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The enigmatic ruler of the Room of Flowers is hidden deep within the Ancient City of the Holy Land.
He materialized abruptly, his voice resonating despite his absence, and unleashed a lethal strike against Kojin.
His sudden appearance startled the Five Elder Stars.
However, the young man’s subsequent audacious actions left them even more stunned.
Zzzt!
A thunder spear crackling with crimson-black lightning vanished almost instantly before their eyes, hurtling towards an unknown destination.
Topman Warcury quickly deduced the spear’s trajectory and realized with horror that it was aimed directly at the Creator.
Time ticked by, each second thickening the tension in the shattered palace.
The Five Elder Stars had sealed off every possible escape route for Kojin; their icy gazes were fixed on the audacious intruder. Kojin remained frozen in his throwing stance, with thunderlight flickering between his palms.
When he realized that he had lost contact with the Thunder Spear that he had launched, his eyes narrowed slightly as a sense of gravity settled in his heart.
The electromagnetic field expanded outwards, yet still failed to detect any movement in that region. It was as if the location of the mysterious voice’s source were a black hole, swallowing all attempts at observation and scrutiny.
“Then, let’s get down to business!”
The icy voice echoed from afar, its precise origin impossible to pinpoint.
The Five Elder Stars froze for a moment, then banished the chill from their faces. The phantom figures behind them vanished, and they shifted their formation subtly, breaking their encirclement.
“Kojin! Lower your combative stance! The Creator wishes to speak with you! Saint Ethanbaron V Nusjuro intoned solemnly.
Kojin smiled faintly, took a few steps forward, and settled onto the almost collapsing sofa, crossing his legs again.
“Come, let’s talk!”
“Creator, who dwells in the Room of Flowers within the Ancient City!”
The Five Elder Stars frowned but remained silent.
Though they were deeply repulsed by the newcomer’s attitude, they were keenly aware of their formidable power, particularly their nigh-invincible Undying ability. Moreover, since the Creator had chosen to reveal himself, they felt they had no right to speak out of turn.
After a long pause, a frigid voice echoed from the distance: “Eight hundred years ago, twenty kings founded this New World. Your Nefertari Family was among them.”
Kojin chuckled softly. “Are you referring to our ancestor, Nefertari Lily?”
His gaze remained fixed on a spot deep within the Ancient City. Though the voice was somewhat ethereal, its direction was unmistakable.
“Lily… She made certain mistakes that led to great trouble later. But none of that matters anymore. Time has erased everything. Now, we stand at the pinnacle!”
The frigid voice seemed to warp the very fabric of space and time around the six figures in the dilapidated palace.
“I know everything you’ve done. I can understand your foolish kindness, which has led to these minor complications. Throughout Celestial Dragon history, many like you have existed, and our clan has its own methods of punishment. But for the strong, we have always acknowledged and respected them.”
After a pause, the icy voice returned, deeper and more menacing.
“Tell me your choice, Kojin! Will you become our enemy and ultimately be buried in hell while your family, friends, subordinates, and lovers are annihilated?”
“Or will you happily return to your foolish games among the commoners?”
“Or perhaps… will you become the king of this world, a Celestial Dragon at the pinnacle of power?!”
“Choose the latter and, based on your immense strength, we can grant you supreme status and unimaginable authority!”
“You will possess everything this world has to offer!”
The deep voice carried a mix of threat and temptation, causing Kojin to narrow his eyes.
The speaker was none other than the mysterious Creator himself, Sir Imu! His existence was known only to the Gorōsei (Five Elder Stars) and a select few others.
And one thing was certain: he was one of the Twenty Kings from eight hundred years ago. His power was enigmatic and impossible to predict. From their brief clash moments earlier, Kojin could tell that their probing attacks had had no effect on each other.
And it was because of that this conversation and negotiation had come about.
After a moment of silence, a faint smile curled his lips as he spoke calmly. “I don’t believe you possess the power to erase everything. For eight hundred years, the Poneglyphs have remained irrefutable evidence that cannot be erased. The Void Century lies exposed before the world, and you are powerless to change it. Instead, you can only resort to targeting unarmed scholars and civilians to flaunt your supposed might. Your empty threats are nothing but a joke to me; they are utterly devoid of any weight.”
He paused, tapping his right index finger against the armrest of the sofa.
“But I genuinely have no desire to become your enemy. My greatest ambition is simply to become the kind of Marine you scoff at.”
Kojin looked up and chuckled softly.
“How about this? We’ll keep to our own domains. You leave me alone, and I’ll peacefully serve as Chief Commander of the West Blue!”
“By the way,” he said, his smile widening as he dropped a bombshell that made everyone’s eyes widen in disbelief.
“I can also keep your existence a secret.”
“What do you say?”
“Imu!”
The Gorōsei (Five Elder Stars) heard the name whispered in their ears. Their faces were etched with shock, and their minds reeled with disbelief.
“Impossible! How could he know the Creator’s true name?”
Even Imu, who was residing in the Room of Flowers, fell into a stunned silence.
“A Justice-seeking Marine playing these trivial games of justice?”
“Is this your choice?”
A low voice rumbled.
“Precisely! This is far more amusing to me!” Kojin nodded.
“Then… As you wish!” Imu replied coolly. “One more thing… Please forget everything that has happened here as quickly as possible.”
Kojin nodded. “There’s nothing here worth remembering anyway.”
And then, silence descended once more.
The Five Elder Stars stared at him in eerie silence.
“You should be grateful you reached an agreement with the Creator,” Marcus Mars said gravely, his white beard trembling as he spoke. “Otherwise, your departure from this place would mark the beginning of a calamity.”
“I’ve already told you, your threats mean nothing to me!” Kojin slowly rose to his feet, the smile vanishing from his face and being replaced by a cold, gloomy expression.
“If I hear another threat like that… I guarantee you’ll experience the true meaning of the word ‘calamity’ firsthand!”
The Five Elder Stars froze, their faces contorting into grimaces.
Yet they were powerless to act. This brief exchange had revealed the gulf between them. In terms of raw power, the gap might not be vast. However, Kojin’s bizarre Undying body gave him a decisive advantage.
For now, they had no way of dealing with him.
“If there’s nothing else, I’ll take my leave now!” Kojin said, smiling as he turned to leave.
“I came here to participate in Levely and make constructive proposals for the world!”
The Five Elder Stars exchanged glances. Saint Shepherd Ju Peter spoke calmly.
“Oh? You, of all people, taking an interest in the world?”
Kojin waved his hand and walked towards the door, which was already open. “A peaceful world aligns better with my aspirations.”
In the blink of an eye, his figure vanished.
The five elders fell silent. After a long moment, one of them sighed.
“We must go see That exalted one!”
They never imagined today’s events would disturb That exalted one.
…
The Ancient City, Room of Flowers.
A pair of blood-red eyes, ringed with chilling black patterns, slowly opened.
“Nefertari,” A deep voice rasped as the figure rose and entered a dimly lit chamber, gazing intently at the massive straw hat before them, lost in thought.
“Could it be him?”
“No, it can’t be!”
With a decisive shake of the head, the figure turned and left.
Moments later, he sat upon the towering Empty Throne, gazing down at the five figures kneeling below.
“You were far too reckless!” A frigid voice echoed through the chamber. “To test such a creature at this time, in this place…”
The Five Elder Stars trembled. “We failed to consider the consequences fully. Please forgive us, Your Majesty.”
“That bizarre bloodline of his is truly extraordinary. No race like this has ever existed before. Is this some kind of mutation?” Imu murmured.
Even he was puzzled and shocked by his opponent’s undying body.
“Do not strike until you are certain of victory. The Nefertari Family.” His eyes sharpened and his voice turned cold. “Indeed, a family worthy of our attention!”
The Gorōsei (Five Elder Stars) listened silently. After a long pause, Topman Warcury asked cautiously, “Sir Imu, what do you make of Kojin’s words just now?”
A cold smile seemed to flicker across Imu’s face.
“They are utter nonsense! Just as we cannot pinpoint his weaknesses, he lacks the confidence to defeat us! When the balance of power is achieved, negotiation and peace will follow!”
He paused.
“But we mustn’t focus all our attention on him. Over the past eight hundred years, there have been others with even greater power and influence than him. Yet in the end, victory has always been ours!”
Sir Imu’s gaze swept down and settled on the five figures below as though they were the weight of a mountain.
“Maintaining world stability is paramount! Some restless elements seem to be emerging… The Great Age of Piracy?”
“How utterly laughable!”
As Sir Imu’s voice faded to a whisper, the Five Elder Stars retreated.
“That straw hat has certainly stirred up quite a mess!”
“Joy Boy.”
“Gol D. Roger.”
“Who will be next?”
“…”
Faint murmurs drifted from the Empty Throne as the Five Elder Stars slowly withdrew, their faces etched with puzzlement.
(End of Chapter)
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