The Empty Throne, a symbol of equality and justice, was one of the defining emblems of the World Government. The hall where the throne was located wasn't far from Pangaea Castle.
At this moment, Claudius, Fleet Admiral Sengoku, Vice Admiral Garp, Crocodile, and the three Marine Admirals were all gathered near the entrance of this grand hall.
Mariejois was now under the control of the Marines and CP-X. A large number of Marine soldiers and CP-X agents stood guard in front of the hall, ensuring security.
The Reverie had been temporarily suspended for the day. The royal families from various nations had been escorted back to their designated residences in an orderly manner, with the meeting scheduled to resume the next day.
Unaware of Lord Imu's existence, they simply believed that the situation in Mariejois had stabilized after the earlier events.
With that in mind, Claudius was prepared to meet Imu face-to-face. Whatever moves Imu had planned on the surface, it was time to see them in action.
"The Five Elders didn't reveal any useful information?" Sengoku asked in a low voice as he walked beside Claudius.
Lord Imu was too mysterious, and with mystery came the unknown, and the unknown inevitably bred fear. Even as the Supreme Commander of the Marines, with an army of over a million at his command, Sengoku felt uneasy about facing Imu.
If, after all this, things still went sideways, it would be unacceptable.
Claudius glanced at him with a strange expression before clicking his tongue and saying, "What if I told you that Lord Imu might actually be an ancestor of my Donquixote family? Would you believe me?"
Sengoku froze for a moment, then looked at Claudius, then at Mariejois, rubbed his chin thoughtfully, and muttered, "Your Highness... to be honest, I actually might believe that."
Claudius's expression turned complicated. "Is it just because of my Donquixote surname?"
"Ahem," Sengoku coughed awkwardly, then quickly replied, "No, no, Your Highness, of course not."
But at that moment, Sengoku paused, choosing not to elaborate further.
Still, his meaning was obvious, Didn't Claudius already know the answer? Look at the mess he had caused. If this had happened 800 years ago, wouldn't it be exactly the same as what Imu had done back then?
Claudius was a Donquixote, after all. If Imu also carried that surname, would it really be surprising?
The Donquixote family had always been special, hadn't they?
Claudius eyed Sengoku once again before stating firmly, "I believe that a person's character is shaped by their environment. Talk of 'bloodlines' is meaningless. People shouldn't place so much faith in lineage, don't you think?"
Sengoku rolled his eyes but didn't argue. Instead, he simply nodded. "Yes, yes, Your Highness, whatever you say."
Claudius narrowed his eyes. "Why do I feel like you don't believe a word of that?"
"Impossible! Whatever you say, I shall believe it!" Sengoku said without hesitation.
Claudius stared at him in silence. After a long pause, he finally muttered, "You've changed."
"Hahaha," Sengoku laughed casually, choosing not to respond.
Claudius decided not to waste any more time on meaningless chatter. "As expected, there wasn't any useful information from the Five Elders. A bit disappointing, but not surprising."
In truth, Claudius never expected to extract any real secrets from them.
Fear breeds reverence, and reverence strengthens power.
The higher a person's status, the more they benefit from mystery. Someone like Imu, who stood at the very peak, had mastered the art of being untouchable.
After all, if the Five Elders knew every detail about Imu's daily life—what he ate for breakfast, how he spent his afternoons—would they still fear him as much? Of course not.
Sengoku sighed. "So it really turned out like that, huh?"
After a brief pause, he asked, "What about the Ancient Weapon?"
Claudius's expression darkened slightly. "According to the Five Elders, the Ancient Weapon, Uranus is indeed in Lord Imu's possession."
"As for what exactly Uranus is…"
Claudius stomped his foot against the ground, then continued, "Chances are, it's right beneath us—Mariejois itself."
Sengoku's eyes widened. "So that's it…"
"Don't overthink it," Claudius said nonchalantly. "An Ancient Weapon is still just that—a weapon. If it dares to stand in my way…"
He clenched his fist tightly.
"Then I'll crush Uranus into dust and turn it into nothing more than a forgotten legend."
Sengoku listened to Claudius's confident words and exhaled. True, an Ancient Weapon was a powerful threat, but it wasn't something that would make them hesitate or turn back now.
Before long, the group arrived at the Empty Throne's hall, where Spandine had been waiting.
"Your Highness, you're here," Spandine greeted Claudius with a bow.
Claudius nodded and got straight to the point. "Still no movement from inside?"
Spandine quickly replied, "That's correct. As per your orders, we haven't attempted to provoke any reaction."
"It's as still as stagnant water."
"Logically, even if we moved quickly to secure Mariejois, someone inside should have received word by now. But strangely, there's been absolutely no response at all."
Garp rubbed his chin, hesitated for a moment, then said, "Maybe Lord Imu went on a trip and just isn't home?"
The moment those words left his mouth, Sengoku, Crocodile, and the other high-ranking officers froze.
Damn it… that actually makes sense. I can't even refute that!
However, Claudius waved his hand dismissively. "No, the Five Elders saw Imu before the Reverie began. And from what they told me, he isn't the type to leave often, especially not during the Reverie."
"Really? I thought he might have gone sightseeing," Garp chuckled, unbothered.
"Then what's going on?" Crocodile muttered, biting down on his cigar with a frown.
Doflamingo pondered for a moment before smirking. "Well, there's only one way to find out, right? We just go in and see for ourselves."
Claudius laughed, nodding. "That's exactly right. Whatever he's doing, let's just go in and meet Lord Imu face-to-face."
Without hesitation, Claudius signaled for Spandine to open the doors.
Several CP-X agents stepped forward, pushing the grand doors open.
The hall was brightly lit, yet the eerie silence within was almost oppressive.
It felt as if a beast was lurking inside, waiting for prey. The entrance itself seemed less like a doorway and more like the gaping maw of a monster, eager to devour whoever stepped inside.
Even Claudius felt a twinge of tension. He would be lying if he said he wasn't nervous.
But he quickly pushed down those emotions and stepped forward. Behind him, Sengoku, Doflamingo, the Seven Warlords of the Sea, and the three Marine Admirals followed.
"This feels like a raid boss fight, and I'm the captain leading the team," Claudius muttered internally.
The moment he stepped inside, he heard a soft sigh.
Then, a voice spoke.
"Donquixote Claudius?"
Claudius followed the voice and looked up, on the gigantic throne, surrounded by countless legendary swords, sat a shadowed figure.
"That's me," Claudius replied casually. Then, after a pause, he asked, "Lord Imu?"
The figure responded just as plainly, "That's me."
Then, before Claudius could say anything else—
"You stay. The rest leave."
(To be continued.)
***
This book is complete. Support me on Patreon to read all advanced chapters: patreon.com/Blownleaves.