One Piece: I am Imu-Chapter 288: Flevance’s Fall from Grace

July 1st was a seemingly normal day at Starfish World.

However, due to the proximity of Levely the sea was particularly rough during these months.

On the four seas, numerous ships of kings of nations affiliated with the World Government were crossing the Reverse Mountain under the escort of the Navy's warships.

This caused the main port of the G-0 base to be crowded with ships of all types.

While the crews of the various ships waited bored for the inspection, they passed the time by chatting and bragging. Suddenly, a flock of News Coo appeared above their heads.

"News Coo?"

A young noble noticed the commotion around him. People on the neighboring boats were rushing to prepare their coins to buy the newspaper. Smiling with an air of superiority, he took out a Den-Den Mushi from his pocket.

"Hmph, I'm already used to watching the news in real time with my Den-Den Mushi. Why bother with a newspaper? What they publish there can't even be called news."

With that, he activated the Den-Den Mushi, and a holographic screen was projected into the air. He adjusted the channel until it was tuned to the World News program, immediately catching the attention of those around him.

A breaking news official announcement appeared on the World News channel screen.

[Notice regarding the concealment of the hereditary toxic effects of the mineral Amber Lead by the royalty of the Kingdom of Flevance, in the North Blue.]

(Recent studies by the Faculty of Medicine and the Institute of Biochemistry have discovered that the mineral Amber Lead, mined mainly in the Kingdom of Flevance, is highly toxic. Both inhalation of the dust generated during its extraction and contact with products made from it can cause a gradual accumulation of toxins in the human body, causing symptoms similar to heavy metal poisoning.)

(When the amount of toxins reaches a critical level, large white spots appear on the skin and the blood, digestive, nervous and cardiovascular systems are severely affected.)

(In addition, Amber Lead toxicity can be transmitted genetically, drastically reducing the life expectancy of the descendants of those affected.)

(However, the public is informed that this disease is not contagious, so there is no cause for panic. Those who show symptoms should go to the nearest world hospital for examination.)

(Given the serious crime committed by the royalty of the Kingdom of Flevance, the World Government has decided to revoke their noble titles and order their immediate capture. The culprits will be transferred to Enies Lobby to face trial in the Supreme Court.)

(In order to facilitate medical care and control of the situation in Flevance, the World Government has decreed the temporary closure of the borders and will send medical teams to the nation.)

As more people read the news, the bustle in the port gradually died down, until all that could be heard was the murmur of the waves hitting the hulls of the ships.

The young noble, who moments before had boasted about his Den-Den Mushi, turned pale as a corpse. He looked down and saw the white ring on his finger and the equally white necklace hanging around his neck.

"Ahhhhhh!"

The next second, he screamed in fear and took off the necklace like crazy and threw it out of the boat.

Then he hurriedly tried to take off the ring on his finger but found that he seemed to have gained some weight recently, so no matter how hard he tried, it didn't loosen at all.

"Damn it, damn it, get out!"

The young man was sweating profusely, fearing that if he wore the ring for one more second, he would suffer from a serious disease that would be passed on to his children.

Meanwhile, on the other ships, the reaction was no different. Nobles and royalty began ordering their servants to throw their Amber Lead jewelry and silverware into the sea. Their curses against the Flevance royal family echoed in all directions.

This scene was not only being repeated in the port, but in every corner of the kingdoms of the Starfish World. After all, the Flevance Kingdom had been trading in Amber Lead for over a hundred years.

Virtually all the nobility, magnates and even officials of the World Government owned objects made from this mineral.

In an instant, the entire world was plunged into chaos.

...

In the Kingdom of Flevance...

Inside the royal palace, at the heart of the crisis, the king was slumped on his white throne, completely silent and staring into space. The queen, pale and with her face covered in tears, clung to his legs.

They had been sitting there all night, without moving.

Not because they were undecided about what to do. They knew that escape was not an option.

The night before, a group of men dressed in black, who identified themselves as CP-4 agents, showed up at the palace. They bluntly informed the king and queen that the World Government had decided to make the truth about Amber Lead public and that they would be the only ones responsible for the scandal.

Both were shocked, but for different reasons.

The queen, who came from another kingdom, had never known anything about the toxicity of Amber Lead. For her, the news was a shocking revelation. However, when she remembered that the use of any object made of this material was prohibited in the palace, she felt that something was very wrong.

The king, on the other hand, had known the truth perfectly well for generations. And what stunned him was something else: Why was the World Government doing this?

The two sides had been collaborating for over a hundred years!

For generations, the Flevance royal family had traded in Amber Lead, paying astronomical sums to the World Government, not to mention the Heavenly Tribute.

This made the king extremely angry at the time.

According to the royal family's records, over a hundred years ago, when the World Government's research team discovered the dangers of Amber Lead, their ancestors believed that its extraction would be banned immediately and considered ceasing mining. However, to their surprise, the team quietly retreated and soon after, they received a direct order from the World Government: to continue mining without revealing the truth.

In the eyes of the king, the responsibility for the amber lead tragedy lay primarily with the World Government, while the royal family could only be considered complicit.

But now the World Government intended to shift all the blame onto them and wash their hands of it completely!

However, the agents in black listened unfazed for several minutes. Then, when the king's breathing became ragged with anger, they presented him with two options.

The first: There were assassins already prepared in the shadows, and if he refused to cooperate, the entire Flevance royal family would be massacred that very night. Officially, it would be reported as a mass suicide out of remorse, and the blame would still fall on them.

Second, the king and queen would agree to stand trial and confess their 'crimes' in public. In exchange, the World Government would guarantee the safety of their children and one adult member of the royal family: the king's brother. The two surviving princes and three princesses would be given a relatively comfortable life.

The king and queen were paralyzed.

They called this options?!

No, there was no choice. They could only accept their fate with pale faces, sacrificing their lives to ensure the survival of their children.

That same night, nobles and officials who knew, even partially, the truth about the amber lead story were murdered in their homes under the cover of darkness. Some of them may have been innocent, but Cipher Pol's order was clear: it is better to eliminate an innocent than to leave a suspect alive.

...

The town of Flevance, with its white houses, white bridges, white fountains, white sculptures and even white streets, began to be permeated with an air of terror.

The citizens now desperately threw away their amber lead jewelry and loaded their treasures onto carts, trying to flee in haste.

"Brother, what's wrong with everyone?" asked a brown-haired girl, standing in front of the iron fence of an immaculately white hospital.

"Lami, don't go out! It's dangerous!" Her brother, a boy in a white, spotted hat and a little yellow suit, grabbed her hand and dragged her into the enclosure.

"Well done, Law. Keep an eye on your sister. Something terrible is happening in this country and you must not leave under any circumstances."

A man in a white coat and glasses came rushing in, slammed the heavy iron doors shut and bolted them shut. Behind him, a woman with hair the same shade as the girl also arrived.

"Mommy!" Lami ran to hug her, clinging to her leg. "The people outside are acting really weird. What's going on?"

"It's okay, my love, everything will be okay," the woman whispered, bending down to hug her, although her eyes reflected concern.

As renowned doctors at the country's largest hospital, they were among the first to see the World Government's announcement about amber lead disease. Although they had no symptoms yet, they knew it was only a matter of time.

Over the years, they had treated countless patients with white spot disease, without seeing a single case of cure. It was, without a doubt, a death sentence.

Many doctors attempted to expose the truth about amber lead in their reports, but those documents would disappear without a trace, and the responsible doctors would be reassigned without explanation, never to be seen again.

The lesson was clear: silence guaranteed safety.

The man hugged Law and looked at his wife with a reassuring smile.

"Relax. They said they'll send a medical team led by Doctor Kureha. If anyone can find a solution, it's her."

But deep down he had no hope. He knew that current medical science was powerless against hereditary amber lead poisoning.

Meanwhile, the main communication routes connecting the Kingdom of Flevance with the neighboring kingdoms were packed with carriages and crowds of people. The atmosphere was tense and chaotic.

But no matter how much they shouted, swore or pleaded, the police officers showed no intention of opening the barriers. Their faces remained impassive.

On the other hand, in the luxurious royal palace of Flevance...

With a dull sound, a tall and burly figure suddenly appeared in the main courtyard.

He was about seven meters tall, with a broad, muscular back. On his head he wore a white cap with brown spots, shaped like a trapezoid, and rimless glasses. He wore a black and green police uniform, with a dark cloak that fluttered in the wind. His presence emanated an overwhelming pressure.

"I am Bartholomew Kuma, the director of the Public Security Department of the World Government Police Department. This is my police ID."

He took a small black document from his pocket and showed it to the commander of the royal guard, who had not yet reacted. Then he handed him another paper.

"I have come to arrest the king and queen of the Kingdom of Flevance. This is the arrest warrant. Step aside."

"We need to confirm this with His Majesty first," the commander replied, gripping the hilt of his sword.

"No need, the arrest warrant is here. No one should obstruct the enforcement of the law, otherwise you will be charged with obstructing an officer in the execution of duty. This is the final warning. Please get out of the way."

Kuma's eyes were not fixed on the guards, but on two presences within the palace. He knew the 'truth': the Flevance royalty had concealed the Amber Lead Disease for a hundred years out of selfishness, causing the deaths of countless citizens.

Although he had now put aside his past due to the changes in the World Government, he still detested the nobles who caused harm to the citizens due to their corruption and selfishness, so he had decided to come personally.

"I'm sorry, but I must inform the king first. Until I receive his permission, I cannot let you pass."

The commander unsheathed his sword and pointed it at Kuma.

"In this case, the crime of obstruction of justice is established. The Enies Lobby Judicial Court will take care of you!"

Before the commander could react, Kuma struck him with an open palm with superhuman speed, causing him to disappear instantly.

The soldiers surrounding him were paralyzed with fear, watching in terror as Kuma advanced without stopping.

...

Somewhere on the coast...

A World Government ship was anchored on the shore.

Seeing the ship, the brother of the King of Flevance smiled with relief as he was accompanied by his brother's two sons and three daughters.

"I expected nothing less from the World Government. They really keep their word!"

Convinced that the boat had arrived to rescue them, he looked gratefully at the black-clad officers who had escorted him there.

"Please tell your superiors that we are only seeking a quiet life of wealth. We will never again be seen in public. Rest assured!"

But as soon as he finished speaking, one of the men in black, with long pink hair and a handsome face, shook his head and smiled.

"That's not necessary."

"Hmm?"

The king's brother looked at him in bewilderment, but his expression turned to pure horror when he saw the man's right arm transform into a purple and white gas, which began to spread in his direction.

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"Because our superiors have a much more effective method of ensuring this."

An instant later, screams of agony echoed across the shore. However, the roaring waves took care of drowning them into oblivion.

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