Chapter 65: The Shadow of the Throne — The Warrior God's Trial
The sky over the entire world—from the snowy peaks of Drum Island to the towering giants of Elbaf—turned a deep, bruised purple. The System's hum changed from a melody to a low, rhythmic thrum, like a heartbeat that didn't belong to a human.
[RANK 44 DATA ARCHIVED: THE GARDENER AND THE HUNTER]
The screen didn't immediately show the question.
....FOR THOSE WHO HAVE DOUBTS ON HIS RANK....
A series of cryptic, flickering images flashed across the glass: A massive, empty throne... a single, long-stemmed lily... and a silhouette with eyes like red ripples staring down from a place where no light reached.
> [Rocks D. Xebec]: "VOHAHARARA! Look at that! The 'Void' is leaking! Hey, Newgate! Sengoku! Do you see those eyes? The 'Gods' in Mary Geoise aren't as independent as they look. Even holy knight has a leash held by something much darker. The Empty Throne... isn't so empty, is it?"
> [Sengoku]: "Xebec! Silence! Some things are not meant to be spoken of in the open air! System, proceed with the trial!"
>
The Ranker's Trial: Saint Shepherd Sommers
The purple sky cracked, and the text of the question appeared in letters of jagged black iron, dripping with white light.
"Question: What is the 'Ultimate Constraint' of the Holy Knights? Why must Saint Sommers seek permission before unleashing his 'Thorn-Forest' on a Great Power?"
A) Their Haki is directly linked to the life-force of the Gorosei.
B) They are magically bound to the Empty Throne by the 'Ancient Compact.'
C)Their power is regulated by a 'Celestial Key' held by the Sovereign of the World.
D) They are prohibited from fighting outside Mary Geoise unless a 'Cleansing' has been officially decreed.
[RULES: The first three correct rationales win 1 Gold System Coin. Incorrect answers will trigger the 'Zero-Gravity Curse'—the speaker will lose all weight and float helplessly into the atmosphere for 12 hours, unable to pull themselves down.]
The chat instantly became a battlefield of theories.
> [Buggy (Duck Form)]: "SQUEAK! SQUEAK-SQUEAK!"
> (Translation: "FLOAT INTO SPACE?! NO! I'M ALREADY A DUCK! I'LL BE A SPACE DUCK! IT'S D! IT'S DEFINITELY D! THEY'RE JUST LAZY!")
> [Marshall D. Teach (Blackbeard)]: "ZEHAHAHA! The Empty Throne... Father, you're hinting at the real treasure, aren't you? If Sommers needs a 'Key' (Option C), then the one who holds that key is the real King of the World!"
> [Shanks]: "I've walked those halls... the atmosphere there is heavy. It's not just laws. It feels like... an anchor. I'll bet my arm it's C. There's a presence in that castle that even the Gorosei bow to."
> [Whitebeard]: "Gurarara... A 'Sovereign'? The World Government claims to be a democracy of kings, but Sommers fights like a man possessed by a single will. I agree with the brat. It's C. The 'Key' isn't an object... it's a person."
> [Marine Commander Kong]: "The Holy Knights are the final defense. Their deployment is the highest level of secrecy. Based on the protocols I've seen... it has to be C. The 'Higher Authority' must authorize every thorn."
>
While the world debated, the gears of fate continued to grind:
Impel Down: In the chaos of the "Great Squeaking," Buggy (the Duck) had somehow flapped his way down to Level 5.5. Behind him, Ivankov and a horde were using the distraction of the System's screen to overwhelm the guards. Blackbeard was just entering the gates, his darkness swallowing the floor, eyes set on recruiting the world's worst.
The Sea to Marineford: The Marine battleship carrying Ace was visible on the horizon of the screen's edge. Ace looked up at the purple sky, his face pale. "Luffy... don't come. The world is turning into something we can't fight."
Elbaf: Scopper Gaban, sitting with the giants, sharpened his axes. "Sommers is moving... that means the 'Cleanse' is coming. I need to get to the boy."
Wano: Yamato slammed her club against her exploding shackles, her eyes streaming with tears. "Ace is on that screen! I have to go! I don't care about the prophecy, I'm going to save my friend!"
Luffy was currently floating three feet off the ground because he had accidentally tried to "guess" that the answer was "Meat," and the System had partially triggered a warning. Sanji was holding him down by the ankle like a balloon.
"Luffy! Stop talking!" Nami screamed. "If you float away, we can't get to the ship!"
Zoro was looking at the options. "C... first we learn there is something like Gorosei and now even above the Gorosei there is a person, then the whole world is a lie. This 'Imu' that Xebec is hinting at... that's the real target."
> [Rocks D. Xebec]: "VOHAHARARA! Look at them squirm! Sengoku is sweating gold! Garp is quiet for once! The truth is coming out, and it's sharper than any thorn Sommers can grow! Go on, guess! Let's see who floats and who wins! When my ranking come you guys will know everything. And you guys need to wait for it because I will at Rank 1.
VOHAHARARA"
>
[TIMER: 00:45... 00:44...]
📝 Author's Note:
The stakes are rising! Xebec is the only one bold enough to hint at Imu, and it's sending shockwaves through the Marines. Kong, Whitebeard, and Shanks are all leaning toward the 'Sovereign' theory—showing that the top-tier legends have always suspected the truth. Meanwhile, Buggy is failing upward as a duck, and the image of Luffy as a human balloon being held by Sanji is just the kind of chaos this story needs.