"Death?"
Cero muttered softly, repeating the word as a faint smile appeared on his face. He stared at the Den Den Mushi with relaxed eyes.
"I've thought about my own death before. But tell me this, Celestial Dragon, have you ever thought about yours?"
...
The Celestial Dragon Guards immediately lowered their heads even further, terror filling their expressions.
Admiral Cero might truly be planning to rebel against the World Government.
"How arrogant!"
Saint Figarland Garling's face darkened with fury when he heard Cero address him directly as a Celestial Dragon rather than with respect.
"So it turns out you've harbored rebellious thoughts for a long time, Cero."
His tone turned colder.
"That fool Akainu actually promoted someone like you to Admiral. It seems his ability as Fleet Admiral is completely inadequate."
Garling narrowed his eyes.
"Do you really believe your strength alone is enough to challenge the World Government?"
"Can it not?"
Cero's voice remained casual, almost amused.
To the descendants of the so called gods, confident commoners always sounded ridiculous.
Saint Garling shook his head dismissively.
"The power of the Rumble Rumble Fruit is indeed terrifying. A Logia user like you could destroy an entire nation alone."
"But if you think possessing a powerful Devil Fruit allows you to threaten the World Government, then you're a fool."
Throughout history, countless arrogant monsters had believed that overwhelming strength, whether from Devil Fruits or Haki, was enough to stand against the World Government.
Every one of them had failed.
Their corpses became warnings carved into history, proof of the World Government's absolute authority over the seas.
The true power of the World Government was beyond the imagination of those reckless fools.
Only a handful of people had ever genuinely threatened its rule.
Several names flashed through Garling's mind.
The late Pirate King, Gol D. Roger.
During his lifetime, Roger caused the World Government endless trouble, but compared to his final words before execution, his existence itself was far less dangerous.
"Want my treasure? You can have it. Find it! I left everything this world has to offer there!"
Those words threw the world into chaos.
The balance maintained by the World Government through its allied nations began to crack apart.
Pirates flooded the seas endlessly, becoming a persistent disease that could never fully be eradicated.
...
Then there was Monkey D. Dragon.
If Roger created cracks in the World Government's rule, Dragon became a force capable of shaking its very foundation.
A former Marine officer who should have died during the God Valley Incident had instead become the leader of the Revolutionary Army.
Under his leadership, countless unaffiliated nations united together.
Kingdoms were overthrown one after another.
Faith in the World Government continued to weaken.
Even though the Revolutionary Army could not win in a direct war, they were like rats hiding in darkness, impossible to eliminate completely.
...
And finally, there was the most terrifying existence of all.
The man who had overturned the entire world over the past two years.
God King Shirogai.
"A monster..."
The moment Garling recalled the classified SSS level records regarding Shirogai's abilities, an icy chill spread through his body.
Fear emerged deep within his bones.
"That man must die."
Only Shirogai's death could guarantee the continued rule of the Celestial Dragons.
As a Celestial Dragon himself, Garling had always been arrogant.
Since childhood, he had viewed everyone beneath him as insignificant, with the sole exception of Imu.
Even among the Celestial Dragons, Garling considered himself superior.
But when it came to Shirogai...
Fear was unavoidable.
It was the instinctive terror born after witnessing a monster that stood beyond human understanding.
The Celestial Dragons called themselves descendants of gods.
But Shirogai possessed power worthy of a true god.
An existence that made everyone aware of his omniscient and near omnipotent abilities feel genuine despair.
In the eyes of the World Government, Shirogai was one of the few people truly capable of overturning their rule.
If he wished, he could potentially erase the World Government's military forces alone.
One man was enough to become a living catastrophe.
Garling exhaled slowly.
"Fortunately... I won't have to worry about that monster much longer."
He recalled Imu's direct order.
Capture a certain girl from a specific kingdom.
That mission was the key.
According to Imu's plan, Shirogai's ability would eventually fall into the hands of the World Government.
Inside the luxurious chamber, a twisted smile slowly spread across Garling's face.
"This world ultimately belongs to the Celestial Dragons."
...
Compared to threats like Roger, Dragon, and Shirogai, pirates were nothing more than clowns.
Garling completely dismissed Cero's rebellion.
At the end of the day, he was merely a Logia Devil Fruit user.
As long as he obeyed, the World Government would tolerate him.
But the moment he turned his fangs against his masters, he would simply be put down.
"Cero."
The Den Den Mushi stared at him coldly.
"Do you understand that opposing the Celestial Dragons means challenging the authority of the entire World Government?"
Garling's tone carried overwhelming contempt.
"My advice to you is simple. Continue serving obediently as an Admiral. By yourself, you are not qualified to oppose the World Government."
"By myself?"
Cero shook his head with a faint sigh.
"No matter how powerful a single person becomes, one man alone cannot change the world. Even someone with god-like strength is still only human."
Then he casually pointed to the side.
"So, I found a few helpers."
Crackle!
The lightning net surrounding Trafalgar Law instantly disappeared.
Law, who had previously looked miserable with blood pouring from all seven orifices, slowly climbed back to his feet.
He touched his body in disbelief.
Not only had his injuries vanished completely, but he could also feel a massive surge of strength flowing through him.
"I didn't die..."
Law stared at his hands with shock.
"I actually became stronger?"