After dinner, only Hancock, Hiyori, and Elior remained in Hancock's bedroom.
At that moment, Elior rested his head on Hiyori's lap while she gently massaged his temples, and Hancock fed him grapes.
With two peerless beauties serving him, Elior couldn't help but feel a deep sense of satisfaction.
Hiyori and Hancock — two proud and jealous women — were clearly competing with each other even now. Of course, they only showed their rivalry through the sharp glances in their eyes. None of them dared express it before Elior.
Hiyori already knew that sooner or later, she would have to cooperate with Hancock.
Inwardly, she sighed.
She understood well — it was impossible to have Elior to herself.
He was surrounded by beautiful and powerful women from all over the world.
"Lord Elior," Hancock began, "last time, in that place called Gran Tesoro... was it true that you killed four Celestial Dragons?"
As she spoke, her voice trembled slightly with excitement.
Elior had killed four Celestial Dragons, yet nothing had happened to him afterward. Hancock could only imagine how majestic he must have looked at that moment.
Did he cut them down with a sword? Strike them with his fists? Or simply kick them to death?
Celestial Dragons…!
She could hardly picture such a scene.
"Do you want to kill the Celestial Dragons?" Elior said calmly. "In the future, I'll take you to Mary Geoise — and we'll kill them all."
He spoke in such a casual tone, as if slaying Celestial Dragons was no different from taking a stroll.
As Hancock had mentioned, the news of the four dead Celestial Dragons in the Gran Tesoro had shaken the world. In truth, three of them had been killed by Gion, disguised behind a mask and tied hair — but the reports had claimed Elior alone was responsible.
Why?
Because the news came from Morgans. And when Morgans News Agency reports something, the world listens. Like the World Government's own press, whatever Morgans prints becomes the truth.
And most importantly, Morgans worked for Elior.
Even though three of the Celestial Dragons were killed by Gion, Elior had instructed Morgans to claim that he had slain all four himself.
Of course, the World Government didn't protest. If Elior was arrogant enough to kill them, it only made sense that his subordinates would dare act as they did.
"Take... take me to Mary Geoise... to kill the Celestial Dragons?" Hancock repeated in disbelief, her mind reeling.
"This... my lord…"
She couldn't comprehend it. Elior's voice was calm — terrifyingly calm.
"When the time comes and we march on Mary Geoise," Elior said, "all you have to do is follow me."
To him, the Celestial Dragons were destined for extinction — every last one of them, even their children.
The sins of eight hundred years weighed upon their bloodline. No infant could be innocent when their entire lineage was built upon the suffering of others. What their ancestors owed, the descendants would repay.
History itself had already judged them.
Even those few Celestial Dragons who lost their status — like Donquixote's family — were hunted down and destroyed. Such was the hatred the world held toward them.
Over eight centuries, they had committed countless atrocities against humanity.
Elior had no personal grudge against them, but that didn't matter.
He intended to rule the world — and the old rulers had to be erased.
And along with them, the institution he despised most of all: slavery.
The Celestial Dragons had set the example, and the nobles, the wealthy, and even pirates had followed. The most "prestigious" auction in the Sabaody Archipelago remained the slave trade.
"Mm-hmm!" Hancock nodded eagerly, excitement flickering in her eyes.
The thought of Elior taking her to slay the Celestial Dragons both thrilled and terrified her. Her heart was torn between awe and fear — a contradiction she could not resolve.
As Elior mentioned Mary Geoise, another thought surfaced in his mind — the permanent Log Pose to the God Valley.
He needed to obtain it.
He considered sending Gion to retrieve it, but quickly dismissed the idea — he would never let her take such a risk.
Instead, there was another option: Stussy, his loyal agent within CP0.
Even if the World Government turned on her, Elior wouldn't hesitate.
His plan was simple: Stussy would prepare the CP0 uniforms and masks, allowing him to infiltrate under their guise. With Stussy's guidance, the operation would be flawless.
Yes… Elior would go to Mary Geoise himself.
Not to start a war, but to uncover the truth — the secrets buried within the Holy Land, the mysteries of the Void Century, and the foundation of the World Government itself.
The next day, he used a Den Den Mushi to contact Stussy on Whole Cake Island.
Like Gion, she possessed a private line to Elior.
After he revealed his intentions, Stussy immediately understood. Though her will belonged entirely to him, her intelligence and instincts remained intact.
Soon after, she departed from Whole Cake Island, carrying the newly crafted CP0 cloak and mask.
The Gorosei would never suspect that Elior himself was about to infiltrate their sacred city.
From the New World to the first half of the Grand Line, the quickest path was to climb the Red Line — though calling it a "mountain" hardly did it justice.
Mary Geoise stood at its peak, nearly touching the clouds — the highest point on earth.
But that was a story for another time.
That night, tension filled the palace once again.
Hancock and Hiyori found themselves at odds yet again — two proud women unwilling to back down.
By dawn, both had fallen asleep in exhaustion, while Elior remained awake, eyes calm and clear.
A man of his strength didn't need sleep. Rest was merely a habit.
Even after a night of intensity, his energy was barely spent.
After all, if Akainu and Aokiji could battle for ten days and nights without collapsing, how much greater was the endurance of Elior — a being who had surpassed even the Yonko?
His body, honed through countless battles, only grew stronger over time.
And beside him, Hiyori and Hancock were surrounded by a faint crimson aura — a sign of Elior's power, strengthening them without their realizing it.
He gained something in return as well, though only slightly.
For the next two days, Elior remained on Amazon Lily, living in comfort.
During that time, he also instructed Hancock to help Hiyori train her Devil Fruit abilities.
After all, Hancock was a natural genius — a master of both Haki and physical combat.
Hiyori, as the daughter of Oden, had potential worthy of her bloodline.