The shock that Rosse had brought to the world was still slowly spreading across the different seas.
Olvia's live broadcast of the entrance ceremony had also come to an end. Under the guidance of Vanessa, she began introducing and explaining the Holy Land.
Meanwhile, inside the enormous conference room that had been prepared within the World Government headquarters, the arrival of Rosse and the others signaled the official beginning of the once-every-four-years World Conference.
The moment Rosse stepped through the door, the gazes of every king, queen, Celestial Dragon family head, and even the other Five Elders completely changed when they looked at him.
Those were eyes filled with fear and reverence.
The conference room was vast, covering several thousand square meters. In the middle stood a massive table nearly a hundred meters long, stretching all the way to the far end of the room. Both sides of the long table were already filled with the kings of the allied nations and the patriarchs of the Celestial Dragon families.
The seating arrangement was strictly ordered according to rank: the kings of the allied nations were seated by their national power ranking; above them were the three ordinary Celestial Dragon family heads. Vanessa was absent, but her seat was to be filled by the Jaygarcia family. At the very top were the seats of the Five Elders.
At the very center, the position surrounded by all others like stars encircling the moon, there was still an empty seat. According to protocol, it was reserved for Saint Saturn, the Five Elder who would preside over this conference.
Only now, every gaze was focused on Rosse.
The conference room contained not only tables and chairs, the far wall and all four sides were covered with high-tech display screens.
On the massive main screen at the end of the room, Olvia's live broadcast was still playing.
Clearly, even inside the conference hall, they had just witnessed Rosse's every move.
Making the Fleet Admiral remove his cap in salute, and having two of the Five Elders kneel to greet him, the significance of that was almost beyond imagination.
The expressions of the other Celestial Dragon family heads were much harder to read.
They had just finished discussing cooperation with Figarland, and in the very next moment, Figarland had knelt to Rosse. How could that not make them suspicious?
Whether through strength or intimidation, it all demonstrated Rosse's overwhelming power.
If the two strongest families were to join forces, what competition would even be left? Might as well surrender now and be done with it.
Under everyone's silent gaze, Rosse walked step by step to the far end of the hall and sat down in the presiding seat that originally belonged to Saint Saturn. As for Saturn, he sat in the seat belonging to the Jaygarcia family head instead.
It looked like a distant move, but given the Jaygarcia family's high status, he was actually still seated right next to Saint Mars.
This arrangement made it appear as though the Five Elders now recognized Rosse as their leader.
And because of Saint Garling's earlier display, neither Saint Mars nor Saint Nusjuro made any move at all.
Before figuring out the situation, none of them intended to be the first bird out of the cage.
Anyway, whether the Jaygarcia family or Rosse himself presided didn't make much difference to them.
After Rosse sat down, Sora, dressed like a secretary, stepped up from the side, remote control for the technological systems in hand.
In an instant, the screens along the conference room's walls transformed dramatically.
Behind Rosse, the main screen now displayed the emblem of the World Government, with a map of the world as the background.
On the surrounding screens, faces began to appear, men and women, young and old, some wearing crowns, others dressed in ornate attire, all clearly signifying their high status.
Among them were Judge and Doflamingo as well.
These faces represented the other kings and queens of the allied nations. Normally, they had no right to participate in the conference, but at Rosse's request, they were included via live video feed.
This time, Rosse had a lot to say.
Although the fifty allied nations present were technically representatives, Rosse didn't want to bother with layers of mediation, he planned to resolve everything at once.
"The 197th World Government World Conference is now officially in session!"
With Rosse's brief declaration, the meeting formally began.
"According to standard procedure, the purpose of the World Conference is to address issues faced by the allied nations and to create a more harmonious world. At present, there are 179 nations within the World Government, representing the majority of the world's population and races."
Hearing that, the previously silent attendees all had a rough idea of where Rosse's words were headed.
If that was the standard opening, then clearly, today's conference was going to deal with non-standard matters.
"I have reviewed the issues addressed in nearly two hundred previous World Conferences and have broadly categorized them into six areas: politics, military, economy, culture, resources, and technology."
"Almost every problem between the allied nations and the World Government revolves around these six areas. If any of you have different opinions, you may speak at any time."
Seated at the highest position, Rosse swept his gaze across everyone below.
No one spoke. They simply waited quietly for Rosse's next words.
There was no shortage of fools among the kings and queens of the allied nations, but not even the most foolish would choose this moment to stand up and contradict Rosse.
It wasn't even about their own interests right now; only someone with a death wish would volunteer to be a target.
Even the Five Elders had knelt. Clearly, silence was the wisest option.
"Very good," Rosse nodded with satisfaction.
"Since everyone agrees, we'll proceed through these six categories in order, expanding on each one in detail. This time, I will personally address the major issues facing the world."
"As for private disputes between nations, in the coming days, I and the other Five Elders will mediate individually and provide satisfactory resolutions."
At those words, several kings of the allied nations nodded in agreement.
For many of them, attending the World Conference was not just tradition, it was also their best chance to resolve conflicts with neighboring countries.
If the World Government itself mediated, even if one side felt wronged, none would dare go too far afterward.
To go back on such mediation would mean offending not just a neighboring kingdom, but the World Government itself. And that could easily mean losing their seat for the next four years.
"Alright then, let's start by discussing political matters."
Rosse smiled faintly, his eyes sweeping over the room. His next words made everyone's expression change slightly, "To strengthen the interaction between the World Government and its allied nations, and to enable better communication and cooperation, the World Government will establish six Special Administrative Regions across the four seas and the two halves of the Grand Line. Each region will be staffed with World Government officials and supervised by Celestial Dragons."
As everyone tried to grasp the deeper meaning behind that statement, Otohime smiled and raised her hand.
"Saint Rosse, pardon my asking, where exactly will these Special Regions be established?"
That question instantly drew everyone's gaze toward Otohime, and then, wordlessly, back toward Rosse.
Who didn't know that Otohime and Rosse shared a bed?
That was clearly a planted question.
But the other kings said nothing. After all, it was what they wanted to know too.
Only by knowing where these regions would be could they judge whether they posed a threat to their own nations.
As long as they weren't established on their own lands, such Special Regions might even be beneficial. At the very least, if they wanted to offer tributes or curry favor in the future, they wouldn't have to travel all the way to the Holy Land anymore.
[T/N: Rosse is crossing into a new world soon and it is one of the big 3. So, stay tuned 😝 ]
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