Bang!
With a heavy thud, the doors shut.
Inside the vast hall, only Is and the five elders remained.
For a moment, the atmosphere turned strange.
Is slowly stepped forward, about to speak—
"Whoosh!"
Without warning, from his side—
An elder in a dark green suit, bald-headed with two curved mustaches and a birthmark on his forehead, suddenly threw a punch straight at him.
The sudden attack caught Is off guard.
Bang.
The fist struck—
And Is's body burst apart like a balloon, scattering into countless sheets of paper.
"Devil Fruit…?"
The bald elder stared at the floating paper in slight surprise and instinctively stepped back.
The other four elders didn't move.
They remained where they were—
But their gazes locked onto the drifting paper fragments.
"Rustle… rustle…"
Some of the paper gathered together, gradually forming Is's upper body in midair.
The rest continued to float loosely around him.
"Attacking without a word… that's pretty confusing," Is said calmly, looking at the bald elder.
The elder grinned—but said nothing.
His fist instantly hardened with Armament Haki as he launched another attack.
A cluster of paper surged forward, forming a shield in front of Is.
In an instant, the originally white shield turned jet black—
Coated in Armament Haki.
Boom!
The punch collided with the paper shield.
A violent shockwave exploded outward.
The entire hall was thrown into chaos—
Cups and documents were swept off the tables.
Lighter chairs tumbled across the floor.
Even the other four elders showed a hint of surprise.
"Crackle… crackle…"
Black lightning flickered around the shield—
The clash of Armament Haki.
Crack!
Suddenly, the shield fractured.
Is raised an eyebrow.
At this point, he stopped questioning.
It was time to fight back.
"Swish—swish—swish!"
Paper rapidly formed from his body, shooting out like hidden weapons.
The bald elder raised his haki-coated arms, blocking each strike.
"Clang! Clang! Clang!"
The barrage was relentless—
Even he was forced back.
Is leapt into the air.
Paper gathered behind him, forming wings that spread like a great bird.
With a flick of his hand, a paper spear materialized.
"Shing!"
Armament Haki coated the spear instantly.
Gripping it tightly, Is dove down from above.
A powerful thrust.
The bald elder showed no fear.
He crossed his arms and blocked head-on.
Boom!
Another massive shockwave erupted.
"Crack!"
The ground beneath the elder shattered, fractures spreading outward.
Yet—
As expected of one of the highest authorities of the World Government—
Despite his aged appearance, his strength was anything but diminished.
"Hah!"
Is exerted more force.
Crack!
The elder sank deeper into the ground.
"Not bad… but it's not enough to matter against me."
As he spoke, his stance shifted—
From defense to offense.
Bang!
He knocked Is away and followed up with another punch.
The spear shattered instantly.
The impact sent Is flying backward.
Fortunately, his wings slowed him down, preventing him from crashing into the wall.
The elder was about to continue—
But at that moment, the other four finally spoke.
"That's enough. If this continues, this place won't hold."
An elder in a dark blue suit with long white hair and a long beard spoke calmly.
"Hahaha! This kid Aurelius D. Virel Is didn't disappoint," the bald elder laughed.
"Our intelligence has clearly been lacking. If not for the report from the Marines, we wouldn't even know such a unique Celestial Dragon existed," said the elder by the window with a sigh.
Is looked at the five of them.
He had plenty he wanted to say—
But in the end, he held back.
He couldn't win anyway.
Before he could speak, the bald elder spoke first.
"Kid, how about doing something meaningful?"
From Is's experience—
That usually meant trouble with no benefit.
He shook his head immediately.
"Not interested."
The five elders froze for a moment.
That answer was completely off-script.
"At least let me finish before you reject it, brat," the bald elder said irritably.
"Fine. I'm listening."
"Are you not interested in power?"
"Greater privileges than what you have now. Authority. Control over the world itself."
"As long as you're willing, we can cultivate you. Your future would be limitless," another elder said.
"I refuse."
Is answered plainly.
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