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The speaker was none other than Jaygarcia Saturn, leaning on his cane. As the Scientific Defense Warlord of the World Government, he was the one leading the conversation with Zyhark.
The other four remained silent, but their sharp, experienced eyes were all quietly focused on Zyhark.
An invisible and intense pressure swept over him, as if he were standing before five gigantic and grotesque monsters! They were truly the rulers who stood at the pinnacle of the pirate world, second only to Im in terms of power and authority!
Due to the confidential nature of the meeting, Smoker and the CP agents were all left waiting outside.
Facing the intense stares of the Five Elders, Zyhark calmly stepped forward without responding immediately.
He maintained his silence as he walked to the center of the hall, sitting down on the empty sofa opposite the Five Elders. Reaching out, he grabbed a grape from the table and tossed it into his mouth.
The cold, juicy grape burst in his mouth.
The flesh was thick, and the juice was sweet, leaving a lingering taste even after he swallowed it.
Damn, no wonder the Five Elders eat such things!
After silently marveling at the taste, Zyhark stretched out his arms, resting them on the leather sofa's armrests, and casually crossed his legs.
This was the plan he had devised before arriving at Mary Geoise: to present an image of an arrogant and reckless newcomer before the Five Elders.
Compared to a cunning and scheming villain, a rebellious and unruly youth would be easier to control.
This approach would make the Five Elders lower their guard against him, giving him the opportunity to catch the World Government off guard when necessary!
As expected, seeing his arrogant and dismissive attitude, the Five Elders' expressions gradually darkened.
"No need for introductions. I believe you all already know who I am."
Zyhark slightly raised his eyes, scanning each of the Five Elders, who were either sitting or standing, "So, why don't you introduce yourselves?"
"Brat! Watch your tone!"
The one in the deep green suit, Topman, slammed the table, shouting in anger.
"Isn't it natural to introduce yourselves when meeting for the first time?"
Zyhark picked up a piece of cheese bread and began eating it casually.
"Never mind, I suppose it's not unreasonable to think that way."
Mars, with his long white beard, glanced at him and was the first to speak, "I am the Environmental Warlord of the World Government, Marcus Mars."
With him taking the lead, the other Five Elders, though dissatisfied with Zyhark's brazen attitude, still introduced themselves briefly.
After this, they lost the desire for further small talk.
"Let's skip the pleasantries, Zyhark. The reason we've summoned you here, aside from the usual procedures, is that we want to learn a few things from you."
Watching Zyhark casually sip on some juice, Saturn's facial muscles twitched slightly.
"For example, that ship of yours that can freely traverse the sky and deep seas," he said in a deep voice.
As expected.
Zyhark downed the fresh juice in one gulp and laughed heartily, "Oh, that? It's nothing special. If you're interested, I can send you the blueprints later."
Such a casual remark made the shrewd Saturn catch onto something.
Agreeing so readily, could it be that this brat has something even more advanced up his sleeve?
Since it wasn't explicitly required by his mission, Smoker had not reported any information regarding the second-generation model.
"It seems that the Endless Dream is not the pinnacle of your scientist's abilities," Shepherd Ten Piter commented meaningfully.
In response, Zyhark glanced aside, shrugging, "Who knows."
This insufferable attitude further annoyed the hot-tempered Topman, whose fierce gaze radiated killing intent.
For many years, no one had dared to face the Five Elders with such an attitude!
Thinking about the many secrets this brat was hiding, Topman barely restrained the urge to kill him on the spot.
"In that case, thank you for your contribution to the World Government," Saturn said, fiddling with the needle-shaped cane in his hand as he moved on to the next question, "And I'd like to know more about that Aqua on your ship who can freely control the sea. What ability is that?"
They had conducted an extensive investigation into Aqua's abilities.
However, even with the World Government's complete Devil Fruit Encyclopedia and records of rare races, they had not found any information that matched her abilities!
This girl, who called herself the Goddess of Water, seemed to have appeared out of thin air!
This time, Zyhark did not answer as quickly. Instead, he slowly began eating the cookies and snacks on the table.
The crunching sound of his chewing echoed in the luxurious, spacious hall.
The Five Elders, however, were patient, watching quietly as Zyhark finished the entire cookie and even licked his fingers, imitating the silly goddess.
"I've already shown my sincerity by offering the ship's blueprints. As for revealing my partner's information, that would be a huge loss for a businessman."
"Name your price," Saturn immediately saw through his intentions.
"Straightforward, I like doing business with smart people like you."
Facing the focused gazes of the Five Elders, Zyhark calmly said, "The complete training techniques for the Navy's Six Styles."
Whether it was the silly goddess, Meowth, or the brute force fighter Kanna, or even the ordinary man King, if they could successfully learn the Navy's Six Styles, it would greatly enhance the overall strength of their team.
Although with his current power, obtaining the Navy's Six Styles, which were widely known in the Navy, was not particularly difficult, it couldn't compare to acquiring the complete and most efficient methods through official channels.
Since it was for his companions, it naturally had to be the best!
"No problem. I'll inform Kong later. You can pick it up directly at Marineford."
After a brief consideration, Saturn agreed to this condition.
Compared to the unknown information about Aqua, this thing, which was not particularly classified within the Navy, was inconsequential.
As for whether the other party would tell the truth, they would judge that themselves.
"The Zoan-type, Human-Human Fruit, Mythical Model: Water Goddess."
Zyhark leisurely said, "That's the Devil Fruit Aqua ate."
If something like the Nika Fruit exists in this world, saying that there's a Water Goddess Fruit isn't too far-fetched, right?
"Don't talk nonsense. I've never even heard of such a fruit in hundreds of years!" Topman once again stepped forward, annoyed.
"The Devil Fruits are born from people's strong desires. Aqua has longed to become a goddess who controls the sea since she was a child. Isn't it natural for such a fruit to exist?" Zyhark retorted.
His words made the Five Elders fall silent.
Thinking of the axis cult that had been rapidly growing in recent times, perhaps there really was such a possibility!
They withheld their opinions.
"You even know the reason for the Devil Fruits' existence, brat. It seems your background is more complicated than we thought," Nasujuro, the only one not wearing a suit, cradled his famous sword in his arms, pointing out the key information.
"I don't think I'm obliged to explain that to you, am I?" Zyhark asked in return, with a hint of mystery that made the Five Elders frown deeply.
Since the topic had come up, Saturn smoothly asked the final question: "According to Borsalino, during your fight in Water 7, as a user of the Rumble-Rumble Fruit, you were able to move freely in the sea, ignoring the curse of the ocean."
"We want to see it for ourselves."
As expected, Zyhark's response to this question was simple.
That was...
Sitting on the sofa with his legs crossed, he began cracking sunflower seeds.
"Enough! Summoning you as a new Warlord of the Sea isn't an excuse for you to freeload here in Mary Geoise!"
Topman finally couldn't hold back any longer. He stood up, transforming into a shadowy, monstrous form, ready to punish Zyhark on the spot for his insolence!
It was Shepherd Ten Piter, the Agricultural Warlord, who stopped him with a hand: "He's just an overconfident brat with some power. Let's see what he has to say first."
Hearing this, Topman withdrew his ominous and dangerous aura, returning to his human form.
These cunning old men, their double act was starting to get interesting.
Zyhark could see through their true intentions at a glance—they were just trying to intimidate him with a show of strength, demonstrating that they could kill him at any moment.
If it weren't for Aqua's resurrection technique, he might have actually been cautious and conceded a bit.
But now, sorry!
"I want to meet the World Government's chief scientist, Vegapunk."
Ignoring the threat, he calmly stated his condition.
At this point in time, Vegapunk's new world, Egghead Island, had not yet been built. He was still residing in the World Government's secret research facility, making it difficult to locate him.
"Such a dangerous request, I advise you to give it up," Saturn said coldly.
As the Warlord specifically responsible for "scientific defense," he was well aware of the potential threats posed by Zyhark, who possessed advanced technology, if he were to come into contact with Vegapunk!
"Relax, it's just that my little scientist on the ship wants to get his idol's autograph. After all, he is the world's most advanced scientist, supposedly five hundred years ahead."
This time, Saturn took much longer to consider his response.
"I can agree to your request, but I must be present for your entire meeting."
Given the significant research value and strategic importance of Devil Fruits that defy the sea, he was willing to compromise.
"Of course."
Zyhark nodded. As long as he could meet Vegapunk, he had his ways.
"Is there seawater here?" he asked.
With an expressionless face, Saturn waved his hand slightly.
Whoosh! Two CP agents in white suits and masks appeared out of nowhere, bringing with them a pre-prepared large bathtub.
Seeing this, Zyhark didn't hesitate. He set down his drink and slowly stood up, beginning to undress in front of the Five Elders.
While this was understandable, the Five Elders couldn't help but twitch their lips.
This brat was really acting like he owned the place!
Zyhark had already removed his black coat, undershirt, and pants, folding them neatly.
His bear-patterned underwear instantly became the most eye-catching thing in the room, overshadowing even his well-defined muscle lines.
Nearby, two female agents had complicated expressions. Even with their professional training, they couldn't help but feel somewhat flustered.
The new Warlord of the Sea, the notorious criminal who had killed a Celestial Dragon, was wearing this kind of thing?!
While they were still in disbelief, there was a loud splash as Zyhark jumped into the tank, electricity sparking, and water splashing everywhere as he began swimming freely.
"Hey, do you have any bath soap? Shampoo would work too."
Zyhark emerged from the water, shaking his wet hair, and casually asked the two female agents.
Female Agents: "..."
A notorious criminal, yet he dared to take a bath and wash his hair in the solemn meeting hall, right in front of the Five Elders...
This man, who was unorthodox in every way, could definitely be called the world's most outrageous individual!
Even the likes of Rocks and Roger, the Pirate King, weren't as bold as you!!
Just as they were about to lose their professional composure and succumb to the urge to vent their frustration.
Thankfully, Nasujuro, who couldn't bear to watch any longer, intervened. With a speed too fast to catch with the naked eye, he slashed through the entire bathtub, cutting both Zyhark and the tub in half!
Zzzt!
Electric arcs flickered, and Zyhark, whose body had been split in two, quickly reformed, standing amid the water and bathtub fragments scattered on the floor.
That strike hadn't been coated with Haki, or rather, it had been deliberately withheld.
The goal was simply to test whether Zyhark was indeed a Rumble-Rumble Fruit user.
And Zyhark cooperated, performing a perfect elementalization right in front of them!
Satisfied with the answer, the Five Elders' expressions grew even graver.
He wasn't like the Lunarians who could control flames; this brat was indeed a Devil Fruit user!
So how had he managed to defy the "world's rules" so blatantly?
Even though they had been prepared, seeing such an unbelievable feat firsthand, even the Five Elders, who had lived for centuries, were deeply shaken.
"So, do you have your answer now?"
Zyhark used his electricity to dry his wet hair and began dressing again.
"We still need you to cooperate a bit more."
Saturn hid his shock and gestured to the nearby CP agents with his eyes.
The two agents immediately understood, taking out a pair of heavy, deep-black handcuffs—the nemesis of all Devil Fruit users, Seastone handcuffs!
"Hey, if I can ignore the effects of seawater, isn't this thing, which also relies on sea elements, unnecessary?"
Seeing the Seastone handcuffs in the agent's hands, Zyhark's eyes flashed with a fleeting hint of anxiety.
"This still falls within our agreement."
Saturn turned the earlier "equivalent exchange" back on him.
The other four elders' gazes were just as cold, carrying an implicit pressure that was impossible to resist.
Their minds were sharp enough to catch the subtle shift in Zyhark's expression.
"This... alright then."
Zyhark had no choice but to raise his hands obediently as the CP agents approached.
Click.
Like a prisoner being escorted, the Seastone handcuffs were secured around Zyhark's wrists, tightly clinging to his skin.
To prove that he was unaffected by the Seastone, Zyhark began performing a series of energetic calisthenics in front of the Five Elders, waving his arms and legs with exaggerated vigor.
His bizarre and comical movements almost broke the professional composure of the female agents again.
"Other Devil Fruit users shouldn't be able to do what I just did, right?"
Zyhark stopped his antics and turned to the agents, "Could you help me out? Wearing this thing, people might think I'm some kind of notorious criminal."
Though the silly goddess's antics were a real headache, her purification ability was still very effective. Even the Seastone had no effect!
The reason he went through this was to deliberately show a flaw, to sell a weak spot in front of the Five Elders.
You really are a notorious criminal!
The female agents mentally screamed but kept their faces expressionless. They looked over at the Five Elders standing nearby.
Without their order, they couldn't unlock the handcuffs at will.
The Five Elders exchanged glances and quickly reached a consensus.
If he was unaffected, he could easily elementalize and escape the handcuffs like before. Why bother going through the trouble of having someone else unlock them?
Although his strength hadn't been completely nullified, he would still be affected by the Seastone...
They immediately came to this precise conclusion but tacitly chose not to expose it.
The result was clear: Zyhark's plan to sell a flaw was a great success!
The reason it went so smoothly, besides his Oscar-worthy acting skills, was largely due to the "arrogant and reckless" image he had carefully cultivated from the start.
It was a well-planned move.
This was the unparalleled advantage of a transmigrator with a superior strategic view!
Saturn, keeping his face impassive, waved a hand: "We've witnessed something quite unbelievable today. Unlock him."
"Yes!"
The CP agent retrieved the key and removed the Seastone handcuffs from Zyhark's wrists.
Saturn glanced at them lightly, and they understood his intent, disappearing from the hall in a flash.
The Five Elders did not continue questioning how Zyhark had managed to do it because they knew that even if they asked, they were unlikely to get the right answer.
It would probably just be some nonsense about "water conducts electricity."
They had plenty of time, so they weren't in a rush. If they could find a way to obtain Zyhark's lineage factor later, the truth would become clear.
For now, it was more important to keep him in check and not scare him off, risking losing this world-changing secret.
The advantage was theirs!
Zyhark pointed to the empty fruit plate on the coffee table, "Well, if there's nothing else, I'll take my leave."
With that, he turned to walk toward the door without waiting for a response from the Five Elders.
"Wait!" Saturn called out.
Zyhark turned back, looking puzzled.
"If you want to become a Warlord of the Sea, reputation and prestige are important, but you must also have the strength to match!"
As he spoke, Saturn's form rapidly expanded, sprouting six spider-like legs from his lower body, black horns on his head, and a ring of black flames burning on his shoulders.
His aura was cold and sinister, resembling the legendary "Oni," revealing his true form!
This was something they had decided before this meeting, to test Zyhark's strength and intimidate him with absolute power!
Zzt! Zzt!
Zyhark remained fearless, his body crackling with lightning, as if the Thunder God himself had descended, standing against Saturn's overwhelming presence.
"Are you sure you want to do this? I don't mind destroying your Mary Geoise castle."
"Don't worry. As long as we're here, you don't have that ability."
Although the other four elders did not reveal their true forms, after a brief contemplation, an invisible energy wave began to spread, enveloping the entire hall.
Was this an ability they all shared, or was it just one of them?
Zyhark's gaze grew more serious.
With his Rumble-Rumble Fruit's innate perception, he could sense the indomitable strength of this invisible energy barrier.
With his current power, it would indeed be difficult to break through it in a short time.
So, Mary Geoise, the Holy Land of the Celestial Dragons, isn't that easy to breach...
As he pondered, a strange sensation spread through his body, and Zyhark realized that he couldn't move!
It was Saturn's ability!
After successfully immobilizing Zyhark, Saturn's eyes began to glow with a menacing red light.
This was also one of his abilities—anyone who dared to look him in the eyes would have their head explode in an instant!
Boom!!
An explosion erupted, accompanied by searing flames. Amid the billowing smoke, lightning crackled and reassembled into Zyhark's form in mid-air.
"Cliff Edge Sword!"
His intentions were now crystal clear, so Zyhark decided to demonstrate some of his exposed abilities.
The ground beneath Saturn began to rise slowly, bright flames and scorching heat rapidly expanding.
The magma sword struck Saturn's lower body, creating a miniature mushroom cloud in the air!
"100 Million Volts: Thunder Spear!"
Electricity flashed as Zyhark hurled the thunder spear with all his might, adding an even more destructive lightning attack to the still-dissipating mushroom cloud.
The intense shockwave spread out wildly, only to disappear into nothingness as it reached the walls and windows of the hall.
"Similar to Sakazuki's abilities, it's somewhat interesting."
The sound of a cane tapping the ground echoed as Saturn, having returned to his human form, walked out of the debris unscathed.
His clean suit fluttered in the breeze, with no visible signs of injury?!
Zyhark frowned slightly, knowing that Saturn possessed some form of powerful regeneration ability, but this was beyond his expectations.
"That's enough," Saturn called an end to the battle.
They had achieved their goal of displaying their power and saw no need to reveal more of their cards and secrets.
"Forgiving your crime of killing a Celestial Dragon is already the greatest mercy. I hope you won't make any wrong choices in the future."
Mars stroked his long beard, speaking in a deep voice.
The invisible energy that had enveloped the hall dissipated as he spoke.
And so, the brief "test" of Zyhark came to an end.
Zyhark shook off the shock, placing his hands on the hilts of his twin swords at his waist. Without lingering any longer, he turned and left.
The Five Elders had more secrets than he had imagined, and if they were like this, then what about the ruler of the world, Im, who sat on the Empty Throne? It was hard to believe that Sabo had managed to escape from these monsters during his invasion of the Holy Land.
Or was there a deeper conspiracy at play?
This was something he couldn't determine. For now, all he could do was leave Mary Geoise quickly and continue his strategy of stealthy growth!
It wasn't until his figure disappeared down the street of the Celestial Dragons' residences that the Five Elders gathered again.
"He gave us part of what we wanted and brought out more secrets. He's a cunning brat," Saturn said in a low voice.
"Giving him some time isn't a problem. Like Rocks back then, or Joy Boy, no matter how powerful the ants become, they can never shake the mighty tree of world power."
Topman, who had a sudden change in temperament, narrowed his eyes slightly.
"Like with the other Warlords, find an opportunity to extract his lineage factor. The ability to ignore the sea's curse is an important discovery for us."
The other Five Elders also valued the abnormality they had found in Zyhark.
"By the way, the East Sea hunt that was planned earlier, the god those fools worship seems to be that Aqua on his ship, doesn't it?"
"Should we change the target?"
Upon hearing this, a cold light appeared on Saturn's usually calm face.
"I already said, let's hope that brat makes the right choice."
...
After leaving the meeting hall, Zyhark walked with Smoker on the way to Marineford to obtain the Navy's Six Styles.
Suddenly, from a dark corner of the Celestial Dragons' residential area, a heavy hammer filled with dangerous intent came hurtling toward them, bursting with power!
As the designated escort, Smoker's eyes flashed red as he used his smoke arm to block the hammer.
"Who goes there?" Smoker looked toward the attacker.
"You filthy Marine, I suggest you stand aside and don't interfere."
A man with a square bubble helmet slowly walked out, his eyes filled with undisguised killing intent as he stared at Zyhark.
Sharp-eyed Smoker noticed his target: "This is the new Warlord of the Sea, who just finished a meeting with the Five Elders and is preparing to leave."
"I'm here for that damned bastard!"
The man picked up the fallen hammer at his feet, his expression twisted with rage. "He dared to kill my father, and no matter what, he won't leave Mary Geoise alive today!!"
So this is the son of Charloss Saint, whom Zyhark killed at the auction house?
Smoker fell silent.
When it came to matters involving the Celestial Dragons, as a Marine, he had no authority to intervene.
If the other party ordered Zyhark's execution, there was nothing Smoker could do to refuse!
And this was the tragic reality of the self-proclaimed "justice" of the Marines...
"So, you're that scum's son? What do you want with me?"
Zyhark, understanding Smoker's predicament, gave him a look that said, "Leave this to me," and stepped forward to face Charloss's son.
"Die!!"
Blinded by vengeance, Charloss's son didn't waste any words, swinging his hammer at Zyhark.
Having been indoctrinated with the belief that he was the ruler of the world since childhood, he couldn't understand why anyone would dare to kill a Celestial Dragon.
Nor could he comprehend why this lowly ant was given the title of Warlord of the Sea and allowed to walk freely in the Holy Land!
Zyhark remained calm, gripping his thunder and engaging in battle with Charloss's son.
As a member of the God's Knights, his strength was on a completely different level from those weak and fragile Celestial Dragons.
But he was still far from the level of an Admiral or Yonko.
After a fierce battle, Zyhark's evaluation of him was roughly on par with a mid-level member of the in Kaido's Beast Pirates.
Handling such an opponent was a piece of cake for someone of his current level.
Bang! With a horizontal strike of the Cliff Edge Sword, Zyhark sent Charloss's son crashing into the rubble, then approached, raising his right arm, which was covered in high-voltage electricity.
Lightning crackled, and a massive lightning dog began to form.
"100 Million Volts: Thunder Dog: Overload!"
Zyhark maintained his arrogant image, throwing a punch filled with destructive energy toward the trembling figure of Charloss's son! Clang! Just as the Thunder Dog was about to devour its target, a flash of sword light passed through, blocking the attack.
The powerful lightning force was like hitting an unyielding barrier, easily deflected by a plain, somewhat Western-style sword blade.
The violent electrical energy dissipated in all directions, tearing apart the ground beneath the automatic pedestrian street.
Peering through a broken section, one could see the emaciated slaves and overseers below, staring up in terror, not knowing what had happened.
—In the seemingly glamorous Mary Geoise, there were hidden corners of suffocating darkness.
Zyhark had no time to dwell on this darkness, as a middle-aged man with a striking moon-shaped hairstyle stood before him.
The highest-ranking officer of the God's Knights, a Celestial Dragon with deep ties to Red-Haired Shanks...
Figarland Garling! Garling turned his sword with a flick of his wrist, releasing a wave of energy that scattered Zyhark's Thunder Dog.
Along with it, Zyhark himself was sent flying a dozen meters, barely regaining his balance through rapid discharges.
"Don't get too arrogant, insect. This is Mary Geoise!"
As Garling's voice thundered, deep red lightning spread across the entire residential area.
Buzz!!! An overwhelmingly terrifying Conqueror's Haki, like a storm, poured down on Zyhark.
The sheer terror of it seemed to want to tear his fragile, insignificant body apart!
The slaves and overseers below fainted one after another, and even Smoker, who wasn't the primary target, felt the immense pressure and fell to one knee.
This was the Conqueror's Haki of a monster who had been active during the Rocks era, who had fought fiercely with the likes of Whitebeard, Roger, and Garp at God's Valley!!
At the center of the Haki storm, Zyhark found it difficult to stand, his posture slowly lowering.
If he were to kneel down, with the Five Elders present, he would likely avoid being judged by the God's Knights, easily defusing this crisis without having to waste Aqua's one-time resurrection.
But...
Who the hell would kneel to a Celestial Dragon! Being mocked and despised by that silly goddess would be worse than death!!!
Zyhark's bloodshot eyes, strained by the immense pressure, flickered with deep blue electricity.
He straightened his back with pride, drawing his twin swords from his waist, and pointed them directly at Figarland Garling.
"So what? Don't forget the title you gave me—the Thunder of Evil!"
Boom!!! A vast blue light surged forth, followed by a change in the sky, as red lightning roared.
Unlike Garling's, a second wave of Conqueror's Haki erupted violently over Mary Geoise!
(End of Chapter)