Do as You Please!

Meanwhile, in the Flower Room, the two newly appointed Gorosei, Zephyr and Sengoku, along with the three veteran Gorosei—Topman, Ethanbaron and Saturn—stood in front of a pavilion, all gazing intently at Imu, who was seated inside.

"R-report, Lord Im!"

Suddenly, a guard clad in silver armor rushed into the Flower Room in a state of urgency, sliding to his knees in front of the pavilion and bowing deeply.

"The Marcus and Shepherd families have been massacred by the Marine. As of now, over a hundred Celestial Dragons from these two families have been... executed on the spot by the Marine who stormed their residences."

Upon hearing this, Sengoku and Zephyr exchanged a knowing glance.

Even they hadn't expected Orion to not only target Marcus and Shepherd but also to spare no one from their respective families.

It was worth noting that these two families had hundreds of direct descendants.

Over the centuries, intermarriage among the Celestial Dragons had created a complex web of relationships.

If Orion were to carry out a thorough purge, it was likely that all nineteen Celestial Dragon families residing in the Holy Land would face slaughter.

Topman and Saturn showed little reaction, standing calmly in front of the pavilion, their eyes downcast as they awaited Im instructions.

Ethanbaron, however, felt an inexplicable chill run down his spine.

After all, it was he who had supported Spandine in investigating Orion when he was still a vice admiral.

Although both Spandine and his son had paid the price, Ethanbaron still felt uneasy.

Marcus and Peter had merely instructed two underground emperors of the New World to assist the Beasts Pirates in attacking a Marine stronghold and yet they had met such a grim fate.

If Orion were to seize this opportunity to settle scores with him, the Ethanbaron family would undoubtedly face a similar calamity.

From Im current reaction, it was clear that they didn't care about the survival of the Marcus and Shepherd families.

As the guard voice faded, the room fell into a silence so profound that one could hear a pin drop.

After a brief pause, Im slowly stood up and walked to the edge of the steps, looking down at Saturn, Topman, and Ethanbaron.

"You three, handle the aftermath. This was Marcus and Peter own doing, and it serves as a warning to all of you."

"Additionally, summon Garling. Tell him to come to the Flower Room immediately."

The three dared not delay.

They bowed to Im, then turned and left the Flower Room with the guard.

After watching them leave, Im returned to the pavilion and sat down.

Their tone was devoid of any emotion as they spoke slowly.

"Sengoku, Zephyr, do you know why Orion disregarded my authority and insisted on eliminating Marcus, Peter and their entire families?"

After a slight pause, Im added "It's just the three of us here. You may speak freely."

"Speak freely, huh?"

Sengoku looked up to meet Im gaze and out of habit, pulled out a box of senbei from his pocket.

"Can I eat while I talk?"

[A/N : LMAO i notice sengoku has been a menace after he become elder]

Im eyes narrowed, staring directly at Sengoku.

Just as Sengoku thought Im was about to lose their temper and prepared to put the senbei away, Im, surprisingly, nodded.

"Go ahead."

"Ahahaha, thank you."

Sengoku tossed a piece of senbei into his mouth and chuckled.

"Since Lord Im has made it so clear, I'll truly speak my mind."

"In my view, the reason Orion carried out the great purge isn't solely because Marcus Mars and Shepherd Ju Peter indirectly participated in the Beast Pirates' attack on the G-5 Base."

"There's a bigger reason—there are simply too many Celestial Dragons in the Holy Land."

"After eight hundred years of reproduction, the descendants of the twenty kings who founded the World Government have grown into an extremely large group!"

"This is understandable, given that it's been eight hundred years of reproduction!"

"However, the problem lies in the fact that Celestial Dragons enjoy all privileges. Every year, affiliated nations are required to pay an astonishing amount of Heavenly Tribute. As the number of Celestial Dragons in the Holy Land increases, the Heavenly Tribute demanded from affiliated nations naturally rises as well."

"During my time as one of the rotating Five Elders, I discovered through numerous documents that many nations, in order to pay the Heavenly Tribute, have collected taxes decades in advance—some even fifty years ahead!"

"Why has the pirate threat grown increasingly severe? The reason is that these nations are being exploited by the privileged Celestial Dragons, leaving their people in dire straits. This has led to more and more people taking to the seas as pirates. At first, they might have done so merely to survive, but gradually, as they saw other pirates amassing wealth through plunder and violence, their desires were amplified!"

"Orion goal of eradicating pirates can't be achieved solely by arresting and executing those at sea. He must also address the root causes."

"One of these root causes is the Celestial Dragons residing in the Holy Land, who enjoy all privileges."

"Of course, all of this stems from the fact that Marcus Mars and Shepherd Ju Peter made grave mistakes first."

"If they hadn't indirectly participated in the war with the Yonko's, Orion plan to reform the Celestial Dragons wouldn't have come so quickly."

Hearing this, Im dark red eyes flashed with a cold light as they said in a deep voice.

"Orion has been planning to reform the Celestial Dragons all along?"

Sengoku nodded. "To be precise, it's about reducing the privileges enjoyed by the Celestial Dragons."

"You're really bold, Sengoku!" Im suddenly stood up, their gaze burning as they stared at Sengoku.

"You're revealing this plan right in front of me. Aren't you afraid I'll prepare for it?"

Sengoku shrugged slightly and smiled. "I originally intended to keep it secret, but Orion doesn't seem to care."

"Doesn't care?" The corner of Im mouth twitched beneath their veil.

"What do you mean?"

"What I mean is—"

Sengoku tossed a rice cracker into his mouth, then looked up again to meet Im gaze, speaking calmly.

"He's showing his hand. You can do as you please."

***

The purge targeting the Marcus and Shepherd families continued.

Topman, Saturn, and Ethanbaron, who had been ordered to leave, had just stepped out of the Room of Flowers when they saw a familiar figure approaching.

It was the leader of the God's Knights, Figarland Garling.

Topman frowned slightly and said in a deep voice "Garling, shouldn't you be ensuring the safety of the Celestial Dragons? What are you doing here?"

Garling, clad in the God's Knights' cloak and sporting his signature curved hairstyle, walked over with a cheerful expression, smiling as he said.

"I feel this place needs me more!"

Hearing this, Topman facial muscles twitched slightly and he stepped aside to make way.

"You've come at the right time. Lord Im wishes to see you."

"Thank you." Garling walked past the three without stopping.

Watching Garling enter the Flower Room, Ethanbaron tone carried a hint of helplessness.

"When the snipe and the clam fight, the fisherman benefits. Mars and Peter are truly foolish!"

Saturn tilted his head to look at Ethanbaron.

"Do you think Orion, who went to such lengths to eliminate the Marcus and Shepherd families, would allow the Figarland family to reap the benefits?"

"Let's wait and see. In the future, the Holy Land—"

"May very well have a king standing in the spotlight."

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