Setting aside the vile image he had of the Celestial Dragons, Rorschach had to admit — the sacred city standing atop the world before him was the most magnificent sight he had ever seen since arriving in this world.
A vast, flat avenue — over a hundred meters wide — stretched straight toward the heart of the Holy Land, leading to Pangaea Castle.
On both sides of the road grew neatly trimmed hedges and lush greenery, dotted with blooming flowers that filled the air with fresh fragrance. The atmosphere here was vibrant and alive, a sharp contrast to the thin, oxygen-starved air he had experienced back on Skypiea.
Blue-and-white domed buildings dotted the emerald lawns, where elegantly dressed residents of the Holy Land could be seen leisurely going about their lives.
As soon as they crossed the first great gate into the Holy Land and set foot upon the Heavenly Path, Rorschach instinctively released his Observation Haki, sensing the presence of nearby life forces.
Of course, to avoid drawing attention, he didn't enhance it with his lightning powers — merely allowed his pure Haki to sweep across a radius of several dozen kilometers.
It took only a second or two, yet his pupils contracted sharply. His heart clenched.
Before coming here, Rorschach had already made rough estimates of how many powerful individuals the Holy Land concealed.
The Five Elders, the Holy Knights, and others combined should have numbered over ten. Adding Im, and other hidden forces that had never surfaced, he expected perhaps around fifteen top-level beings.
But now that he actually sensed them — even he was shocked.
Though he had never met the Five Elders, he could clearly feel five immense auras emanating from the very center of Pangaea Castle — each one as strong as a Marine Admiral.
These five, whom the manga once portrayed as mere figureheads posing in robes, were in truth monstrous beings with bizarre transformation powers.
Beyond Pangaea Castle, in the Celestial Dragon residential district, Rorschach detected over ten more powerful life signatures — one of them familiar.
It was the aura of Figarland Garling Saint, whom he had met once before.
So that must be where the Holy Knights, the Celestial Dragons' most elite guardians, resided.
But that wasn't all.
At the far end of the road ahead, before the vast square of Pangaea Castle, there were also several fearsome auras.
Among them, Rorschach sensed one he knew well — Kuzan's.
And even that wasn't the end of it.
Turning his head toward both sides of the great avenue — toward the districts housing the citizens of the Holy Land — he felt many more powerful life forces, several of which rivaled Admirals in strength.
Even for someone of his level, that realization sent chills down his spine.
Rorschach judged himself as already nearing the level of an Admiral. His physique had reached that stage, though his offensive power still lagged somewhat behind.
But here — within just this ten-kilometer range — there were nearly twenty people whose auras exceeded his own.
He could not sense Im's presence.
According to the manga, that being resided deep within the flower chambers of the Holy Land — too far, and too dangerous to probe casually.
As Rorschach's gaze lingered on the right side of the city, Cobra whispered beside him, "That area houses the World Government officials, the native citizens of the Holy Land, agents of the CP organizations serving the Celestial Dragons, and the high-ranking officers of another major armed force under the World Government — the Army."
"The Army?" Rorschach's eyes narrowed slightly.
Cobra nodded. "Yes, the Army. They are the powerful forces stationed across allied nations to deal with conflicts on land. It's said they are the ones fighting against Dragon's Revolutionary Army all over the world."
"How strong is this Army? Compared to the Marines — are there Admirals and a Fleet Marshal among them too?" Rorschach asked curiously.
He knew the name, of course.
Under the World Government, there were three great military branches — the Marines, the Army, and the Holy Land's Guard Corps.
The Marines controlled the seas.The Army governed the lands.And the Guard Corps protected Mary Geoise itself.
Their supreme commander, Kong, oversaw all three and answered directly to the Five Elders.
However, apart from the Marines, Rorschach knew little about the other two branches' structures.
He had only heard from Sengoku that the Holy Knights were the top officers of the Holy Land Guard Corps — and that many of them possessed power equal to Admirals.
"The Army has its own Marshals and Generals," Cobra explained. "I'm not sure how strong they are compared to the Navy, but they're definitely formidable. After all, they've been able to hold their own against Dragon's forces for years."
Cobra looked up at the towering castle ahead and sighed. "For a Navy so powerful to be just one of the World Government's armies… that alone shows how strong they truly are. That's where the Five Elders' confidence in ruling the world comes from."
No, Rorschach thought to himself. That confidence comes from Im.
Retracting his Observation Haki, Rorschach ceased his probing.
Powerful individuals could sense when they were being observed.
Even that brief sweep had already drawn the attention of at least ten other Observation users from every direction — proof of how strictly guarded this place was.
He couldn't help but wonder how Sabo and his companions had ever managed to infiltrate this fortress in the manga — let alone escape alive.
Just then, the group at the front — including Shirahoshi — stopped, gazing curiously at something in the middle of the road: a wide moving conveyor path slowly rolling forward.
On it stood a group of finely dressed nobles, clearly foreign dignitaries. They chatted and laughed as the moving platform carried them forward effortlessly.
A black-suited official stepped up to explain:
"Honored guests, this is the Holy Land's Auto Walkway. Simply stand upon it, and it will carry you forward to Pangaea Castle."
He pointed at the vertical poles attached along the walkway. "For first-time users, please hold these rails to avoid being pulled off-balance by the inertia. After a few rides, you'll get used to it. Princess Shirahoshi, Princess Vivi — would you like to try?"
"Really? Amazing! I've never seen a road that moves by itself!" Shirahoshi bent down, fascinated by the slowly gliding walkway.
Her big eyes sparkled with curiosity.
She turned to King Neptune for permission.
Vivi, however, hesitated — she noticed Cobra subtly shaking his head at her.
Confused, she decided to stay beside the others instead of stepping onto the path.
Rorschach, walking at the rear, looked at the moving belt with thinly veiled disgust.
Enel narrowed his eyes, a faint smirk tugging at his lips.
This place, he thought, truly carried the essence of slavery to its extreme.
Sensing Shirahoshi's eagerness, Hibari, who had been quietly observing with her Observation Haki, flew close to her ear and whispered softly.
At her words, Shirahoshi's face went pale. Horrified, she quickly stepped away from the walkway and hurried to catch up with Rorschach.
She never would have imagined that the "automatic walkway" was in fact powered by hundreds of slaves, hidden beneath the ground — pulling massive chains and gears with their bleeding hands.
Once Hibari told her the truth, Shirahoshi's worldview was shaken to its core.
The kind-hearted princess's eyes filled with tears.
Hibari gently comforted her, keeping her from breaking down completely.
A slight pulse of Observation Haki confirmed the scene for Rorschach.
Beneath their feet, dozens of hunched, blood-soaked slaves strained to pull thick ropes wound around huge cogs. Overseers stood above them, cracking their whips at any sign of exhaustion.
Every so often, when a slave collapsed from fatigue, a lash would follow.
Rorschach walked on in silence, feeling the despair that emanated from those below.
He didn't speak. He didn't try to destroy the mechanism.
There was no point.
The filth beneath the Holy Land's glittering surface was everywhere.
The Auto Walkway was only the tip of the iceberg.
Even if he destroyed it, those slaves might not be freed — they might simply be executed to "maintain order."
Perhaps, for them, death would be the only release.
After witnessing the cruelty hidden beneath the splendor, the group's excitement vanished. No one admired the scenery anymore — they just wanted to reach Pangaea Castle as quickly as possible.
But often, the more one wished for calm, the more trouble came knocking.
Rorschach halted, frowning.
Up ahead, a large crowd was approaching from the direction of the castle.
With his sharp vision, he could see them clearly even without Haki — a mass of towering, muscular figures, each with a collar around their neck.
Slaves.
Driven forward by several Celestial Dragons in luxurious attire, wearing their trademark transparent bubble helmets, the group marched toward them in formation.
Trouble had arrived.
(End of Chapter)
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