"Ugh————"
Bullet's veins nearly burst upon hearing such an extremely sarcastic remark. The veins on his neck bulged, and his eyes turned bloodshot.
Instantly, a deep blue aura erupted from his massive and robust body, intertwined with flickering streaks of lightning.
However, the aura was suppressed the moment it left his body, barely an inch away, forced to cling tightly to his skin. While it slightly eased Bullet's breathing, he still couldn't move a single finger.
"Cough, you! You... you're the real, cough cough, the real strongest?!"
Bullet's forehead pressed against the red carpet as he gritted his teeth, word by word, asking the question. Yet, his body continued to exert every ounce of strength in an attempt to stand up.
At the same time, he roared furiously in his heart, at least, at least let me raise my head, damn it!!! In truth, if he had just obediently knelt and kept his head down, the immense pressure on him would have lessened, sparing him this agony. But doing so would mean complete submission.
"Ten years."
Imu, on the other hand, ignored the question and coldly spoke his own words.
"Within ten years, you may challenge Garp once a year. If you can defeat him within this decade, I will grant you one chance to challenge me. Until then, you will obey the orders of the World Government."
"Hahaha, then, what if I win? What if I defeat you?!!"
Bullet snarled through clenched teeth.
"Then you will be the strongest in the world."
"Ha—ha—, fine. Fine, I accept this deal!"
Bullet grinned, revealing the most crazed smile, and shouted fiercely, "But! But I'll only take orders from you! No one else can command me!!!"
This roar was filled with extreme defiance.
Suddenly, accompanied by the eruption of his deep blue Conqueror's Haki.
It surged like a rolling tidal wave, engulfing the entire hall.
Continuously crashing against the three-tiered high platform ahead, yet the latter stood as immovable as Mount Tai.
"Hmm?"
At that moment, Bullet suddenly realized the immense pressure on him had vanished.
This allowed him to stand up immediately, then, with bloodshot eyes, he fiercely raised his head to look at the Empty Throne.
Only to find it empty, with nothing but the cold, clear moonlight shining upon it.
"So this is the true strongest in the world, huh? Hahahaha, impressive, truly impressive!"
A strange scene unfolded.
The anger and madness on Bullet's face quickly subsided, and he looked at the Empty Throne, throwing his head back in wild laughter.
Because he felt he had witnessed the power of the world's strongest.
And his body had deeply memorized the might of such power.
Sooner or later, he too would possess such strength!
At this moment.
Whether it was Roger or Garp.
They were no longer the ultimate peaks he sought to surpass in his heart, but merely distant stepping stones along the way!
"Ten years?"
"Hmph, I'll defeat Garp within five years, just you wait!"
Bullet turned around confidently, looking toward the automatically opened grand door, where a familiar white figure slowly appeared. He sneered:
"Yo, long time no see."
"According to the orders of the Five Elders, I will now take you to the Army Headquarters and inform you of what you need to do next," the Man in White said, his tone as cold and emotionless as ever.
"The Army?"
Bullet frowned, surprised. "I thought I'd be dressed like you!"
"You're not worthy of that yet."
"You!"
Bullet was furious, but he had no choice but to suppress his anger, given the other's strength. At that moment, under the moonlight, he suddenly noticed that his shadow had returned.
"Hey, aren't you afraid I'll just run away?"
"The Five Elders have decreed that you only have one chance. If we catch you, you'll be executed on the spot. You can gamble with your life, but only once."
Hearing this, Bullet's mouth twitched slightly. He had just witnessed the pinnacle of power and was still burning with excitement. He didn't want to die just yet.
The two of them walked out of the Void Palace one after the other, then exited Pangaea Castle. Under the vast expanse of stars and the enormous full moon, they hurried toward the so-called Army Headquarters.
Meanwhile, in the Chamber of Power.
"Bullet is joining the Army. What rank are you planning to give him?" Topman Warcury Saint asked, turning to Ethanbaron V. Nusjuro beside him.
The latter replied with a serious expression, "What else but Lieutenant General?"
"And when he reaches that level, what will you do then? I remember the Army has never had the position of General," Jaygarcia Saturn Saint inquired.
Currently, the Army was only responsible for guarding the Red Line Continent, the Nation of Bridges, and some secret bases. It didn't require excessively high combat power, so there was no Army General. Instead, the Army's high-level affairs were managed by the Commander-in-Chief of the Three Armed Forces.
"It seems you haven't carefully read the military section of the reform plan."
Ethanbaron V. Nusjuro glanced at him expressionlessly. Jaygarcia Saturn Saint shrugged, "I'm least interested in military matters."
"Hmph, whether you're interested or not, you should still read Lord Imu's reform plan carefully and commit it to memory!" The former's eyes flashed with anger.
Jaygarcia Saturn Saint frowned, disliking the other's attitude. He thought the man was overly fanatical.
Among the various departments of the World Government, the Court of Justice and Enies Lobby had always been the weakest. Naturally, the Elder responsible for these areas was also the lowest in status among the Five Elders.
So, he was now eagerly hoping that the Police Affairs Department would be established quickly. Once it grew in scale, the Court of Justice would have its own armed forces.
For now, he could only continue to endure.
Fortunately, Ethanbaron V. Nusjuro only said that much and didn't press further. He spoke gravely, "According to Lord Imu's reform plan, the Army will also have three Generals in the future, as well as an Army Commander-in-Chief."
"What about the Commander-in-Chief of the Three Armed Forces?"
"Eliminated. The Navy Commander-in-Chief and the Army Commander-in-Chief will both be incorporated into the future Military Affairs Department, directly discussing the highest-level military meetings with me!"
"But where will we find the people for that?"
Topman Warcury Saint shook his head and chuckled, "If it weren't for the sudden appearance of Sakazuki and the other two, the Navy wouldn't even have three Admirals by now. In my opinion, your Army's Marshal and Admirals will remain vacant for quite some time."
"The proposal mentions that if necessary in the future, the Army will be allowed to conduct a worldwide conscription, and even transfer officers from the Navy who are more suited for the Army," Ethanbaron V. Nusjuro Saint said indifferently.
"Worldwide conscription?"
"Transferring Navy personnel to the Army?"
The other four exchanged glances, thinking to themselves, "This is another move by Lord Imu to balance the Navy's power. In the future, the Army's influence will grow stronger, reaching a point where it can rival the Navy."
"So, your Government Affairs Office needs to hurry up."
Topman Warcury Saint looked puzzled and turned to Ethanbaron V. Nusjuro Saint, asking, "What do we need to hurry up with regarding your military affairs?"
The latter, holding the First Generation Kitetsu, closed his eyes and calmly replied, "In the future, the Army's scale will expand, and its influence will grow stronger. I feel that the current Army headquarters is no longer sufficient. We should hurry to rebuild one, at least on par with Marineford."
"Isn't building the headquarters the responsibility of your Government Affairs Office's Construction Department?"