Naruto: In Konoha Village, I awakened Wood Release at the start.

Royal Palace.

Hearing Chiba's words.

Luffy was stunned, his mind went blank.

Every word Chiba uttered relentlessly tore apart the beliefs he held dear.

"The reason he's nice to you."

Chiba coldly reveals the answer.

"It's not because he thinks highly of you at all."

"It's because the fruit you ate chose you."

Luffy subconsciously touched his stomach.

"The Rubber Fruit?"

"Why did the Gum-Gum Fruit choose me?"

The navy personnel were also completely baffled.

The Paramecia-type Gum-Gum Fruit, while not common, is definitely not considered a top-tier ability in the New World.

Would Shanks, the Red-Haired Man, scheme against Garp's grandson for a mere Gum-Gum Fruit?

Chiba returned to the throne.

He picked up the teacup on the table next to him and took a small sip.

Let's talk more about this fruit.

"You really think that's called the Rubber-Rubber Fruit?"

Chiba's gaze was fixed on Akainu.

"The World Government has spent eight hundred years trying to reclaim that fruit, but it has slipped away right under its nose every time."

"In order to conceal its true name, it even went so far as to rename it Paramecia-type Gum-Gum Fruit."

Akainu's brows furrowed tightly.

He vaguely remembered that more than ten years ago, CP9 was escorting a Devil Fruit when it was stolen by the Red-Haired Pirates.

The CP9 commander who was escorting the escort, Fawcett, was even imprisoned in Impel Down as a result.

He found it strange at the time.

Is an ordinary rubber fruit worth the World Government taking such drastic measures against?

Chiba's voice continued to echo in the main hall.

"Zoan-type Devil Fruits inherently possess a will."

"And that fruit possesses the strongest sense of self."

"Its true name is Zoan-type Human-Human Fruit, Mythical Zoan, Nikka Mode!"

Nika?

The name was revealed.

Luffy and Zoro looked completely bewildered.

Garp and the three admirals' expressions changed drastically in an instant.

They are the highest-ranking officers in the Navy and have more or less come into contact with some taboo history that has been erased by the World Government.

Nika the Sun God!

Those were the legendary liberators who could free slaves and bring joy!

"Only when the fruit's power awakens can it reveal its true strength."

"A body that can stretch and contract freely like rubber, fighting at will—that's the most absurd ability in the world."

"To the rhythm of the liberation drums, he will trample all injustice under his feet."

"The world government fears this power, so it is desperately trying to eliminate it."

Chiba put down his teacup, making a crisp clinking sound.

"Now, do you understand?"

Akainu stepped forward, staring intently at Chiba.

"What exactly are you trying to say?"

Chiba spread his hands out.

"Nika is a liberation fighter whose mission is to overthrow that corrupt world government."

"And Shanks is a descendant of the Celestial Dragons and a representative of the World Government's vested interest group."

"These two identities are natural enemies."

"Shanks obtained the Nika-no-Fruits, but because the fruits did not choose him, he was unable to eat them."

"So, he came to the East Blue and found Luffy."

"He placed the straw hat representing Roger's will on your head, wagered an arm, and guided you to set sail as a pirate."

The main hall was so quiet you could hear a pin drop.

Chiba threw out so much information that everyone's brains were working overtime.

In fact.

Even Chiba, as a time traveler, couldn't figure out what Shanks was up to.

But that doesn't matter.

Most importantly, he would never allow such a deformed and malignant tumor as pirates to continue to exist in this world.

He wants to completely destroy Luffy's idealized view of pirates.

"Think about it."

"A Celestial Dragon meticulously cultivates a liberation fighter capable of overthrowing the World Government."

"What exactly is he up to?"

"Are they trying to use you to muddy the waters so that the Figarando family can gain more power in Mary Geoise?"

"Or are you planning to fatten you up, only to personally sacrifice this liberation fighter to Im at the most crucial moment?"

Luffy clutched his head and knelt on the ground in agony.

"Stop talking!"

"Shanks isn't that kind of person!"

"He would never lie to me!"

Ace hugged Luffy with heartache and glared angrily at Chiba.

"Stop trying to sow discord!"

Chiba didn't even glance at Ace; his target was the high-ranking naval officers.

"Whatever Shanks's purpose may be."

"The truth is, your pirate dreams were just a ploy on someone else's chessboard from the very beginning."

"The freedom you think you have is nothing but the illusion of a caged bird."

Karp took a deep breath.

He stood ramrod straight, staring directly into Chiba's eerie Rinnegan eyes.

"Your Mightiness."

"You've gone through all this trouble, what exactly are you trying to achieve?"

Chiba smiled.

He stood up, his aura instantly subsiding, yet still exuding an absolute domineering presence that commanded the world.

"The imperial army has completely taken over the four seas."

"All kings and nobles must either submit or die."

"More than 90% of the pirates in the four seas have been eliminated."

Chiba's gaze swept over Akainu, Aokiji, and Kizaru.

"Next step."

"The iron hooves of the empire will tread the Grand Line."

"I will completely overthrow Mary Geoise and drag all those self-proclaimed gods, the Celestial Dragons, down from the clouds and into the mud."

Chiba opened her arms.

"The Navy should never be the Celestial Dragons' watchdogs."

"True justice should be based on protecting ordinary people."

"Join the Empire."

"Come with me, and tear this twisted world apart."

The naval leadership fell silent.

Overthrow the world government?

This is something they wouldn't even dare to dream of.

Decades of brainwashing and obedience have ingrained the authority of world governments into their very bones.

but.

Recalling the miserable state of the civilians in the illusion just now, and recalling the heinous atrocities committed by the Celestial Dragons.

Their faith has inevitably begun to waver.

Akainu gritted his teeth, offering no rebuttal.

Aokiji lowered his head, seemingly lost in thought.

Kizaru still maintained his nonchalant demeanor, but his eyes were unusually serious.

Chiba did not pressure them to make a decision immediately.

He knew very well that to get these stubborn guys to completely submit, he needed to give them time to face reality.

"I'll give you ten days."

Chiba sat back on the throne.

"Kakashi, release the seals on them."

Kakashi, who was standing to the side, stepped forward and quickly formed hand seals.

boom! boom! boom!

Accompanied by a few soft sounds.

The sealing talismans binding Garp and the others instantly turned into scraps of paper and scattered.

The long-lost power surged back into my limbs and bones.

Akainu instinctively tried to activate the magma, but found that the surrounding space seemed to be locked by some unknown law.

He couldn't activate even a fraction of the Devil Fruit's power.

Chiba looked at them indifferently.

Within ten days.

"You are free to roam the world."

"Go and see what kind of life the common people under the empire live."

"Let's see what a world without pirates and celestial treasures is like."

"Ten days later."

"If you are willing to submit to the Empire, return to this palace."

"If you don't want to, you can go wherever you want."

"but."

Speaking of it.

Chiba's Rinnegan erupted with an undisguised, chilling killing intent.

"If you dare to stand against the empire."

"Then there's only one way out: death."

Karp remained silent for a moment.

He grabbed the still distraught Luffy and turned to look at Ace and Zoro.

"Let's go, kids."

"Let's go and see if this so-called empire is just bluffing."

Garp strode out of the hall.

Akainu, Aokiji, Kizaru, and the others exchanged glances and quickly followed.

Momousagi watched their retreating figures, sighed, and followed closely behind.

Kakashi watched them leave, then turned to look at Chiba.

"His Majesty."

"Won't things change if we just let them go like this?"

Chiba rested his chin on one hand, his eyes deep and thoughtful.

"variable?"

"In the face of absolute power, any variable is merely a futile struggle."

"They are all intelligent people."

"When they see true peace and order, the scales in their hearts will naturally tip."

"not to mention."

Even if they remain stubbornly ignorant.

"The empire's blade is sharp enough to sever all the old order in this world."