Chapter 8

"Unification?!!"

At this moment, Gao Wen was truly taken aback.

Even beneath his seemingly surprised expression, there was a barely containable anger!

If Gao Wen were a native Celestial Dragon in the world of the Pirate King, he might only be surprised by the dream of unification.

He might even find this dream somewhat grand.

But for a native-born穿越者 (穿越者 means "time traveler" or "穿越者" in this context, but it's better to use "穿越者" to maintain the original flavor) who grew up under the national flag, the term "unification" in Gao Wen's mind was already bound to the great emperor of the pre-Qin era!

Moreover, even with the explanation from the Five Elders, the image of the Celestial Dragons in Gao Wen's mind was still one of arrogance, viewing others as slaves, and claiming nobility while actually using their status to treat lives as grass.

This made him even more repulsed and angry by the term "unification" that came out of the Celestial Dragons' mouths!

So he suppressed his anger and asked in a deep voice.

"You claim to be my elders, but do you mean to turn the world into a chaotic mess with your unification?

Do you implement the unification policy to make the entire sea a haven for pirates, causing widespread suffering and misery?

And my contemporaries, ordinary Celestial Dragons like Charlos, are they so foolish and cruel because of your unification?"

After speaking, Gao Wen scrutinized the expression of the Five Elders.

Being in the stage of youth, it was appropriate to show a few signs of being unable to control his thoughts, which could make the Five Elders more easily lower their guard against him.

As for whether the Five Elders might get angry?

If they would still be angry after saying so much to him just because of a casual remark,

Then he wouldn't need to judge whether the history they spoke of was the truth or a lie!

After a moment of scrutiny, Gao Wen had a sense of the situation.

Sure enough, the Five Elders were not angry; they even smiled a bit more.

After laughing, the elder most skilled in communication, the diplomatic elder, spoke softly to Gao Wen.

"You are absolutely right. Whether it's the rampant pirates or Charlos' foolishness, it is all the result of our efforts!

Don't be puzzled, and don't interrupt me, old man that I am. After you hear what I have to say next, you will understand!"

The diplomatic elder had a nostalgic look on his face and spoke in a low, reminiscing tone.

"Everything probably started 800 years ago, when the World Government was first established.

Or it might be 900 years!

The first hundred years, the period people often refer to as...

The lost hundred years.

Our ancestors, after occupying Elbaf, were constantly at war with over sixty races and 280 countries around the world!

The hidden history that the scholars of Ohara have always concealed, do you think it would be some extremely absurd answer?

The answer is not absurd, but it is indeed something that the people of today should not know.

Because the lost hundred years clearly recorded only one history, that is...

The history of the Celestial Dragons waging war against every race and every country in the world!

We were the enemies of all."

As he spoke, the diplomatic elder looked at Gao Wen and sighed.

"In those hundred years, our ancestors gradually conquered countless countries and islands.

But no matter how many victories they won, the fires of war never showed any signs of dying out!

Do you know why?"

"I don't."

Gao Wen shook his head. He was now shocked by the historical secret of the lost hundred years.

Even before he came to this world, in Oda's manga, the lost hundred years were still a shocking secret!

The Five Elders did not know what Gao Wen was thinking. Hearing his confusion, the diplomatic elder chuckled and continued to explain.

"Because of transportation!"

As he spoke, the elder extended his right hand toward the sky, and a massive, intricate map instantly covered the entire room.

Gao Wen immediately understood why there were no decorations in the Five Elders' room.

They probably reserved all the space for these maps!

Next, the diplomatic elder pointed to the map and spoke proudly.

"This is the greatest secret of the entire sea, the great treasure left by our ancestors, and the most complete world map that currently exists.

Our ancestors explored the waters of the world and drew this series of astonishing navigation charts.

The lifelong dream of every excellent navigator is contained in this set of maps!

Without this set of maps, the only way to reach most hidden islands is by chance, as not every island has someone who can leave a permanent pointer.

This set of maps is more precious than the history of the lost hundred years or the so-called treasure of the Pirate King!

If it weren't for you, if you didn't have the unparalleled Conqueror's Haki, and if you didn't listen to our words, you would never have the chance to become one of the Five Elders, let alone see this set of maps!"

As the elder finished speaking, Gao Wen immediately nodded and hurriedly looked at the map.

Even though he could see only a little, he tried his best to remember every detail.

The map was not complicated. Apart from the numerous islands and the directions of the major sea currents, Gao Wen saw that the world of the Pirate King was surrounded by two intersecting circular belts!

The horizontal belt was the Red Line Continent.

The vertical belt, half of it was the Grand Line, and the other half was the New World.

Because the Grand Line and the Red Line Continent intersected in a perfect cross, it was as if a deity had sliced the watermelon horizontally and vertically.

The planet was divided into four parts!

Gao Wen greedily examined the map for a while, and several cigarettes later, the diplomatic elder continued.

"As you can see, the Red Line Continent and the Grand Line divide the world into the four seas we often mention: East, West, South, and North.

Apart from the Red Line Continent, the entire world is the sea, water!

In any of the four seas, it takes at least five months to sail from the easternmost island to the westernmost island!

A full 150 days, not counting the time for soldiers to gather and recruit supplies on various islands!

During that hundred years, even though our ancestors were invincible, they could not prevent the world from being engulfed in war.

The reason is that the transportation on this sea was simply too inconvenient!

Solving the problem on one island, a new problem would appear on another island several months away.

After several months, even more problems would appear on islands even further away!

Thus, after a full hundred years, our ancestors deeply realized that before thoroughly solving the transportation problem, we truly did not have the power to unify the entire sea!"

The diplomatic elder's face was full of frustration, and he said heavily.

"Do you think the World Government's pride is having over a hundred allied countries?

No, that is our shame, our greatest shame!

It is the result of countless countries that surrendered and then rebelled, led by those who pursued the will of D, who forced our ancestors to accept the concept of allied countries!

Why do we place an empty throne between the thrones in Mariejoa, a throne that no one dares to sit on openly?

Why do we announce to the world that no one will ever sit on that throne?

Why do we proclaim the throne, which is covered in swords and blood, as a symbol of peace?

Why does this world never have a unique king?

That is not the result our ancestors wanted, but it is the condition they had to accept. Only by establishing such rules did many countries agree to lower their flags of rebellion!

Now, do you still think our high status is what we, this group of scoundrels, have always pursued?

No one knows, we have never truly been supreme, Gao Wen!"

The diplomatic elder called out Gao Wen's name, and his words left Gao Wen somewhat stunned.

Is this the truth about the relationship between the Celestial Dragons and the various countries of the world?

Is this the secret behind the lost hundred years in the world of the Pirate King?

It's truly unexpected!

However, everything the Five Elders said seemed reasonable, and even though Gao Wen did not fully believe them, he found it hard to find any flaws on the spot.

So, after immersing himself in the truth for a while, Gao Wen could only say softly to the diplomatic elder.

"I have a general idea of the truth, and I can somewhat understand the responsibilities and pressures you bear.

But I still have questions. Besides the lost hundred years, I want to know the reason for the proliferation of pirates and the will of D you mentioned."

For a diplomat, nervousness is a feeling that must be avoided.

But as a fan of pirates, Gao Wen felt a bit of unspoken nervousness at this moment.

Facing the Five Elders, he licked his lips and asked expectantly.

"What is the will of D?"