The world had no idea.
Right now, deep within the Celestial Dragons' treasure vault — that gilded sanctuary where the self-proclaimed gods of the world had always walked with absolute arrogance — those same "divine" beings were trembling in fear.
At the very top of the World Nobles' hierarchy, panic had taken hold.
The permanent Log Pose to God Valley — the most closely guarded relic in Mary Geoise — was gone.
For centuries, it had been kept here, in a vault so secret it was believed unbreachable. Yet tonight, that illusion of safety had shattered.
That pointer was unique — a relic used once every fifteen years, when the Celestial Dragons performed their sacred "offering ceremony". And now… it had been stolen.
Worse still, it might have been the last existing pointer to the Valley of the Gods.
The first thought that seized every trembling noble was simple — Would Imu be angry?
And when they thought of Im's anger, even the loftiest of Celestial Dragons felt the sky collapse above them.
Without that permanent pointer, they could not reach the Valley of the Gods.
Its location was unlike any other island — unreachable by normal means, shrouded in mystery like Raftel itself. Just as Raftel required the four Poneglyphs, God Valley required this single, irreplaceable pointer.
If it was gone, that sacred path was lost.
And if Imu learned of this failure…
Many of them were already imagining their own executions. Losing their positions would be merciful — but they knew Im had never hesitated to kill even her own kind.
Celestial Dragon or not, her wrath was absolute.
"That intruder may have come for the pointer," one of the Gorosei said darkly, voice taut with fury.
"The explosions outside could have been a diversion… or part of the plan all along."
Perhaps it had been more than one person. Perhaps not.But whoever it was had left no trace.
"We erased all records of the Valley of the Gods long ago," another elder growled.
"Even Sengoku and the others believed it was annihilated by the World Government itself."
"If someone came for this pointer, it means they know the Valley of the Gods still exists!"
The room fell silent.
"Who is it?"
"And what do we do now?"
The most powerful of the Celestial Dragons — beings feared even by their own — were restless, trembling in impotent rage.
"That wretch even used the blood of our kind to write on the wall…"
"Blasphemy!"
"How dare a mere mortal provoke the gods themselves!"
They called everyone else "mortals" as if that word alone drew a line between heaven and earth. To them, humanity existed only to serve.
But all their fury meant nothing. If Elior had been standing here, he would have cut them down without hesitation.
As they took inventory of the vault, more grim discoveries followed — another priceless artifact was missing.
The original Devil Fruit Encyclopedia.
Every Devil Fruit catalog in the world was but a fragment, a mere copy of this complete original. It contained the names, appearances, and powers of nearly every fruit ever recorded — except, of course, a few that even the World Government dared not list. Not even Lord Im's own ability was documented within its pages.
Now it, too, was gone.
In the end, only two items had vanished: the permanent Log Pose to God Valley, and the original Devil Fruit Encyclopedia.
And yet, both were of immeasurable value — especially the pointer.
The secrets buried within God Valley were too great, second only to the truths hidden within Raftel itself.
Now, with the pointer stolen, those secrets could soon resurface.
For whoever possessed it could follow its needle — and find the forbidden island once again.
God Valley. The graveyard of the Celestial Dragons. The resting place of the lost king… and the ancient weapon Uranus.
That was the truth of the island.
The Gorosei and their subordinates knew the gravity of their failure. They could no longer delay. With dread in their hearts, they made their way to the inner sanctum — the residence of Imu.
They knew she had awoken.
Im's slumber could last years at a time, her existence hidden even within Mary Geoise itself.Most Celestial Dragons lived their entire lives without seeing her once.
But now, she had returned — and the elders had no choice but to face her.
They dared not disturb her lightly.But tonight was no ordinary night.
Without that permanent pointer, the upcoming "offering ceremony" — scheduled for just over three months and five days from now — could not proceed.
"If we had known, we would have made duplicates!" one elder muttered bitterly as they approached her hall."It was crafted eight hundred years ago — the only one of its kind! We thought it was hidden well enough…""But who would dare come to Mary Geoise to steal from us?"
Their voices trembled with frustration and fear — and under it all, a growing hatred for the unseen culprit.
They still didn't know it had been Elior.
And they were terrified of what awaited them once they faced Im.
Moments later, they stood before the doors of her chamber. The temperature dropped as they entered.
When Im emerged, her presence alone silenced them all.
The Gorosei fell to one knee in unison, heads bowed.The air trembled with reverence — not out of formality, but pure fear.
They reported everything: the destruction of Mary Geoise, the deaths of hundreds of Celestial Dragons, the missing pointer.
Im listened without expression.
When they finished, her voice was calm — too calm.
"What happened tonight… I expect a satisfactory resolution."
"You know what that means, don't you?"
Her eyes swept across them like blades.The Gorosei bowed lower.
"We will handle it, my lord," one of them said quickly. "We will bring you results worthy of your will."
Im's tone remained soft, almost gentle.
"Three months and five days until the offering ceremony, yes?"
"Yes, Imu-sama."
"Good. Then I want to see that permanent pointer returned to me… intact."
They all nodded, trembling, vowing that they would retrieve it no matter the cost.
But then—
Imu's gaze shifted to one of the Celestial Dragon elders standing at the back.
Without warning, delicate petals began to bloom in the air — crimson and gold, filling the hall with a sweet, intoxicating fragrance.
The Gorosei froze.
In the next instant, the petals swirled around the chosen elder like a storm. His screams echoed for only a moment before the petals clung to him like leeches, draining his life in seconds.
When they fell away, all that remained was a dry, lifeless husk.
Imu had executed one of her own.
It was not punishment.It was a reminder.
The others lowered their heads even further, their fear absolute.
Imu spoke once more, her voice as light as a whisper — yet it carried the weight of divinity.
"Do not fail me again."