Yet Reed did not fall for it. The Five Elders immediately shifted their attitude, watching with cold detachment as Reed slaughtered the Celestial Dragons. Perhaps these people were always meant to die outside, just as Reed had suspected. To the Five Elders, these fools were never truly Celestial Dragons at all.
A king sends his princess for a political marriage; the Five Elders send disposable idiots.
When framed that way, it all makes a strange sort of sense.
And somehow, that explanation also made the whole thing feel less impressive.
As for whether the original canon would ever allow these people to escape, Reed suspected the answer was yes, because Shanks had a tattoo on his right arm.
Once marked, he would be under Imu's control, capable of being transported or erased at will. His fate would lie entirely in Imu's hands.
So why would the Five Elders not help these captives a little, release them, and use it as leverage to mend their relationship with Shanks? If seen from that angle, it made sense that Shanks would gamble his future on such a decision. After all, who really believed a random Sea King could bite the arm off a future Emperor of the Sea?
(As for those online rumors claiming Roger made some "agreement" with the World Government not to capture his crew or any other absurd stories, I never believed them. Promises made with the dead are worthless. Agreements only exist when both sides profit, which is common sense. I once heard a historical anecdote that success often begins with tragedy, and so… no, actually, forget it. Back to the story.)
Shanks fell silent for a few seconds, then lifted his gaze toward the Five Elders. A faint, meaningful smile tugged at his lips.
"All right. Since you're so eager, I will return to being a Celestial Dragon. But I don't want anyone else knowing my true identity."
Better to avoid the worst outcome.
The Five Elders found this scene familiar. They remembered: Reed had answered in this same tone when he agreed to become a Warlord of the Sea.
They glared at Reed with unspoken irritation.
Look at the kind of man you've brought into our world.
But a subtle glimmer of triumph flashed in their eyes.
Saint Saturn rose from his seat. His tone was calm and steady.
"Excellent. Shanks, you have chosen wisely. Next, we will take you deeper into Mary Geoise to receive the Blessing of the Divine, a power reserved only for the highest Celestial Dragons."
Reed, sprawled lazily across the sofa, snorted at those words.
"'Divine Blessing'? That sounds like putting a collar on a dog. Stay right here, kid."
The Five Elders' expressions tightened.
Saint Nasujuro spoke quietly.
"Reed, please watch your words. This is the tradition of the Figarland family. Since Shanks is returning, he must accept their gift, their supreme power. Otherwise, how could we maintain our rightful place above the masses?"
"A gift?" Reed let out a low laugh. The blood mist churned restlessly within him.
"You think I'm stupid? You expect me to believe that? Don't insult me. You clearly don't take me as a friend."
Saint Saturn kept his composure.
"Reed, these are simply family procedures. When Shanks rejoins the lineage, he must follow the lineage's customs. It will strengthen him. That benefits you as well."
Reed rose to his feet. The blood mist expanded in a sudden surge, the temperature in the hall plummeting.
His eyes burned into the Five Elders.
"Stop talking nonsense. Your so-called Blessing of the Divine is nothing more than that old immortal carving a sigil into Shanks so you can summon him to Mary Geoise any time you want, or crush him whenever you feel like it. You hid the Celestial Dragons this time. But if I come again, how many more days can you keep pretending they exist?"
The Elders flinched.
The captured members of Roger's crew were now the last thing they wanted to mention.
The more the topic leaned toward guilt, the more arrogant they became.
The less Reed cared, the more power he held.
Their pupils tightened. Saint Warcury instinctively took half a step back.
"How… how do you know that?"
"I guessed." Reed grinned, his eyes growing redder by the second.
"You think I'd stand by and watch you turn my brother into a puppet?"
Shanks laughed too, one hand resting lightly on the hilt of Gryphon.
"Old men, your whispers are a little too loud."
Saint Saturn slammed his staff onto the floor. His voice hardened.
"Reed, these are the rules of the Celestial Dragons! Not even you have the right to interfere!"
"Rules?" Reed burst into laughter.
"My rules are the rules."
He lifted his hand. The blood mist condensed into a massive palm and smashed the table between them into dust.
"Let me make this perfectly clear. Shanks can have the title of Celestial Dragon, but if any one of you lays a finger on him, I will turn Mary Geoise into a sea of blood."
Silence.
Cold, suffocating silence.
At last, Saint Shepherd spoke slowly.
"…We can compromise. Shanks will not receive the Divine Blessing. But you must acknowledge your status as an allied nation. This way, you will not need to pay the Celestial Tribute."
Reed turned to Shanks.
Shanks shrugged.
"It's just a title. Doesn't matter."
(Some people might think: "Are the Five Elders idiots? Isn't this just another transaction? Didn't they learn anything from the Warlord system? Their intelligence must be declining."
That is not the case. What follows is the conclusion I came to after a great deal of thought. Allow me to explain.)
When Reed first agreed to become a Warlord, he was little more than a subordinate of the Pirate King, living a modest, comfortable life. But now things were different. Reed was an Emperor of the Sea.
Why can't random influencers on the internet say whatever they want?
Because every word they speak gets dissected.
A foot soldier telling you "I want to join you" means nothing.
An Emperor of the Sea saying "I want to be your ally" means everything.
This is nothing like the Warlords.
When Reed killed Celestial Dragons, he could simply say he was no longer a Warlord. After all, he was just one person. He could carry out orders precisely, and Warlords were still pirates, so no one cared that much.
But an allied nation is a nation.
And Reed is the King of the Sea.
Even if Reed betrayed them again, it would never be out of impulse.
A machine that complex cannot turn overnight, not even for someone as strong as Reed.
This ties back to the idea I explained earlier: the Five Elders are competing with Reed to see who can outlive the other. I went into more detail back in Chapter 112, "Reed's Ambition."
Devil Fruits have many types, and giants live long lives, but One Piece canon is clear on one thing: only the awakened Op-Op Fruit can grant eternal life.
The Elders assumed Reed's extended lifespan came from the Blood Mist Fruit, but Reed has only had it for forty or fifty years, far less than a giant's lifespan.
Setting lifespan aside, their political skill is formidable.
If someone as powerful as Reed can be turned into an ally, then what about future pirates? Will they also commit atrocities just to earn the title of ally, only to be pacified afterward?
And what does Reed gain?
Shanks is just a bargaining chip.
Reed may despise the Celestial Dragons, but even he must admit the World Government is still the most powerful force in existence.
As long as Reed has not figured out his relationships with Whitebeard, Big Mom, and Kaido,
the World Government will gladly support Reed in challenging them.
Is it "internal affairs"?
Well, I already wrote earlier that both the Marines and pirates secretly collude.
Reed: Brother, I'm not strong enough. You need to help me become stronger or I can't beat Big Mom and Kaido.
Five Elders: Everything is for the sake of peace.
Some might say, "But pirates have beliefs. Beliefs cannot be traded for money or status."
Sure, Reed lost some pirates.
But by becoming an ally, he also attracted strong people like Fujitora.
When defending territories, someone like Fujitora becomes invaluable.
From our perspective, Reed will never be swayed.
But from the Five Elders' perspective, look at Reed:
After years of struggle, he became an Emperor of the Sea.
His subordinates are Celestial Dragons.
He has allied-nation status and stands equal to the World Nobles.
He has fame, influence, security, and respect.
What more could he want?
They believe that, though Roger ruined their relationship, the bond with Reed can be repaired.
Reed can rule the New World as a benevolent emperor,
while they continue to rule the world from heaven.
Even if Reed hungers for power, they will suppress him in secret.
Not because they fear him, but because the sea is unstable, and they still hold trump cards.
Meritbooks consume people, just as Reed did to Sky Islanders.
Once Reed grows accustomed to comfort, he will inevitably restore their authority.
Of course, that is the ideal scenario.
In short, they will not die, and Reed's power will fade with time.
They can be friends for decades.
No one escapes the erosion of time.
Reed: Don't say that. I really can.
What else could you possibly want?
In a sense, the moment Reed arrived in Mary Geoise, the process was no longer just about Shanks returning to the Celestial Dragons.
It was a political game between Reed and the Five Elders.
And in the end, both sides were satisfied.