The agony that had welled up from the depths of their souls had finally come to an end.
The Five Elders prostrated themselves even lower, trying to show their utmost reverence and submission.
Yet, the master of the Empty Throne remained silent, without bestowing a single decree.
Just as unease began to grow in the hearts of the Five Elders, a voice—ethereal and otherworldly, as though transmitted from the far side of the stars—suddenly echoed forth.
"Cease all activities of the World Government. Wait until I've spoken with Roya. Only then will decisions be made."
The Five Elders were visibly shaken. They dared not utter a word of dissent. In unison, they kowtowed and then kneeled as they retreated from the Hall of Flowers.
Only after leaving the chamber did their expressions gradually return to normal.
The elder with the flat black hat moved his lips several times before finally speaking first.
"Is Imu-sama planning to negotiate with Roya?"
The long-bearded elder shook his head.
"If Imu-sama has said so, then it means Roya is now operating on a level beyond our reach. Speculating is pointless."
"Let us simply obey Im-sama's instructions and suspend all World Government operations."
The elder with the curled mustache asked,
"What about Vegapunk's experiments? We just provided him with a massive amount of resources and freedom."
The blond elder replied impatiently,
"Vegapunk has never truly belonged to the World Government. Leave him be!"
With that, the Five Elders quickly dispersed, each heading toward key departments of the World Government.
On the land of Wano, not a single trace of the battle from the Night of Fire remained.
The residents of the City of Fortune had long since returned to normal, thanks to Roya's healing.
Now, the brilliant smiles on their faces were genuine—true expressions of joy from the heart.
All the heavily polluting SeasStone factories had been shut down. With Kaido and Orochi both completely dead, every element that had once poisoned the land was now a thing of the past.
Roya had subtly manipulated the environment to separate the pollutants from the soil.
As a result, Wano's earth was once again fertile and arable, returning to the peaceful, self-sustaining country it once was.
Kozuki Hiyori walked arm-in-arm with Roya through the countryside and mountains, her heart filled with gratitude as she gazed at the citizens working diligently in the fields.
Though the country had been deeply scarred by Kaido and Orochi's long rule…
Under Roya's protection, the future was certain to be filled with peace and happiness.
But in the midst of this idyllic scene, Roya suddenly felt a strange tremor in his heart.
He gently let go of Hiyori's arm and smiled.
"Wait for me here. I'll be back soon."
With those words, he vanished in a flash, leaving the main island behind and appearing over the open sea.
The moment he landed, a powerful will—so tangible it resembled Conqueror's Haki—came crashing toward him.
Roya snorted coldly. His Observation Haki domain instantly unfolded, forcefully clashing against the incoming spiritual pressure.
Sensing Roya's indomitable presence, the will hesitated and suddenly halted.
Roya, sensing this, retracted his domain without pushing further.
Then, under the influence of that will, the air began to ripple slightly, forming a voice that could be heard by human ears.
"Greetings, Roya. I am the sovereign of this world—Imu."
"For certain reasons, I am unable to leave the Empty Throne. So I ask you to come to Mary Geoise, and meet with me in person."
"Because with your power, you now deserve to learn the truth of this world."
With that, the presence vanished, without waiting for Roya's response.
Roya furrowed his brow, but without delay, flashed back to Hiyori's side.
Only this time, another figure had joined her—a red-haired, one-armed young man.
One of the Four Emperors, captain of the Red-Haired Pirates: Shanks.
Roya had already sensed his arrival, so he wasn't surprised. But he still spoke with a touch of irritation.
"Showing up like that is dangerous."
Shanks, uncharacteristically solemn, looked at Roya with deep concern.
"No, it's what you're doing that's truly dangerous."
"That person… must've just offered to tell you the truth of the world, right?"
Roya shrugged.
"If you understand where I came from, then you'd know that whatever this so-called 'truth' is, it won't be a burden to me."
He paused, then smiled.
"So don't worry. I'm not like you—someone who had to force a smile for over twenty years after learning a truth too cruel to bear."
Shanks was momentarily stunned, then gave a familiar, gentle smile.
"I see. Seems I never really understood you after all."
He turned toward Hiyori and said,
"Lady Shogun, may I remain in Wano for a few days? I'd like to visit the Flower Capital, Mt. Fuji, and some of your country's famous sights."
Hiyori was momentarily confused by the request, but then suddenly realized the truth:
Shanks wasn't here to sightsee—he was offering to guard Wano in Roya's place.
Turning anxiously toward Roya, she asked:
"Roya-san… are you leaving?"
Roya nodded with a smile.
"I'm going to Mary Geoise. I'll be back soon."
"That person came to invite me personally—if I didn't go, it wouldn't feel right."
With that, he gave Shanks a slight nod—and his figure vanished like smoke in the wind.
Hiyori turned to Shanks, her face filled with tension.
"Lord Shanks… what is the truth of this world?"
Shanks let out a deep sigh and shook his head.
"There are some things… once known, become nightmares you can never wake from."
"So, Lady Shogun, it's better if you never find out."
Hiyori's face darkened for a moment, but then lit up with hope.
"If anyone can end that nightmare, it's Lord Roya!"
Shanks paused for a beat, then nodded silently.
"Let's hope so."
Within the Hall of Flowers, Roya's form slowly materialized.
There, a figure stood—shrouded entirely in a black cloak, even their head wrapped in an unusually shaped hood. Only a pair of crimson eyes and a wisp of silver hair peeked through.
They extended a single gloved finger, toying with two fluttering butterflies.
There was something strange about the finger—as though it exerted an irresistible pull. No matter how much the butterflies struggled to fly away, they could not escape its range, endlessly circling, helpless and resigned.
Their graceful dance was as beautiful as it was tragic.
At last, Im seemed to notice Roya's arrival—or perhaps had simply grown bored of the butterflies.
With a flick of the finger, the two creatures were reduced to dust.
Turning to Roya, Im spoke in a voice impossible to distinguish as male or female:
"Thank you for coming. Would you like a tour of my throne?"
They gestured toward the long, lifeless staircase at the far end of the Hall of Flowers.