Chapter 102 102: The Fall of the World Government?

— — — — — — In the middle of the Grand Line, just ahead of the Red Line, lies the Sabaody Archipelago. As the final stop before the New World, it's a chaotic melting pot—pirates, merchants (legal and shady alike), and bounty hunters all gathering in one place. So when a handsome young man and two beautiful women stepped foot onto the island, no one batted an eye. Well—except the slave traders. Out of habit, some of them took one look at the trio and instantly started calculating their worth. With looks like that, if they could get these three into the auction house, they'd be rolling in Berries. Some couldn't help themselves. Before the trio could even wander into the lawless zones, a few impatient traffickers made their move, worried someone else might snatch up the "merchandise." And just like that, the chaos began. The blonde girl with blue eyes—seemingly delicate—drew her sword and cut down the first wave of traffickers in the blink of an eye. Then came the rest—those who joined in only because the others struck first. They didn't fare any better. One by one, they fell under her blade. When the Marines, tasked with maintaining order on Sabaody, finally arrived, the silver-haired woman among the trio just snapped her fingers. And just like that, those Marines loudly recited their list of crimes... before committing public suicide right there in the street. Then, a World Noble from Mary Geoise appeared—dressed head to toe in his usual pompous garb. When the trio didn't kneel before him like everyone else, he raised his golden, gem-studded pistol at the young man leading the group. He didn't even get to pull the trigger. With just a slight tilt of the young man's head, the Celestial Dragon exploded into a mist of blood. The young man, completely unfazed, calmly praised the late noble's "consideration" for wearing full protective gear and a bubble helmet—so that his filthy insides wouldn't pollute the world around him. That was the moment everything changed. Well, almost everything. There was still one person sticking around—an albatross-like man yelling, "BIG NEWS! This is once-in-twenty-years BIG NEWS!" as he tailed the group, snapping photos like his life depended on it. Everyone else? Gone. See, even attacking a Celestial Dragon usually results in a Marine Admiral being dispatched personally. But this? This was an outright execution. In public. With witnesses. People were stunned, not just by what happened—but by what must come next. What would the World Government and the Marines do now? "...So these are the so-called descendants of the creators of this world?" None of it—the Marines at Sabaody, the guards from Mary Geoise, not even the famed "ultimate shield" of the Celestial Dragons, the CPO—none of it could slow the trio down. After seeing firsthand the depths of depravity in the so-called Holy Land, Artoria's brow furrowed deeply. Even though Merlin had warned her before they left: "We're going after something that might be called human, but lost that title a long time ago." And had even listed examples of the Celestial Dragons' crimes... nothing could have prepared Artoria for the reality. From the entrance of Mary Geoise to the heart of Pangaea Castle, they hadn't encountered a single Celestial Dragon who could even be considered vaguely human. It was beyond belief. "They call themselves creators, but let's be honest—they're just 'creators of the World Government,'" Veyron muttered, eyes locked on the line of figures standing guard outside Pangaea Castle. "They're still just people." He trailed off, then looked directly at the nobles. "You're all Celestial Dragons, right? Fine. Look down on the rest of the world all you want. But riddle me this—how can you stand to watch your own kind turn into that and do nothing?" The man in front, with hair and beard twisted into a crescent moon shape pointing forward, sneered and said nothing. Instead, he drew his sword and unleashed a slash crackling with black-red lightning. "Oh. So you're a Swordmaster, huh?" Veyron grinned. "Looks manageable." With a whistle of steel, his sword, Bloodwing, left its sheath. A clear, birdlike chirp rang out as the blade carved straight through the Celestial Dragon—slicing the noble and his weapon clean in half. [Your Trait: Swordmaster (Blue) has evolved.] [Swordmaster (Blue) → Grandmaster Swordsman (Purple)] [Grandmaster Swordsman (Purple): Allows you to unleash slashes worthy of the title "Grandmaster" on the open sea.] If a regular Swordmaster could cut through steel and strike targets hundreds of meters away, a Grandmaster could effortlessly cleave mountains. Just like when he'd first earned the Swordmaster trait, this upgrade came with a hefty boost to his basic swordsmanship. Now at level 45, it was his second-highest trait, just behind his [Divine Ki] at level 49. Sliding Bloodwing back into its sheath, Veyron raised a hand and made a grasping motion at the air. The moment he did, the no-names who'd stood beside the "Crescent Moon Head" earlier—and had moved to attack alongside him—exploded one by one into clouds of blood, as if the air itself had crushed them. All were killed. . . . Then, they entered Pangaea Castle. Unlike the savage, bloodthirsty Celestial Dragons outside, the five figures in the castle's grand hall—tall, short, fat, and thin alike—weren't acting aggressive. They simply sat quietly on sofas or stood nearby, as if they'd been waiting for the trio all along. "We started suspecting something the moment you broke into the Holy Land." One of them, tall and broad-shouldered, thick with hair, and leaning on a cane said. "And with the deaths of Figarland Garling, and the God's Knights, you've confirmed exactly what we feared." "You've broken past the limits of this world's power, haven't you?" "Pretty much," Veyron replied with a nod. What they meant was simple: he'd surpassed the level of even the strongest in the New World—beyond the Yonko, beyond the Navy Admirals. From what he'd gathered since arriving in this world, there was an invisible ceiling to individual power. Physical techniques hit bottlenecks because the body couldn't evolve past a certain point. Haki was limited by perception, belief, and will, all of which were bound to this world's reality. Even Devil Fruits—miraculous gifts from the sea—were ultimately constrained by the collective consciousness and expectations of those who lived here. "You could've just leveled Mariejois from the outside and buried us all with one strike," said another elder, this one with fluffy white curls, a matching beard, and a long scar running down the left side of his face. "But you didn't. You carved your way here instead. That means you didn't come just to wipe us out, right?" "Oh?" Veyron raised a brow. "So you're saying there's room to talk?" He chuckled. "I've already taken out most of your so-called Celestial Dragons—the ones still in the Holy Land, and the ones out parading around the world, like the idiot on the bridge in East Blue. So if this was a cleansing, it's already almost done." "If their deaths were the price for getting someone like you to sit down and have a conversation," the elder said calmly, "then the World Government didn't waste all those years raising them." "Well damn," Veyron gave a thumbs up. "That's exactly the kind of pragmatic evil I expected from you lot. Mind telling me your name?" "I am Jaygarcia Saturn, the Warrior God of Science and Defense—one of the Five Elders," the man replied. "These others—" "Yeah, yeah," Veyron cut him off, waving a hand. "I honestly don't care who they are. As long as all five of you together represent the highest authority of the World Government, that's good enough." He lowered his hand, and once Saturn shut his mouth tactfully, Veyron continued: "I'm here for a simple reason: you so-called Celestial Dragons? You've gotten a little too inhuman for my taste. I figured I'd stop by and take out the trash." He gestured vaguely toward the castle around them. "Killed my way in so the Navy would have a little extra time to react. Didn't feel like making a separate trip to their headquarters after this." Then his voice dipped into a sharper tone: "As corrupt and bloated as your World Government is, at least it keeps the world running—barely. Sure, I could destroy it all and rebuild everything under my rule. I have that power." "...But I'm not interested in playing babysitter for a bunch of mortals trying to pick up the pieces of civilization." "So hey—why not make some use out of you trash before I toss you out completely?" The Five Elders remained expressionless, but Veyron could feel it—they all exhaled in relief the moment he said he wasn't here to end the world outright. Then, without turning around, Veyron reached back and snatched something from the air—dragging out the one who'd been hiding in the chamber known as the "Room of Flowers." Imu—the true ruler of the World Government. With all six of them in front of him now, Veyron grinned and asked the group a question that sent a chill down their spines: "So... have you guys ever heard of 'Automata'?" . . .