The pinnacle of pirates begins with deceiving fate!

Upon hearing this, the five elders exchanged glances, and after a brief exchange of glances, nodded.

You can't just refuse because you think it's too much trouble, saying, "Go there all dirty, Lord Im won't mind."

They dared not speak.

"Thank you so much!"

John got up from the sofa, bowed and scraped to the Five Elders with a grin, appearing extremely humble and obedient.

Only then did he step out of the door with measured steps and slowly walk out.

The Navy should have just received the news, and it will take some time for them to verify the pirates' specific movements and intentions.

After confirming the intentions, the Navy realized that this incident could not be decided by the Navy alone, so they reported it to the Five Elders from the air.

What John wanted to hold back was this process.

He believed that the appearance of the "Ancient Weapon" Pluto, and the fictional Laugh Tale Perpetual Pointer, would force the Five Elders to intervene personally.

Therefore, Wano Country has no choice but to sacrifice itself and become the battlefield for this massive conflict.

However, out of respect for life, John had previously sent Morgans to deliver a message via seagulls, instructing the current Shogun of Wano Country, Kozuki Sukiyaki, to evacuate the people.

Whether that old tengu man, Kozuki Sukiyaki, would believe it or not, and whether he would seriously send the people of Wano Country to hide in the mountains, was none of John's business.

The responsibility has already been shifted.

The Land of Harmony, the Capital of Flowers.

Blue sky and white clouds, cherry blossoms falling.

The three-story, double-eaved castle tower, supported by a giant, arched ancient pine tree, is the residence of the ruler of this country, the general's mansion.

Inside the room guarded by elite samurai, a middle-aged man with a red tengu-like nose knelt on the tatami mat, holding a letter in his hand, unable to make up his mind.

"The messenger knows about the existence of 'Pluto,' could he be trying to trick me?"

Kozuki Sukiyaki was conflicted; he was reluctant to believe it and didn't want to cause the trouble of evacuating the people.

But the other party mentioned "Pluto" in his mind, which made him take it seriously.

But if the people are evacuated because of this, wouldn't that be an admission that "Pluto" is buried in Wano Country?

"Father."

A deep voice rang out, and Kozuki Oden, then twenty-five years old, strode past the guards into the room with an unrestrained gait.

Kozuki Oden knelt down, looked Kozuki Sukiyaki up and down, his face scrunched up like a chrysanthemum, and asked in confusion:

"My subordinates told me that you've locked yourself in your room for several days. Are you ill?"

Chapter 165 On the Eve of the Decisive Battle

"It's Oden."

When asked questions, Kozuki Sukiyaki selectively avoided them, looking at her perfect offspring with a look of satisfaction.

Born with the Observation Haki "Hear the Voice of All Things," he was able to control "Enma" from a young age, which could spontaneously release Ryuo (a type of magical aura). He possessed the "King's Qualification," and at the age of fifteen, he secluded himself in a temple, abducting different women every night for a life of pleasure...

This is a real man, quite like Kozuki Sukiyaki in his youth!

"Father?"

Seeing that Kozuki Sukiyaki's eyes were gradually becoming glazed over, Oden raised his hand and waved it in front of his eyes.

Sukiyaki snapped out of her daze, crumpled the letter in her hand into a ball, threw it away, and shook her head.

"I'm fine, I'm just practicing meditation."

Seeing her son, Sukiyaki realized that there was nothing to hesitate about or weigh.

The mission of the Kozuki clan is to convey the truth of a hundred years ago and to protect "Pluto" while waiting for the opening of the kingdom. For this, everything in the world is worth sacrificing, and the people will support and understand him.

Therefore, the people must not be evacuated, otherwise he will fall into the trap set by the letter writer and be tricked into revealing the fact that "Pluto" exists in Wano Country.

……

Mary Geoise

Inside a bathhouse in Pangu City.

This private bathroom, reserved for high-ranking Celestial Dragons, is located at the top of this giant city, with a ceiling height of over ten meters and a spacious interior resembling a small palace.

The entire house is paved with a single piece of warm white jade stone, and the walls are inlaid with milky white marble. The corners are decorated with gilded vine reliefs, engraved with patterns exclusive to the world's nobles for eight hundred years and the emblem of the soaring dragon's hoof.

Steam rose from the huge central pool. John sat in the warm water with his back against the edge, trying his best to calm down, but his heart was pounding uncontrollably.

He got nervous as the moment approached.

How could he not be nervous? He had staked everything on it, and if he lost, he would not only lose everything, but his life would also be in danger.

"This damn heart is beating like it did when I first climbed the adult steps."

John chuckled self-deprecatingly, but his heart remained uncomfortably pounding.

He raised an eyebrow, suddenly having a way to relieve his tension.

Let's have a go!

But John quickly suppressed the thought. The duel was about to begin, and what if his legs went weak because of it?

Hold on!

"Hiss~ Whoosh!"

Taking a deep breath to calm himself, John began to review the series of arrangements in his mind.

The escape route for the loser has already been arranged, ensuring that Huang, Reid, Shuri, and others remain uninvolved, while Mimi can continue to remain hidden within the World Government.

As for winning...

He prepared a lot over the past three months. First, he stockpiled a batch of high-purity sea stone and fused it with high-strength alloy to make fine particles.

This move will be crucial if Im fears Seastone.

As for the others, that stupid bird is waiting at 10,000 meters in the air, ready to swoop down and gang up on Im at any time.

The green blood from the reaction fruit within his body was also fully replenished, enough for a day and a night of fighting. Even if it was exhausted, he could use lightning to recharge and replenish it.

Finally, the body still uses the bloodline factors of the Lunaria clan, allowing for both offense and defense to be switched at will.

"The most important thing is not to stand still and take the attack, you have to dodge, dodge!"

John raised his hand and patted his cheeks, forcing himself to give himself a positive self-talk.

Taking the attack head-on is the stupidest approach; Rocks in the past, and Ace and Garp in the future, are all cautionary tales.

If Ace had knocked Luffy away with a fiery punch during the Marineford War, Akainu's punch would have missed completely, and there would have been no need for him to block it.

Garp, why didn't he just smash the deserter king away with a rock?

"Don't try to block it, don't try to withstand it!"

Just as John was reinforcing his strong self-affirmation, the Den Den Mushi (snail phone) placed on the edge of the pool rang.

Without a doubt, at such a crucial moment, only the Five Elders would call to urge him.

"It's almost time."

John stood up from the pool, the lightning evaporating the water from his body, and changed into the standard uniform of the Knights of God before walking out.

Outside the bathroom, the five elders were already getting impatient. When they saw John come out, their expressions improved.

"This is really troublesome. Let's not cause any more trouble. If we keep Lord Im waiting and he gets angry, neither of us can afford it."

"Sorry sorry."

Seeing Nassou-sei holding the sword and scolding him, John hurriedly nodded and bowed, smiling obsequiously, his humility heartbreaking.

"Let's go."

The five elders turned around and led the way, guiding John through the cold, empty corridor toward the King's Chamber.

The King's Chamber is the room where the "Empty Throne" exists, and it is where the Five Elders and the Knights of God pay homage to Im.

The journey was incredibly long, the light along the way was dim with almost no wall lamps, and there were no armored guards waiting for them.

After passing through the dark corridor, the scene suddenly brightened, and the group walked on a soft red carpet to a huge double door.

Without pausing, Saint Nasshoulang stepped forward and pushed open the door, revealing the scene between the kings to John.

The entire hall was so vast that it was almost empty, with no superfluous decorations. Its extreme solemnity and deathly silence contrasted sharply with the Celestial Dragons' usual extravagant residences.

The hall is extremely deep, with a towering arched dome that pierces the sky. The entire dome is dark gray-black, without any glass or gilded decorations, but only engraved with a continuous ancient world circular relief, symbolizing the entire sea and the great sea routes surrounding the red earth continent.

There were no chairs or couches on either side of the hall; it was completely empty except for a straight, wide red carpet path leading to the deepest part of the main hall.

John took a deep breath and followed the Five Elders into the strangely oppressive hall, looking around like a country bumpkin in the city.

He wanted to observe every detail of the room to prevent a trap like the "Seastone Prison" from falling into his trap and capsizing.

For now, John sees nothing unreasonable about the dome and floor, so he can rest assured.

Soon, the five elders stood at the end of the hall, some with their hands in their pockets and others with their arms crossed, waiting quietly.

John stood behind the five people, looking up at the high platform at the end of the road.

The platform was built with multiple tiers, with a red carpet laid all the way to the top, leading to the "Empty Throne" bearing the symbol of the World Government.

According to the Celestial Dragons' historical records that John could access, the correct name for this throne should be "Throne of Emptiness," meaning a position without an owner and where no one is allowed to sit.

Legend has it that at the beginning of the World Government, the twenty kings made a pact of "equality" and vowed never to have any thoughts of dictatorship.

The throne is guarded by twenty weapons, representing the oath made by the "first 20" who created the world eight hundred years ago. These weapons symbolize the center of the world, a symbol of peace that no one may touch.

What a noble ideal!

"Stories always begin so beautifully, but even angels can have their evil moments..."

John shook his head without making a sound.

Chapter 166 John VS Im (Part 1)

It's still the same old bureaucratic practice: leaving people hanging in the cold to subtly increase the pressure on those waiting.