Falling Uranus… what a pity to leave it here. Let me make use of it in the end.
Lucifer walked up to the wreckage of Uranus, and the black blade, Shusui, automatically appeared in his hand.
With a single slash, Shusui pierced Uranus' skull.
Then, as if rippling like water, Uranus' skull began to distort, and the black blade slowly sank into it.
The moment the sword fully entered, the wreckage of Uranus seemed to breathe again.
That breath… was no longer the stillness of death. It was life.
Boom!
A terrifying aura, thousands of times stronger than before, erupted from the wreckage, instantly covering the entire Raftel.
Tens of thousands of pirates on the island were thrown into a panic, all eyes locking onto Uranus' remains.
Suddenly, flames ignited in the hollow eye sockets of the skull.
Then, its massive body trembled and slowly began to rise.
Chunks of debris fell from its colossal form as it stood, and finally—its towering body, over 10,000 meters tall, loomed once more.
"ROOOOAR!!!"
A thunderous roar erupted from Uranus' mouth, the sheer force of it forming a shockwave that tore through the ground in front of it, carving a deep trench.
Everything in its path—soil, forests—was reduced to nothing.
The devastating sound waves reached the sea, parting both the sky and the ocean, creating a massive fissure.
Watching the destruction unfold, the tens of thousands of pirates were left utterly stunned.
A single roar could reshape the very world.
"Uranus… it's been resurrected!"
"It's Captain Lucifer's ability!"
"Unbelievable… terrifying!"
Shock and awe filled their voices.
Lucifer observed his masterpiece, his satisfaction evident.
What he had used was none other than the Soul-Soul Fruit ability, which he obtained after killing Big Mom.
Lucifer had long since infused the power of the Soul-Soul Fruit into Shusui, and now, by merging the black blade with Uranus' remains, he had created the ultimate masterpiece.
"ROOOAAAR!!!"
Uranus roared toward the heavens, its voice brimming with raw savagery and boundless killing intent.
Its massive body shot into the sky, hovering above the island as it cast its two enormous, burning skull-like eyes upon the terrified pirates below.
The sheer murderous aura pouring from Uranus sent chills down their spines.
Even hardened pirates trembled uncontrollably.
"Captain!"
"Captain Lucifer!!!"
"H-Help… Help us!"
Countless pirates felt their strength leaving them.
They wanted to run, but their legs refused to move.
"Enough."
Lucifer's cold gaze sharpened as he released his Conqueror's Haki.
In an instant, Uranus—this terrifying resurrected monster—flinched in midair, its killing intent abruptly dissipating.
Having accomplished his goal, Lucifer turned his attention back to Raftel.
Just as he had expected, there was nothing left.
No gold. No silver.
Not a single coin.
The so-called One Piece—the great treasure left behind by Roger—was nothing more than a crimson Poneglyph, recording the lost history of the world… and the wreckage of Uranus.
This truth… this history… is the real treasure.
Gold and riches cannot change the world.
But this knowledge—the darkest secrets buried deep within Mary Geoise—if placed in the right hands, could shake the very foundation of the World Government.
And that… was far more valuable than any amount of wealth.
Lucifer clapped his hands, storing away the crimson stone.
"Rise!"
With his command, the stone vanished into his possession.
"Let's go. There's no point staying here any longer."
Lucifer's voice carried absolute authority.
"When we leave here, we head straight for war with the World Government."
The time had come. He would not wait any longer.
"Yes!!!"
"The battle is finally here!"
"World Government… wake up!!!"
The Nether Pirates roared in excitement, their blood boiling.
Then, with unstoppable momentum, the mighty Nether Pirates Fleet left the Dead Sea and set sail for the New World.
At the same time, news of Lucifer's arrival on Raftel spread like wildfire across the world.
For the first time since Roger…
There was a new One Piece.
"The Demon Lucifer has become the One Piece!"
"That man… he actually did it!"
"Lucifer has claimed Roger's great treasure!"
"The man who now possesses everything—wealth, power, fame!"
"One Piece… Lucifer!"
Newspapers flew across the sky.
The world erupted into chaos.
Just as it had all those years ago, when Roger first became the King of the Pirates…
The world had now ushered in a new Pirate King.
"What One Piece? He's just a lowly pariah!"
Boom!
Atop Mariejois, within the chamber of authority, the curly-haired Five Elders slammed his palm down, shattering the golden tea table into pieces. A murderous aura erupted from his body, filling the entire room with suffocating pressure.
"Damn bastard! Once again, he's shaken the world!"
"And that damn bird, Morgans! He dares to publish such news—does he not fear death?"
"It's too late to discuss this now. The news has already spread worldwide!"
"The impact of Roger's era is about to be repeated today!"
"No—Lucifer is far more dangerous than Roger ever was!"
The long-haired Five Elders' gaze turned cold. "Roger had no interest in ruling the world—he only sought adventure. But Lucifer… Lucifer wants to claim everything!"
A tense silence filled the room.
"The latest intelligence from CP confirms that the Ghost Pirates are heading straight for Mariejois!"
"There's no doubt about it—his target is us!"
"The final battle is upon us!"
"To think we've been backed into a corner by a mere brat… this is completely out of control!"
The Five Elders clenched their fists, their hatred for Lucifer reaching a boiling point. They longed to tear him apart, to drink his blood and feast on his flesh.
Just then—
Hmph!
A cold snort echoed through the chamber.
The Five Elders looked up in unison.
The massive double doors swung open, revealing a towering figure over three meters tall, clad in a golden mask.
He exuded an overwhelming sense of dominance. His presence alone demanded submission—it was not forced, nor did he need to exert effort. His very existence radiated arrogance, a supremacy beyond question.
Only a Celestial Dragon could possess such an aura.
Yet, despite the reprimanding tone, the Five Elders did not react with anger.
Instead, they bowed their heads.
"Lord Aiolia!" they greeted in unison, standing to pay their respects.
"Rise."
Aiolia waved his hand dismissively before striding toward the lavish sofa and seating himself.
The Five Elders immediately arranged themselves in a row before him, standing humbly with lowered heads, awaiting his words.
"I never expected you to be the first to awaken, Lord Aiolia," one of them said respectfully.
"It is an honor to meet you!"
"Even after 700 years, your name alone inspires awe!"
At this moment, the Five Elders—feared by the world—displayed nothing but humility and reverence toward the man before them.
This man, Aiolia, was indeed a Celestial Dragon.
But his true status far exceeded that title.
He was one of the Eight Kings.
The Eight Kings—beings who, aside from Imu, were the only immortal Celestial Dragons.
Since the World Government's founding 800 years ago, the Celestial Dragons had obtained the Op-Op Fruit multiple times, using its immortality operation to grant eternal life to select individuals.
The last beneficiaries of this procedure were the Eight Kings.
Each of them possessed unfathomable strength—monsters in human form, their very existence akin to natural disasters.
They normally remained in a deep slumber, only awakening when the World Government faced a crisis of absolute destruction.
Now, with the looming war against Lucifer, Imu had personally ordered the Five Elders to awaken both the Eight Kings and the God's Guard.
Aiolia was the first to rise.
A legendary Celestial Dragon from 700 years ago—the finest of his generation—deemed worthy of receiving eternal life from Imu himself.
His past deeds had long been forgotten by history.
But not by the Five Elders.
They knew.
And because they knew, they would not dare show even the slightest hint of disrespect.
Before Aiolia, they felt only fear.
Reverence.
For among the Celestial Dragons, there were nine absolute existences—Imu, the King of Celestial Dragons, and the Eight Kings.
The Nine Pillars of the Celestial Order.
Aiolia's piercing gaze fell upon the Five Elders through his golden mask. His voice was devoid of emotion.
"So I awaken… only to find that an ant dares to challenge the Supreme World Government?"
His tone remained calm, but every word carried the weight of a mountain.
"And in the face of this ant's rebellion, the government has suffered loss after loss—disgracing itself time and time again?"
"You five… care to give me an explanation?"
The moment he finished speaking, the Five Elders froze.
A chill ran down their spines.
Sweat poured from their foreheads.
Then—
Thud!
All five of them dropped to their knees.
"Forgive us, Lord Aiolia!"
"It is our failure! Our incompetence!"
They did not dare look up.
They did not dare breathe too loudly.
They could only kneel.
And pray for mercy.
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