Holy Land, Conference Room.
Holding Stussy in his arms, Daemon stepped into the grand chamber. The air was heavy with silence as the five elders sat, each in their designated seat, their expressions unreadable.
'These old geezers still play their petty power games,' Daemon sneered internally.
Even in the original timeline, Saint Jaygarcia Saturn had been seen walking around freely, which meant the Gorosei weren't confined by any public restrictions. Their authority was unchecked.
But Daemon's gaze soon shifted to another figure present in the room.
A truly repulsive man.
Donquixote Mjosgard.
A Celestial Dragon by blood—yes—but also an infamous figure. Once a villain, he had a sudden change of heart thanks to Princess Otohime. Later, he even helped Shirahoshi during the Reverie. In the end, though, the God Knights deemed him a traitor and executed him.
A disgrace to his bloodline.
But maybe… still slightly useful.
"Daemon?"
Mjosgard scowled when he saw him, that hideous face twisted with arrogance.
"I got here first. If you want to speak with the Gorosei, you'll have to wait your turn!"
He then turned back toward the elders and raised his voice obnoxiously.
"I want to increase my Heavenly Tribute by thirty percent. In return, I demand more Fish-Man slaves! You know how exotic they are! So beautiful—"
BANG!
Before he could finish, a large hand clamped around his skull and slammed him to the ground.
It was Daemon.
The impact shattered the pristine floor beneath, spiderweb cracks spreading like a curse. Blood splattered.
Mjosgard screamed in agony.
Even for a Celestial Dragon, his body was surprisingly durable. Despite his face being caved in and soaked in blood, he could still scream like a pig being slaughtered.
"So damn noisy."
Under the stunned stares of Stussy and the Gorosei, Daemon frowned and drove his hand down again.
BANG. BANG. BANG.
The sound of bone shattering echoed through the hall.
—CRACK!
Skull fragments snapped audibly. Mjosgard's eyes rolled back, and his face was left a mangled mess of blood and meat. No trace of nobility remained.
"L-Lord Daemon…!?"
Stussy trembled, her long legs barely holding her up. Her widened eyes were filled with terror.
She knew Daemon was arrogant—untouchably so—and backed by a powerful lineage. But she never imagined he'd be this insane.
Beating a fellow Celestial Dragon nearly to death—in front of the Five Elders?!
Was he completely out of his mind!?
"Your Highness Daemon,"
Saint Jaygarcia Saturn finally spoke, leaning slightly on his cane, his cloudy gaze calm but sharp.
"What do you mean by this?"
Daemon scoffed, "You think he deserves to be ahead of me in line?"
He waved a hand dismissively.
"Trash like that needs discipline. Better he learns now than causes irreparable mistakes later. I'm sure he'll appreciate my... kindness when he wakes up."
Saturn: "..."
The five elders glanced among themselves, restrained frustration flickering behind their old eyes.
Daemon had crossed a line—but none of them dared to chastise him.
They were powerful, yes. Revered even.
But at the end of the day… they were Imu's servants.
And Daemon?
Daemon was Imu's heir.
Until Imu's true stance on Daemon became clear, none of them would risk alienating him.
Finally, Saint Ethanbaron V. Nusjuro—still gripping the First Generation Kitetsu—broke the awkward silence.
"I heard you mobilized a naval force equivalent to a Buster Call to search for the Pirate King's pregnant wife?"
"That's right," Daemon replied casually, his expression softening.
"Before Roger died, he entrusted me to take care of his wife and child. So of course, I sent the Navy to bring them safely to me… where I can love and protect them."
Nusjuro's lips twitched.
He'd seen shameless men before, but this one took the crown.
Wife of the man he executed—now being kept as a concubine?
And yet he dares call himself a good man?
Incredible.
Still, Nusjuro wasn't in the mood to argue.
'Forget it. The Knights of God can't be used on him anyway. Let him play house.'
'That woman's fate was sealed the moment Roger died. Falling into the hands of this monster… tsk. What a tragic end.'
Portgas D. Rouge, wasn't that her name?
Sympathy flickered in the old man's heart—briefly.
The Gorosei exchanged another look. After a brief pause, Saturn spoke again, this time more seriously.
"Since you've explained yourself, then fine. If the Navy retrieves Roger's wife, she will be handed over to you."
"But…"
His tone sharpened, eyes narrowing.
"You killed Roger—and sabotaged his public execution. What do you propose we do about that?"
Daemon rolled his eyes, "Didn't I explain it already?"
"Moonlight Moria and the imitator fruit user are both hiding in Wano," added Nusjuro, sighing. "It's dangerous. The World Government needs your strength."
Daemon's gaze sharpened.
"My strength? You mean…"
"We read the report," Saturn said with a small smile.
"There was a giant bone dragon spotted during the chaos at Impel Down. A creature that blotted out the sun."
Daemon chuckled softly.
So they did make the connection.
Even if they didn't know the truth behind his Hand of Hermes or the ability to create Noble Phantasms, they'd pieced things together.
He entered Impel Down—shortly after, a giant bone dragon appeared. The cause-and-effect was too obvious.
But he hadn't hidden it, either.
Because what's the point of power if you can't flex it?
A Celestial Dragon should walk the earth like a god—ruling, conquering, and taking everything he desires.
"If you take Wano," Saturn continued, "we can help manage it."
"And?"
"We'll buy its seastone and weapons at three times the market price. Fair?"
Daemon raised a brow.
Now that was unexpected.
Three times the market price for Wano's legendary materials? That was no joke—it would shake the entire economy.
Even though Heavenly Tribute made Celestial Dragons absurdly wealthy, this was essentially free money.
Only an idiot would say no.
He smiled.
'They're sharper than they look.'
Even without full intel, they'd identified him as the bone dragon's master.
And they were scared.
As they should be.
Power is meaningless if it isn't flaunted. What good is glory if it's hidden in the dark?
[Congratulations! A new world quest opportunity has been triggered. Would you like to post the quest to the Chat Group?]
The system prompt echoed in Daemon's mind.
So after Miyuki Uchiha… he was next to post a quest?
Interesting.
He glanced back at the broken figure of Mjosgard twitching on the floor, and his lips curled into a lazy grin.