"You don't want to end up like us?" the curly-haired elder, who had always been the least talkative, murmured with emotion.
The expressions of the remaining four Elders were somewhat complicated.
"Five Elders"—what a prestigious title. As the highest authority in the World Government, countless people dreamed of sitting in their position.
But the burden that came with it was not light.
The so-called highest power of the World Government was nothing more than an illusion. They wielded immense authority, yes, but they were far from being the true rulers.
Before Lord Imu, they were nothing more than domesticated dogs. Even as the highest-ranking Celestial Dragons, they had to bow their heads and kneel before him.
This stark contrast between light and shadow was suffocating.
The longer they sat in power, the more unbearable it became. Imagine it, on a daily basis, the world treated them with the utmost respect. But when the time came to face that one person, they had to kneel and kowtow. How could anyone feel at ease with such a reality?
Especially when the world believed them to be the highest authority, yet deep down, they knew they were mere pawns. Over time, if one didn't develop inner turmoil from this, then something was truly wrong.
Since coming into this world, Claudius had enjoyed all the privileges of a Celestial Dragon. Perhaps he showed respect to the Five Elders and certain individuals when necessary, but he had never once bowed to anyone.
And most importantly, though he had become a Celestial Dragon later in life, over the past thirty years, he had cultivated his own arrogance. This was undeniable. Now, having reached the peak of his power, that arrogance had only solidified.
To ask him to become Lord Imu's lapdog now?
Sorry, but I'd rather die than submit.
"Yes, I, Claudius, may sound arrogant, but I do not believe myself inferior to anyone in this world. In other words, there may be those who kneel before me, but I will never kneel!" Claudius declared without hesitation.
"Claudius, he's incredibly powerful," the blond elder suddenly spoke softly.
Claudius grinned and asked, "And is Claudius weak?"
"He has lived for 800 years."
"You should know the legend of the Ope-Ope Fruit."
"That Devil Fruit holds the power to grant eternal life. Imu obtained that power over 800 years ago. For eight centuries, he has remained above the clouds, and who knows how many hidden cards he holds?"
"He has always been there, watching everything. Do you understand?" the bald elder, Nusjuro, added.
Claudius nodded and replied, "I understand completely. That's why I've made full preparations, Seven Warlords of the Sea, Marine Admirals, Marine heroes, the Fleet Admiral, and myself, along with the strongest CP agents."
"To be honest, I don't believe there's a single individual in this world who can stand against such overwhelming power alone."
"But if there is… then I will admit defeat."
The Five Elders listened to Claudius's words with increasingly complex emotions. His forces were indeed formidable. Even they, when comparing the power Claudius had assembled against Imu, felt that their so-called Lord had little chance of victory.
Claudius genuinely believed he had reached the ultimate peak. If he still lost despite everything.
"If Lord Imu is truly that invincible, then fine—I, Claudius, will surrender and bid farewell."
"The reason I came here today, first and foremost, is to speak with you all and reassure you. Although we were enemies before, you are still my elders, so please rest assured. That's my first point," Claudius said, pausing.
The bearded elder then followed up, "And the second point, you want more information about Lord Imu from us, don't you? That way, you'll be better prepared when facing him."
"But Claudius, think about it—Lord Imu has lived for 800 years. This isn't the first time someone has tried something like this. Do you really think he'd be unprepared? How much do you think we actually know? In the end, we're just his dogs," Nusjuro said suddenly, a trace of loneliness in his voice.
When he was young, he had been a swordsman who pursued strength with unwavering courage.
"If it's information you seek… perhaps there is one thing that may be of use to you," the blond elder said softly.
Claudius was momentarily stunned before replying, "Please, tell me."
"You certainly know how to show respect when you need something," the blond elder muttered, somewhat displeased.
Claudius chuckled awkwardly. But the elder was only complaining out of habit—he understood that Claudius was simply drawing a clear line between public and personal matters.
"Consider this a parting gift from us," the blond elder continued. "Imu is not his real name. No one knows when he started being called Lord Imu, but according to ancient records… his surname was likely Donquixote."
The moment Claudius heard this, his expression shifted slightly. But soon, realization dawned upon him.
First and foremost, Imu was certainly a Celestial Dragon. The Five Elders had confirmed that he had lived for 800 years, meaning he must have been one of the original twenty kings or at the very least, a direct descendant of the first generation of Celestial Dragons.
Among the twenty kings, only the Nefertari family had chosen not to reside in Mariejois. That left nineteen families.
Thus, Imu had to come from one of those nineteen bloodlines.
This much, Claudius had already speculated. But because he was too close to the matter, he had never considered his own family's connection.
Now that the blond elder had pointed it out, things became much clearer.
Among the nineteen Celestial Dragon families, the Donquixote lineage had always been the strangest. Every few generations, some eccentric figure would emerge and stir up chaos—Doflamingo, his father Homing…
And himself, Claudius.
The past fifty years alone had been particularly turbulent for their family.
Even Lancelot, whom Claudius had personally killed, must have inherited this strange bloodline. After all, he had dared to assassinate a Celestial Dragon was that not bizarre enough?
Claudius had never thought much about it before, but now, after hearing this revelation, he couldn't ignore it.
Eight hundred years ago, those twenty kings defeated their enemies and established the World Government. Regardless of their morals, their intelligence and ambition were undeniable. They couldn't have been fools, otherwise, their enemies wouldn't have lost.
At that time, the World Government had been filled with ambition and drive, not the corrupt system it had become today. The original kings must have been remarkable figures.
So why would they allow a single individual to rise above them and become a dictator?
Thinking about it this way, the most likely explanation was that Imu, like every eccentric Donquixote before and after had gone too far in his madness and took control for himself.
Claudius couldn't guess the specifics of how it had happened, but if it was attributed to the Donquixote bloodline, then… it made perfect sense.
"Why do I suddenly feel this inexplicable sense of shame? Is the Donquixote bloodline really this bizarre?" Claudius thought helplessly.
(To be continued.)
T/N: Don't forget this was written in 2020; a lot of this was just the author's speculation.
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