World Government, Five Elders Room.
Saint Shepherd Ju Peter, his curly white hair framing a weary face, let out a heavy sigh. "His Highness Daemon is heading to Impel Down."
"It doesn't matter," Saint Ethanbaron V. Nusjuro responded indifferently, the first generation of the Supreme Blade resting easily in his hands. "Lord Imu said before falling asleep that even if His Highness Daemon demolishes Impel Down, it would be fine."
"Isn't that right!" Saint Marcus Mars, whose long beard seemed to have a life of its own, added with a sharp chuckle. "But where did His Highness Daemon even come from? I'm certain Lord Imu doesn't have a spouse, let alone offspring."
Saint Jaygarcia Saturn, leaning on his crutches, offered a cold response, his voice calm yet commanding. "That has nothing to do with you or us. Lord Imu said Daemon is her only heir. That settles it."
Navy Headquarters, makeshift conference room.
Fleet Admiral Sengoku, Lieutenant General Tsuru, Garp, and the three future Admirals were all gathered around. The mood was tense.
Kizaru, always the picture of laid-back humor, grinned slyly. "Sakazuki sure is unlucky. Remembered by the Celestial Dragons, huh?"
Kuzan, still not fully estranged from Sakazuki, looked at the red dog with concern. "You need to be careful. Those Celestial Dragons aren't rational people. No one knows if they'll make a move on you."
Akainu's stoic expression remained unchanged, but his icy gaze seemed to freeze the very air around him.
As the most radical of the hawkish navy, Akainu knew exactly what kind of people the Celestial Dragons were. In short: they were arrogant pigs who ruled the world. But they had power—the world's most formidable power. If he found himself in their sights, would he be forced to abandon his honor as a Marine and become a pirate?
"Little Tsuru!" Sengoku suddenly snapped, breaking the silence. "Do you know about this Saint Daemon?"
Tsuru's face became unreadable as she handed out documents to everyone present. "Of course, he's one of the most active Celestial Dragons."
Fleet Admiral Sengoku frowned as he flipped through the report. The more he read, the darker his expression became. Finally, with a loud slam, he slammed his fist onto the table.
"It's true...!"
In the documents, it was revealed that in just over a month, Daemon had been linked to a staggering 1,000 women—an average of about 40 women per day. These women ranged from princesses, queens, and even mothers of kings. The ages varied wildly—some as young as blank years old, and others as old as fifty.
Everyone present had the same thought: "Scum of scums." But no one dared to say it out loud.
After an uncomfortable silence, Sengoku cleared his throat. "Ahem... The private lives of the Celestial Dragons aren't something the Navy should concern itself with, so let's not discuss it further."
After a couple of awkward coughs, Sengoku turned to the still-grim Akainu and spoke in a much softer tone. "Don't worry, Sakazuki. The Navy will never abandon you."
"That's right!" The Fleet Admiral's voice grew cold and firm. "Sakazuki is one of the Navy's future pillars. The World Government won't actually allow any harm to come to you, no matter how much the Celestial Dragons may want to act."
"Hmm… I understand," Akainu muttered, his face as frozen as ever. Though he gave a resigned sigh, his eyes burned with a fiery, barely-contained anger. Unless he defected outright, there was no escaping this call-up. Still, the ember of rebellion smoldered in his chest.
Deep down, Akainu was hoping that Daemon Saint would prove to be better than the other Celestial Dragons. Because if he wasn't… Akainu might have no choice but to leave the Navy.
Maybe, just maybe, he'd become a Pirate Hunter who enforced his "absolute justice" from the other side.
Daemon, blissfully unaware of the Navy's internal turmoil, focused solely on the task at hand. To him, this was just an ordinary guard assignment.
The reason he had called Akainu, rather than any other member of the Navy, was simple: Akainu's philosophy aligned perfectly with his own. After all, Daemon was heading to Impel Down to eliminate the useless pirates. It was only someone like Akainu, who despised pirates with an unrelenting passion, who would accept such a mission without question.
"Speaking of which," Daemon mused as he boarded the luxury ship bound for Impel Down, "this might be a good opportunity to recruit Akainu as a subordinate."
As a World Noble, Daemon knew the importance of having loyal subordinates. He couldn't do everything by himself. Akainu was the perfect candidate—someone who was already devoted to the cause of eliminating pirates. His unwavering dedication to 'absolute justice' could be useful. If Daemon could turn him to his side, it would be a major step in solidifying his power.
"Absolute justice or not," Daemon thought, "I can use him."
On the deck of the ship, Stussy approached Daemon with a gentle smile and asked, "Daemon Saint, is this kind of strength sufficient?"
Daemon felt her cold fingers gently massage his shoulder, and he let out a pleased grunt. "Stussy, do you know what we'll be doing when we get to Impel Down?"
Stussy, always cautious, lowered her gaze. "The Subordinate is not sure, and would never presume to guess the thoughts of someone as noble as you, Daemon-sama."
Her posture stiffened slightly, and she instinctively bent forward in a more respectful gesture. Despite her outward composure, doubt gnawed at her insides. She had been following Daemon for over a month now, and even though she could sense his lack of trust, this was the first time he had directly asked for her opinion.
For someone like her, serving a Celestial Dragon, it was strange. When a normal person asked for your opinion, you'd think they respected you. But this was a World Noble. No one like him would ever genuinely ask for someone's thoughts. Everything was manipulation.
Daemon noticed the subtle change in Stussy's expression. With a smirk, he gestured dismissively. "Hmph, don't be shy. Sit on my lap and move by yourself, will you?"
"Yes, Saint Daemon…" Stussy hesitated for a moment, then slowly obeyed, sitting on his lap.
Daemon's arms wrapped around her slender waist. His tone was cold, yet tinged with something that almost resembled amusement. "It's your honor, Stussy. This is a reward from the gods. You'll need to enjoy it fully."
Impel Down.
Akainu and a few high-ranking Impel Down officials stood at the massive gates, their faces grim. They had come alone, without any Navy soldiers, to avoid unnecessary conflict with the Celestial Dragons.
It was still 22 years before Luffy would make his mark, and the future director, Magellan, was still a deputy at this time. The current director—an old vice admiral—had never appeared in the original story. His name was "Bone Dragon."
Shiryu, at only 20 years old, was already acting like a seasoned veteran. He wore a famous sword at his waist and had the air of a hardened gangster. Next to him, Magellan grimaced, clutching his stomach in pain. Still, he warned Shiryu, "Shiryu, don't be too arrogant when facing the Celestial Dragons. They can end your life in an instant if they wish."
Shiryu simply shrugged and snuffed out his cigar. "Yeah, yeah. Don't worry, old man."
"It's coming," Akainu said, his face cold as ice. He straightened his hat and uniform.
At his side, the Bone Dragon lieutenant slowly opened his eyes. There was a flicker of recognition in his cloudy gaze.
The gates of Impel Down groaned open.
Daemon, now with Stussy in his arms, casually took a picture with a phone bug and sent it to the group.
Daemon: "I'm in Impel Down now, guys. Guess who the first fantasy weapon I'll create is going to come from? —— [picture]"