Before long, several more figures walked in through the grand doors. The moment they stepped into the room, Roger felt an overwhelming pressure from each of them—this had to be the group Rimuru had mentioned. The Demon Lords.
"Long time no see, Rimuru," said a handsome man with fiery red hair and a laid-back smile. "You summoned us all here—must be something important, huh?"
That man was Guy Crimson, also known as the Dark Emperor—one of the strongest Demon Lords. Along with Ramiris and Milim, he was one of the oldest and most fearsome of their kind. Originally the Primordial Red, a demon of unimaginable power, he had since ascended to become a true Demon Lord.
"If it's not something truly important, don't waste my time," said the man beside him, voice as cold as ice.
Leon Cromwell, the Platinum Saber King, stood with arms folded. Though he once had the qualifications of a Hero, after defeating a Demon Lord himself, he unexpectedly chose to become one. Seriously—what kind of world lets people become Demon Lords that easily? Was it like... defeat the evil dragon, then you become the next evil dragon?
Behind them stood a breathtaking young woman with silver hair. She said nothing, her crimson eyes locked onto Veldora, who stood beside Rimuru. Veldora, in turn, met her gaze with equal intensity.
Luminous Valentine—a vampire, a Demon Lord, and apparently someone with past... history with Veldora. Judging by the way sparks flew between their stares, it was definitely not the friendly kind.
"It is something very important," Rimuru said solemnly once everyone was seated. His voice was calm, but everyone could feel the anger hidden underneath. "During these past few months, I've been traveling through the world of One Piece… and what I saw there was truly infuriating."
Even though Rimuru didn't raise his voice, the temperature in the room seemed to drop slightly. Those familiar with him knew—Rimuru rarely got angry. Even when they dumped endless paperwork on him, the slime lord only grumbled and got it done. But now… his tone was different.
"What could possibly anger our sweet and gentle Rimuru?" Guy asked curiously, his red eyes glinting with amusement.
Rimuru took a deep breath and began to recount everything he had seen and experienced in that world—people being enslaved, sold like cattle, while the nobles lived in outrageous luxury. The commoners, starving and desperate, were forced into violence just to survive. Some even dropped dead in the streets from hunger. And then there were the Celestial Dragons—gods in name, monsters in action. Rimuru had even killed one after seeing him attempt to beat a pregnant woman to death for no reason at all. If not for the fear that total chaos would erupt if the World Government suddenly fell, Rimuru admitted, he might've just wiped it all out already.
"...Slavery?" Guy's smile vanished. The room fell into a heavy silence.
For monsters and demons like them, freedom was everything. Death was preferable to shackles. To be made a slave—it was an unthinkable insult. Every person present, no matter their race or title, felt the word pierce their hearts.
Roger, sitting quietly among them, let out a bitter laugh. "It's… hard hearing someone from another world talk about your own like this. Because I can't refute a single word."
"Roger, this isn't your fault," Rimuru reassured him. The man who once bore the title of Pirate King had started the Great Pirate Era in hopes of toppling the World Government—trying to shake its foundations using chaos itself.
"But I am a man of that world. They say the Pirate King is the freest man alive, but that world is just a prison. There's no real freedom there!" Roger clenched his fists in frustration. After a pause to calm himself, he stood up and bowed deeply toward Rimuru. "Rimuru, I know I have no right to ask this, but… I still want to represent every oppressed soul in that world and beg for your help. Please!"
If anyone could challenge the World Government—no, destroy it—it would be these beings gathered in this room.
"Eh?! Roger, you don't need to do that—stand up already!" Rimuru panicked, quickly helping him up. "That's literally why I called this meeting today!"
"Really?!" Roger's eyes lit up with hope.
"Of course!" Rimuru replied with a sigh. "Man, at least let me finish my sentence before jumping the gun. Sheesh… don't they say haste makes waste?"
"Overthrowing the World Government, huh?" Guy rubbed his chin thoughtfully. "Could be a fun way to pass the time."
"What a waste of time… well, it's not like I have anything better to do," Leon muttered with a frown. Classic tsundere. Cold on the outside, warm on the inside.
"We will support any decision Lord Rimuru makes," declared all of Rimuru's subordinates in unison. Their loyalty was absolute.
Rimuru smiled at Leon, whose face twitched slightly in response. What? Was it a crime for a Demon Lord to be a little tsundere?
"Well then," Rimuru said, clapping his hands together, "let's get to work. We'll need to lay out a strategy for how to bring down the World Government, and assign everyone their roles."
The room erupted into intense discussion—plans forming, tactics proposed, ideas shot down and rebuilt again.
And Roger… Roger just sat there for a moment, silently watching them all. The warmth in his heart slowly spread, and for the first time in a long while, his fierce eyes misted ever so slightly.
"…Thank you. All of you."