The Great Voyage: The Props Master on the Straw Hat Ship

However, the appearance of one Link on the high seas doesn't preclude the possibility of other similar Links and similar items appearing.

What if the world government happens to possess such power...

For a moment, an atmosphere of serious deliberation began to slowly rise.

"(Nono) Don't worry so much~"

As for the importance everyone placed on him, Link, who was the first mate and prop master and the most reliable person in everyone's eyes, simply smiled and waved his hand lightly.

"The world government's underlying power isn't as troublesome or terrifying as you imagine."

He said casually, "Behind them, there's just one guy standing there."

"Just one guy?"

Upon hearing Link's tone, everyone instinctively breathed a sigh of relief, and then...

Something seems off!

~~~~~~~~~

I'll update this first and add more later. [A huge thank you again to the user 'Once Upon a Time There Was a Eunuch'! They gave me so many donations this morning at 7:30, I don't know how many times they've done it. I'm truly grateful for their support!!!]

955 Im!! So, there's someone like this hiding within the World Government!!

Link has always been considered extremely reliable by everyone.

Everything he says, the information and news he provides, is completely trustworthy.

Therefore, when Link said those words, everyone believed him and felt relieved.

But soon, they realized something was wrong.

"Only...one guy?!"

Everyone stared blankly at Link, their expressions filled with confusion and doubt.

"Ah, there's only one guy standing behind the Five Elders~"

Link smiled, and facing the gazes of the crowd, slowly revealed the name of the hidden figure:

"His name is Im."

Lord Im is a mysterious figure who stands above the Five Elders, the leaders of the Celestial Dragons, the Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces, and the Fleet Admiral of the Marines. He is the behind-the-scenes mastermind of the World Government and is officially referred to as "King of the World" Im, the master of the Empty Throne.

He resides in the flower garden, deep within the city of Pangaea in Mary Geoise, and is revered as "Lord Im" by the Five Elders.

Possessing unfathomable power, he can sit on the Empty Throne, which even the Celestial Dragons cannot possess, and can issue orders to the Five Elders to erase any object or island from the flow of history.

He has extremely long arms and slender eyes with thin circles around his red pupils.

He also wore a crown with four towering spikes on his head and a cloak that reached the ground.

In the original version, when the World Conference begins, he sits on the empty throne and meets with the Five Elders.

The Five Elders requested his guidance, asking which "lamp" needed to be extinguished from history.

Behind the Five Elders and the Celestial Dragons lies a hidden, unknown true ruler.

Just as Link was explaining to the Straw Hat Pirates about this hidden figure in the World Government.

Meanwhile, in Mary Geoise, where the World Government is located.

Pangaea Castle, located above the Red Earth.

This castle is located in the center of the holy land, guarding the entrance to the Celestial Dragon City, the realm of the gods.

At the same time, this is also the location where the World Conference is held, and most importantly, the center of world power, as well as the place where the Five Elders and the Celestial Dragons live on a daily basis.

Meanwhile, in the center of Pangel Castle, surrounded by countless longswords, atop the long staircase, upon the Void Throne symbolizing supreme power, sat a tall, slender figure.

At this moment, He was wearing a white robe and a tall crown, with only a pair of sharp eyes visible, making it impossible to see His true appearance.

However, even outsiders can tell from his slender figure, which resembles an elongated version of Plankton, that he is tall and not bulky.

And in his calm, indifferent gaze, one could sense his composure and detachment, as if he were completely undisturbed by anything in the world.

At this moment, at the very bottom of that empty throne, the Five Elders, who could usually be ordered around at will even command the Commander-in-Chief of the Three Armies and the Admiral of the Navy, were now respectfully prostrating themselves at the feet of this mysterious man, their attitude as humble as that of the lowest servants.

"Lord Im."

Residing atop that empty throne is none other than the legendary Lord Im!

Im sat high on his throne, looking down at the Five Elders kneeling on the ground, without saying a word.

On the contrary, several of the Five Elders bowed their heads humbly and slowly straightened up slightly, their tone exceptionally humble:

"My lord, we have taken various measures and will soon bring together all the destabilizing factors that threaten this sea."

"At that time, all the lights that are about to go out will converge in one place!!"

"At that time, we needed you, sir, to step in!!"

After saying this, all five of them lowered their heads deeply, as humble as ants on the ground.

Or rather, to the person sitting on the throne, everyone else, even these five so-called figures at the pinnacle of power, are no different from ants!

"..."

Im continued to look at them calmly, and then simply nodded slowly.

Calm and indifferent, devoid of any emotion or fluctuation, like a cold machine, yet possessing a sense of world-weariness that transcends all.

In an instant, a deathly silence filled the area around the Void Throne!

It has a sense of decay and aging, as if it has been through eight hundred years.

~~~~~~~~~

On the Straw Hat Pirates' ship in a certain sea area of ​​the New World.

"So, there's someone like this hiding within the World Government!!"

Everyone was hearing for the first time that such a person existed behind the scenes on this vast ocean!

This broadened their horizons, and they were also incredibly shocked and incredulous.

"Even the Five Elders have to grovel at the feet of that guy called Im, isn't that a bit much..."

Usopp, who was originally full of confidence and high spirits, now looked like a deflated, punctured balloon, smacking his lips and looking rather listless.

I am not afraid of powerful opponents, but I am afraid of opponents who are mysterious, unknown, strange, and unpredictable.

It's inevitable to feel a bit intimidated by someone you don't know, who sounds impressive and mysterious.

All anxiety and fear stem from the unknown.

The Straw Hat Pirates were no exception; at least the atmosphere was more somber than before.

"Oh, I knew it!"

Aokiji wasn't too surprised and let out a long sigh of relief.

He had long suspected that the World Government had hidden power, but he hadn't expected it to be just one person, though he still found it somewhat troublesome.

The fact that even the Five Elders have to submit and kneel before this guy is not just about having great power, which can be explained by anything.

That guy definitely possesses power that surpasses even the Five Elders and the World Government!

~~~~~~~~~

[A huge thank you again to the generous user 'Once Upon a Time There Was a Eunuch'! Yesterday morning around 9 AM, they gave me countless donations. I'm truly grateful for their support!]

Sorry for the late update!

956. Contacting multiple forces!! The current state of the Whitebeard Pirates is etched in our memories!!

"Who cares how powerful it is..."

The idiotic captain started yelling again, "If they want to publicly execute Sabo, then that's unacceptable!!"

"I must stop them!!"

His two fists, each the size of a sandbag, were waving in the air, demonstrating his determination.

"We definitely need to rescue Sabo, but relying on us alone will be a bit troublesome..."

Nami's eyes darted around. "Luffy, what did Ace say?"

"And what about the Revolutionary Army forces that Sabo belongs to? They certainly won't just sit idly by, will they?!"

"By uniting these two remaining forces, the chances of saving Sabo become even greater."

Neither the Whitebeard Pirates nor the Revolutionary Army would remain indifferent upon learning this news.

"And then there's that warden named Shiryu who said he wanted to join us..."

Little Chopper fidgeted with his little hooves, searching for suitable combat partners.

"Hehehe, Ryder said before that he could help us, but he still owes us a few favors."

Brooke smiled happily, and he could once again call on Ryder to do his part in this rescue operation.

Therefore, just on the surface, there are multiple forces including the Straw Hat Pirates, the Whitebeard Pirates, Shiryu's group, [Lone Red] Ryder, and the Revolutionary Army.

If so much combat power were deployed to the battlefield, given the World Government's and the Navy's current overt strength...

It is indeed quite difficult to resist, but if they have an unknown and mysterious powerful figure like Im behind them...

Then everything is subject to change.

"I'll contact Ace and the others right now!!"

In a great hurry, Luffy picked up the Den Den Mushi to call Ace.

In fact, even without Luffy's contact, Whitebeard's side had naturally heard about this news that was about to spread all over the world.

On the other side of the New World, the Whitebeard Pirates.

Although the storm of an impending world war that will sweep across the entire ocean looms overhead, the Whitebeard Pirates are living a much more peaceful and tranquil life than in previous years.

In the New World, the original two Yonko, Kaido and Big Mom, who were known for their potential madness, are no longer around.

Those vicious and ruthless pirates who would cause trouble from time to time, as well as the newly emerged, arrogant small pirates, were mostly wiped out by the Navy with all its might due to the previous Delta Island incident.

The Navy and the World Government are currently deploying troops due to their own power limitations, and are extremely wary of the New World.

Therefore, the Whitebeard Pirates are now enjoying a rare period of leisure and relaxation.

Whitebeard and his sons basically had nothing to do.

They weren't really interested in the Great Treasure to begin with, and during this time they've been living even more carefree and unrestrained lives.

They, just like before, held lively banquets on the ship, spending wonderful and leisurely time with their families.

"Gulala la la~"

On the deck, Whitebeard, his massive frame reclining in a chair, drank with his sons and suddenly chuckled with a touch of melancholy:

"The times are really different from the past."

"I have been adventuring on the sea for decades, and it has been a long and difficult time for me to make a name for myself."

"In contrast, today's young people have managed to build such a reputation and influence in less than a year, it's truly..."

He suddenly felt a pang of sadness, mainly because he was reminded of the recent news that the Straw Hat Pirates possessed the Laugh Tale's permanent Log Pose.

If the Straw Hat Pirates could really conquer the Grand Line within a year...

For them, he would be an even more awe-inspiring figure and legend than Roger!

"Hahaha, Dad!"

As soon as the white-bearded man uttered his remark, his son, holding a glass of wine, put his arm around his shoulder and grinned, saying:

·· 0 flowers requested ··· ····

"Dad, if you still have any regrets or are unwilling to accept this, we are willing to go through another round of trouble with you!"

"Gurarararar!!!"

Upon hearing this, the white-bearded man burst into hearty laughter, then waved his hand to suppress his sons' rising enthusiasm:

"never mind."

"The Pirate King? That's not important at all."

"I already found what I was looking for."