9 Happy birthday

Today was a bustling day in the holy land, as today was the birthday of Saint Mark.

He had just turned ten, the most gifted celestial dragon, Mark Rose was going to celebrate his birthday party and everyone was invited.

"Saint Mark, it's my pride and honour to meet you, allow me to present this as a token of my gratitude."

A celestial dragon of slightly lower birth than Mark, not being a direct heir, was presenting a plate of colourful fruits with beautiful swirly patterns to Mark.

"Chris! My pal, do not be so distant, come on in, please enjoy the occasion!"

Mark smiled and took the platter filled with devil fruits from Chris, who seemed thrilled at the prospect of Mark remembering his name.

"I will Saint Mark, thank you."

Smiling happily Chirs went inside, he might be smiling right now but he was very stressed, this birthday was less a party and more a gathering of every powerful family in holy land.

Everyone important was here, Mark was just that important to the celestial dragons.

He was awarded with the title of Saint by the elders even if he was only ten, his status was that high now.

As Chris went inside, he found another celestial dragon of noble birth amongst them.

"Charlos! How have you been?"

Charlos looked up from his mermaid dance, he frowned while snot dripped from his nose.

"Chris? Go away, I am busy."

Chris didn't get discouraged at the rude words, he only attempted to talk to Charlos because the guy was supposedly Mark's best friend, being his first friend and everything.

"Alright Charlos, I'll be off."

Though he didn't get discouraged, he knew he was not as respected because he wasn't a direct heir, that is also one of the reasons he had come here.

Like countless others, he had come to build connections with Mark Rose.

Finding a large gathering of men women, where people of similar status as his were standing, he decided to join in.

"Oh it's Chris, come join us."

Asked a man who was on the same level of nobility as him.

"Oh? It's my utmost pleasure."

Chris walked up to the group and found who exactly was causing everyone to gather around.

Giving his best smile he spoke to the girl in question.

"Shalria! You look as pretty as ever."

Shalria looked over to the newest addition around her with a haughty expression.

"Of course! It's my dear Mark's birthday today, how can I, Shalria look anything less than the best around."

Chris didn't reply and just smiled, because he knew this was a minefield, answering this will be result in a boom.

"Hah, your Mark? Please, don't kid yourself, he barely knows you."

"Your brother Charlos is his friend, it's got nothing to do with you."

And there it was, the boom.

Chirs slowly backed away as he watched Shalria's face twist with anger, she angrily looked at an equally pretty girl, if not even more pretty, who was also one of the heirs.

"Why you?! Emily you shameless harlot! Don't think I don't know what you wear beneath that gown of yours!"

"Mark would never want to be with someone as cheap as you."

Emily's face turned ashen as Shalria's words painted her in a very different picture than what she intended to show.

But she wasn't of any less importance than Shalria. So she wasn't about to lie down and take this.

"You have some nerve spreading baseless rumors, when It's you who desperately wants to climb up Mark's splendor."

"You think you'll succeeded just because your families are allies? Please, don't kid yourself."

Shalria's hand reflexively went to her waist, she was about the shoot Emily, but then remembered that Emily is also a god and she doesn't have her gun.

So she decided to keep telling Emily how much she sucked.

"Haha, good joke, Mark and I are childhood sweethearts, he was there the day I was born!"

"And you, it's you who is trying to climb up his ladder, you are only here because he was appreciated by the five elders."

Emily scoffed, it was true but this wasn't something to be said out loud.

"You have no grace Shalria, your beauty is wasted on you."

"Only your shallow mind will think I want to approach Mark because of his future position amongst the five elder stars."

Saying something she herself didn't believe, Emily continued before Shalria's incensed face.

"The admiration I have for Mark is genuine, it has no relationship with his status or any position he might have in the future."

Ending with painting herself in a favourable light Emily barely dodged the slap thrown her way.

"Shalria! How dare you! I'll have your head!"

As Emily and Shalria were about to fight, they were restrained by a voice from afar.

"Oh! You guys are here, are you having fun?"

Both Shalria and Emily's faces changed, quickly touching up on their makeup they put on their best smiles.

It was their image which will determine if they can join the Rose family, a family which was all but confirmed as a future five elder associated.

Mark silently watched the fight stop and breathed a sigh of relief.

'Father bragged too hard, the elder's took notice of my status and directly named me a successor soon after.'

'They can't help it, celestial dragon's are too useless, the standards are so low the position wasn't even hard to get.'

Mark didn't think him causally living a normal life was something so utterly unique that even the five elders were alarmed.

Mark's father bragged too much about him, causing the elders to know him, coupled with his friendly relationship with many heirs, he was directly appointed a seat amongst the future elders.

'This is what they would like us to believe, but Im was 100% involved in this somehow.'

'Maybe he (she?) was the one who found potential in me after the elder's recommend me.. something to think about.'

Mark knew elder's not only were smart, they were also strong.

Saint Ethanbaron V Nusjuro always carried a mito grade sword with him, anyone with eyes could see they were powerful.

They were even named warrior gods.

So Mark being a person who had shown obvious interest in strength and his rational mind made him prime elder candidate.

'My ten years of training wasn't in vain either, the constant daily practice sessions, a decade of nothing but observation haki practice has made me extremely adept at it.'

'And best of all, I have finally unlocked it.'

Life return.

That was unlocked by Mark today, it has been six years of constant practice, six whole years of endless grinding.

'Now that I have it, I can finally become monstrously strong.'

Mark's preparations were done, he had learnt a lot of knowledge throughout the years and the technique life return was perfected by him.

This was the start of Mark's rise, his decade of penance had paid off.

'After this party, I'll take my first step towards strenght.'

Mark was soon done reminiscing about the years, he was currently talking and laughing with his fellow celestial dragon's.

His noble life wasn't comparable to a barbaric one of the pirates, it wasn't all about eating meat and fighting enemies for him.

It was about gaining strength while living the best life imaginable.

He was a celestial dragon, the god of this world, he will soon come down to the lower realm and claim it all for himself!