Mysterious Family

The leader of the maids was named Shirley, a girl of about sixteen or seventeen years old. She had long black hair, delicate and charming features, and a well-developed figure, especially her full and firm chest, which made her seem far more mature than her age suggested.

Though she still retained a hint of youthful innocence, she appeared far more mature compared to the other maids behind her.

These maids had been captured by the Celestial Dragons' slave-hunting parties several years ago. After undergoing strict training over a long period, only those deemed qualified were assigned here.

As for those who failed... they had already been executed.

To the Celestial Dragons, unqualified products were meaningless and had no reason to continue existing. Of the girls who had been brought here, only half had passed. The fate of the other half was self-evident.

This was why the maids were so terrified. If they were cast out of the castle, it meant they were unqualified. And the unqualified had only one fate—death.

Kaguya gazed at the frightened, pale-faced maids and let out a sigh.

Seriously, if she wanted to save these innocent girls, it seemed she had no choice but to accept them.

According to Shirley's later recollections, her master's smile at that moment had looked truly mischievous.

Upon entering the castle, Kaguya discovered that while its exterior was grand and imposing, the interior was even more opulent. Exquisite wool carpets, dazzling crystal chandeliers, gilded silver ornaments, masterful paintings, and finely crafted rosewood furniture all exuded an air of extravagance.

However, Kaguya's assessment of it was simple—tacky.

While the furnishings were clearly valuable, worth more than an average family could earn in a lifetime, the problem was that they were placed so haphazardly that the entire place resembled a warehouse filled with expensive items, much like the home of a nouveau riche. It was utterly tasteless.

Just as Kaguya was about to clear out these gaudy decorations, Shirley suddenly rushed over and respectfully said, "Master, an official from the World Government has delivered an invitation. You are requested to attend the upcoming World Conference."

World Conference?

Kaguya raised an eyebrow. What was the World Government up to now?

The World Conference was convened by the World Government every four years, with representatives from fifty allied nations gathering to discuss major issues concerning global security and order, ultimately deciding future policies. It was somewhat reminiscent of the United Nations.

But Kaguya had just arrived here and had yet to fully grasp the situation. More importantly, she still didn't understand why she had suddenly become a Celestial Dragon princess. Was it simply because of the Celestial Dragon chip she had casually been holding, which looked no different from a mere coin?

That seemed far too reckless.

To be cautious, before departing, Kaguya used genjutsu on C0's members, but she found no anomalies. This confirmed that they had not lied to her. When she later questioned Shirley, she, too, knew little, except for vague rumors that this family had once belonged to a powerful and mysterious nation long ago.

However, for reasons unknown, the family had disappeared for a period of time.

Beyond that, Shirley knew nothing more.

It seemed the identity assigned to her by the system was quite mysterious. However, uncovering the history of this enigmatic family would be up to her. The best approach would be to ask the Five Elders directly, but Kaguya wasn't foolish enough to challenge the final boss at the start of the game.

Not to mention, as the supreme rulers of the world, the Five Elders' true strength remained unknown. If they had managed to maintain dominance in the power-driven world of One Piece for so long, they must possess considerable power. Otherwise, they wouldn't have been able to rule for such an extended period.

Furthermore, their exact capabilities were still a mystery. If Kaguya rushed in recklessly and found herself outmatched, it would be quite embarrassing.

As the saying goes, "Know your enemy and know yourself, and you will never be defeated in a hundred battles." At the very least, Kaguya needed to gauge their strength before making any moves.

Of course, if the Five Elders were foolish enough to provoke her first, Kaguya wouldn't mind teaching them a painful lesson.

Since the World Government had invited her to the World Conference, she might as well attend. She was quite curious about how the event was conducted.

Before leaving, Kaguya suddenly turned around and said to Shirley, "By the way, get rid of this trash. It's far too tacky."

She was, of course, referring to the gilded and silver-plated flower pots sitting on the shelves.

Kaguya simply couldn't understand why even flower pots had to be decorated in such an ostentatious manner—it was utterly hideous.

Shirley froze for a moment before immediately responding, "Yes, we will take care of it right away." Internally, she couldn't help but think that her master was quite... unique.

After Kaguya left, Shalria let out a long sigh of relief. She never expected Kaguya to be a Celestial Dragon princess, let alone a princess of that particular family. It was terrifying. She had heard many horrifying rumors about them.

However, this realization only strengthened Shalria's determination to escape from this place.

"Um, excuse me..."

Just as Shalria was deep in thought, a voice suddenly startled her. Her guilty conscience made her jump, thinking Kaguya had returned. Her face turned pale with fear.

When she turned around in a panic, she realized it wasn't that detestable person standing before her—it was Shirley.

Shalria let out a breath of relief but quickly became furious out of embarrassment, shouting, "You lowly peasant! Are you trying to scare me to death?"

"I-I'm sorry," Shirley turned pale and immediately fell to her knees with a loud thud. "I didn't mean to. Please forgive me."

Seeing Shirley's terrified expression, the tormented Shalria smirked slightly, regaining some of her Celestial Dragon confidence.

The World Conference was attended by representatives from fifty nations. By the time Kaguya arrived at the venue, the room was already full. Delegates from various countries and races were present, but the Celestial Dragons stood out the most. They held their heads high with arrogance and disdain, believing that everyone else in the room was nothing more than lowly commoners.

Though the leaders of other nations resented the Celestial Dragons' haughty attitude, they had long since grown accustomed to it. Fortunately, the Celestial Dragons had little interest in these meetings and were merely there for appearances, so they wouldn't interfere with the actual discussions.

However, at that moment, a silver-haired girl walked into the hall. The Celestial Dragons present were stunned for a moment, and then their expressions changed dramatically.

"Lady Shalria, this is..." Shirley looked at the note in her hand, her expression filled with uncertainty. "What is this?"

"It's nothing," Shalria lifted her chin arrogantly. "You just need to deliver this note to the Five Elders' attendants."

"Is this... a message to inform them?" Shirley was shocked. "This is unacceptable!"

"What? Are you daring to disobey my orders?" Shalria snapped in anger.

"N-no, I wouldn't dare," Shirley stammered, flustered. "But what if our master finds out?"

"Are you an idiot?" Shalria was furious. "As long as you don't tell her, who would know?"

"But doing this would mean betraying our master," Shirley shook her head desperately. "I can't do something like that."

Shalria bit her lip, her face darkening with rage. She whispered menacingly, "If I recall correctly, you have a younger sister, don't you?"

Shirley froze, her expression shifting to one of panic. "Lady Shalria, please don't harm her! She's just a child!"

"If you don't want anything to happen to her, then do as I say."

Shalria grew increasingly irritated. People used to obey her without question, yet now she had to resort to threats—it was all because of that wretched woman.

Shirley clenched the note tightly, her lips pressed together in distress.

"Oh, so you've grown bold enough to start threatening people now, Shalria? Seems like I haven't disciplined you enough."

A familiar voice rang out, and Shalria's face turned deathly pale.

A short while later, Shalria emerged from Kaguya's room, clutching her sore backside as she limped down the hall. Her face burned with embarrassment, and her bottom still stung terribly. But worst of all was what had just happened—it was too humiliating to even speak of.

She had lost control of herself in fear.

She would never forget the shocked expression on that wretched woman's face.

It was utterly mortifying.

Meanwhile, in the grand hall of the World Government.

"I never expected there to still be descendants of that family. What a surprise."

The speaker was one of the Five Elders—a white-haired, flat-hat-wearing elder with a scar on his left cheek.

"Isn't this a good thing?" The golden-haired elder sitting on the sofa took a sip of tea and glanced at him. "Historically, that family possessed immense power. Even the so-called 'D' clan suffered greatly at their hands."

Another elder, with a distinct birthmark on his forehead and a thick mustache, scoffed coldly. "Hmph. Who's to say if this girl is truly a descendant of that family? She could just be some fraud."

"Does it really matter if she's a fraud?" The long-haired, white-bearded elder spoke casually. "You all know the power she wields. Someone so young with such strength—it's unlikely she's fake. Besides, even if she were, it wouldn't matter. As long as we can use her, that's enough."

The bespectacled elder, cradling a long sword, cast him a glance. "Don't tell me you're thinking of making her a Warlord?"

"A Warlord?" The white-haired elder shook his head. "She's not a pirate, and with her abilities, the Warlord title wouldn't be enough."

The bald elder's eyes narrowed. "Then, you mean..."

The white-haired elder spoke slowly. "The Navy is too weak right now. Just one pirate, Golden Lion, managed to throw Marineford into chaos. So, I intend for her to join the Navy as..."

An admiral.

...

When Kaguya saw the appointment document, she was stunned.

What kind of joke was this?

She had just beaten up the Navy not long ago, and now they wanted her to join them? Were they playing a joke on her?

Kaguya scoffed disdainfully and casually tossed the appointment letter into the trash.

As if that weren't ridiculous enough, they wanted her to become an admiral at Marineford? Did they take her for an idiot?

Becoming an admiral wasn't that simple. Just like a nation's leaders, one had to rise through the ranks from the bottom, accumulating military merit and seniority over time before earning the position.

Could they at least come up with a more convincing excuse?

She wasn't that naive.

However, there was one thing that caught Kaguya's attention.

At the World Conference, the usually arrogant and overbearing Celestial Dragons were behaving oddly. They all sat up straight, like schoolchildren attending a strict lesson.

How peculiar.

Their attire was still as bizarre as ever, making Kaguya almost mistake them for oversized garlic bulbs.

Judging from their expressions, they seemed to be afraid—

Afraid of her.

It was hard to believe. The Celestial Dragons, known for their arrogance, displaying fear?

Even when they were beaten senseless, they usually maintained their insufferable arrogance.

Unless something had happened that struck terror into them.

If that were the case, then the Five Elders' decision to invite her to become an admiral started to make more sense.

With that in mind, Kaguya reached into the trash and retrieved the appointment letter. Staring at the words on the paper, she murmured, "Admiral, huh?"

Marine Headquarters, Marineford.

"Making that person an admiral? Is this a joke?!" Akainu slammed his fist on the table, his face a mix of rage and disbelief. "How can the World Government even consider allowing a criminal to join the Navy? What are they thinking?!"

"Calm down, Sakazuki," Sengoku said in a measured tone. "This is just a proposal. They're still consulting us."

"I absolutely refuse!" Akainu's face darkened. "I will never accept a criminal into the Navy! What happens to our sense of justice?!"

"But that person is supposedly a Celestial Dragon," Kizaru drawled lazily from his seat. "To think their true identity is a Celestial Dragon... how terrifying."

"I never imagined things would take this turn," Sengoku muttered, rubbing his forehead in frustration. "What exactly is the World Government planning?"

When CP0 had taken that woman away, Sengoku had assumed it was to hold her accountable for the murder of a Celestial Dragon, giving the higher-ups a way to appease the nobility. But now, that didn't seem to be the case at all.

"If that person joins the Navy, I will resign."

Akainu's eyes burned with fury as he gritted his teeth and stormed out of the room.

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