At that moment, Nico Robin and the surviving scholars of Ohara were also watching the broadcast.
The scholars could not remain hidden in Ohara's underground shelter forever. They still needed food and daily supplies. From time to time, they would slip out in disguise, quietly traveling to other islands to purchase necessities before returning in secret.
They had always been ordinary people, without distinctive features. As long as they stayed cautious, few noticed them. Now, some of them had even begun searching for Poneglyphs once more.
Redyat's final conclusion, that the scholars had been stubborn, inflexible, and ultimately responsible for Ohara's destruction, appeared to push public opinion against them.
Yet none of the survivors were shaken.
They had paid too great a price. The Tree of Knowledge was gone. Their homeland had been erased. How could they abandon their path now?
More importantly, because they had uncovered part of the Void Century, they knew the World Government was deeply flawed. Their research had not been wrong.
Instead, their resolve hardened. They would uncover the true history and reveal it to the world, to vindicate Ohara and its scholars.
As for Nico Robin, Redyat's words struck her deeply.
Was it really the scholars' fault?
If that was true, then what about her mother, the sacrificed scholars, the Tree of Knowledge, and Ohara itself? Had everything been destroyed for nothing?
She clenched her fists.
No matter what, she had no way back. She was the sole survivor of Ohara, the only scholar left in the world capable of reading history. She alone carried that responsibility.
She had to know the truth, whether it was right or wrong.
She had inherited Ohara's will.
"So," Redyat said with a faint smile, "still regarding this incident, the World Government's greatest taboo, the Void Century. What do you think of the World Government's actions?"
"Five hundred Marine lives depend on your answer."
Vice Admiral Atchison had already fallen completely into Redyat's rhythm. There was no escape.
If he refused, Redyat would once again force the Marines into killing one another. Atchison knew this without doubt.
At this point, he had no choice.
Strangely, there was even a trace of relief in his heart. Once he answered this question, it would finally be over. Whatever happened afterward, whether Redyat kept his word or not, would no longer concern him.
But this question involved the World Government.
He could not speak carelessly.
His words would, to some extent, represent the stance of the Marines themselves. Worse still, the Void Century was something the World Government would erase anyone for touching.
In truth, Redyat knew far more than he admitted.
After hearing Dr. Clover's unfinished words and combining them with Teach's own speculation, Redyat understood that the Void Century was far more than a simple "dark history."
It was something that could shake the World Government to its core.
If it were merely an embarrassing past, there would be no need to erase an entire century. This was about concealing the truth itself.
Before the World Government was founded, ugly acts must have been committed. The truth involved the great kingdom that once existed and the crimes committed to overthrow it and seize control of the world.
If that history were exposed, resistance against the World Government would be inevitable.
But Redyat could not say any of that.
Whether Ohara was vindicated or not had nothing to do with him or the Nightfall Pirates.
Besides, Nico Robin was not the only one who knew the truth. Kozuki Oden knew everything. The surviving scholars of Ohara knew parts of it.
In fact, the history the World Government feared most had already been largely deciphered by Dr. Clover.
The lost script, passed down secretly within the Kozuki family of Wano, had been deciphered by him. He had even uncovered truths that the Roger Pirates had spent years chasing on the final island.
Even if it was incomplete, with time, Clover would have uncovered everything.
Now, the scholars who inherited his will would never abandon historical research. They all had the ability to read Poneglyphs, and perhaps they knew even more than before.
History was never simple.
The Roger Pirates had been targeted for touching that truth. Their survivors went into hiding and changed their identities because they knew too much. Otherwise, the World Government would have erased them as well.
Anyone with insight could tell that the Void Century was far more than a trivial dark chapter. It hid something so dangerous that even the World Government feared it.
Some viewers began to feel uneasy.
Redyat never did anything meaningless.
So what was his real purpose?
After careful consideration, Atchison finally spoke.
"I don't know what the Void Century truly is," he said hoarsely. "But since it is forbidden, exposing it would undoubtedly plunge the world into greater chaos. The World Government is acting to maintain world peace."
At those words, officials of the World Government and Marine Headquarters let out quiet breaths of relief. Atchison had given the safest possible answer.
He also knew that if he spoke out of line, it would not only be his own life at stake. His family could be implicated as well.
Yet his words carried an obvious flaw.
If the World Government truly acted only for peace, why hide the Void Century at all?
The problem lay with the World Government itself.
Many eyes turned back to Redyat on the screen.
Atchison's answer was expected. No one believed he would openly condemn the World Government. But from experience, everyone knew Redyat would not stop there.
"I was present at the time," Redyat said calmly. "I heard part of the scholars' discussion. They really did uncover something."
The hearts of many listeners skipped a beat.
The Five Elders felt rare beads of cold sweat form on their backs.
Others leaned forward in anticipation. The Void Century was the greatest forbidden mystery of the world.
"Simply put," Redyat continued, "it was a change of dynasty."
"The World Government was founded eight hundred years ago. Before that was the Void Century. Prior to it existed a great kingdom, a power similar to the World Government itself. In the end, it was overthrown by the twenty kings, the predecessors of today's World Government."
"This is nothing unusual. The victor claims everything, and history is written by those who win. That is how the World Government came to be."
"As for the Void Century, it was likely erased because the World Government feared the revival of the kingdom it destroyed."
The Five Elders finally relaxed.
This did not touch the truths they feared most.
From their perspective, Redyat had only heard fragments of Dr. Clover's research. And Clover had been killed before he could finish speaking.
Redyat's explanation, a change of rulers, was accurate enough and entirely reasonable.
Wars between kingdoms were common. Dynasties rose and fell. In a chaotic world driven by ambition and resources, this was nothing new.
The World Government was simply a ruler that had endured longer than most.
On the surface, Redyat seemed to be defending them.
But beneath that surface, Teach and Redyat had achieved their true goal.
They had lifted the veil.
If the World Government had been established this way, then could it not be replaced the same way?
That thought quietly took root in countless minds.
If they overthrew the World Government, they could become the rulers of the world. Their descendants could become the new Celestial Dragons.
After all, very few truly believed that Celestial Dragons were descendants of gods. Their authority came from power, nothing more.
Once this idea spread, the so-called divinity of the Celestial Dragons became a joke.
Public resentment toward them had already reached its peak.
A change of dynasty.
If so, why couldn't the World Government itself be replaced?
Eight hundred years of rule. A decaying system. The Great Pirate Era. The Marines struggling to suppress pirates.
All signs pointed to an era nearing its limit.
Redyat's words were like water poured onto dry soil. Seeds buried deep in people's hearts began to sprout.
"Let the past remain in the past," Redyat said calmly. "The era moves forward, never backward. Anything that cannot keep up will be eliminated, whether people or ideas."
His gaze dropped to Atchison, a hint of excitement flashing through his eyes.
"In the future, pirates will welcome their king. The ruler of the New World will emerge."
"That will be the Nightfall Pirates."
The world trembled.
The Nightfall Pirates intended to rule the New World.
The New World was already filled with monstrous powers, countless overlords locked in endless conflict. No one expected this rising crew to declare such ambition openly.
"Teach has no interest in the title of Pirate King," Redyat continued. "That title is boring. Who wants to become the second Roger?"
"Think of the overlord from twenty years ago. The New World will eventually fall beneath the shadow of darkness. Until then, we accept all challenges."
"What awaits you is being swallowed by the dark."
For the first time, a great pirate publicly declared disdain for the title of Pirate King.
The Dark Emperor, Marshall D. Teach, did not want to walk Roger's path.
At Redyat's mention of the overlord from twenty years ago, many felt a chill.
Memories resurfaced.
That overwhelming, invincible figure who once sought to become King of the World. The man who openly defied the World Government and was erased from history.
Only sixteen years had passed.
Rocks.
The name echoed in countless minds.
And now, the Nightfall Pirates were aiming to follow that same path.
Looking at Redyat's confident expression, his youthful face boldly declaring war on the seas, people felt an old fear awaken.
To rule the seas, one must defeat the Marines.
Rocks remained an indelible shadow in the world's memory.