As Riku lowered his hand, the world around them suddenly transformed.
Startled, the naval officers stood from their seats, warily scanning their surroundings.
"There's no need to worry," Riku said with a calm smile. With a wave of his hand, everyone found themselves atop a towering chess piece that stretched into the sky.
"Welcome to my little world," Riku announced.
"Your world?!" a black-haired woman exclaimed in astonishment, standing near the three admirals. Her gaze turned to the stormy blue skies surrounding them.
Vice Admiral Di Yuan disappeared in an instant, her body vanishing from sight.
"Oh my," Kuzan (Aokiji) remarked, lifting his eyepatch and surveying the area. His gaze returned to Riku. "I must admit, I underestimated you. The first time we met, I didn't sense this level of power."
"This entire space, nearly a hundred square kilometers, is infused with your aura. This must be your source of power."
"And bringing all of us here... In this realm, you could likely defeat everyone present by yourself," Kuzan concluded.
"That's correct," Riku confirmed, glancing toward Hiroshi and the others, who were calmly sipping tea. "But that doesn't include my companions. And from what I see, you're intelligent enough to recognize their strength."
"Ha," Riku chuckled. He pressed his palm downward, and the previously tense naval officers found themselves immobilized before being returned to their original positions.
"I'm not even among the strongest of us," Riku admitted, looking at Sengoku and Kuzan. "In fact, I'm on the lower end when it comes to combat power."
Gesturing toward Zhongli, Infinity, Banir, and Venti, Riku added, "And as for deities... we have four among us."
"Two of them have ascended to the divine throne after the Great War of Gods and Demons."
"I see," Garp said, clenching his fists as he sensed the true power radiating from the group. "In that case, there's no need for further hesitation. The sooner we act, the sooner we can end the pirates' reign and alleviate the suffering of ordinary people."
Hearing Garp's resolve and feeling the overwhelming power of Zhongli, Venti, Infinity, and Banir, Sengoku's expression grew firm. "It seems Riku was correct. With such strength, the conditions to conquer the world in a day are indeed met."
"Then it's settled," Sengoku declared.
Riku lightly tapped his foot, and Di Yuan, who had been using Moonwalk to ascend into the sky, returned to her original position. The space shifted again, and the group found themselves back in the naval conference room.
Opening a nearby projection device, Riku said calmly, "Now that the plan is decided, let's discuss the specifics of its execution."
"First, to ensure swift travel between the Four Seas and Marine Headquarters, Xiaohei and Lumine will work together to set up teleportation arrays," Riku announced, assigning tasks.
"Next, for the suppression of the Four Seas..."
Riku turned to the tea-drinking quartet. "For safety's sake, I'll ask the four of you to make a decisive move."
"Infinity, Xiaohei, and Shirou will handle the East Blue."
"Venti, Kazuma, and Megumin will take the South Blue."
"Zhongli, Keqing, and Touma will manage the West Blue."
"Banir, Hiroshi, and Kuroneko will suppress the North Blue."
Riku's gaze sharpened as he addressed the group. "You all understand what pirates and most nobles are like. With your divine-level abilities, you can spread your senses across the entire sea. Use your judgment to decide who deserves death and who can be imprisoned for reeducation."
"These scum have no right to enjoy the peace of a new era. Since the rules of this world can't curb their ambitions and depravity..."
Riku clenched his fist, anger burning in his eyes. "We'll deliver justice ourselves!"
"Riku~" Shuvi placed a gentle hand on his arm, shaking her head. "Calm down. Don't let them cloud your thoughts."
"The world will change for the better," Shuvi reassured him softly.
"You're right," Riku said, his anger subsiding as he looked at Shuvi. "Thank you, Shuvi. I'll stay calm."
Turning back to the puzzled naval officers, Riku waved dismissively. "It's nothing. I just saw something infuriating."
Looking up at the blue sky, Riku sighed deeply. "What a corrupt and dark world this is. Human nature and desire are truly terrifying things."
Above, seagulls flew in flocks under the bright sunlight. Yet, to those with sanctified souls, the blue sky seemed tainted by an unshakable black miasma of resentment.
Endless suffering rose from every corner of the world, converging into the sky and refusing to disperse. The darkness of this decaying world had pushed it to the brink.
"That's why I said," Hiroshi murmured, opening his palm as he gazed at the light shining from the naval officers' souls, "the justice of these people is incredibly precious."
"Even with their flaws, they remain the light of this world," he continued. "They illuminate a corner of this dark world."
Turning toward Kizaru, Hiroshi observed the faint glow that now radiated brightly from the admiral. The previously dim sunlight now blazed like the noonday sun, determined to dispel the darkness.
A faint smile curved Hiroshi's lips as he addressed Borsalino. "Kizaru, you're truly shining now."
"Oh my~," Borsalino said, resting his chin on his hand with a lazy grin. "Hiroshi, don't tease me. I'm just an admiral who wants to clock in and out on time."
"Besides, young people shouldn't delve into an old man's heart too much. You might catch something contagious," he joked.
Straightening up and stretching, Borsalino gazed out the window. The bright sunlight illuminated his face, adding an uncharacteristic solemnity to his usual demeanor.
"I'm just an old man who wants to laze around. But those things in the sky make it impossible to enjoy the sun properly," he said. "So I suppose it's time to pick up what I once abandoned and try to change things."