Under Mariejois – Beneath the Garden
The hatch opened with a hiss.
Raisa held a lantern high, the orange light spilling down a stone staircase into the earth. Mireille followed behind her, silent but alert, a blade hidden in the folds of her dress.
The air smelled of rust and memory.
Stone gave way to metal—polished panels of bronze and steel covered in carvings far older than the World Government itself.
Raisa's breath caught in her throat. "These symbols…"
"They match the ones on the Poneglyphs," Mireille whispered.
The path led into a chamber—round, immense, humming with dormant power. At its center stood a device, dormant and cold. Surrounding it were statues of ancient kings—each with their eyes gouged out.
And at the far wall…
A mural. Faded. Cracked. But unmistakable.
A war.
Celestial Dragons crucified.D. Clan rising.A massive figure with black wings burning the Red Line.
Mireille's voice shook. "This is history."
"No," Raisa said. "This is truth."
And truth was dangerous.
They needed to tell him.
Pangea Castle – The Second Body
Another body was found.
A royal envoy from the Kingdom of Lulusia.
He hadn't even spoken once at the Reverie.
Now, he wouldn't again.
His chest was carved open with precision. No blood. No screams. Just a symbol drawn in the skin with surgical care.
A spiral.
Not Lucien's style. But the message was clear.
Someone was hunting ancient loyalists.
Lucien watched as Cipher Pol agents cordoned the area.
He sipped from his glass, eyes narrowed. "This… is new."
Hancock stood behind him like a shadow. Her expression unreadable. Her loyalty fraying.
"Who would dare challenge you here?" she asked.
He smiled slowly.
"Someone who doesn't want the throne. Someone who wants what's under it."
Donquixote Estate – Private Chamber
That night, Lucien summoned Raisa and Mireille.
They knelt before him, eyes downcast, stained by the dust of history.
"What did you find?" he asked.
Raisa told him.
Everything.
He listened without interruption, no twitch or flicker of emotion.
When she finished, he looked up at the moon outside his window.
"The war never ended," he murmured. "It just changed shape."
He turned to them, voice suddenly sharp.
"Seal the chamber. Kill anyone who even smells it. If Imu's bloodline is still moving pieces, we will not play defense."
He stood. "We strike first."
Cipher Pol Report – Unsent Draft
Regarding the recent events at the Reverie, Subject Lucien has not officially made any demands.However, several kingdoms have begun to redirect resources toward Mariejois voluntarily.Boa Hancock has publicly aligned the Kuja with House Donquixote.There are unconfirmed reports of ancient structures uncovered beneath the Celestial Gardens.
Additional Note:Cipher Pol agent No. 7 is missing. Last seen near Donquixote grounds.
The report was never sent.
The scribe who wrote it vanished the same night.
Red Room of Kings – Midnight Meeting
In a secret hall only the Five Elders knew existed, they gathered.
Except now, only three remained.
One elder's seat was empty—the one murdered. The other missing. Unconfirmed.
"He's accelerating," the eldest said.
"We thought the throne would draw him into the light," muttered another.
"It has. But he likes the spotlight."
"What about Imu?"
Silence.
Then:
"Imu is watching. But even shadows fear deeper darkness."