beneath his kabuto-like helmet. "The CP0 unit I dispatched should arrive at Egghead shortly."
"I can't even begin to imagine what happened," Shepherd Ju Peter growled, his fingers twitching on the table. "You're telling me Saturn can't even return a call? You still think this is just signal interference?"
Thump. Thump.
A sudden knock echoed through the chamber, taut with tension.
"Report, Lords of the Five Elders—Marine Fleet Admiral Akainu requests an audience."
"Let him in," Warcury commanded.
Creak. The great doors groaned open.
Sakazuki entered with a scowl carved deep into his face. His presence was like a thundercloud—ominous and unrelenting. He didn't bother with formality.
"What the hell did you do to push Vegapunk into defecting?"
BOOM.
All four present, Gorōsei shot up, Haki flaring like a sudden typhoon. The air trembled. Pressure crashed into the room like a wave of death. Akainu's pupils shrank, his fists tightening as a cold sweat crept down his spine.
He had never—never—felt Haki like this from them. Not even during the Reverie.
So these old men… weren't just bureaucrats. They were monsters.
A flicker of alarm crossed his face—but he didn't back down.
"What are you implying, Sakazuki?" Nusjuro's hand rested on the hilt of his blade, and the sound of crackling filled the air—lightning dancing across his fingers.
Akainu ground his teeth and stood firm. "I'm stating facts. You've found nothing yet, have you?"
He slammed a report on the table.
"Two days ago, Egghead Island appeared inside the Crimson Empire's territorial sea. Our reconnaissance team investigated. Vegapunk told them the World Government sent assassins to kill him."
He glared at them, his voice rough like gravel. "So he fled. Said the only place safe from you bastards was with Buggy."
"He defected to Buggy! Do you even understand what that means?! You want to kill the smartest man on the planet? Do you know how many miracles that man's created?"
"Do you know how valuable he is?! Or have you all gone senile sitting in this marble tomb?!"
He took one threatening step forward. "Was he too difficult to control, so you tried to have him eliminated—and failed?!"
His voice dropped into a growl. "Then resign. All of you."
CRASH.
Nusjuro slammed the table aside with a roar. "Vegapunk tampered with forbidden knowledge—he probed into the Void Century! That alone makes him a liability! Kill him, and we'll raise another genius with the Nomi-Nomi no Mi. The Government doesn't need traitors!"
Akainu flinched at the outburst, but before he could speak again, Warcury's voice cut through like ice.
"We've been too patient," he said darkly. "Too obsessed with maintaining 'balance' across the seas."
He stood. "This clown—Buggy—is becoming far too bold. If it's war he wants, then war he shall have. So he shelters those who can't see the writing on the wall? Then he'll drown in his own arrogance."
"Indeed," sneered Shepherd Ju Peter, finally breaking his silence. "Let's wipe him off the map. New World's full of Supernovas dying for a spot in the Four Emperors' club. One less emperor means one more throne to fill."
Akainu remained silent, but inside, his thoughts seethed.
If you're all so damn capable… why do the other Emperors still breathe? Why are the Revolutionaries making a fool of you across half the world?
And who picks up the pieces every time? Us. The Marines. Always us.
But of course, as the World Government's attack dog-in-chief, Sakazuki knew better than to say any of that aloud. So he simply gave a curt nod, turned on his heel, and went to leave the room.
Just as the Five Elders were discussing how best to eliminate Buggy with cold confidence and no small amount of glee, a thunderous clatter of boots interrupted the chamber.
Several CP0 agents burst in, visibly shaken, their masks unable to hide the panic in their movements.
"L-Lord Gorosei! Urgent news!"
Their sudden intrusion drew immediate ire.
"What could possibly shake a CP0 agent to this degree? Pathetic!" snarled Warcury, his tone like sharpened steel.
"Bastards! Do you even know where you are? Barging into the council chamber like common dogs?"
"Have you no shame?" Peter Saint hissed. "You disgrace the name of the Celestial Dragons!"
But even as the elders' fury flared, Akainu's instincts whispered danger. His jaw tightened.
He narrowed his eyes. "Enough posturing. Out with it. What's happened?"
The lead CP0 agent straightened, regaining composure under Sakazuki's glare. With trembling hands, he placed a massive transponder snail on the table—its screen already crackling with static and a faint video feed.
"Lords... please. You must see this for yourselves."
He swallowed hard.
"This time… I fear the world really will be plunged into chaos."
He took a deep breath and then said the unthinkable:
"That godslayer… Buggy the Clown… he's broadcasting live—from Raftel."
Silence.
Then—
"WHAT?!"
The very air trembled with the Five Elders' unified roar, their chairs scraping back in shock.
Even Akainu froze, his eyes wide. The name struck like thunder.
Raftel. The final island. The legend. The place where the Pirate King had buried his treasure.
And now… the stage for a clown.
The impossible had just been made real, on a live broadcast.
And for the first time in decades, the Five Elders found themselves not in control, but witnesses.
---
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