One Piece: Tainted Throne

"What's going on?"

As Azor and his men carried the treasure out of the vault, they found their soldiers lying unconscious on the ground.

At the main gate, a group of W.G agents stood waiting. A deep sense of unease settled over Azor.

"Gentlemen, what is the meaning of this?"

"Azor, do you realize your crime?"

Baruch, standing at the forefront, spoke with an air of accusation.

Azor forced a smile, trying to keep his composure.

"My lord, there must be some misunderstanding. I have prepared seven billion Berries as an offering to St. Romantis. May I present it to him in person?"

Though he didn't fully understand the situation, Azor knew that offering the treasure was his best course of action. Surely, for such a sum, Romantis would overlook any minor issues.

If nothing else, money could smooth things over.

Of course, Romantis would accept the tribute. Even in the world of pirates, taking payment meant honoring an agreement. However, Azor had never been Romantis's choice for the throne of Heim Kingdom.

From the very beginning, the only candidate Romantis had in mind was Princess Audrey.

Compared to the other nobles of Heim Kingdom, Audrey possessed two advantages that made her irreplaceable.

First, as the sole surviving member of the royal family, she had an undeniable legal claim to the throne. Her rule would be far easier for the people to accept.

Second, as a queen, she would be much easier to control. If Romantis could ensure that Heim Kingdom's next ruler carried his own bloodline, the kingdom would remain firmly in his grasp.

That kind of control was far more effective than any promise or treaty. Romantis had never intended for the nobles to choose the next king.

That had only been a ruse—one designed to make Audrey understand that her fate rested entirely in his hands. It was also a convenient excuse to purge the nobility of undesirables.

The World Government's hold over its 175 allied nations had been weakening for years.

Eight centuries of rule had left the Celestial Dragons complacent and corrupt, while the Five Elders, who controlled the government, had long since fallen out of touch with the modern world.

Ever since the Great Pirate Era began, piracy had spiraled out of control.

The World Government's response had been to expand the Navy's power while increasing the Heavenly Tribute that allied nations were required to pay.

This only made things worse—kingdoms strained under the financial burden, and more desperate people turned to piracy.

The system had become a vicious cycle.

Then, with the rise of the Revolutionary Army, the threat to the allied nations became even more severe.

For these nations, the increasing tributes had not led to greater security. On the contrary, piracy had only grown more rampant, leaving many rulers disillusioned with the World Government.

After the Paramount War, King Nefertari Cobra of Alabasta became a vocal critic of the Celestial Dragons, subtly encouraging discontent among the allied nations.

As a Celestial Dragon himself, Romantis could not simply watch as the World Government was slowly undermined.

Power shaped perspective. As someone at the pinnacle of the world's hierarchy, he had every reason to defend the status quo.

The Celestial Dragons' rule was undeniably oppressive. But so what?

The world had always functioned on the principle of survival of the fittest. One could either be an exploiter or be exploited.

Civilization itself was nothing more than a refined system of control—where exploitation was disguised with politeness, and power was wielded behind a mask of legitimacy.

Did the suffering of the weak in distant lands affect the luxurious feasts of the powerful? No.

Did the struggles of the impoverished shake the palaces of the elite? Not at all.

Romantis had been born into privilege, and he had no intention of betraying his own class.

Fortunately, the real turning point was still years away. Eleven years remained until the Paramount War, and thirteen until Monkey D. Luffy became an Emperor. That was time Romantis could use to strengthen his position.

Even if the World Government was a decaying tree, he would see it bloom again.

And if the Celestial Dragons were truly doomed to fall, then he would ensure that he remained at the pinnacle of the new order—no matter what it took.

For now, however, the World Government still held absolute military superiority. The Navy, the allied nations, the CP organizations, and the Science Defense Division all possessed overwhelming strength.

Yet the Five Elders, through their endless miscalculations, had driven a wedge between them and their own power base.

First, the allied nations. They were the foundation of the World Government's financial power.

The ever-increasing tributes had already bred resentment, and later events in Dressrosa and Alabasta would only expose the government's failures further.

King Nefertari's influence remained strong among the allied rulers, and who knew how many of them secretly harbored doubts about the Celestial Dragons' rule?

Romantis's goal was to infiltrate the allied nations and install his own loyalists.

Heim Kingdom would be the first—Audrey, his chosen queen, was only the beginning.

This was just one step in his plan. More kingdoms would follow, until the allied nations—the very foundation of the World Government—were fully under his control.

Then, there was the Navy.

It was the government's greatest military force and the last vestige of its credibility. Without the Navy, the World Government would have crumbled long ago.

For now, things were stable. Fleet Admiral Sengoku remained fiercely loyal to the World Government, and under his leadership, the Navy was still the government's strongest pillar.

But after the Paramount War, things would change.

Sakazuki, the man who would succeed Sengoku as Fleet Admiral, had a vision of absolute justice. Unlike Sengoku, he had no love for the Five Elders and sought to make the Navy more independent.

Romantis had no doubt that Sakazuki would never betray the Navy itself. The man's sense of justice was unwavering.

But his determination to make the Navy autonomous would lead to direct conflict with the World Government.

Many outsiders mocked the Navy's so-called justice, believing it to be nothing more than blind obedience to the Celestial Dragons. They pointed to two key incidents as proof.

First, the Hawk Faction within the Navy, which prioritized eliminating pirates at any cost—even if it meant sacrificing civilians.

Second, the God Valley Incident, where the Navy had aided the World Government in erasing an entire island from history.

Romantis had once shared this cynical view.

But after living in this world for eighteen years, he had come to understand something fundamental.

The Navy was the only true force of justice left in this world. Without it, there would be nothing but chaos.