If the previous war of words was merely a verbal sparring match, the kings of the member nations were just spectators, waiting to see how the situation would evolve and what profit they could skim.
But now, the Navy had played the "Imu" card and produced those photographs. This had transformed into a physical, substantive assault!
"The 'Highest Authority'? Heh. A man of servile nature and petty spirit. You have lived seventy-six years in vain, wielding the world's power without achieving a single shred of merit. You know only how to hoard power and wealth while kowtowing before others. You are nothing but a spineless cur! And yet, you dare to bark incessantly before my Navy? I have truly never seen a man of such thick-skinned impudence!" Diarmuid added, twisting the knife.
The bald Gorosei, subjected to Diarmuid's torrent of vitriol, began to gasp for air. His eyes turned bloodshot with extreme rage. He felt stifled and humiliated; the Navy had seized the moral high ground, leaving him with no rebuttal. The fury boiled over, his vision went black, and—Pfft!—he sprayed a mouthful of blood across the table before collapsing unconscious.
Diarmuid was stunned. The Navy was stunned. Even the kings of the member nations were struck dumb.
"Is your mental fortitude really that weak?" Diarmuid clicked his tongue, whispering softly.
In fairness, the Gorosei had lived in luxury for years. They were only ever submissive before Imu; in their daily lives, who would ever dare to prick them like this? Who would dare, in front of a hundred royals, to curse them in such a wretched manner?
Hoary-headed old fool? Gray-bearded scoundrel? Spineless cur? Servile?
It was too much for the bald Gorosei. He had been cursed into a coma.
But this was merely a sideshow. As the photos of Imu continued to circulate among the kings, the atmosphere in the conference room began to turn volatile with indignation.
By design, the member nation system was meant to be one of equal rights. Mariejois was never supposed to ride roughshod over other nations. The current state of affairs was purely the result of unchecked power allowed to run rampant.
However, because of the prevailing climate and the fact that no one dared to lead... after all, those who had tried, like the Sorbet Kingdom or the Alabasta Kingdom, were now cold in the ground... no one dared to speak against this tyranny.
Yet, at the very least, the fact that the Reverie was held at all meant that, nominally, Mariejois still maintained a shred of dignity for these kings. It maintained the illusion that the world operated under an orderly system of egalitarian consultation.
And now? The Navy had ripped away that final fig leaf.
Equal rights? The Empty Throne? Mutual cooperation?
All lies! Mariejois had never given them any of that; they were merely playing them for fools! That Empty Throne, where supposedly no one was worthy to sit, was occupied by Imu! Even the Gorosei, the "Highest Authority" in their eyes, were nothing more than watchdogs before her!
Think about it then: what were they in her eyes?
This realization naturally enraged the kings. Perhaps if the Navy hadn't stood up first, ignored Mariejois's face, and flipped the table... even if they had discovered these secrets, they wouldn't have dared to act. They would have likely suppressed their bitterness and continued to serve as Mariejois's beasts of burden.
There was no choice; who could stand against Mariejois head-on?
But now the Navy was leading the charge and presenting such shocking evidence. So... if we shout along from the sidelines, maybe that's okay?
Just as the majority of the kings were wavering between hesitation and fury, someone stood up. In that moment, he seemed like a beacon of light for the royals. But once they saw his face, they felt as if they had swallowed flies.
Why? Because the man standing up was Donquixote Doflamingo, the "King of Dressrosa."
Doflamingo was a master actor. He looked as if he had truly just learned this news, appearing profoundly insulted. He stood up and barked at the Gorosei, "What is the meaning of this?! Why is someone sitting on the Empty Throne? Why are you bowing to her? Are you making fools of us?! Making fools of the member nation system and the hundred and seventy kings? If you don't give us a reasonable explanation today, this ends here!!!"
Many kings looked at Doflamingo with complicated gazes. Where did you get all that righteous fury? You're acting like you've been kept in the dark for years, but you haven't even been King of Dressrosa for two years! Why the act? We are the real victims here! We're the ones being played!
Still, Doflamingo was stepping up in his capacity as the King of Dressrosa, essentially speaking for them. So, despite their distaste, no one was foolish enough to embarrass him. On the contrary, with Doflamingo leading the way, several more hot-headed kings stood up to join the condemnation.
In an instant, the conference room descended into chaos. It started with a few kings cursing, but as the Gorosei's aura weakened, more and more found their courage and joined the fray. Within moments, it became a surging tide of collective rage.
The blonde Gorosei clutched the incriminating photos, his face turning various shades of blue and white. How did the Navy get these? Dragon?
Dragon!? Right, it must be him! That bastard was the only other one present!
With that realization, the blonde elder glared at Diarmuid. "The Navy is in league with the Revolutionary Army?! You've joined forces with Dragon!?"
Diarmuid: "???" We've already broken up, and you're just finding out? Wait... how did you jump to that conclusion?
But before Diarmuid could ponder further, the blonde Gorosei roared: "Stussy! Lead the CP agents and arrest these bastards, these traitors, immediately!"
However, as soon as he finished shouting, he realized something was wrong.
Stussy, sitting nearby, slowly pulled a long pipe from her handbag. With an air of seductive grace, she lit it, exhaled a cloud of smoke, and let a charming smile play across her lips. "I'm so sorry, my Lords..."
The blonde Gorosei's brow furrowed. He realized the situation had become much more dire. "What is the meaning of this? The CP agencies report directly to us..."
"Well, actually, I've recently been looking into some internal CP files and treaty documents," Stussy said softly. "In a broad sense, one of the duties of the CP agencies is to eliminate internal hazards within the World Government system, maintain its stability and normal operation, and solve problems from the shadows..."
In this era, the CP agencies had practically become the "private force" of the Celestial Dragons and the Gorosei. But if one truly went back to the original mission structure of the organization, it had nothing to do with being their personal guard. It made sense; you couldn't officially label the CP agencies as "the lapdogs of the Celestial Dragons," could you? That would be too blatant. To maintain appearances, they had to define a noble purpose for the organization's foundation.
Stussy wasn't lying.
"Then isn't this exactly the time for you to act?" the blonde Gorosei said, his eyes filled with malice.
"It is indeed time for us to act," Stussy nodded. But before the elder could speak again, she said seriously: "In my capacity as the Director-General of the CP agencies, I hereby define the five of you and this so-called 'Imu' as 'Internal Instability Hazards of the World Government.' Since you have attempted to use loopholes in the member nation system to secretly rule the world, we believe you have committed the grave crime of betraying the World Government. As of this moment, the CP agencies will enter into full cooperation with Marine Headquarters to set things right and restore order to Mariejois!"
The blonde Gorosei: "???" I betrayed myself?
Though Stussy's voice wasn't loud, her words caused a second massive upheaval in the room. It wasn't just Marine Headquarters turning its back on Mariejois and the Gorosei; even the CP agencies had chosen to stand with the Navy.
There are fools everywhere, but few of them make it to a summit like this. Within moments, many kings realized that this was not a spontaneous event. The Navy and the CP agencies had long since allied themselves. They had coordinated to launch this assault at the Reverie!
This was a long-premeditated "rebellion"!
Yet, both the Navy and the CP agencies had seized the moral high ground from the start. The Navy had cursed one Gorosei into a bloody coma and produced ironclad evidence.
As for the massive Marine presence in Mariejois... was it to protect the Reverie, or was it to trigger a coup for the world's highest authority?
The answer was obvious. The Gorosei were not fools; they understood the implications immediately. Their faces paled. The blonde Gorosei suddenly lunged toward the door. The other three reacted just as quickly. It was too dangerous here; they had to reach the Domain of the Gods where they had the power to fight back...
However, the moment the blonde Gorosei moved, a laser beam lanced out. It was Borsalino! The laser pierced the elder's shoulder, and blood began to gush instantly. Borsalino, usually so quiet, was decisive and ruthless when it was time to strike.
"Did you really think you could escape us!?" Diarmuid grinned, a smile touching his lips.
As the words fell, a brutal gravitational force instantly enveloped the Gorosei. As Diarmuid expected, the Gorosei did possess a significant degree of strength. Under the crushing gravity, they continued to struggle, trying to break free of the restraint.
But it was futile. A thick, dark aura seeped from the floor. Combined with the gravity, the power of darkness rapidly coiled around the Gorosei's legs.
"Abyssal Lock," Diarmuid whispered.
Just as Diarmuid was about to suppress the elders, the ground suddenly trembled. A sense of impending doom surged in his heart. Not only Diarmuid, but Sengoku, Kong, Borsalino, Akainu, Garp, and Tsuru, all the top experts felt the danger simultaneously.
They turned toward the window. Outside, across from Pangea Castle, lay the "Domain of the Gods."
In that glance, they saw it, a pillar of light was hurtling toward them.
"Ancient Weapon Uranus?" Diarmuid immediately recalled the encounter in Alabasta. Can't you people use a weapon that's a bit more creative? Why is it always a mysterious pillar of energy?
"Get down!" Sengoku roared.
In the next second, his form transformed into a massive golden Buddha. He smashed through the window and unleashed a powerful shockwave, attempting to intercept the beam.
But only for a brief moment. Sengoku's towering figure was swallowed by the pillar of energy... and then, the conference room of Pangea Castle exploded!