The pinnacle of pirates! Beginning as a trainee in Roger's crew

The Holy Land, Mary Geoise.

Perched atop the Red Line, it was said to be the dwelling place of gods.

In truth, it was simply the ancestral home of the Celestial Dragons.

The Red Line severed the seas, and its towering altitude offered a view of the world so vast that just standing there could make one feel like they ruled over all creation.

Naturally, that was exactly what the Celestial Dragons believed.

Ever since the formation of the World Government by the Twenty Kings, the royal bloodlines that styled themselves as Celestial Dragons had grown increasingly arrogant.

They called themselves the descendants of gods. All others were mere vermin. Backed by powerful enforcement bodies, they held absolute control over the world.

And above even the Five Elders stood a figure of even greater authority.

Once one of the original Twenty Kings, they had claimed the Empty Throne for themselves in defiance of tradition.

Imu.

Eternal. Mysterious. Omniscient.

Even as the sea itself threatened to spiral out of control, they remained impassive, watching the chaos like a bored deity observing insects squabble.

In the Room of Flowers...

A tall, lean figure in a crown stood alone. Their features were obscured, eyes cold as ice as they watched the Five Elders kneel reverently before them.

No awe flickered in Imu's gaze.

Their crimson, ripple-like eyes possessed a pressure akin to Mihawk's, perhaps even greater.

"Lord Imu…"

The Five Elders, rulers of the world in name, now bowed like dogs, prostrate and obedient.

Unnoticed in the shadow of a nearby pillar, Ozz stood with his arms crossed, silently watching.

Scarlet light flickered in his eyes as he activated future sight, scanning for any threat.

But...

Nothing.

Imu didn't react.

They merely sat in silence upon the throne, listening to the Five Elders deliver their regular report. Whether out of apathy or sheer ignorance of Ozz's presence, they gave no sign of awareness.

It was likely the latter. After all, even in the original story, Imu and the Five Elders failed to detect Sabo's infiltration, either because Imu hadn't activated Observation Haki or because the Elders were too afraid to use theirs in front of Imu.

Imu's power clearly didn't lie in brute force.

Or rather...

They might be strong, but clearly not invincible enough to dominate every top-tier fighter at sea.

Otherwise, how could someone like Sabo who hadn't even awakened his fruit or mastered Advanced Conqueror's Haki escape their combined ambush?

As the Five Elders gave their report, Imu remained unmoved. Ozz didn't hear them utter a single word.

They merely sat on the throne, as if lost in thought.

Governing the world was the job of the Five Elders, not the self-proclaimed king of the world. Unless something truly catastrophic occurred, Imu rarely intervened.

Even when the Five Elders came for an audience, it was only to confirm key intelligence or report matters of personal interest.

"That fruit still hasn't been found?"

"Well…"

At the mention of this topic, a cold sweat formed on each Elder's brow. One by one, they lowered their normally proud heads.

"Lord Imu, we've deployed countless CP agents across the world. All intelligence channels and informants are on alert, but as of now… no trace has been found."

"Hm. As expected."

Imu wasn't disappointed. They already understood the Nika fruit was avoiding them.

Some unseen will was guiding it.

"But rest assured, Lord Imu. We are expanding our reach. We've begun negotiations with devil fruit traffickers and underworld brokers, working to uncover the fruit's location.

We are currently building close ties with the underground's biggest powerbroker, Dotor Ozz. This alliance will surely accelerate our progress…"

Saturn reported smoothly, even dropping Ozz's name as part of his presentation like a diligent employee trying to impress their boss.

Ozz clicked his tongue.

He collected devil fruits purely out of personal interest. Besides, if the Nika fruit really had a will of its own, it might be hiding from him too.

He liked watching chaos not becoming chaos.

He wasn't about to become some grinning, dancing fool just for laughs.

And now they wanted him to work for free?

Still... it might be worth testing, just to see which was stronger Nika's fate or his own fists.

Let's see if that fruit really does grow legs and run.

"Dotor... Ozz?"

Imu finally reacted.

Perhaps because it had been so long since a new name caught their attention.

After all, not just anyone was worthy of being mentioned before Imu.

The last one?

If memory served... it was someone named Rocks.

He had caused massive damage... and slaughtered a good number of Celestial Dragons.

Before they could discuss further, the sound of footsteps echoed from the entrance.

Ozz, having foreseen this, vanished from view.

Only when two figures entered and knelt before the throne did he reappear.

"Wait... is that... Shamrock?"

Ozz blinked, momentarily wondering if Shanks had come home to reunite with his long-lost family.

But in the next instant, he realized the truth.

It wasn't him.

Though nearly identical in appearance, this wasn't Shanks.

In terms of sheer presence, this youthful Shamrock likely matched his red-haired counterpart even though it had been four years since they last saw each other.

The other man had a crescent-shaped head and similar red hair. Clearly related.

That would be the legendary swordsman who surpassed even Rayleigh and the ruined Golden Lion among the old generation...

Figarland Garling.

Apparently, their arrival had been expected. Neither the Five Elders nor Imu showed any surprise.

Shamrock stood tall with pride, though he eventually knelt. Perhaps it was his father's advice, or maybe he already knew of the true monarch above all.

"Garling, is this the boy you've chosen? The next leader of the Holy Knights?"

Nusjuro, resting his demon blade across his shoulder, was the first to speak as he studied the young man who had already made impressive strides on the path of the sword.

"Yes. Shamrock has something to report to Lord Imu."

Clearly, the Five Elders understood what was happening.

Garling was laying the groundwork for his son, ensuring a smooth future transition of power within the Holy Knights.

"Speak."

Imu didn't seem particularly interested, but given the topic involved their personal guard, they listened patiently.

"I propose... granting exceptional individuals from the seas the chance to join the Holy Knights."

Shamrock's voice rang clear.

Bold and confident, yet backed with logic and reason. Enough to sway even the high and mighty gathered here.

In exchange for bringing in powerful warriors, all they needed to offer...

Was a Celestial Dragon title without inheritance rights.

Surely, they weren't so petty as to refuse that.

"Looks like you've been planning this for a while?" Warcury asked in a low tone.

"I have," Shamrock replied, his Shanks-like face radiant with confidence, exuding the aura of a born king.

"In fact, I already have a candidate in mind. The most monstrous of all monsters sailing the seas today."

"Who is it?"

"Dotor Ozz."