《One Piece: Rising》Chapter 55: The Marijoa Treaty! Rotating Seats for the Five Elders!

The negotiation meeting continued until noon.

Many of the conditions proposed by Xayuki were agreed upon by Imu, though some were rejected. However, Xayuki didn't mind, as the rejected conditions were intentionally presented as distractions to obscure his true objectives.

Outside the royal palace of the Holy Land, Shamrock and Gunshi stood side by side, their gazes fixed on the tightly shut palace gates.

Behind them stood not only the five God's Knights who had been teleported to Marine Headquarters alongside Gunshi and subsequently blown away but also several other God's Knights who had previously stood behind Garling.

Unlike the five God's Knights standing behind Shamrock and Gunshi, these others bore the title "Saint" after their names.

As everyone knew, among the Celestial Dragons of the Holy Land, male names were always followed by "Saint." This indicated that these God's Knights were not recruited from outside the Holy Land but were instead elite warriors chosen from among the Celestial Dragons residing within.

The two leading figures were Chilingham and Somaz.

Both were core combat members of the God's Knights and Devil Fruit users.

Chilingham possessed the Dragon-Dragon Fruit, Mythical Type: Kirin Model, and his Devil Fruit powers had long since awakened. At present, he appeared in his humanoid Kirin form, with a long neck surrounded by white clouds. He was clad in an ornate military uniform and the signature cloak worn by all God's Knights.

Though standing upright, Chilingham had his eyes closed, as if asleep, muttering incomprehensible words in his dream-like state.

Somaz, on the other hand, was the wielder of the Thorn-Thorn Fruit. Despite his advanced age, his muscles were exceptionally well-developed, and his towering physique exuded an unrestrained aura of strength.

However, Somaz's behavior belied his age, as he was rather irreverent. At this moment, he was squinting at Gunshi with a mischievous glint in his eyes.

"Somaz—"

Noticing Somaz's inappropriate gaze, Shamrock furrowed his brow slightly and said in a stern voice, "Watch where you're looking!"

"Ahaha, you caught me!" Somaz laughed heartily, shifting his gaze from Gunshi's attire to the tightly shut palace gates. With a playful tone, he teased, "Gunshi, you really don't need to wear that cloak."

Hearing this, Gunshi blinked slowly, her reaction delayed. Then, her beautiful eyes widened as her face—uncovered by the bandages wrapped around her—flushed crimson. She quickly turned away and adjusted her cloak.

Shamrock, visibly annoyed, interjected once more, "Somaz, now is not the time for jokes. Please, act seriously."

"I want to be serious," Somaz said with an exaggerated shrug, "but I can't help it—Gunshi's outfit is just too eye-catching."

Before he could finish his sentence, Somaz abruptly shifted the topic, his expression turning serious. "Shamrock, what are your thoughts on this situation? I don't think Lady Imu needed to negotiate with Xayuki at all. I'll admit, his strength is formidable, especially his Conqueror's Haki—it's the strongest I've ever encountered. But there are only seven of them! The Holy Land has the God's Knights, the Five Elders, and Lady Imu herself!"

"The Holy Land holds an overwhelming advantage against their group of seven. Why not seize this opportunity to crush them once and for all?"

"If we eliminate Xayuki and control the three admirals, Marine Headquarters will be powerless. Chilingham and I could subdue them ourselves!"

Hearing this, Shamrock shook his head. "It's far more complicated than that. Xayuki didn't ascend to the Holy Land with just six companions because of his strength and ability to protect himself. It's because behind him stands an entire Marine force of officers and soldiers who are fiercely loyal to him. Understand this: the Marines can exist without the World Government, but the World Government absolutely cannot afford to lose the Marines!"

"Forget it," Somaz said, waving his hand dismissively. He glanced at Gunshi again but was immediately met with a sharp glare from Shamrock, forcing him to sigh and shrug. "This level of decision-making is beyond our authority. With Lady Imu personally overseeing the matter, I trust it will be resolved appropriately."

Inside the Holy Land's conference room:

Having agreed to most of Xayuki's conditions, Imu glanced at him as he suddenly stood up and walked past the Five Elders to stand directly in front of her. Imu's crimson ripple-like eyes narrowed slightly as she spoke in a low voice, "Xayuki, don't push your luck."

"Relax, I'm not trying to remove your veil."

Standing before Imu, Xayuki placed a document on the table with a polite smile. "Although you've agreed to my terms, words alone aren't enough. I'll need your signature on this document."

"What is this?" Imu asked, her gaze falling on the document's title. Her mouth twitched beneath her veil as she read the bold words at the top: The Marijoa Treaty.

Xayuki smiled and nodded. "Sign the Marijoa Treaty, and our negotiations will conclude. Of course, in addition to your signature, the Five Elders must also sign their names. This treaty will be copied and distributed to all allied nations."

Imu immediately rejected the proposal. "My existence is known only to Marine Headquarters and the Holy Land!"

"Ah," Xayuki blinked, then nodded in understanding. "My apologies—that was an oversight on my part. Officially, the Five Elders remain the highest authorities of the World Government..."

As he spoke, Xayuki picked up the document and placed it in front of Topman Warcury, the leading Elder. "This treaty will be signed by you all instead."

Hearing this, Topman Warcury immediately looked to Imu for guidance. Seeing her nod in approval, he picked up the document and began reviewing its contents.

The treaty contained only the terms Imu had agreed to, with none of the rejected conditions included. It was clear that the conditions Imu had rejected were merely distractions. Xayuki's true objectives were encapsulated in this pre-prepared treaty.

After reading through the document, Topman Warcury glanced meaningfully at Xayuki.

Previously, when Xayuki had unleashed his overwhelming Conqueror's Haki at the World Government's headquarters, Topman Warcury had almost dismissed him as a reckless young man relying solely on brute strength.

Now, it was evident that this "reckless young man" had calculated every step with precision. His cunning and strategy were chilling.

In no time, the Marijoa Treaty was signed.

"Let's go!"

Once the last Elder had signed the treaty, Xayuki swiftly collected the document, as if worried that Imu or the Five Elders might change their minds. Without hesitation, he turned and prepared to leave.

"Wait—"

As Sengoku, Zephyr, the three admirals, and Gion stood up, Imu suddenly spoke. "Xayuki, let's talk privately."

Xayuki turned back, meeting Imu's gaze. "Are you willing to remove your veil and speak to me openly?"

Before Imu could respond, Xayuki impatiently waved at Sengoku and the others. "You all wait outside."

Imu also issued her command to the Five Elders and Garling: "You leave as well."

The Five Elders and Garling didn't dare delay, promptly rising and exiting the room.

Seeing this, Sengoku and the others followed suit.

Soon, only Xayuki and Imu remained in the conference room.

As soon as the doors closed, Imu fixed her intense gaze on Xayuki and spoke abruptly, "You don't belong to this era!"

"???"

Xayuki stared back at her, utterly baffled.

Before he could respond, Imu continued, seemingly reasoning with herself, "If you were born in this era, your Conqueror's Haki couldn't possibly be this strong! At first, I thought your Haki might be a remnant of that man's will, but after observing you closely, it's clear that's not the case."

"The only explanation is that, like me, you don't belong to this era!"

"So, tell me—are you from 800 years ago, or an even more distant past?"

"You're talking about Joy Boy, aren't you?" Seeing the hint of confusion in Imu's ripple-like eyes, Xayuki couldn't help but laugh. "Relax, I'm not Joy Boy, nor am I Nika. I'm just me. However, if you agree to one more condition, I'll tell you where I'm from."

Imu's eyes lit up, her pupils dilating slightly. "What condi—"

Before she could finish, Imu suddenly snapped back to her senses and flatly refused. "If you're asking me to remove my veil, that's absolutely impossible!"

Xayuki shrugged slightly, feigning helplessness. "Fine. You're curious about my appearance and gender, and I'm curious about your origins. I suppose that makes us even."

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