Holy Land Mary Geoise, the Room of Authority.
"A Mythical Zoan, Yinglong ability… Why has something like this never appeared on the sea before? And that brat just happened to get it? What kind of joke is this?"
Saint Marcus Mars looked at the report with a dark expression.
The other four were also deep in thought.
That ability truly had never appeared before. They had never even heard of it.
Now that such an unfamiliar Mythical Zoan had appeared out of nowhere, all five of them felt troubled.
Especially that brat's final attack.
It was comparable to an Ancient Weapon.
According to the report, this ability had been handed to White Ghost by the Golden Lion before his death.
Borsalino had known about it at the time. Marine Headquarters' Gion and Tokikake had personally watched him eat it.
Saint Jaygarcia Saturn leaned on his cane and said in a low voice, "That brat's attack just now could already compare to Whitebeard using the Tremor-Tremor Fruit at full power, couldn't it?"
Saint Ethanbaron V. Nusjuro tapped the floor with his sword sheath.
"Whitebeard's ability has a wider range and terrifying destructive power.
"But you all saw that brat's performance just now. That destructive power is absurd. A whole island was gone in one strike. Completely gone."
Saint Topman Warcury's expression was solemn.
"That halo. That strange halo that appeared out of nowhere. That is what enhanced the brat's strength."
Saint Shepherd Ju Peter crossed his arms.
"Although that brat hasn't truly taken that step yet, his destructive power is nearly there. It seems we need to prepare."
Saint Marcus Mars nodded in agreement.
"One strike, one island. That is indeed close to an Ancient Weapon. We do need to prepare, in case that brat is pushed into a corner."
Saint Saturn held his forehead.
"What preparations can we even make? That brat can fly, his mobility is extremely high, and we can't insert spies around him."
"How about letting Saint Figarland Garling lead the God's Knights and erase the danger in advance?" Ju Peter suggested.
Mars glanced at him.
"The God's Knights are Lord Imu's personal guards. We have no authority to move them. If we want them deployed, we need Lord Imu's order."
Nusjuro's Shodai Kitetsu slid slightly from its sheath.
"That brat is not a D. Lord Imu will not care. What matters most now is finding the whereabouts of that fruit."
Saturn narrowed his eyes.
"That fruit has brushed past the World Government again and again for centuries, almost like fate.
"This time was the closest we've ever come to it. There had still been hope, but Shanks appeared halfway through."
"Damn Shanks."
The other four cursed inwardly.
If not for that man, they would have controlled that fruit this time.
Topman Warcury looked at the files on the table.
"What we can confirm now is that Shanks has ties to those people.
"At present, we still don't know whether the other members of the Roger Pirates are involved."
Tap, tap.
Nusjuro tapped the floor with his sword.
"A pack of rats hiding in the sewers. Do they really think they can overturn the board? They lost eight hundred years ago, yet they still refuse to give up."
"Using a Devil Fruit to create a paradise, a place with endless food where all races live happily together, free of worry and conflict…
"Those hidden people have believed that nonsense for eight hundred years. Truly laughable."
Saturn's tone was mocking, his face full of disdain.
Marcus Mars nodded.
"Where people exist, hierarchy exists. They don't even see things as clearly as that brat.
"I remember White Ghost once said that the human heart is the filthiest thing.
"A perfect place like that does exist. Put your pillow a little higher when you sleep, and you might see it in your dreams."
The other four sneered.
Some people had lived so long, yet they still understood less than a brat in his twenties.
"Or perhaps it is about power," Shepherd Ju Peter said, offering a different opinion.
"Perhaps they saw the lives we victors enjoy and wanted the same for themselves. So they joined forces to overthrow us and take our place."
Marcus Mars shook his head.
"Their ideals are different. That person's ideal is liberation. If that were the case, they could not have gathered under the same banner."
Ju Peter looked at him.
"You just repeated White Ghost's words yourself. The human heart is the filthiest thing. Nothing is impossible."
Marcus Mars still shook his head.
"The will inside that fruit is liberation. The will of D has always been like that."
The other four also thought of that fruit's special nature and fell silent.
Jaygarcia Saturn tapped the ground with his cane.
"Return to the original topic. Let us discuss White Ghost's problem."
Topman Warcury crossed his arms.
"What else can we do? That brat is slippery. If we want to deal with him, the cost will not be small."
Light reflected off Ethanbaron V. Nusjuro's glasses.
"That brat is almost done touring the Four Seas, isn't he?
"That means he will enter the Grand Line soon. And we all know his final destination is the New World."
Marcus Mars looked at White Ghost's file on the table and said in a low voice,
"Should we stop him? The New World is already chaotic enough. If he joins in, won't it become even messier?"
"I object."
Shepherd Ju Peter shook his head.
"The New World is already a mess. We may as well let that brat enter directly and let them kill each other."
Topman Warcury looked out the window.
"I agree. That brat can fly. If we try to stop him at the Sabaody Archipelago, it may not work. He might simply fly over the Red Line."
Jaygarcia Saturn looked at the file.
"I also agree with letting him enter the New World. Isn't Shanks stirring things up there right now?
"Let him go in. He and those rats have already torn away all pretense. There is no room for reconciliation.
"Let him enter. He may produce a different effect."
The other four seriously considered Saturn's words.
The place was already chaotic anyway.
The Navy could not extend its hand there properly.
They might as well push with the current and let that brat go in and make a scene.
"Agreed."
"Agreed."
"Agreed."
"Agreed."
"Now we need to consider the Navy," Ethanbaron V. Nusjuro said, looking at the others.
"The Navy's military expenditure is a bottomless pit. A few years ago, we cut part of their budget as a warning.
"Now the Navy has become much more obedient. We have also placed many of our people in important positions.
"Should we increase the Navy's budget a little?"
Topman Warcury thought for a moment, then said,
"It is about time. Increase it a little.
"The situation on the sea is unclear right now. There is no need to push the Navy too hard, in case they are forced into desperate action."
Jaygarcia Saturn nodded in agreement.
"But not too much. A proper increase is enough. They must understand that without the World Government, the Navy cannot even feed itself."
"Agreed."
"Agreed."
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