Pangaea Castle Square.
The originally peaceful and lively atmosphere was shattered by a sudden voice.
"Terrible news! Something awful has happened!"
A privileged representative burst through the side door of the conference hall, stumbling and crawling into the square, his splendid formal attire dragging disgracefully across the ground.
His face was deathly pale, his voice trembling and nearly cracking.
"The... The World Government wants all affiliate kingdom kings and royal families to relocate and live in the Holy Land!"
"Our nations are to be taken over by personnel sent by the World Government!"
As these words fell, complete silence descended upon the square.
The smiles instantly froze on the faces of the hundreds of representatives from around the world, and all conversation ceased abruptly.
The dead silence lasted only a second.
The next moment, boiling discussions erupted like thunderclaps.
"WHAT?!"
"What kind of joke is this! The World Government taking over our countries? Who said that?"
"Impossible! This must be a rumor!"
Some were panicked, some wore expressions of rage, while more appeared utterly bewildered.
In one corner of the crowd, the Germa Kingdom delegation remained exceptionally calm.
The four Vinsmoke siblings stood together, forming their own distinct aura.
"Hmph, that man called Orion has even greater ambitions than Father!" Niji, the second son of the Vinsmoke family, crossed his arms, his blue curly eyebrows revealing undisguised contempt.
"Does he want to grasp all the world's technology and resources in his own hands?"
The eldest son Ichiji remained expressionless, but his eyes were sharp as blades.
"A classic overt scheme. By gathering all the kings in the Holy Land, their nations become fruits for the Marine to pluck at will. Economy, resources, technology... everything will fall under his control."
"It doesn't matter," the fourth son Yonji cracked his knuckles, producing sharp popping sounds.
"Germa doesn't have fixed territory anyway. Moving anywhere is the same for us."
The eldest daughter Reiju remained silent, her pale pink eyes sweeping across the diverse crowd in the square before finally settling on the Marine soldiers and holy land guards responsible for maintaining order.
On their faces, she saw a strange expression.
Not schadenfreude, nor sympathy.
But pity.
Just as the commotion in the square was escalating, a representative from a small South Blue nation suddenly pushed through the crowd, his face displaying a sickening ecstasy as he raised both hands and shouted.
"I approve! I wholeheartedly approve!"
All eyes instantly focused on him.
The representative's face flushed crimson, spittle flying as he spoke with frenzied madness.
"You fools! Don't you understand yet? Moving into the holy land! What does that mean?"
"It means we'll become World Nobles from now on! Celestial Dragons! Gods!"
"No more dealing with annoying political affairs! No more caring about our citizens' lives! Here, we can enjoy everything! Whatever we want! Slaves! Wealth! Power! Everything!"
These words struck like lightning, cutting through the confusion in many people's hearts.
Yes!
They were never good at governing nations anyway, constantly overwhelmed by trivial matters.
If they could exchange their empty royal titles for the supreme, unrestrained identity of Celestial Dragons, this deal was absolutely worth it!
"He's right! I've had enough of those troublesome commoners!"
"Become Celestial Dragons! I'm willing too!"
"Fleet Admiral Orion is brilliant! This is truly a great decision made for our benefit!"
In an instant, the atmosphere in the square completely shifted.
Those king representatives who were already incompetent and pleasure-seeking, as if seeing a staircase to heaven, became tearfully emotional and began frantically praising Orion's wisdom and might.
Envisioning their future lives of decadent luxury and enslaving others in the holy land, they completely failed to notice that the pity in the gazes from the surrounding holy land guards and Marine soldiers had grown even stronger.
Celestial Dragons?
Enjoying all privileges?
These poor fools had no idea that the current holy land was no longer the paradise they imagined, but a gilded cage that had been thoroughly reformed with an iron fist.
Doflamingo's restructuring of the Celestial Dragons under the Grand Fleet Admmiral's orders was still fresh in memory.
Those so-called gods, hundreds of lofty World Nobles, had already used their own lives to redefine the meaning of privilege.
Some experienced a one-way bungee jump at the holy land's edge, their screams still seemingly echoing over the Red Line.
Some died halfway through mandatory long-distance running meant to strengthen their bodies, their obese forms collapsing like rotten meat.
Just recently, dozens who disobeyed were personally ordered by Fleet Admiral Orion to be crucified in the colosseum, exposed to the elements for three days and nights until they became desiccated specimens.
The current Celestial Dragons, aside from retaining the hollow title of World Nobles, had long lost all their so-called privileges.
What awaited these new residents wasn't a life of unrestrained luxury.
But the newly established, densely written rules and policies drafted by Grand Fleet Admmiral Orion himself under the World Government.
The days when they could live in luxury without lifting a finger were gone forever.
A Marine lieutenant commander in charge of the team watched the cheering kings celebrating their imminent domestication, silently lit a cigarette, and blew out a smoke ring.
Amidst the swirling smoke, he seemed to already see the future forms of these people.
"Welcome to the Holy Land,"
He narrowed his eyes slightly, a curve forming at the corner of his mouth.
"I hope you can withstand the reforms from Doflamingo!"
"Move aside, move aside!"
Suddenly, a very unfriendly voice came from one of the square's entrances.
Immediately after, accompanied by the sound of orderly footsteps, a group of Celestial Dragons undergoing physical modifications, led by two members of the Donquixote Family, ran into the square at a steady pace.
The sudden influx of Celestial Dragons into Pangaea Square left all the representatives of the affiliated nations present stunned on the spot.
"What's going on?"
"These people are... Celestial Dragons!"
"It's one thing that they're not wearing Celestial Dragon attire, but they're... actually running!"
Among the crowd quickly dispersing to both sides, many representatives of the affiliated nations blurted out in surprise at what they were witnessing.
"Pick up the speed!"
"The young master said that if even one of you fails to reach the finish line in ten minutes, all of you will be punished!"
The leading member of the Donquixote Family raised his whip, constantly urging them on.
"Move, all of you move, you World Nobles, ahahaha~"
Soon, this jaw-dropping procession passed through Pangaea Square, like a mass of fat being pushed forward.
"Ahhh, were those Celestial Dragons that just ran past?"
"Yes, they are all Celestial Dragons. Although a few of them aren't wearing Celestial Dragon attire, I saw them during the last World Conference!"
"Are the Celestial Dragons... being enslaved?"
As this shocking, trembling voice spread, the worldviews and understanding of everyone present shattered like broken glass, scattering everywhere.
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