Upon hearing this, the Five Elders didn't relax but became even more vigilant.
If Luo Ke came to seek compensation, they could still negotiate. As long as they could have a discussion, it would buy them time for Admiral Huang Yuan and CP0 to find Luo Ke's real body.
However, now that Luo Ke didn't want compensation, what did he intend to do?
Could it be that he wanted to kill them all here?
The Five Elders felt a chill in their hearts.
Those who were watching this live broadcast were also shaken.
The scene unfolding in Mariejois had exceeded their imagination.
The Marine Admiral came for rescue, but was powerless.
Now, the five most powerful men who controlled the world's authority were like easily manipulated puppets in Luo Ke's hands.
Such a thing actually happened.
Sengoku anxiously watched the live broadcast. The situation had already gone beyond his expectations.
He didn't expect that even with Huang Yuan's presence, the situation couldn't be resolved.
What exactly was happening?
If the Five Elders were really killed in public, it would completely tarnish the reputation of the World Government.
The highest leader of the World Government being killed would create a power vacuum.
Those with ulterior motives would take advantage of this opportunity to cause chaos, and the world would descend into turmoil.
This was an outcome he couldn't accept.
"Luo Ke, what do you really want to do?" Sengoku stared intently at Luo Ke.
...
Meanwhile, on the island of Amazon Lily.
The Warlord of the Sea, Empress Hancock, and the residents of the island were also watching the live broadcast.
She watched attentively as Luo Ke appeared calm and relaxed in front of the Five Elders, rendering them powerless.
She never expected that there could be a man in this world who could make the Celestial Dragons so helpless and frustrated.
Who exactly was he?!
...
In the Hall of Authority.
"What do you want, after all?" the Five Elders asked.
"Since you have already issued those bounties and announcements, it's too late now. The damage has already been done, and no compensation can make up for it.
So now, I only want to do one thing. Don't worry, I won't kill you. If I killed you, this world would be too boring. To me, keeping you alive is more interesting than killing you."
Luo Ke's words made the Five Elders flushed with anger and frustration. They had never experienced such humiliation before.
However, it also relieved them a bit, as it meant their lives were not in danger.
"So, I have decided that since you don't believe in my live quizzes, you will be the participants in the quiz show yourselves. You will personally prove whether what I said is true or false.
By the way, as a small punishment for your offensive actions, I will administer a little retribution."
Luo Ke snapped his fingers and smiled, "The rules are the same as before, but this time I have prepared a single question for you. If you answer correctly, you will receive a reward.
You see, I am quite kind-hearted. Despite your attempts to smear my name, target me, and offer a bounty for my capture, I am giving you the opportunity to participate in a quiz that everyone dreams of. And if you answer correctly, you'll even receive a reward.
Even I think of myself as a great philanthropist."
Luo Ke's words caused the relief that the Five Elders had just felt to vanish. They involuntarily took a sharp breath, feeling a chill.
They had a faint sense of the ill intentions behind Luo Ke's words.
If Luo Ke truly were a magnanimous person who repaid kindness with kindness, he wouldn't have appeared here today to make an intimidating display before them.
It was clearly a trap.
The Five Elders couldn't help but recall Vice Admiral Nezumi-Colonel from yesterday. That guy could only stay within the confines of the Impel Down, living a fate worse than death.
And as for the Celestial Dragon, his corpse had been left overnight.
Worry filled the eyes of the Five Elders.
Those who were watching this live broadcast were also curious about what Luo Ke was up to. What kind of trick did he have up his sleeve? What did he really want to achieve?
Everyone widened their eyes and pricked up their ears, not wanting to miss any details. They wanted to know what kind of question Luo Ke would ask the Five Elders.
How would he prove that what he said was true?
Luo Ke's lips curled up slightly as he looked at the worried expressions of the Five Elders and said, "Now, let the quiz show officially begin.
In the Holy Land of Mariejois, there is a room with an empty throne. That throne is not meant to be sat upon. Every king of the participating countries must take an oath facing that throne, declaring their equality with each other and their vow to never harbor dictatorial ambitions."
At this point, Luo Ke glanced at the Five Elders, whose faces were already showing signs of panic, and continued,
"So, the question is: During the next World Conference, who will be sitting on that throne, receiving the kneeling homage of the Five Elders?
You have one minute, and the timer starts now."
Luo Ke's words instantly caused the faces of the Five Elders to undergo a dramatic change. They looked at Luo Ke incredulously, never expecting that he would know about this matter.
What else did he know?
Luo Ke, who exactly are you?
Meanwhile, the entire world erupted in chaos due to Luo Ke's words.
Regarding the first part of Luo Ke's statement about the vacant throne in Mariejois, many people were not familiar with it. After all, only the kings of participating countries could witness it during their oath-taking ceremony. The ones who knew about it were either kings or nobles.
They were not clear about it, and it didn't directly concern them.
However, the second part of Luo Ke's words left them bewildered.
The vacant throne symbolized equality and the vow against dictatorship.
So why would someone sit on it, and why would the Five Elders, who held the highest authority in the World Government, kneel before the person sitting on that throne?
Wasn't this implying that the Five Elders were not the true highest authority of the World Government? That there was a genuine ruler above them, the true king of the World Government!
For the common people, the most they knew was their own country's king. As for the Five Elders, they were largely unfamiliar.
Now they were suddenly being told that there was another king above the Five Elders, the true master of the World Government.
To be honest, besides a slight surprise, this revelation didn't evoke much feeling from them.
That position was too far removed from them; they couldn't sense it at all.
What they found more amusing was the irony of it all.
The World Government boasted of equality and the absence of dictatorship to attract countries to join and collectively govern the world. They even arranged an empty throne for kings to take an oath.
But in the end, they didn't let others sit on it and claimed it for themselves.
Didn't that mean that the people who had previously sworn to the throne were actually pledging allegiance to the person sitting in that position?
Their own kings were just fine ruling their own countries, and here they came to be subjects before you. How laughable.
And this was also incredibly satirical. They preached equality and non-dictatorship, yet they themselves were kings, and they claimed not to be dictators.
This was simply making a mockery of the kings of the participating countries.
The so-called World Government was nothing but a scam. In reality, it was using equality and democracy as a facade to deceive the kings of the participating countries into joining this "country" called the World Government.
On the surface, they were still independent kingdoms, and they held a World Conference every few years to discuss how to govern the world together.
In reality, they had all become subjects to the true ruler who controlled the World Government.
Now everyone understood why the World Nobles existed and why someone like Sabo, a noble of the Goa Kingdom, was still considered a lowly commoner in the presence of the Celestial Dragons.
So, the so-called participating countries were nothing more than subsidiaries of the World Government, and the so-called kings were merely subordinates.
This was the true hierarchy of the world: the King of the World Government - the World Noble Celestial Dragons - the kings of the participating countries - the nobles of the participating countries - the commoners.
The latter three were the standard class divisions within the participating countries.
Under the class division of the World Government, the latter three can be considered as one.
The kings, nobles, and commoners of the participating countries are essentially equivalent to the commoners under this system, which means they are lowly.
This is the true face of the World Government, no different from the participating countries. Kings, nobles, and commoners coexist.
On the surface, the World Government has no commoners, only Celestial Dragons, but in reality, everyone from the participating countries who joined the World Government is considered their commoners.
This is the true identity of the people from the participating countries in the eyes of the Celestial Dragons. Kings, nobles, and commoners are all considered lowly in their eyes.
There has never been a distinction; it's just their delusion of being different.
This truth greatly upset the kings and nobles of the participating countries who witnessed this scene.
The question of whether the World Government has a king or not is crucial, and they themselves are the kings; no one understands the significance better than them.
At least in their eyes, the hierarchy is as follows: participating country kings on the same level as Celestial Dragons - nobles - commoners.
Originally, they thought that joining the World Government would allow them to harmoniously coexist with other participating countries and receive the protection of the Marines for a sum of money. Why wouldn't they take this opportunity?
However, it is now that they realize this is not about finding themselves a bodyguard; it's about finding themselves a master.
They should know that the soldiers in the Marines come from their participating countries, and the World Government doesn't have a single commoner among them.
They paid money, sent people, and now they have to call them "father."
What is this?
It's demeaning.
No wonder the Celestial Dragons consider them as lowly commoners.
Their kings were perfectly fine ruling their own countries, but they had to go and become dogs for others. Isn't that demeaning?
The World Government spends their money, recruits people from their countries to serve in the Marines, and then lets the Marines protect them. It turns out they were protecting themselves from the beginning to the end.
Originally, they thought the Marines belonged to everyone, that they were collectively funded. They thought it belonged to everyone.
But now they realize that the Marines are the soldiers in the hands of the king of the World Government, not theirs.
What are the Celestial Dragons responsible for?
They are responsible for managing them...
Spending their money, maintaining their own soldiers, and managing them.
After the royal and noble families of these participating countries learned the truth, they were on the verge of exploding with anger.
However, they soon realized one thing: besides their impotent rage, they couldn't do anything because it was already a settled matter.
Unless they could cast aside the Celestial Dragons and reestablish a World Government composed solely of participating countries.
Otherwise, everything would remain as it is.
They would forever be the lowly subjects of the Celestial Dragons.
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=> The day of studying in Hogwarts.
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.....
(End of this chapter)