As core members of the Navy Headquarters, Sengoku and the others were naturally well-versed in every aspect of the World Government.
Especially the Empty Throne in this palace hall—they not only knew it had been forged by twenty kings eight hundred years ago but also that after the world had stabilized, those twenty kings had unanimously decided that no one would ever sit on the throne again, vowing that no one would become a dictator.
Yet now, the Empty Throne, which had remained unoccupied for eight hundred years, had a master and they didn't even know what this person looked like.
As if knowing what the six were thinking, Im spoke again.
"Since you've chosen to follow Orion, whether I sit on the Empty Throne or not is meaningless to you!"
Pausing slightly, Im shifted their gaze to Orion.
"I'm very curious about you. When I first sensed the Conqueror's Haki you released, I thought that man had returned."
"Clearly, you're not him, nor are you Nika!"
At this point, Im suddenly changed their tone, raising thier voice by two notches.
"So, who exactly are you? Where do you come from, and what is your goal?"
Hearing this, Orion frowned slightly, then looked up at the figure seated on the throne.
"Before asking who someone else is, shouldn't you remove that mysterious veil and let us see your true face? After all, we're having a fair conversation—"
Before he could finish, two nearly tangible black-red beams of light suddenly erupted from Orion pupils, instantly enveloping Im. In the next second— Orion appeared in front of Im in an instant, his hand darting like lightning toward the veil covering Im face.
"HOW DARE YOU!"
Though Orion attack was swift and unexpected, Im reaction was equally quick. The moment Orion reached for the veil, Im let out an angry shout. Immediately after, an arrow infused with terrifying energy shot out, aimed directly at Orion forehead.
Faced with the arrow that instantly magnified in his pupils, Orion had no choice but to let go of Im veil and swiftly grab the arrow that was about to pierce his forehead.
Buzz—
The moment he caught the arrow, a sharp collision sound erupted, followed by a visible shockwave that radiated outward from Orion and Im, instantly spreading throughout the entire palace hall.
Before anyone present could react, a massive black shadow suddenly appeared, materializing on the wall behind the throne, looking down from above at Orion, who was gripping the arrowhead. The other end of the arrow was unmistakably connected to this enormous, monstrous shadow.
No one expected Orion to suddenly attack Im.
The Five Elders, standing opposite the three Admirals, Sengoku, Zephyr, and Gion, were the first to react. Immediately, terrifying waves of energy erupted from their bodies.
In an instant, the Five Elders completed their transformations almost simultaneously.
"Damn it, what is this?"
Seeing the Five Elders transform into terrifying monsters, Sengoku eyes nearly popped out of his head.
Gion and Zephyr, on the other hand, immediately assumed combat stances, treating the situation as a grave threat.
Similarly, the three Admirals were caught off guard. They never imagined that the Five Elders, as they knew them, would turn into such horrifying, monstrous creatures. Their eyes widened in shock.
The first to complete his transformation was the Warrior God of Finance, Nusjuro. His lower body turned into the limbs of a skeletal horse, shrouded in a cloud of flames, while his upper body remained largely unchanged, resembling a fearsome centaur.
Shepherd Ju Peter, the Agricultural God, who had been standing beside Nusjuro, transformed into a massive sandworm, its appearance alone enough to make one hair stand on end.
Wrapped in black flames, it looked like a demon that had crawled out of hell.
Topman Warcury, the Justice God, also transformed into a massive boar, enveloped in flames. Its sharp tusks gleamed with a chilling light in the dimly lit hall.
The Environmental God, Marcus Mars, was even more exaggerated, transforming into a hybrid bird-snake creature known as the Itsumade, circling above the other four Elders, its claws and fangs bared as it glared at Orion, who had brazenly launched a sneak attack on Im.
What sent chills down the spines of the three Admirals and Gion was the Scientific Defense God, Jaygarcia Saturn. His lower body turned into a massive black spider, while his upper body was crowned with enormous bull horns.
An invisible pressure filled the palace hall as the Five Elders completed their transformations, deeply shocking Sengoku, Zephyr, the three Admirals, and Gion, who had once served them with their entire hearts and souls.
They felt as if they had been plunged into hell.
At the same time.
Orion, who was gripping the arrowhead, suddenly turned around. An overwhelming surge of Conqueror's Haki erupted from him, enveloping the Five Elders who had just completed their transformations.
Boom—
A low-frequency vibration, dizzying to the senses, exploded in the ears of everyone present. The vast, tsunami-like Conqueror's Haki crashed into the monstrous forms of the Five Elders.
"Arrrrggggh!!!"
Facing the sudden onslaught of Conqueror's Haki, Saturn, whose lower body had turned into a massive spider and was wrapped in black flames, let out an uncontrollable scream.
In the next moment, his body instantly reverted to its original form, and he collapsed to the ground as if completely exhausted.
Thud— Thud, thud—
The other four Elders were equally unable to withstand the sudden surge of Conqueror's Haki, and they too reverted to their original forms.
"!!!!!!!!!"
Looking at the visually stunning scene before them, the three Admirals, along with Sengoku and Zephyr, widened their eyes in shock. Sengoku couldn't help but swallow hard.
After all, he was also a possessor of Conqueror's Haki, yet from his days as a rookie to becoming a fleet admiral who dominated the Grand Line, he had never seen anyone wield Conqueror's Haki to such an extent.
It was nothing short of awe-inspiring!
Although the three Admirals had already witnessed the shocking scene of Orion sending the God Knights flying from the rooftop of Marine Headquarters, they were still not immune to the shock and were once again stunned on the spot.
This time, Orion was not facing members of the God Knights but the Five Elders, the highest authority of the World Government. To force the Five Elders back into their original forms using only Conqueror's Haki—if a full-scale war were to break out— The three Admirals dared not think further.
At this moment, they finally understood the true meaning of Orion words when he faced the Five Elders and Garling at the World Government Headquarters.
"A wise man does not stand under a crumbling wall."
Just then, a terrifying sword aura suddenly erupted. As the Five Elders were forced back into their original forms, Garling, who stood beside them, made his move.
However, the moment he drew his sword and unleashed the terrifying sword aura, Sakazuki stepped forward, his magma-infused fist clenched tightly, and declared with a chilling killing intent.
"Garling, if you dare swing that sword, I will stop at nothing to take you down!"
As Sakazuki words fell, Borsalino, Kuzan, and Gion immediately stepped forward to stand by his side. This time, Sengoku no longer remained a bystander. Im act of sitting on the Empty Throne had shattered any illusions he held about the World Government, and he decisively stood beside Zephyr, ready to fight.
At the same time, all members of the God Knights, including Shamrock and Gunko, assumed combat stances.
"Enough!" Just as tensions reached their peak, Im seated on the throne suddenly spoke.
"Garling, stand down!"
Without waiting for Garling to react, Imu immediately turned their gaze to Orion, who had used Conqueror's Haki to force the Five Elders back into their original forms.
"Let's end this mutual probing here. Without a doubt, you have earned the right to speak with me as an equal."
After a brief pause, Im tone shifted and they spoke gravely.
"Gunko, prepare a seat for Fleet Admiral Orion."
"Wait."
Orion spoke up in time, tossing aside the arrowhead he had been holding. Under the watchful eyes of everyone, he descended the steps and stood shoulder to shoulder with Sakazuki and the others. Then, he turned to face the figure on the throne and said in a deep voice.
"Is this so-called equal dialogue just about us sitting here, continuing to look up at you from below?"
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