Bai Ye stood silently, his indifferent eyes fixed on the sky above Mariejois.
In the next second, an enormous projection from a phone bug appeared.
A mysterious figure, shrouded in shadows, loomed over Mariejois.
The figure wore a crown with four towering spikes and a cloak that trailed to the ground. His slender, menacing eyes, glowing red with pressure, scanned the lower parts of Mariejois.
"Master Im!"
The Five Elders gasped in shock, their expressions trembling.
At the same moment, across the world, countless people who saw the projection were paralyzed with disbelief.
"Who… Who is that?!"
"Is there someone like that in the World Government?!"
"What kind of being could this possibly be?!"
The reaction was universal.
From the Grand Line to the farthest corners of the world, everyone was stunned. Their shock only deepened when they noticed something else—the Five Elders, the most powerful figures in the World Government, were kneeling before this mysterious figure.
"Are they insane?!"
"The Five Elders are kneeling?!"
As the highest-ranking Celestial Dragons, the Five Elders were considered the pinnacle of authority in the world. Yet now, they knelt like servants before this shadowy figure.
The outside world erupted into chaos.
"Are you kidding me?! Someone the Five Elders submit to?!"
"Has the World Government hidden such an existence all this time?!"
Even in Marineford, the impact was seismic.
"Marshal Sengoku… Is this real?!" A Marine Vice Admiral stammered.
Admiral Aokiji, Garp, and other officers turned to Sengoku, hoping for answers.
But Sengoku himself was pale, his expression frozen with shock. As Marine Marshal, Sengoku knew many of the World Government's secrets. Yet even he was blindsided by this revelation.
This mysterious figure—Im—was a being Sengoku had never heard of. He thought he understood the hierarchy of the World Government, but now it seemed like everything he believed in had been a facade.
The realization struck him hard.
Was the authority he served his entire life merely an illusion?
Cold sweat trickled down Sengoku's forehead.
Elsewhere, aboard the Red Force, the Red-Haired Pirates were equally stunned.
"Captain Shanks… What is that?!" Yasopp exclaimed, his voice trembling.
The red-haired Shanks turned his gaze toward the projection of Mariejois and froze. His expression darkened.
Meanwhile, on Amazon Lily, Granny Nyon burst into the palace to inform Hancock about the unfolding chaos.
But when she arrived, she found the empress already watching the projection.
The sight of the Five Elders kneeling before Im shook Granny Nyon to her core.
"Is this the secret the World Government has hidden for centuries?!"
In Dressrosa, the tension was no less palpable.
"D-Doffy… What's going on?!" Torrebol stammered.
Doflamingo abruptly stood up, his face a mask of shock. For once, he appeared genuinely unnerved.
"It's all over…" Doflamingo muttered, his voice heavy.
"All over?! But Mariejois has been destroyed!" Torrebol argued.
Doflamingo shook his head.
"No… Because that person has appeared," he replied grimly.
As someone who once blackmailed the Five Elders, Doflamingo knew the truth behind the Void Throne, a seat that was supposed to remain forever empty—a symbol of shared power among the Celestial Dragons.
Yet, Doflamingo had discovered the throne was occupied. Someone had taken it. Someone even the arrogant Celestial Dragons allowed to rule over them.
And now, that very being, the one who held ultimate authority, had revealed himself to the world.
Back on Mariejois, Im raised a hand, and the sky itself began to collapse.
Thunder roared, lightning cracked, and a suffocating terror spread across the heavens above Mariejois.
The world held its breath.
"Is that… the power of a god?!"
Countless eyes turned to Bai Ye, the lone figure standing defiantly amidst the chaos.
Im's gaze bore down on Bai Ye, cold and indifferent, as if judging an insect.
But Bai Ye stood his ground, unshaken. His fiery determination burned brighter than the collapsing sky above.
In an instant, a massive pillar of fire erupted into the sky, challenging Im's overwhelming presence.
Even if Im was truly a god, Bai Ye was determined to destroy him, tear down the hypocritical World Government, and annihilate the Celestial Dragons.