At the World Government's headquarters, inside the conference chamber, the Gorosei were livid — and beneath their rage, deeply unsettled.
Elior had slaughtered four Celestial Dragons. Of course, the masked woman had killed three as well, but the blame inevitably fell on Elior.
Once again, Elior had brazenly provoked the World Government.
This time, another four Celestial Dragons had perished, and CP0 had suffered devastating losses — six agents dead, including the promising Rob Lucci.
It would have been strange if the Gorosei weren't furious.
Across Mary Geoise, chaos erupted. Thousands of Celestial Dragons fumed with anger.
As descendants of the gods, self-proclaimed gods of the world, their divine authority had once again been trampled upon.
So far, seven Celestial Dragons had met brutal deaths at Elior's hands.
The Celestial Dragons were in an uproar.
Collectively, they petitioned the Gorosei to eliminate Elior.
The Gorosei themselves were restless. If Elior could be eliminated easily, there would be no need for such agitation.
What truly unsettled them was Tezoro's surrender to Elior.
The idea of an arrogant man like Tezoro submitting to anyone — let alone Elior — was almost unthinkable.
"What kind of trick did Elior use to bend him to his will?" one of the Elders growled.
"There is no doubt now. Elior's power as a Yonko surpasses anything we've accounted for."
"Moreover, there are signs that he may be working with Big Mom. There's no concrete evidence yet, but speculation alone suggests they may have entered into cooperation… or even formed an alliance."
"An alliance between Yonko isn't impossible. Though they normally clash, with enough profit at stake, nothing prevents them from joining forces."
"Elior… what are we supposed to do about him? His existence is becoming more disruptive by the day!"
"Sooner or later, his threat will surpass even Xebec."
"No — perhaps it already has."
"What should be done? Raising his bounty further serves no purpose. In the New World, who could possibly claim his head?"
"Already, many consider him the strongest man alive in the New World, and the sentiment is spreading fast."
"Whether it's true or not hardly matters — his reputation as the strongest has taken hold."
"For the time being, forbid the Celestial Dragons from leaving Mary Geoise. If they cross paths with that madman, their lives will be forfeit!"
"Unless we commit the full strength of Marine Headquarters against Paradise Island, there's no chance of eliminating him. But at what cost? We could lose most of the Marine, perhaps even all of Marineford itself!"
"Even in victory, the Marines would suffer catastrophic losses. Once their strength is crippled, the rest of the seas will erupt. Other pirate crews will seize the opportunity to rise unchecked."
"This is no simple battle. It's a delicate balance."
"And don't forget — if Big Mom has truly allied with Elior, she will not stand idle. An assault on Paradise Island would mean facing two Yonko crews at once. The odds of success diminish to nothing."
"Elior's combat strength alone is absurd. According to Akainu's report, he fought Big Mom for nearly two hours and emerged without a single injury. The entire world witnessed it. He may already be the strongest pirate in history."
"To launch Marine Headquarters against him now would be reckless. If we gamble and fail, we'll cripple our own military might — and that would spell disaster for the world."
The two pillars of the World Government's power were Impel Down and Marine — especially the latter. If the Marine were destroyed or weakened, the consequences would be catastrophic.
Pirate activity would spiral out of control, and even Mary Geoise itself might eventually come under attack.
The Gorosei weighed the risks. Though the thought of crushing Elior burned within them, they reluctantly abandoned the idea of an all-out assault.
At least, for now.
Not long after their debate concluded, word arrived: Lord Im had summoned them to the Empty Throne.
At once, the Gorosei felt a shiver of dread. None of them had expected to be called before the sovereign.
Instinctively, they felt resistance, fear gnawing at their cores.
Why now? What was the reason the supreme being, hidden in the shadows of the throne, had chosen to summon them?
They could only assume Lord Im was enraged.
After all, Elior had once again slain Celestial Dragons.
To the Celestial Dragons, killing one of their kind was an offense greater than killing an admiral, or even a fleet admiral.
After all, in their eyes, the Marine was merely their subordinate — or worse, their loyal dogs.
And to them, serving as dogs to the gods's descendants was the Marines' greatest honor.
The Gorosei soon arrived at the solemn chamber that housed the Empty Throne.
That throne was supposed to remain forever vacant, a symbol that no one ruled above another — a gesture of equality.
But the Celestial Dragons had long since proven those words to be meaningless.
The Empty Throne was nothing but a lie.
And seated upon it was none other than Im.
The Gorosei bowed deeply and spoke in unison:
"Greetings, Lord Im."
Upon the throne sat a woman, appearing to be in her early thirties. Her eyes were piercing, sharp enough to command silence, and her very presence radiated majesty.
She was beautiful, though not dazzling, but her appearance mattered little.
What mattered was the authority she carried.
From the Void Throne, Im gazed down upon the Gorosei, her sharp eyes cutting through them one by one.