Eight hundred years ago, there existed a vast, prosperous, and bountiful kingdom—so glorious it was said that the world flourished under its rule. At the heart of its capital stood an enormous tree that reached into the heavens, known across the world as the Sacred Tree. The entire capital was built under the protection of this towering giant. From its branches grew all kinds of mysterious fruits—those who consumed them gained extraordinary powers. With the Sacred Tree as its source of strength, the kingdom birthed many powerful warriors, and with time, its influence and might only grew.
But disaster struck as suddenly as a lightning bolt on a clear day.
One day, beings from the moon descended upon the world. These moonfolk wielded technology the world had never seen—tools and weapons far beyond imagination. Country after country fell beneath their might. In response, the mighty kingdom rallied the world, uniting all nations in a desperate alliance to repel the invaders. Though the moonfolk's technology was formidable, the sheer will and strength of the united world overcame them in the end.
The kingdom played a pivotal role in this war, but it paid a terrible price. Almost all its champions were mortally wounded—only a fraction of their former strength remained.
And that was when it happened.
Ambition bloomed like a weed in the ashes of war.
Twenty power-hungry lords—who once stood as allies—betrayed their oaths. They turned on the kingdom. With the very warships designed to fight the moonfolk, they brought down the Sacred Tree that had once protected them all. With the ultimate weapon stolen from the moon invaders—the heavenly weapon Uranus—they slaughtered the kingdom's remaining warriors.
Those great warriors fought back, of course. But they were already wounded, their power shattered. In the end, they fell.
From the ruined roots of the Sacred Tree, the leader of the traitors unearthed a terrifying Devil Fruit—one that granted him a power so dreadful it would leave any man in despair. Using the tree's hollowed remains, they submerged its trunk deep into the sea, then razed all resisting nations to the ground.
And from the ashes, they created a new order: the World Government.
They didn't stop there. All written records of this bloody betrayal were purged from history—erased to hide their shameful origins.
But one man survived.
That man, scarred by war and betrayal, gathered his remaining friends. Together, they carved the truth into great stone tablets—the Poneglyphs. To hide the most crucial piece of this truth, he placed the final tablet on an island that could never be found, then created four Road Poneglyphs that pointed the way. He hoped—believed—that someday, someone would reach that island, discover the truth, and bring down the tyrants ruling the world.
"That... is the treasure you've all been seeking," Roger said solemnly. "That is the truth behind history."
The crowd around him fell into a heavy silence, stunned by the weight of the revelation.
"So you're telling me…" a pirate finally said, voice laced with disbelief, "the World Government… was built by a bunch of traitors?"
"And those so-called Celestial Dragons—those 'noble bloodlines'—are just descendants of backstabbing cowards?" another spat in disgust.
"How amusing," Red Count chuckled coldly, stroking his chin. "This entire world's been ruled for eight centuries… by the descendants of the world's greatest betrayers. That's rich."
"Tch. And here I thought those bastards were something special. 'Creators of the World'? Don't make me laugh. They're just mongrels playing god," scoffed Golden Lion, eyes full of disdain. Even among pirates, betrayal was rare. And yet these so-called nobles were proud of being the offspring of traitors?
"When I first discovered the truth," Roger said with a rueful shake of the head, "I was as shocked as all of you."
He then turned to the crowd with blazing eyes.
"You all know what the Pirate King's treasure really is now. So tell me… what will you choose? Will you help tear down this filthy World Government built by traitors and create a new world filled with peace and justice? Or will you go on living like hunted criminals—pirates scraping by, day after day?"
Another silence fell—shorter this time.
And then, like a spark lighting dry grass, a voice rang out.
"DOWN WITH THE WORLD GOVERNMENT!"
"Kill every last one of those traitors!"
"They took everything from me—my family, my future! I want revenge! I want their heads!"
"The Celestial Dragons owe us a blood debt—it's time they paid up!"
Roger looked out at the shouting, roaring crowd of pirates and warriors. A slow smile curved on his lips.
It was working.
Suddenly, a hand clapped gently on his shoulder. Roger turned—and met the eyes of Whitebeard.
"Roger," the old titan asked, "that terrifying Devil Fruit you mentioned… what was it?"
Roger's expression turned grim. "The Time-Time Fruit. A Devil Fruit so broken, it may well be unbeatable. I even suspect… that bastard who ate it didn't die. He might've used the power of time itself to achieve immortality."
"WHAT?!" The three men beside him—Whitebeard, Golden Lion, and Red Count—were all visibly shaken.
If Roger was right… then out there existed a monster. A man who had lived for over 800 years, wielding time itself as a weapon. A foe beyond imagination.
"Don't worry," Roger said, placing a hand over his heart. "There's someone who can take him down."
"Who?" Whitebeard asked, frowning.
"Rimuru's friend—a guy named Guy Crimson. A Demon Lord."
…
Meanwhile, in another world…
Rimuru sat quietly in a training chamber forged entirely from Magisteel. The walls and floors shimmered faintly with magical circuits that pulsed with power. Above him, a chandelier made of condensed magic crystals illuminated the room in soft, ethereal light.
The entire chamber could withstand a nuclear-level attack—and more importantly, it could contain even the most dangerous magical outbursts without harming the outside world.
Rimuru pulled up his guild panel, his eyes scanning the remaining crystal reserves.
His lips curled into a small smile.
Things were about to get very interesting.