'It really worked.'
Crocodile's pupils contracted as he stared at the Devil Fruit in Cyrus's hand.
Cyrus had already told him that he could extract Devil Fruit powers from other people, but witnessing something so unprecedented with his own eyes was still difficult to comprehend.
Now that Crocodile had seen it for himself, the implications were staggering.
Every Devil Fruit user on the sea could potentially become Cyrus's prey.
"Let me know whenever another ability user dies. Someone might decide to challenge me personally too."
Cyrus tossed the Devil Fruit to Crocodile, waved, and disappeared into flames.
The Door-Door Fruit was useful for travelling great distances, but there was no need to use it here.
Cyrus's flames had already spread throughout the entire examination ground. He could transform into fire and appear anywhere within it at will.
"Vice-Chairman?"
One of the employees monitoring the screens called out, snapping Crocodile from his daze.
"Ahem. Continue watching everything closely, especially the candidates we marked earlier. Report immediately if any of them are in genuine danger."
Crocodile tightened his grip around the fruit.
"And the moment a Devil Fruit user is killed, notify the chairman."
"Understood!"
The staff had all witnessed what Cyrus had just done, and their awe of his abilities had deepened considerably.
Carrying the Devil Fruit, Crocodile turned and left the room.
Besides the fruits provided by the Guild, there had to be at least a hundred Devil Fruit users gathered on Sky Island for the exam.
The thought made his heart race.
If the Hunter Guild could bring all those people and fruits under its control, it might possess seventy, eighty, perhaps even ninety percent of the world's Devil Fruit powers.
Overthrowing the World Government would become far easier.
However, if word of Cyrus's ability spread, every Devil Fruit user on the sea would become terrified of him.
'The chairman might not care, but the Guild…'
Crocodile felt a headache coming on.
Until they had secured complete control of the situation, this information could not be allowed to spread widely.
He reached into his coat and took out a Den Den Mushi.
"Morgans."
The snail connected and transformed into a birdlike face.
"Vice-Chairman! What can I do for you?"
Morgans's voice was unusually loud, his excitement impossible to miss.
The entire world was currently focused on the Hunter Exam, and the enormous influence of his broadcast had left him practically giddy.
"The chairman's movements cannot be shown." Crocodile spoke without preamble.
"What do you mean?"
Morgans did not understand.
"The chairman may need to handle certain matters during the exam. Whenever a Devil Fruit user dies near him, immediately switch the broadcast to another feed."
"Why? Everyone wants to see Chairman Cyrus in action. This is the perfect opportunity to increase his reputation."
Morgans hesitated.
"This isn't a suggestion. It's an order!"
Crocodile considered explaining Cyrus's ability, then decided against it.
Morgans was a journalist. If he became too excited, there was no telling when he might accidentally reveal everything.
"An order?" Morgans's voice darkened. "I would naturally obey Chairman Cyrus, but Crocodile, you don't seriously believe you can command me, do you?"
He was easy enough to work with, but that did not mean just anyone could give him orders.
"This concerns Chairman Cyrus. If you prove trustworthy, you'll understand once the exam is over."
Crocodile ended the call after delivering the warning.
Elsewhere, Morgans stared at the Den Den Mushi in his hand.
Crocodile's tone made it obvious that the matter was extremely important.
He was deeply curious.
But should he do as Crocodile asked?
Morgans looked over the hundreds of screens arranged in rows before him, then issued an order.
Curiosity could wait. He would probably learn the truth soon enough.
Dozens of surveillance feeds near Cyrus, along with the two dedicated cameras covering his assigned trial area, were shut down and replaced with other feeds.
"President, everyone wants to see Chairman Cyrus. Why are we switching away from him?"
His voluptuous female secretary looked puzzled.
"It doesn't matter. People may be interested in Chairman Cyrus, but that doesn't mean they'll stop watching when he isn't on-screen."
Morgans's eyes shone with confidence.
The Hunter Exam was a spectacular event that could alter the future balance of the world.
No one would willingly look away.
Just as he expected, audiences across the world began cursing when every screen showing Cyrus suddenly switched to other locations.
Some even tried using their wealth, influence, or political power to interfere with the broadcast.
It made no difference.
And despite their complaints, none of them stopped watching.
…
Mary Geoise.
"That darkness…"
The Five Elders' expressions shifted when the broadcast changed.
"Cipher Pol reported something similar before. It seems their information was accurate, but Lord Imu has issued no further orders."
"Are we really going to sit and watch? The agents we sent can't meaningfully affect an event of this scale."
In the eyes of the Five Elders, Cipher Pol agents were merely tools.
They could handle ordinary problems, but when something truly important occurred, they were of little use.
The agents on Sky Island might cause some disruption at most.
"Doflamingo is there too. It seems he reached some kind of arrangement with Cyrus. Perhaps his earlier actions were even carried out under Cyrus's instructions."
After Cyrus first attacked the Celestial Dragons, Doflamingo had been the next person to strike Mary Geoise.
Although several other attacks followed, the Five Elders still wanted the former Celestial Dragon eliminated above all else.
The secrets Doflamingo knew about Mary Geoise no longer mattered much.
"It changes nothing. If we had any way to deal with Cyrus, we wouldn't have allowed him to survive this long."
The chamber fell silent.
Before Cyrus appeared, none of them had imagined a single person could force the World Government into such a helpless position.
Not even Rocks or Roger had managed it.
Now every decision they made was constrained by the fear that Cyrus might attack Mary Geoise again.
Both of his previous visits had caused catastrophic losses.
"Lord Imu surely won't remain idle this time. We should wait for instructions," Saint Saturn said, looking around at the others.
"But we must recover the ship held by the Marines now."
At the mention of Pluton, the other four Elders' expressions darkened.
The moment the vessel beneath Wano surfaced, they recognized it.
An Ancient Weapon of such destructive power had to remain in the World Government's hands.
Even if it could not threaten the strongest individuals, its ability to erase an entire nation with one attack would serve as a terrifying deterrent.
That was especially important in the current climate.
Even among the World Government's member nations, many had begun entertaining dangerous ideas.
Some had allowed the Hunter Guild to establish branches within their borders or had openly begun cooperating with it.
Others had made contact with the Revolutionary Army and only pretended to obey orders from Mary Geoise.
If the World Government secured Pluton, those wavering nations would at least hesitate before making another move.
The weapon was essential to stabilizing their rule.
"The Marines refuse to hand it over."
That only worsened their expressions.
The dogs raised by the World Government were no longer obeying their masters.
"Sengoku claims the ship has been dormant too long and will require extensive repairs."
The Five Elders believed that much was probably true.
Pluton would certainly need time and maintenance before it could operate again.
But Sengoku had also refused to allow World Government personnel to inspect or assume control of it.
He had never openly declared rebellion, yet his attitude was already clear.
"Cyrus met with Sengoku before Wano was destroyed. They spoke privately, and we still haven't learned what was discussed."
"Send Kong. Have him personally take possession of Pluton. If Sengoku resists, arrest him and restore Kong as Fleet Admiral."
After a brief discussion, they reached their decision.
As a former Fleet Admiral, Commander-in-Chief Kong still possessed prestige within the Marines comparable to Sengoku's.
If he could reclaim control of the organization, the Marines would remain extremely useful.
Otherwise, dealing with them would become far more complicated.
A violent purge within the Marines would only create chaos, allowing the Hunter Guild to profit without lifting a finger.
The order was quickly delivered.
Kong was not surprised.
When he contacted Sengoku and noticed the shift in his attitude, he had already anticipated this possibility.
Having committed himself fully to the World Government, Kong had no other path left.
After receiving his instructions, he issued a new order to the Cipher Pol agents on Sky Island.
They were to kill every talented participant they could, regardless of the cost.
Then Kong departed Mary Geoise.
…
Sengoku's expression was grim after he ended the call.
"An order from the World Government?"
Vice Admiral Tsuru guessed immediately.
"Yes. Commander-in-Chief Kong is coming here personally. Meanwhile, I'm to take the main Marine forces back to headquarters immediately to prevent unrest in the New World and Paradise."
Sengoku nodded, his face growing even heavier.
On the surface, the order sounded perfectly reasonable.
But its true purpose was obvious.
Kong was coming for Pluton.
"Someone must remain here to guard it."
Sengoku frowned deeply.
He still had not resolved himself to break completely with the World Government.
Many within the Marines remained loyal to Mary Geoise. If Sengoku openly rebelled, the organization would inevitably descend into civil war.
But the World Government clearly wanted more than Pluton.
They also intended to seize back control of the Marines.
Sengoku could see it, and Tsuru, as the Marines' chief strategist, understood it just as clearly.
"What should we do?"
Sengoku found himself trapped.
Tsuru fell into thought.
"This is extremely troublesome. Kong personally promoted many of the current officers. If he returns, a large part of the Marines may support him."
She paused.
"Unless he never reaches us."
Sengoku's pupils contracted.
For a moment, he was too stunned to answer.
Then he began seriously considering the feasibility of her suggestion.
No one became Fleet Admiral without terrifying strength.
Sengoku knew exactly how powerful Kong was.
"Pluton is in poor condition. Even basic navigation will require several months, perhaps an entire year of repairs, so we don't need to move it immediately."
Tsuru looked directly at Sengoku.
"But if Kong intends to reclaim control of the Marines…"
"I understand."
Sengoku drew a deep breath and met her gaze.
"Who do we send?"
"We can't use the Marines."
Tsuru shook her head.
Even the three Admirals had once served under Kong.
Only a handful of Marines were truly capable of stopping him, and none of them were suitable for the task.
"Then what are you suggesting?"
"The Hunter Guild."
Tsuru lowered her voice.
"Why would they—"
"Not the Guild. Him."
She raised one hand and pointed into the distance.
More than a dozen enormous projected screens hovered over the sea between the Marine warships.
"You mean Cyrus? He's on Sky Island."
"He can travel enormous distances almost instantly, and he has the strength to do it."
Tsuru's eyes remained calm.
"As for convincing him, didn't he already tell us how?"
Sengoku understood what she meant.
Once they accepted Cyrus's proposal, there would be no turning back.
"If we do this, retreat will no longer be possible."
He sighed.
"We have no other choice."
Tsuru's voice was firm.
"Either we step away entirely and become spectators, or we follow the change that's already coming."
"No matter what happens in the future, the world will still need the Marines to maintain order. Cyrus himself admitted that the Hunter Guild is not suited to that role."
"The Marines remain the best option."
Her expression softened slightly.
"And then, perhaps for the first time, the Marines will be able to follow justice alone."
Those final words seemed to reach Sengoku.
He waved for Tsuru to leave.
After sitting in silence for some time, he took out a Den Den Mushi.
Tsuru did not wait outside.
She went directly to find Garp.
"Bwahahaha! That's my grandson!"
Garp roared with laughter while watching one of the screens.
Luffy and Ace had attacked from opposite sides and rapidly defeated more than a dozen opponents.
"Vice Admiral Garp, are both of them really your grandsons?"
Tokikake and Gion stood nearby, both looking curious.
The moment the broadcast switched to the two boys, Garp had begun laughing uncontrollably, clearly delighted.
"Of course!"
Garp paused, then nodded without hesitation.
"That ice ability is impressive. It resembles Kuzan's."
Tsuru glanced at the screen, surprise flickering in her eyes.
The sight of Ace freezing his opponents with a single attack felt strangely familiar.
"Admiral Kuzan, is his ability really the same as yours?"
Gion turned toward the drowsy man nearby.
"Pretty close. It's probably a similar Devil Fruit."
Kuzan answered casually, though he was far more surprised than he appeared.
Ace's power looked almost identical to his own when he had first eaten the Ice-Ice Fruit.
"I'm the man who'll become Pirate King!"
Luffy's shout rang out from the screen.
Every Marine who had been speaking fell silent.
Then, one by one, they turned toward Garp.