The pinnacle of pirates begins with deceiving fate!

Karp murmured softly, looking up through the outstretched branches of the trees at the dappled sunlight filtering through the leaves.

The world outside is vast and boundless, magnificent and beautiful, filling people with endless longing, but it cannot accommodate the word "justice".

In an instant, Garp's mind flashed to the wanted poster for his son, Dragon, and a deep sense of powerlessness washed over him.

A middle-aged person's breakdown can happen in an instant.

When the Warring States period arrived, they saw that man of unyielding integrity sitting on the dirt path, his head bowed and his face covered, weeping silently like a helpless child.

At this moment, the long-standing dilemma of "loyalty or righteousness" in the Warring States period was instantly resolved.

“Garp…”

Sengoku slowly walked forward, sat down next to Garp, and placed his hand on Garp's shoulder without saying a word for a long time.

Friendship between men needs no words.

It's about action!

The next day

Alabasta Royal Tombs

John, who was showing Phoenix and Shuli around the mural exhibition, received a call from Pitt Saint.

"Admiral Sengoku has defected. You must immediately return to Mary Geoise to undergo the initiation ceremony of the Knights of God."

"..."

After the conversation ended and the phone call was disconnected, John fell silent.

He had considered secretly trying to force Sengoku out of the navy, but he didn't expect Sengoku to make his choice ahead of time.

You know, Sengoku is much more patient than Garp!

Moreover, the navy, like the imperial guards of his hometown, is an armed force absolutely loyal to the emperor, and everything this organization does is for the sake of peace (justice) in the world.

Is it possible for the imperial guards to rebel against the emperor?

"hiss!"

John took a deep breath, recalling that while there hadn't been a full-scale rebellion by the Imperial Guards, there had been instances of individual leaders defecting.

"As expected of someone who possesses the 'qualities of a king,' truly admirable!"

"Congratulations on joining the Knights of God and becoming Lord Im's loyal hound." Shuli, unaware of John's scheme, offered her congratulations in a sarcastic tone.

John glanced at Shuli, that old woman, and ignored her.

The initiation ceremony of the Knights of God was definitely presided over by Im himself, who also controlled the initiators by having them sign the "Deep Sea Contract".

"It would be difficult if the Five Elders were present."

John looked serious as he pondered how to get rid of those five old men.

Don't think the Five Elders are weak just because they were easily defeated in Eghardt. They simply didn't have any intention of defending themselves and were using their immortality as a form of elemental magic.

In a head-on confrontation, Luffy, with his Gear 5 form, Conqueror's Haki, and future vision, still suffered losses under Vochuri's sealed form.

Not only is its skin so thick that it can't be broken, but the flames burning on its body can also burn Luffy.

It feels like the seal's defense is stronger than Kaido's!

If those five old guys were there, John knew he absolutely couldn't win in a one-against-many situation.

"Then that's the only way."

John's eyes lit up; he had an idea.

……

Several days later

The second half of the Grand Line

The setting sun melted the entire sea into a scorching golden-red hue. The huge wooden deck of the Golden Jackson was bathed in the warm glow of the sunset. The sails were half-lowered, and the mooring ropes were casually draped over the gunwale. The sea breeze carried the salty smell of the sea, mixed with the aroma of wine, barbecue grease, and the sweet scent of fruit.

A large wooden grill was set up in the center of the deck, where the sizzling, oily meat of a giant sea monster was roasted over charcoal, with oil droplets dripping onto the embers and exploding into tiny sparks.

Dozens of barrels were scattered haphazardly across the deck, their corks lifted, and the liquor gushed out along the rims. Glass goblets, rough earthenware bowls, and hollowed-out seashells were all used to hold the liquor, which spilled into the cracks in the wooden planks, releasing a rich aroma.

This is a wild party that the pirates started to celebrate catching a strange golden fish, and they drank until they were drunk.

Suddenly, a seagull carrying a newspaper flew over the top of the ship, dropping a roll of newspaper that fell right onto the head of the drunken Roger.

Roger unfolded the newspaper, and the information that came into view instantly cleared his cloudy pupils.

"The ancient weapon 'Pluto' has appeared in Wano Country... a place the king must fight for!"

"Is the permanent pointer that points to Laugh Tale, the 'final island,' located in Wano Country?"

These messages exploded in Roger's mind like thunderclaps, making his expression extremely solemn.

Chapter 164 "Pluto, the King of the Underworld" Appears!

Roger didn't recognize the ancient script, but his Observation Haki, which allowed him to "hear the voice of all things," enabled him to sense the general content described in the Poneglyphs.

Through his adventures over the years, he has encountered several Poneglyphs and thus learned of the existence of "Ancient Weapons".

"Rayleigh, it seems we have to go to Wano Country."

"what!"

As Roger read the newspaper information aloud, Rayleigh nodded solemnly.

"Those terrifying ancient weapons must never be allowed to appear in this world!"

at the same time

Whitebeard, Big Mom, the Beasts, and other monsters also received the newspapers. Some sighed, "The sea is about to be turbulent again," and continued drinking, while others gathered their forces to form a fleet and head towards Wano Country.

However, the news did not spread across the sea, simply because the newspapers were targeted at specific groups.

It will not be made public!

In order to ensure that monsters from all over the world could arrive in Wano Country almost simultaneously, Sengoku and Garp, located in the East Blue, had already received the news two days earlier.

Naval Headquarters, Marshal's Office.

A huge relief of justice occupies the wall, making the space behind the desk seem incredibly small. The successive blows of Garp becoming a pirate and Sengoku's defection have aged him considerably.

Brubru

Brubru

Suddenly, a row of Den Den Mushi (snail phone) on the desk rang one after another, turning the empty and desolate office into a noisy mess.

When work came in, Sora quickly put aside her emotions and answered each Den Den Mushi one by one.

"Reporting to Air Marshal, the Big Mom Pirates are making a big move, frantically gathering manpower to form a fleet!"

"Reporting to Fleet Admiral Kong, the Roger Pirates have made new moves..."

"Reporting to Marshal Kong, the Beasts Pirates have met up with the long-lost Flying Pirates..."

These are all messages from surveillance ships dispatched by the Navy, which are responsible for updating the movements of various pirate crews in real time.

These messages made Kong's temples throb, and he instantly realized the seriousness of the situation.

"Follow them, we need to figure out what these pirates are up to!"

"..."

Mary Geoise

Pangu City, a place of power struggles.

"What?! Above the highest authority in your world, there is someone else?!"

On the sofa, John stared wide-eyed with an exaggerated expression, as if his worldview had collapsed.

His flustered appearance pleased the five elders greatly, as they wanted to make the "newcomer" realize his true identity through this incident.

"Let's go, I'll take you to see Lord Im."

Piet Saint donned a black cloak, put his hands in his pockets, and strode toward the door, but then suddenly remembered something and stopped, reminding John behind his back.

"When you meet Lord Im, you must be polite and not act as rashly as you usually do."

"Do...do I need to kneel down?"

John asked tentatively, looking troubled, while glancing down at the watch on his left wrist.

It's too early to go see Im now; we need to stall for time until the seeds we've sown sprout, forcing these five old guys to leave Mary Geoise.

In this way, he can launch a sneak attack on Im without signing a "deep-sea pact" when he meets him.

"Of course!"

Following the other four stars who donned black cloaks, Maz Saint was the first to give an affirmative answer.

"Lord Im is the master of the Void Throne and the creator of the world. We should naturally kneel before him."

"This...this..."

John deliberately stammered to stall for time, his face showing hesitation and struggle.

"But I've never knelt before in my life, so it's really hard for me to do. Maybe... it's better not to let me join the Knights of God."

"Nonsense!"

Standing before the closed door, Saint Piet turned around, revealing a rare expression of anger.

"Without Lord Im, there would be no World Government as we know it today. Meeting Lord Im is the ultimate dream that all Celestial Dragons yearn for but cannot attain. How can you refuse him simply because you kneel in respect!"

"Uh……"

John shrank back in fright at Piet Saint's sudden rebuke, racking his brains for an excuse to continue delaying, when he sensed an invisible aura enveloping him.

It is the color of sight and hearing.

It's that old otaku Im who's using Observation Haki to eavesdrop!

To prevent Im from being dissatisfied and interrupting the initiation ceremony, John quickly waved his hand and explained:

“That’s not what I meant. What I meant was that I felt I should take a bath to make myself clean so that I could show sufficient respect when I met Lord Im.”