With Roger's death, Imu's focus shifted to the agenda of this year's Levely, which he considered to be of utmost importance.
Although his actions were bound to cause a huge uproar and even attract many opponents, he believed that the supporters would far outnumber them. Moreover, this was something that had to be done; otherwise, other matters would lose their significance.
To a certain extent, its impact would not be much smaller than the public execution of the Pirate King.
Besides, would opposition even matter? Who was he? Imu!
Not to mention, the Navy would undoubtedly support this move, making it impossible for anyone on this planet to stop its progress.
However, the plan still needed more refinement, so these past few nights, he often sat on the Empty Throne in the dead of night, 'holding meetings' with the Five Elders.
At first, the Five Elders were startled by his various ideas, but they soon got used to it.
After all, the Five Elders' stance was aligned with Imu's—to ensure the Celestial Dragons' rule over the World Government.
With this premise and bottom line, no matter how shocking the matter seemed, they could accept it.
Simply because Imu could see the future, and the Five Elders firmly believed in this! In the southern waters of the fifth route in the first half of the Grand Line, there was a small island hidden, dedicated to serving the underworld. It had no official name, so the pirates who frequented it called it Black Island.
Here, as long as you had enough Beri and treasures, you could buy anything you needed.
Alcohol, food, weapons, women, even doctors, shipwrights, and information. However, there were only two rules: no harming the service staff and no damaging the island's structures. Beyond that, whether it was robbery or murder, anything went.
Black Island hadn't been around for long, less than two years. At first, the lawless pirates, gangsters, and slave traders completely disregarded the island's two rules.
But after about half a year, following the bloody annihilation of over a dozen gangs, everyone fell in line.
A family name and a smiling face emblem were deeply etched into their minds.
Donquixote!
Even though it was late at night, the island was still brightly lit, filled with cheers, screams, and the occasional wail or maniacal laughter, creating a lively atmosphere. The port was also bustling, with over a dozen ships flying various flags docked there.
However, the regulars here knew that compared to a few months ago, the number of ships had significantly decreased.
Needless to say, this was related to the public execution of the Pirate King Roger and, of course, the capture of the Golden Lion Shiki. It was said that many pirates had chosen to return to a normal life on land.
"Hey, everyone, have you heard about the great treasure?"
In a lively tavern, a clearly drunk man, clutching a beer mug in his right hand and his face flushed, shouted to the crowd.
As soon as the words "great treasure" were uttered, everyone in the tavern instinctively perked up their ears, and the chatter quieted down by a few decibels. Some even turned their gazes toward him, which made the drunkard's face light up with a smug smile.
"What great treasure?" a pirate sitting at a table on the right asked tentatively.
"Of course, it's the treasure of the Pirate King, Gol D. Roger! How big do you think it is?"
"What?!"
This statement instantly shocked everyone, and the atmosphere became eerily silent.
At that moment, a burly man over two meters tall, shirtless and carrying a sword, slammed his empty wooden cup onto the table with a loud thud. He grinned menacingly and said, "Kid, speak carefully. If you do well, I'll cover your drinks tonight! But if you spout nonsense, heh, watch your back when you leave!"
"Hahaha, that's great! Pour me another one!"
The drunkard, hearing such a threatening remark, showed no fear. Instead, he cheerfully called out to the bartender behind the counter.
"Don't forget to put it on his tab!"
"Got it," the bartender replied expressionlessly, nodding.
"Come on, speak up! Speak up!" The other pirates began to clamor, but the same intimidating man slammed his palm on the table again and roared, "Shut the hell up, all of you!"
True to his word, all the noise was immediately silenced. The drunkard nodded in satisfaction, cleared his throat with a couple of coughs, and began.
"Ahem, here's the thing. Recently, an interesting rumor has been spreading across the seas. It's said that the Pirate King, Gol D. Roger, who completed a voyage around the Grand Line, hid all his immense treasure on the final island, 'Laugh Tale.' He even gave this treasure a name."
At this point, a glimmer of clarity flashed in the drunkard's eyes.
"That is, the ONE PIECE!"
Marine Headquarters, Marineford, Fleet Admiral's Office.
Knock, knock, knock.
"Come in."
Sengoku pushed the door open and entered, asking, "Fleet Admiral, you wanted to see me?"
"Mm, take a look at this. It's a new order just conveyed by the Five Elders," Fleet Admiral Kong said with a smile, handing over a piece of paper.
"Alright, give me a moment."
Sengoku nodded, took the paper, and sat down on the sofa to read it calmly. The content wasn't lengthy, so he finished quickly. However, a look of surprise appeared on his face as he looked up at Fleet Admiral Kong.
"Sakazuki, Borsalino, and Kuzan are being promoted as Admiral candidates? But Borsalino is only a Rear Admiral right now. Isn't that inappropriate?"
"That kid will be promoted to Vice Admiral at the same time. After all, he was part of the team that captured Roger," Fleet Admiral Kong explained with a smile, then asked, "So, what do you think?"
Sengoku pondered for a moment before replying, "Unexpected, but reasonable. In terms of strength, aside from Kuzan, who still has some room for improvement, the other two have already surpassed most Vice Admirals. There's no issue with them being Admiral candidates, but..."
"But you didn't expect the World Government to promote them so easily, right?"
"Exactly. I thought it would take a few more years, especially since the situation at sea has improved significantly after Roger's execution, reducing the immediate need for Marine Admirals."
As soon as Sengoku finished speaking, he suddenly thought of something and continued, "Earlier, I was wondering why the Five Elders specifically requested that we bring those three for the mission to capture Roger. It turns out they were preparing them for their upcoming promotion to Marine Admiral, but..."
He hesitated again, feeling that something was off.
"But why has the Five Elders' attitude toward us changed so drastically, becoming so friendly, right?" Fleet Admiral Kong said.
"Exactly."
Sengoku acknowledged this point. Having served as a Marine Admiral for so many years and being known as the "Tactician," he had long noticed the World Government's deliberate suppression of the Marines.
In many cases, promotion to Marine Admiral wasn't just about reaching a certain level of strength; it primarily depended on the World Government's needs in that regard. Otherwise, there were various ways to keep you stuck at Vice Admiral or even as a candidate for Admiral, unless you accomplished some great feat.
"Hmm, I was also puzzled by this at first, but after speaking with the Five Elders, I think I have some idea," Fleet Admiral Kong said, pondering as he spoke.
"Please go on."
"I heard that at this year's Levely, the World Government is planning something big. Perhaps they're preparing for that, especially since, on the surface, you're the only Admiral right now..." Fleet Admiral Kong looked at Sengoku meaningfully.