XX-level Hokage

When she returned to the past, before leaving Mary Geoise, she planted a seed in Nasujuro Seishin's heart using five abilities: [Five Senses Manipulation], [Geass], [Visual Memory], [Illusion: Confusion], and [Human Path: Soul Extraction].

The original plan was to find an opportunity to release Nasujiro Sei back to Mary Geoise, and then detonate it, but he died just like that. What a pity.

Previously, Mashiro had been wondering how long the Five Elders had actually lived. The Satan of decades ago was exactly the same as he is now.

Furthermore, yesterday she had Bonney try it out, and the Age-Age Fruit couldn't control the ages of Satan and the other five. Afterwards, Mashiro used the Human Path to access Satan's memories; he had appeared 200 years ago. This means he has lived for at least several hundred years, achieving immortality in some way.

Mashiro initially thought that the five of them had been transformed into monsters by Im, like Orochimaru, thus gaining extraordinary lifespans. But now, seeing that they had become one after death, it seems they were actually human, not monsters.

However, their "immortal" power was indeed granted by Im. After all, Im could easily control their lives and then support a new surrogate at any time, just like now.

Moreover, according to Mashiro's speculation, this kind of "immortality" should be called "agelessness." This "agelessness" makes the Five Elders always maintain an old state. Their age may have been locked by Im, and their current appearance is not their true age. It is just that some force has frozen their lifespan at a certain moment.

The one capable of doing this is likely Im, the mastermind behind the Five Elders.

The only person who has truly survived from 800 years ago is Im, while the Five Elders are subordinates like Kui, whom he enhanced with his abilities.

Im could easily control the lives of the Five Elders, therefore the Five Elders were absolutely obedient to Im. One main body with four... Mashiro couldn't help but think of the Six Paths of Pain.

Furthermore, in Satan's memories, Mashiro also learned about the path to advancement for the Celestial Dragons.

God Valley is not just a large arena for the Celestial Dragons to enjoy, but consists of two parts: the arena and the selection arena.

The arena is like the Dressrosa bullring, where the Celestial Dragons put their slaves in to duel, and the winners get powerful Devil Fruits.

The selection arena is for the strongest among the Celestial Dragons.

The lucky ones among the Celestial Dragons will be selected into the Knights of God for intensive training, and then participate in the human hunting competition held every three years, which is equivalent to a graduation exam. The winners will receive powerful fruits to further enhance their combat power.

If Garin had eaten the Azure Dragon Fruit back then, his physical form would definitely be stronger than it is now. Each generation of elite knights would serve as candidates for the Five Elders, and he could successfully take over when the Five Elders made a mistake.

Becoming one of the Five Elders will bring rewards from Im.

First, you will gain immortality, which is both a blessing and a curse.

With their immortality, the Five Elders can charge into battle like war gods, seemingly invincible.

But this is also a curse. Based on the damage they have suffered, ordinary people would have died hundreds of times over. Based on the years they have lived, they have already surpassed several lifetimes. They are already dead, but are being forcibly kept alive by Im's power. As soon as Im withdraws his power, they will die immediately.

This also answers a logical question that Mashiro had been wondering about: Im's true strength is not that great, so why do the Five Elders, who have the power to see the world and are not weak themselves, not dare to disobey Im?

Because Im could kill them in an instant, as long as the Five Elders remain faithful, Im can firmly control the world.

Secondly, Im's power would greatly enhance the Five Elders' own abilities, such as allowing their Devil Fruits to awaken through shortcuts, further strengthening their power.

It can instantly elevate a fruit's power to its highest level.

Finally, Im's power had an additional benefit: since the Five Elders' power all originated from the same person, they achieved something in a certain sense.

The five elements are integrated, enabling telepathic communication and mutual summoning and teleportation.

This reminded Mashiro of the Six Paths of Pain.

The key to all of this lies with Im, but what ability does Im possess to accomplish all of this? This is what Shinji is most curious about, because she desperately wants to obtain this power of immortality.

Immortality, ah. Although she, as an Otsutsuki, had long been immortal, none of the people around her, except Kaguya, could achieve it.

"Bury these skeletons right here," Mashiro whispered, leaving the cell where the Five Elders were being held. "Yes, Lady Mashiro!"

Leaving the cell where the Five Elders were being held, Mashiro turned and walked towards another cell. As the guard opened the door to her solitary confinement cell, Mashiro quietly stepped inside.

The cell was holding a woman who appeared to be around thirty years old. She was extremely beautiful and possessed an air of nobility. She identified herself as Caroline Angong, a member of the Knights of God.

"It really is you, Izumi-no-miya, no, I should just call you the sorcerer Hyuga Mashiro." The old man, Mashiro, who was bound by the sealing technique, spoke.

"It doesn't matter what you call me, it's just a code name," Mashiro said calmly.

"You came all this way just to see me, a stray dog, is there something you want to ask?" Caroline Angong asked. "A stray dog, quite a fitting name."

"After all, it's only a matter of time before Mary Geoise is overthrown by you, isn't it?"

"So, are you planning to cooperate or not?" Mashiro asked, glancing at Caroline Anmiya.

“That depends on what question you ask,” Caroline Anko said. “I want to know the secret of Im’s granting of eternal life,” Mashiro said softly.

“You should know that. There’s no way I could know the answer to that.” Caroline Angong shook her head.

“Then, you can choose to tell me about Im’s taboos, or anything that’s different about him,” Mashiro continued. “This…”

"If your answer satisfies me, I might consider letting you go; otherwise, you'll die here," Mashiro said calmly, pinching Caroline Anmiya's chin.

Looking into her pure white, milky eyes, Caroline Angong suddenly laughed.

She really liked this feeling. "The Illusion Room."

Finally, Caroline Angong uttered a single word.

In Maria, there exists a place called the Illusion House, where soldiers are said to mysteriously disappear because they have seen it.

Caroline once heard Garin mention that Mary Geoise contains a national treasure. Eternal life combined with this national treasure would grant one real power over the world. Currently, the one who holds real power is Im, which means that Im has already obtained eternal life and is controlling that national treasure.

Chapter 197: Nefit D. Lilly

“The Illusion House?” Mashiro muttered to herself, having seen the term before in Satan’s memories.

"Besides God, this place is the most forbidden place in the entire Pangu City, even though Lord Im obtained the power of immortality through other means."

"The conversation might very well take place here," Caroline Angong continued.

"I understand. I'll let you out once everything is settled." With that, Mashiro turned and walked out of the cell.

Caroline Anmiya watched Mashiro's retreating figure. She didn't really care whether she gained her freedom or kept her life. The reason she told Mashiro these things was simply because she wanted to see what Mashiro could do.

The atmosphere on the island was both lively and tense. Kings from various countries were gathered in the conference hall, awaiting her return. They arrived gradually after the naval warships.

The "Twenty Kings" meeting officially commenced. Mashiro entered the meeting hall, and her arrival caused all the kings present to rise and pay their respects. She smiled and nodded in response, then walked straight to the head seat and sat down.

"Your Majesties, I believe you are already aware of the defeat of Admirals Sengoku, Garp, and Aokiji." Mashiro's voice was calm and firm, yet carried an undeniable power. "And this marks the end of an old era and the beginning of a new one."

The kings looked handsome, but then all revealed complicated expressions.

They knew that the power represented by Mashiro was invincible, and resistance would only increase casualties.

"Rest assured, my proposed concept of the Ocean Kingdom aims to establish a new order of peace, prosperity, and freedom," Mashiro continued. "Under this order, nations will share resources, jointly resist external enemies, and achieve true peaceful coexistence."

The kings nodded in agreement, understanding that this was the best option at the moment.

Mashiro smiled with satisfaction, then turned her gaze to King Neptune of the Mermaid Kingdom and Vivi, the acting king of Alabasta.

"Neptune, Vivi, I'm entrusting the construction of the 'Ocean Kingdom' to the two of you. I hope you can quickly develop a detailed plan and put it into practice."

“Yes, Lord Mashiro!” Neptune and Vivi answered in unison, their eyes shining with determination.

After making the arrangements, Mashiro got up and left the meeting room. Shortly after Mashiro left the meeting room, Vivi followed her.

"Lord Mashiro." He moved closer to Mashiro and said with a slight, seductive gesture.

"Why is it you here? Didn't Bra come?" Mashiro said with a light laugh, looking at Weiwei, who was wearing a blue dress.

Compared to a year ago, Weiwei is now more mature and beautiful. Her long, light blue wavy hair, which reaches her waist, is styled very smoothly, and her figure is graceful, with her hourglass shape becoming more pronounced.

"My husband hasn't been feeling well lately and was worried he wouldn't be able to handle the long journey, so he asked me to come in his place. He also asked me to convey his regards to you, Lord Mashiro," Weiwei replied.

"Is that really all?" Looking at Weiwei, Mashiro suddenly smiled, a smile tinged with ambiguity. Weiwei blushed slightly and remained silent.

He truly lives up to his title as the ruler of a nation. However, Mashiro quite likes this kind of cleverness.

"By the way, Vivi, have you ever heard of the name Nefit D. Lily?" Mashiro suddenly asked.

She suddenly remembered that when she traveled back in time before, she had mistakenly entered a garden that seemed to belong to Im.

There were two things that seemed out of place in the overall garden: a huge straw hat and a painting.

The straw hat is nothing special, just an ordinary-looking hat.

The painting is rather strange. It depicts a woman, but her face is deliberately obscured. At the very bottom of the painting, there is a line of text: Nefit D. Lilly.

At the time, Mashiro didn't pay much attention, but now that she'd met Weiwei again, she suddenly remembered that Weiwei... also had the surname Nefit. "Nefit D. Lily?! That's the name of our Nefit family's ancestor!" Weiwei exclaimed in surprise upon hearing this name.

"I only recently heard my father mention these things by chance. 800 years ago, Lily's ancestor, along with 19 other kings, created the World Government and became one of the 'Original 20'."

However, unlike other kings, she did not remain in Mary Geoise as a member of the Heavenly Dragons, but returned to her homeland to continue the name of Nefit. However, Lily's name cannot be found in historical documents after the "Void Century".

I believe that Lili's ancestor never returned to Alabasta; her brother was the later ruler of Alabasta. Three days later, Mashiro embarked alone on her journey to the Holy Land of Mary Geoise.

She was dressed in a black tracksuit, exuding a cold and powerful aura.

At this time, Mary Geoise was in turmoil. After losing the Five Elders and the Knights of God, the world nobles living in Mary Geoise were gripped by panic.

They hurriedly urged the World Government leadership to find a solution and repeatedly contacted the Navy, asking them to send more troops to protect Mary Geoise.

But all of this was in vain. The World Government's top brass were also in a state of utter panic, having placed all their hopes on Im.

They repeatedly petitioned Im for instructions, but Im seemed to have vanished without responding.

On the other hand, although the Celestial Dragons contacted the Navy, the Navy's attitude was very cold.

They didn't seem to intend to fight against Mashiro for the sake of Kanryu, after all, loyalty is futile in the face of absolute power.

Mashiro quietly arrived at the gates of Mary Geoise under the cover of night. She looked up at the towering castle that seemed to reach into the clouds. She knew that this castle held too many secrets and powers, and what she had to do was to uncover them all.

Immediately afterwards, Mashiro walked towards the castle.

The guards at the city gate tried to stop her, but Mashiro simply waved her hand, and the guards froze as if frozen in ice, unable to move.

Mashiro arrived at the castle's main hall without any hindrance. The hall was empty except for a few dim lights flickering. She looked around and then slowly walked deeper into the castle.

Suddenly, a series of hurried footsteps came from the stairs. Mashiro quickly turned around and saw a group of soldiers in black armor rushing towards her. Seeing this, Mashiro made a "one" gesture with her hand.

In an instant, all the soldiers were cut in half.

Mashiro continued forward, her figure swiftly traversing the castle, leaving a trail of death in her wake. Finally, she arrived at the deepest part of the castle—Im's palace.

The palace gates were tightly shut, as if telling some unspeakable secret, and then Mashiro pushed the gates open.

The palace was empty except for a huge throne in the center, inlaid with countless gems and pearls, radiating dazzling light. Mashiro slowly walked to the throne and sat down.

Just then, a figure suddenly appeared behind her.

Chapter 198: The Lost Century (Part 1)

"A new face," a very old voice came from behind Mashiro.

Mashiro turned her head and saw an old man in a white robe standing not far away. "Likewise, you're a new face to me too," Mashiro said calmly.

When Mashiro was living in Mary Geoise as the Queen of the Sorrowful Palace, she had met many Celestial Dragons, including the Five Elders and Im, but this was the first time she had seen this person.

“That’s normal. I’ve been imprisoned in the library by Lord Im for making a mistake and haven’t been out for hundreds of years. I only came out this time because of the riots in the royal city,” the withered old man said.