In his previous life, Imu had heard many fans of the series point the ultimate blame for the world's darkness squarely at the Celestial Dragons, believing that their excessive privileges and widespread misdeeds were the reasons why the World Government had become so evil and corrupt.
Regarding this, his attitude was half agreement and half disagreement.
The point of agreement was that it was indeed inseparable from the Celestial Dragons, after all, Imu himself was a Celestial Dragon, and not just any Celestial Dragon—he was the King of the Celestial Dragons, even the God of the Celestial Dragons.
The point of disagreement was that he felt the main reasons lay more in the overall unreasonable system of the World Government, which was too self-contained and stagnant. Essentially, it remained the same as it was eight hundred years ago, with no progress or changes.
This had a lot to do with the former Imu, who, lacking political acumen and governance skills, only sought to maintain the status quo, believing that change would lead to chaos and that all problems could be smoothed over with absolute power and force.
Honestly, how many Celestial Dragons are there? At most, there are only five or six hundred, and they aren't all out causing trouble. Most prefer to stay in Mary Geoise, and unless they feel the urge to go out for a walk, they have no interest in the polluted air of the mortal world.
Secondly, the royal families and nobles of various countries are also a significant issue. Don't think that there are many good royal families like those of Alabasta, Dressrosa, or Fish-Man Island—they are as rare as phoenix feathers and unicorn horns.
When it comes to wrongdoing, most royal families and nobles aren't necessarily any more restrained than the Celestial Dragons, and their numbers and the scope of their influence far exceed the latter! But regardless, the step of confining the Celestial Dragons was Imu's first change to the World Government.
Aren't they causing trouble when they go out?
Then don't let them go out. Let them stay quietly in the "Land of the Gods" community, where there's plenty of food and drink, ample space, gardens, and rivers—it's not like they're being mistreated.
As for stripping the Celestial Dragons of their privileges and status, Imu would absolutely never do such a thing.
As the saying goes, where you sit determines where you stand. A person must be clear about their position and identity.
Ultimately, his core power still comes from the Celestial Dragons as a group, and more specifically, from the successive generations of the Five Elders.
Doesn't that sound a bit strange? After all, Imu is the King of the Celestial Dragons, and even the initial status of the Celestial Dragons was bestowed by him. The existence of the Five Elders was also designated by him, so it should be said that their power comes from him.
But think about it carefully: over the past few hundred years, Imu has been secluded in the deepest part of Pangea Castle, in the Chamber of the Moon. Only the successive generations of the Five Elders have had the privilege of contacting him and, through them, indirectly controlling the World Government. Other Celestial Dragons and outsiders have no idea of his existence.
Therefore, conversely, it's not wrong to say that his current power comes from the Five Elders.
The current situation is that even if he chooses to step into the spotlight and reveal his identity, it's highly likely that the member nations of the World Government not only wouldn't recognize him but might even resist on a large scale.
At that point, he would have to consider using his own force and the national treasure to suppress them bloodily.
But that would be too troublesome, unnecessary, really unnecessary, at least not suitable at this stage.
Overall, he, the Five Elders, and the entire Celestial Dragon community were essentially one entity. Therefore, the Celestial Dragons must continue to exist, and their privileges and status must remain unchanged—this was non-negotiable.
However, this didn't mean their activities couldn't be restricted. In the future, their mindset could gradually be reformed, and a small elite group could be cultivated.
For now, Imu only demanded that they not cause trouble for him!
Huh? Thinking of elite Celestial Dragons, Imu, sitting by the window gazing at the vast galaxy and the gray-white craters, recalled the two young rascals from the Donquixote family who were out in the world.
"Doflamingo and Rosinante."
He pondered how to arrange and utilize these two, especially Doflamingo. If used well, this guy could indeed be of great help to him.
The reason this kid wanted to destroy the Celestial Dragons was because of his father's foolish actions, which led to his mother's death.
Moreover, when he tried to return to the Celestial Dragon community with his father's severed head, he was collectively rejected and mocked by the Celestial Dragons, which bred an intense hatred for them from a young age.
But on the other hand, didn't this also prove Doflamingo's deep desire to return to the Celestial Dragons? "It's worth a try. In my previous life, some marine scholars speculated that this kid was my subordinate envoy, which means it's entirely possible to bring him under my control."
However, for the time being, he couldn't think of what exactly to have Doflamingo do. What would happen after he was subdued?
This was something he needed to carefully consider.
In the following days, the Celestial Dragons who were out in the world gradually returned to Mary Geoise. This didn't attract much attention, as there was nothing particularly unusual about it.
As for how these Celestial Dragons reacted with anger, how they questioned, or even how they caused a fuss after being notified that they couldn't leave the "Land of the Gods" without permission, Imu didn't care.
Faced with a group of spoiled Celestial Dragons, the Five Elders, who held great power, had no difficulty handling them.
The angry Celestial Dragons, faced with the warning that "violators will be stripped of their World Noble status," could only helplessly calm down. No matter how useless or foolish they were, they wouldn't dare risk their Celestial Dragon status.
The higher-ups at Marine Headquarters also had little interest in the movements of the Celestial Dragons. Unless they were harmed, they were generally left to their own devices.
Sengoku and Garp received a notice from Fleet Admiral Kong and went together to the Fleet Admiral's office. They found two intelligence reports already placed on the coffee table and noticed that the Fleet Admiral's expression wasn't great.
"Take a look."
"Yes, please wait a moment."
Sengoku sat down and picked up the report, while Garp, sitting across from him, casually crossed his legs and began reading. However, as they read, both of their brows furrowed.
"This Bartolomeo has some nerve!"
After finishing the report, Sengoku angrily slammed it back onto the coffee table and turned to Fleet Admiral Kong, saying, "Fleet Admiral, we can't let him continue to act so recklessly. I suggest we arrest him immediately. I can set out right away!"
On the other hand, Garp was amazed by the contents of the report. Good heavens, in just over a month, he had attacked dozens of ships—not just pirate ships, but also Marine warships, cruise ships from various countries, cargo ships, and even royal vessels. And without exception, all of them were slaughtered.
In other words, this kid has been destroying everything he sees on the Grand Line, including several inhabited islands. He's completely gone berserk!
He's practically turned the sea upside down, leaving rivers of blood and fields of corpses wherever he goes. The only pity is that no Celestial Dragon has been unlucky enough to cross his path. "Hmm, he's caused quite a stir. It's time to rein him in," Fleet Admiral Kong agreed. "The Five Elders just called about this matter."
"What instructions did the Five Elders give?" Sengoku asked, puzzled.
"Yes, their idea is to send Garp to confront him one-on-one, defeat Bartolomeo, and bring him back!"
Hearing this, Sengoku grew even more confused. Fleet Admiral Kong chuckled bitterly, "Don't ask me. I don't know why either. The Five Elders didn't explain."
"Hahahaha, what's the big deal? I'll go myself. I heard this brat even fought Rayleigh to a draw. Interesting, very interesting!" Garp burst into laughter, tears streaming down his face. After speaking, he stood up, still laughing, and walked out of the room.