Holy Land, Mary Geoise.
Located atop the Red Line, it's said to be the dwelling place of the gods—
But in truth, it's simply the ancestral home of the Celestial Dragons.
The Red Line, cutting off the seas with its towering height, gives anyone standing here the feeling of reigning supreme over the world.
Naturally, that's exactly how the Celestial Dragons see it.
Ever since the twenty kings founded the World Government, the royal families who styled themselves as Celestial Dragons gradually grew more and more arrogant.
They claimed to be the descendants of gods, while all others were mere lowly insects. With control over numerous violent institutions, they wielded absolute power over the world.
And above the Elders, there existed one with even higher status—
Once one of the original twenty kings, yet now seated upon the Empty Throne, where no one was meant to sit—
Saint Imu.
Eternal. Mysterious. All-knowing.
Even when the seas roiled in chaos, it hardly stirred His heart. It was as if He were merely watching insects scurrying about.
...
In the Room of Flowers—
A tall, slender figure, face obscured by a crown, stood silently. Their gaze was cold as they looked down upon the five highest authorities of the world, kneeling before them—without a hint of surprise in their eyes.
Those piercing red concentric-ringed eyes were every bit as intimidating as Mihawk's—perhaps even more so.
"Imu-sama..."
The five Elders, usually lofty and untouchable, were now bowing, kneeling low and pressing their foreheads to the floor.
Orin, arms crossed, had already appeared silently in the shadows, hidden behind one of the pillars, quietly observing.
A crimson gleam flashed in his eyes as he tried to peer into the future, guarding against any unexpected events.
But...
There was nothing.
Imu showed no reaction. He merely sat upon the Empty Throne, listening silently to the Elders' regular report. Whether He simply didn't care, or hadn't noticed Orin's presence, was unclear.
But it was likely the latter. After all, in the original plot, whether due to negligence or intentional suppression of Observation Haki, the Elders had also failed to detect Sabo's intrusion.
Imu's power likely wasn't based purely on overwhelming strength...
Or rather—
Imu might be strong, but not to the extent that He could crush the sea's top fighters without contest.
Otherwise, how could someone like Sabo—who hadn't even mastered Conqueror's Haki Infusion or awakened his Devil Fruit—possibly escape a coordinated assault from the Elders and Imu combined?
Facing the Elders' report, Imu seemed disinterested. At least, Orin hadn't heard Him say a single word.
He just sat there on the throne, as if lost in thought.
Managing the world—that was the Elders' responsibility. As the King of the World, He wouldn't bother unless a major mistake occurred.
Even when the Elders came to meet with Him, it was usually only to confirm certain messages or to inquire about matters He cared about.
"That Fruit... still not found?"
"This..."
The Elders below immediately began to sweat, bowing their heads in shame.
"Imu-sama, we've dispatched countless CP agents to search the globe, utilizing every intelligence network and spy available, but we still haven't uncovered any leads..."
"Hmm... As expected."
There was no disappointment in His tone. Imu understood. The Nika Fruit was hiding from them—guided by some mysterious will.
"But please rest assured. We are in close contact with the world's Devil Fruit traffickers and black market dealers, working to uncover the Fruit's location as soon as possible."
"We've already built a close relationship with the biggest leader among them—Orin. From here on, our progress should accelerate significantly..."
Saint Saturn gave his report, even dropping Orin's name directly, presenting his case like a diligent employee hoping to please his boss.
Orin curled his lip at this.
He collected Devil Fruits purely as a hobby. For all he knew, the Nika Fruit might be actively avoiding him.
Orin loved enjoying the chaos—not becoming part of it by laughing and dancing like a lunatic all day long.
And they expected him to work for free?
Still... it might be worth trying. Orin was curious to see which would prevail—Nika's so-called destiny, or his own fists.
Could it actually run away from him?
"...Orin?"
Imu finally reacted to the name. Perhaps from living in seclusion too long, He seemed genuinely intrigued to hear a new name from the Elders.
After all, not just anyone was worth mentioning before Imu.
The last one...
Wasn't it someone called Rocks?
That one had caused immense damage—killed a number of Celestial Dragons too.
...
But before they could discuss further, two sets of footsteps suddenly echoed from the entrance.
Orin had seen it coming and vanished in a flash.
When the two figures reached the platform and knelt down, Orin reappeared once more.
"This is... tch—Shamrock?"
For a moment, Orin nearly mistook it for Shanks acknowledging his lineage here in the Holy Land.
But he instantly realized something was off.
It wasn't the same person. But the resemblance was uncanny.
Judging by aura alone, the young Shamrock shouldn't be any weaker than Shanks—despite not having seen his brother in four years.
As for the other—
With his crescent-moon hairstyle and red hair, he bore a striking resemblance to the two brothers as well.
This had to be none other than the rightful successor to Rayleigh and the ruined Golden Lion—the strongest swordsman of the previous generation:
Saint Figarland Garling.
It must've been prearranged. Neither the Elders nor Imu showed any particular reaction to the arrival of this father and son duo.
...
At this moment, Shamrock stood proud.
But whether from his father's prior instruction or his own awareness of the ancient one's presence, he slowly knelt and paid his respects.
"Garling, is this the boy you've chosen to be the future successor of the God Knights?"
Saint Ethanbaron V. Nusjuro, holding a cursed blade, eyed the talented young Shamrock and spoke first.
"Ah, Shamrock has a report to make to Imu-sama."
Clearly, the Elders already knew why they'd come.
They also understood that Garling was paving the way for Shamrock, so he could eventually inherit the position of God Knights Commander.
"Speak."
Imu remained uninterested, but since this was the God Knights—their own royal guard—He still listened patiently.
"I request a special exception to allow a few monstrous geniuses from the sea to join the God Knights."
Shamrock was still young, bold, and full of vision.
And his request was logical and well-reasoned, convincing even the many high-ranking figures present.
In exchange for powerful forces from the sea, all they had to give up—
Was a single Celestial Dragon "title" with no heir. It wasn't like any of them were that petty.
"It seems... you've been planning this for a while?" Saint Topman Warcury asked in a low voice.
"Yes," Shamrock replied, his face identical to Shanks's, now brimming with confidence—and faintly exuding a kingly aura.
"In fact, I already have a target in mind—one of the true monsters roaming the sea today."
"Who?"
"Orin!!!"
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