In the silent council chamber, one of the Five Elders, dressed in a patterned kimono, lowered his head. His expression was unreadable.

"Im-Sama's thoughts aren't something we can speculate on. If Admiral Purple Kirin wishes to know more," he said calmly, "he may as well speak to Lord Im directly."

"Heh… No need. I'd say he's more eager to see me," he replied with a smirk.

Without another word, the Kimono Elder stood silently as Chiga waved his hand, releasing Kong from his bindings. The next moment, Chiga vanished without a trace.

Only after he left did the Blond-Haired Elder dare to crawl up from the floor, his face twisted in rage. He struck the ground with his fist and roared,

"Damn Uchiha, I swear I'll—"

Splurt.

The words died in his throat.

A second later, he was staring at his own headless body.

Wide-eyed, his severed head bounced on the ground twice, still etched with fury and disbelief before everything faded to darkness.

The suddenness of the act left even Kong momentarily stunned. It wasn't until the Kimono Elder calmly flicked the blood from his katana that the others in the room—Flat-Hat Elder and the remaining two—finally reacted.

"You—what have you done?!" Flat-Hat Elder shouted, recoiling several steps away.

The Kimono Elder didn't answer. His attention was on the blood now slithering across his blade, seeping into the metal like ink sinking into parchment.

He sheathed his sword with slow grace, walked over to the severed head, and picked it up casually.

The room froze.

Even the seasoned officials present couldn't suppress a chill down their spines.

Holding the head, the Kimono Elder said softly, "Lord Im no longer requires fools like you."

He turned to the Flat-Hat Elder, who instantly readied himself, coating his hands in a layer of Armament Haki, prepared for battle.

But the Kimono Elder only sneered and tossed the head toward him. Instinctively, Flat-Hat Elder caught it.

"Take that idiot's body. Im-Sama gave the order himself."

With that, the Kimono Elder turned and exited, leaving a deathly stillness behind him in the council chamber.

---

The Flower Room

Within the sacred chamber known only as the Flower Room, Im hovered midair.

Before him loomed a swirling black void, within which a grotesque beast snarled and clawed. Thick black veins extended from the monster's body, attaching themselves to Im like parasitic cords.

As the seconds passed, black markings began crawling across Im's pale skin, converging on his forehead to form a dark third eye.

Im's crimson eyes flared open. Two beams of red light shot out, scorching the floor and leaving behind twin trenches of ash.

The tendrils detached themselves from Im's body as he slowly descended to the ground, exhaling softly.

The monster within the void whimpered and lay flat, exhausted.

Im reached out toward it, his palm stroking the air as if petting the beast.

"You're still weak… But don't worry. More nourishment is on the way."

Right on cue, the Kimono Elder entered the chamber, carrying the Blond-Haired Elder's corpse over his shoulder.

He laid it reverently at Im's feet without so much as glancing at the monstrous creature.

"Lord Im, the offering has arrived."

With a wave of his hand, Im lifted the body telekinetically, guiding it straight to the monster's open maw.

It chomped down with eager hunger, chewing noisily, bones cracking under its jaws.

But one body wasn't enough.

The creature's single, glowing red eye locked onto the Kimono Elder.

A dangerous hunger swirled within its gaze.

The Elder remained oblivious.

Im's eyes lit up once more, and the space containing the beast snapped shut, trapping it away. He looked fatigued. Without another word, he turned and made for his throne.

"Forget the Navy for now," he ordered. "Summon the heads of the major families within the Holy Land. I want to see them."

And with that, Im's figure faded once again into the void.

---

Navy Headquarters – Private Residence

Chiga emerged outside his villa, releasing Nerona and her two maids from the Dimensional Gate.

Nerona still looked shaken.

She had watched with her own eyes as Chiga manhandled one of the Five Elders. And the rest hadn't even dared to stop him—one of them even smiled, too afraid to speak.

Everything she thought she knew about the Celestial Dragons had been overturned.

Only when Chiga pinched her cheek did she snap back to reality.

He grinned. "What's wrong? Don't like the place? This is the best residence in the entire Navy HQ. You should be honored."

She hesitated, then shook her head. "No, I… I'm just worried. You really went against the Five Elders like that. Won't they retaliate?"

Chiga chuckled. "They don't have the guts."

"I'm serious. What if they send assassins after you…"

She looked at him with sincere worry.

Chiga gave her a fond head rub. "You still doubt your man's strength? Those old fossils wouldn't stand a chance."

Her face turned red at his words.

"Wait… 'Your man'?"

She blinked. "Chiga… did you just call yourself my husband?"

"Mmh. Unless you'd prefer I say 'your father'?"

She was too flustered to even react to the tease. Her heart pounded. Her voice became a whisper.

"It's too sudden… Our clan has always married internally… but if it's you, maybe… it's not impossible, it's just—"

Chiga rolled his eyes, tapped her forehead, and said, "I've already gone this far. You think I'd just walk away now? What kind of man do you think I am?"

Just then, Kalifa stepped out of the villa.

She caught sight of Nerona beside Chiga, gave a small nod, and without a word, quietly turned around and slipped back inside.

---

Milestones

100 Power stones = 1 Bonus Chapter

200 Power stones = 3 Bonus Chapters

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