The Holy Land Mary Geoise – the solemn seat of the world's highest authority.
Within its sacred halls stood the Five Elders and Commander-in-Chief of the World Government, Kong. Just half an hour ago, the Five Elders had descended beneath the Empty Throne for an audience with the mysterious sovereign — Imu.
When they emerged from that hidden chamber, their backs were soaked in cold sweat.
After all — Imu was furious.
"Since the days of Rocks, no one has dared to kill a Celestial Dragon."
A simple sentence — but the meaning was crystal clear: they would not tolerate anyone repeating such defiance.
The fury radiating from the Empty Throne made even the Five Elders tremble. Despite appearing to hold supreme authority, they were nothing more than Im's stewards. The true god—the one who bestowed everything upon them—watches the world from behind the curtain.
That god holds the strongest ancient weapons and the most terrifying powers known to this world.
"Do you have orders, Elders?" Kong asked respectfully.
Nusjuro, clutching the Kitetsu, spoke coldly, "Kong, place a bounty of 2 billion Berries on Elior. As for Douglas Bullet raise his bounty by 500 million Berries atop his previous amount. For the others... do what you must. Three members of the Worst Generation have joined them. What a headache."
"I'll begin the bounty notices immediately" Kong said. "But... regarding their escape from Impel Down?"
"There's no need to hide it anymore" muttered Saturn "It's already too late."
"There is no footage — no surveillance — of the actual breakout. Whoever attacked Impel Down appeared without a trace."
"The strangest part..." Nusjuro added, "...is his ability. You're saying he froze time and space?"
"There's no record of such a power in the Devil Fruit Encyclopedia" another elder said grimly. "His strength alone is enough to rival an admiral... but with that ability, his threat level matches the Emperors themselves."
"And Bullet follows him. That man is a monster on the level of Kaido."
"We'll address the execution incident first," said another. "After that, we deal with this Elior. He is not necessary for maintaining the current balance."
The Sabaody Incident was quickly renamed by the media as the Celestial Dragon Massacre. Because of Elior's actions, even Luffy's infamous punch to a Celestial Dragon was overshadowed and forgotten.
News spread like wildfire. Headlines exploded across the world—people everywhere were talking about it.
Three Celestial Dragons beheaded. Live. On camera.
The papers sold out instantly.
In the eyes of the world, the Celestial Dragons were considered divine—the untouchable descendants of the gods. No one had dared challenge them so directly in over 800 years.
The world was shaken to its core.
On Amazon Lily, night had fallen. Boa Hancock, who had been preparing for bed, jolted upright when elder Nyon handed her the newspaper.
Her drowsiness vanished instantly.
"He beheaded the Celestial Dragons?! In front of the whole world?"
"And made them call themselves pigs before dying?!"
"He humiliated them—utterly!"
The front page showed a gruesome image: three decapitated corpses, their heads still mid-fall—bloody, brutal, shocking. And most importantly… they were Celestial Dragons.
Even the gods, it seemed, could bleed.
As one of the people in the world who hated the Celestial Dragons most, Hancock was not frightened—but she was stunned. Her face was frozen in disbelief.
"A newly risen pirate with strength rivaling an Admiral… even Akainu was wounded by him!"
"He's a monster. Something beyond imagination…"
Granny Nyon's voice was filled with awe.
" Empress, there's one more thing. The Marine has decreed that all current Shichibukai must participate in the upcoming war — or they'll be stripped of their titles."
"I have no interest in this ridiculous war" Hancock muttered.
"Hancock, don't be reckless—!"
"Shut up, old woman!"
Right now, only one thing mattered to her—Elior.
Though they'd never met, that name and that face were now etched into her memory.
"Marigold! Sandersonia! From now on, buy me every newspaper that has anything on that man!"
Meanwhile, in Dressrosa, Doflamingo read the headlines and collapsed back into his throne, wide-eyed.
"Dragged off their divine pedestal... Fufufu… brainless fools."
Though he despised his former kind — the Celestial Dragons — Doflamingo had always dreamed of dragging them down himself. To watch someone else do it filled him with a strange mix of rage and admiration.
"The world's about to burn... Whitebeard's crew is marching to war with the Marines, the Shichibukai are being summoned, and now this lunatic shows up out of nowhere…"
But Doflamingo's ambition far exceeded his current power.
All across the world, news-coo birds flew through the skies, delivering the shocking headlines. The people were in uproar.
A powerful pirate crew, newly risen, appeared at the worst possible time.
And the bounties—they drew even more attention.
Elior: 2 billion Berries.
Crimes: Killing Celestial Dragons, public humiliation of the World Nobles, defying divine authority, and extraordinary combat strength.
Bullet: 1.63 billion Berries.
Every member of Elior's crew has a bounty over 100 million.
And in the shadows of the New World… even the Yonko had started watching.