"Is this the legendary Pangaea Castle?"
Walking atop the Red Line, Kozuki Oden gazed up at the towering castle, a mocking smile tugging at his lips.
"A place that appears pure and flawless, yet harbors the deepest sins in all the seas... Enma and Ame no Habakiri are already trembling with excitement... as if countless evils await their blades."
"Enough. Don't get carried away like a child," Kozuki Toki shot Kozuki Oden a glance. "You'll see much more soon."
With that, she stepped onto the long staircase in front of the World Government's official ship that had just docked.
Everyone followed behind Kozuki Toki, ascending the steps.
Though the climb felt no different from scaling a mountain.
Once they reached the "summit," the massive gates slowly creaked open...
Revealing the immaculate Pangaea Castle before them.
Except...
Not a single Celestial Dragon was in sight.
"To welcome your arrival, Imu-sama has given orders that no one—outsiders or Celestial Dragons—may disturb this meeting."
The voice of Nusjuro came from behind.
Clutching his sword, he walked beside Kozuki Toki, his expression devoid of any impatience, as if the deliberate provocations and humiliations at sea earlier had never happened.
On the contrary, when he looked at Kozuki Toki...
There was even a faint trace of... Respect in his eyes.
"Everyone, please follow me..."
"Imu-sama has been waiting for a long time... upon the Empty Throne."
With that, he led the way.
Like the official ship, his pace was neither fast nor slow—merely guiding them.
After shaking her head slightly at the others, Kozuki Toki led the group forward.
True to his word, not a single Celestial Dragon appeared to cause trouble along the way.
Yet they keenly sensed the gazes of many powerful figures watching them.
"If there are no surprises, those observing us from various corners should be members of God's Knights," Yamato whispered beside Kozuki Toki. "Among the Celestial Dragons... there truly are many powerful individuals. Aside from the Five Elders, none of the God's Knights are easy to deal with."
"You think that way precisely because your vision has been clouded by those swine Celestial Dragons," Kozuki Toki replied with a flawless smile.
"If you consider it normally, the number of strong individuals makes perfect sense... These are descendants of the Twenty Kings who founded the World Government—people originally capable of opposing Joy Boy himself. Naturally, among their descendants, there would be some worthy successors."
"Clouded vision?"
"Otherwise, do you truly believe that if the Celestial Dragons who hold real power were as gluttonous and greedy as those fat pigs, they could have ruled this world for eight hundred years?" Kozuki Toki sighed.
"In a way, those you see are merely the discarded remnants."
After a moment of rapid mental processing—given Yamato's limited intellect—she finally grasped Kozuki Toki's meaning.
At the same time, her sharp gaze abruptly locked onto a particular corner.
A surge of Conqueror's Haki erupted forth.
The next instant, the sensation of being watched vanished entirely.
"Hmph, no matter who they are, if I smash their heads with my kanabo, they won't be able to leer at us like that anymore."
Nusjuro glanced sideways.
Though some claimed that possessing Conqueror's Haki was as common as "carp swimming across a river"...
That statement was utter nonsense.
Conqueror's Haki, whether eight hundred years ago or now, remained the hallmark of supreme talent.
It couldn't be enhanced through training—only its application, Conqueror's Haki Coating, could be mastered through technique.
Yet even among geniuses, there were gaps.
Take Chin Jao, for example. Though he possessed Conqueror's Haki, he never mastered Coating in his lifetime.
Such individuals, who merely had the potential without refinement, posed little real threat.
But Yamato...
She could unleash Conqueror's Haki with just a glance.
Even if she hadn't fully mastered Coating, she had undoubtedly taken the first steps.
In other words, the only thing separating her from the pinnacle of strength—the level of emperors and admirals—was time.
"There's no need to concern yourselves with those watching. They are merely... curious about all of you," Nusjuro said amiably, his demeanor so polite he seemed less like a lofty Elder and more like a restrained, courteous butler.
"Please, this way."
With that, he led them into a grand hall.
"Please wait here. Imu-sama wishes to receive only Lady Toki..."
Kozuki Oden stiffened, his hand instinctively moving toward his sword, but Nusjuro blocked his path.
The sword cradled in his arms exuded a faint, eerie aura...
"Kitetsu!? The first-generation Kitetsu?"
"Sharp eyes," Nusjuro smirked. "But don't misunderstand—this is merely an audience and inquiry. Once it concludes, I assure you, you will all leave unharmed."
Kozuki Toki shook her head at Kozuki Oden, calming him.
Then, following Nusjuro, she walked into the corridor leading to the Empty Throne.
"So, what exactly is this Imu-sama plotting?"
Kozuki Toki turned her gaze toward Nusjuro, trying to discern something from the face of this ancient being whose age was unfathomable.
"Even I do not know what Imu-sama is truly thinking... But one thing I can say with certainty is that you... are undoubtedly a special existence."
"A special existence? Because I am a user of the Time Fruit?"
"Precisely so." Nusjuro exhaled deeply. "By the side of the Sun God, there stands the Archangel of the end."
"And by the side of the Archangel, there have always been two girls. One of them was the user of the Time Fruit..."
"This fact is recorded in the internal history of the Celestial Dragons..." Nusjuro chuckled lightly.
"Of course, those good-for-nothing fools who only know indulgence have no right to access such records."
"So, Imu-sama's true intention... is likely to confirm whether you are the one who traveled through time from 800 years ago using the Time Fruit."
...
"Well, well, this distance should be about right, no?"
Michael slowly descended from the clouds.
His current position was at the very edge of the waters outside Mary Geoise.
The distance was deliberately calculated—close enough to ensure the people of Mary Geoise could clearly see him, yet far enough that any pursuit would be utterly futile.
And so...
"Stairway... Ascension!"
The Holy light instantly liquefied, erupting in a violent radiance.
"Swine of Mary Geoise! I'm coming for you!"