One Piece: Rising to Fleet Admiral Through a Coup

After Xayuki and his group departed, Imu immediately summoned the Five Elders and Garling.

In the dimly lit royal palace hall, Imu sat motionless on the Empty Throne, her crimson ripple-like eyes devoid of emotion as she gazed down at the Five Elders and Garling.

The Five Elders were not standing; they were all kneeling on the ground, prostrated before the throne. Garling, as the leader of the God's Knights, knelt on one knee as a sign of respect.

"I know what you're thinking."

After a brief silence, Imu's voice echoed in the hall, reaching the ears of everyone present. "You're all wondering why I agreed to Xayuki's conditions, why a man who committed treason wasn't sent to the execution platform, and why I not only ceded two seats in the Chamber of Authority but also granted him privileges equal to yours."

Hearing this, the Five Elders instinctively straightened their backs. Though such thoughts had indeed crossed their minds, none of them dared to voice them aloud.

"The reason is simple," Imu continued. "If someone like Monkey D. Garp, a member of the D Clan, can become a Marine hero, and if you, who should have long since died, can ascend to the position of Five Elders and wield supreme authority, and if so-called emperors of the sea can emerge one after another in the Grand Line, then why can't I support the rise of a King of the Marines?"

"As more people become aware of my existence, the world will inevitably be thrown into turmoil. This could even accelerate the reappearance of Nika in the Grand Line. Eight hundred years ago, twenty kings formed an alliance to oppose Nika. But now, eight hundred years later, the World Government is already teetering on the edge of collapse. Can you handle this on your own?"

"Xayuki is ambitious—very ambitious—but that's not necessarily a bad thing."

"Ambition means desire, and as long as he's not part of the D Clan or Nika, we can satisfy his desires."

"Two seats in the Chamber of Authority? If he can be of use to me, even replacing you with him wouldn't be out of the question."

These words sent a chill down the spines of the Five Elders, who immediately broke out in cold sweats. They dared not even breathe too loudly.

It was evident that Imu was dissatisfied with their performance over the years. She was using this opportunity to issue a warning and to test whether new individuals could replace them.

If they continued to be ineffective, their future would not involve a peaceful retirement from the Chamber of Authority. Instead, they would face only death.

For as long as Imu wished them to live, they could live for a very long time. But if she deemed them useless, no matter where they were in the world, she could easily annihilate them.

Observing their reactions, Imu decided to leave it at that.

She then took a step forward, turning to face the Empty Throne. Narrowing her eyes, she muttered to herself, "Do you also wish to claim this throne as your own? Then let me see how far you can go—Xayuki!"

Meanwhile, at the port connecting Sabaody Archipelago to the Holy Land.

"Attention, all personnel!"

"Stand at attention!"

"Salute!"

As Xayuki and his group stepped off the elevator and onto the platform, Strawberry and Bastille, who had been waiting on either side of the stairs leading to the port, stepped forward and saluted.

Following their lead, the rows of Marine soldiers standing on either side of the stairs straightened their postures, their resounding voices echoing across the port.

Xayuki returned the salute with a raised hand, then quickly walked up to Strawberry and Bastille. Wrapping his arms around their shoulders, he pulled them into a big hug.

"Eh—"

"Fleet Admiral!"

Caught off guard, Strawberry and Bastille widened their eyes in shock. Overwhelmed, they stammered in unison, "This... this is inappropriate."

"Inappropriate?"

Releasing them, Xayuki spoke with a serious expression. "When I'm on duty, I'm the Fleet Admiral. But off duty, we're still brothers! Come on, let's head back to Marine Headquarters together!"

With that, Xayuki grabbed both of them by the arms and started down the stairs.

At first, Strawberry and Bastille allowed themselves to be led, but they soon regained their composure. Glancing at the young Fleet Admiral walking between them, they straightened their backs with renewed determination.

During Xayuki's time in the Holy Land, they had been worried about his safety. They had also feared that if their Fleet Admiral leveraged this mutiny to climb even higher, he might grow distant from them.

But as it turned out, their worries had been unfounded.

When Xayuki clasped their hands and said, "We're brothers," their eyes grew misty, as if sand had gotten into them.

—This honor, I will not enjoy alone.

The Fleet Admiral they had sworn to follow had kept his word.

"Damn it, the World Government caved!"

"It's unbelievable. Xayuki left the Holy Land so quickly, and judging by his expression, he clearly got everything he wanted!"

"Quick, report this immediately!"

Spies and intelligence agents from various factions, who had been monitoring this major event since Xayuki's departure for the Holy Land, scrambled to action. They hadn't even had time to eat lunch before Xayuki's sudden return threw them into a frenzy.

In no time, news of Xayuki's return spread to newspapers worldwide, the Revolutionary Army, the Four Emperors of the New World, and the tangled web of underground forces.

Sabaody Archipelago, District 13.

Inside Shakky's Rip-Off Bar, Shakky lit a cigarette, exhaling a thin plume of smoke. Tilting her head slightly, she glanced at the figure standing outside the bar. "Rayleigh, when you and Roger reached Laugh Tale and uncovered the truth, was there any mention of this young Fleet Admiral?"

Standing outside, Silvers Rayleigh gazed through the dense forest at the massive Marine warship returning to Marine Headquarters. He shook his head. "There was no record of him."

"Then perhaps your plans from back then need to be adjusted," Shakky said as she stepped out of the bar, leaning against the doorframe. "You stayed on Sabaody, and Scopper Gaban went to Elbaf, all to wait for the person Roger foresaw. But now, that person hasn't appeared, and instead, a young Fleet Admiral has risen to power, forcing the Holy Land to compromise. Judging by his swift takeover of the Marines and his successful negotiations with the Holy Land, it's clear he'll soon set his sights on purging the seas of pirates."

"If he truly intends to cleanse the Grand Line and the four seas of pirates, the person Roger foresaw might never get the chance to emerge."

Hearing this, Rayleigh turned to Shakky with a smile. "I may have been a pirate once, but if he can truly rid the seas of pirates and bring peace to the world, I'd be happy to see that day come."

"Oh?"

Shakky's eyes flashed with surprise. She could hardly believe such words had come from the mouth of the Pirate King's right-hand man.

"Rayleigh, you've changed during your years of seclusion on Sabaody."

"Have I?" Rayleigh paused, then laughed. "Maybe I've just grown too comfortable over the years. Haha!"

At that moment, the Den Den Mushi on the bar counter rang.

Without hesitation, Shakky walked over and picked it up. "This is Shakky."

A hurried voice came through the receiver. "Xayuki has signed the Marijoa Treaty with the Five Elders. Copies of the treaty are being mass-printed and will be distributed to the allied nations of the World Government by the end of the day."

"As for the contents of the treaty, I didn't dare read it in full. But I caught a glimpse of one clause—two seats in the Chamber of Authority will now rotate, with the Marines taking those seats."

"Additionally, Xayuki now enjoys privileges equal to those of the Five Elders."

"One more thing: the authority to recruit the Seven Warlords of the Sea now belongs solely to the Marines. Xayuki has full control over the selection and replacement of Warlords, as well as the power to abolish the system entirely!"

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