While Alucard commanded Dr. Vegapunk to research the secrets of the National Treasure "Mantra," the Gorosei were conducting their own investigation into the mystery of Alucard's undying constitution.
Today, they received the latest intelligence from CP. The members of the Immortal Pirates showed no signs of panic, which was entirely uncharacteristic of a crew that had lost its captain. In other words: Alucard was alive.
The Gorosei did not fall into despair upon hearing this, as it was well within their expectations. However, Alucard's strength had reached a point where the Government was forced to deploy their National Treasure. They had to uncover the secret of his immortality before his next raid.
This discussion involved more than just the five of them. They had cross-referenced the testimonies of every Marine who had ever clashed with Alucard, including Aokiji, Garp, Kizaru, and even Kong.
After exhaustive analysis, this meeting was convened.
A common conclusion had been reached from the statements of every Marine officer: the sensation of Alucard's life force vanishing only occurred when his heart sustained a fatal injury.
"Sword Saint," the curly-haired Elder addressed the robed Elder sitting cross-legged on the sofa with his blade. "You are the one among us who fought him the longest. What are your insights?"
The robed Elder pressed his thumb against his temple, lost in thought. After a moment, he spoke. "Initially, he appeared as a young girl of fifteen; midway through, he was a middle-aged man in armor; and finally, he revealed his true face. If all three were Alucard, then it is confirmed he possesses the ability to swap genders and alter his appearance at will."
The robed Elder continued, "As you saw at the end, he utilized Sakazuki's Magma-Magma Fruit, Byrnndi World's More-More Fruit, Zephyr's Titan Fruit, and Shanks' Spirit of All Things. These are all powers belonging to people the Immortal have killed. Therefore, I am certain he possesses a constitution or ability that allows him to claim the powers of those he has slain as his own."
"These are all high-tier Devil Fruits, Grade A and above. Troublesome, certainly, but the crux remains the secret of his undying body," the long-bearded Elder said, clenching his fist. "Once we figure out the trick to his immortality, we can use Mantra to wipe him out in one stroke. It won't matter how many abilities he has then."
"Regarding his immortality, I have discovered two potential breakthroughs."
The robed Elder brought the conversation to the critical point. "When I fought him, I pierced his heart several times, causing his life to fade, yet he revived every time. During those moments, he made no effort to protect his heart, nor did he defend or dodge."
Pausing briefly, the robed Elder added, "However, upon entering that armored state, his combat style shifted. He abandoned his suicidal attack patterns and began fighting normally. Several times when I aimed for his heart, he used various methods to evade. This implies that in that state, a strike to the heart can kill him."
The long-bearded Elder offered his own observation: "The same applied at the very end when his entire body turned into shadow. While using multiple Devil Fruit abilities, he no longer fought with a disregard for his own life. That is a second window to kill him."
"And there is a third," added the curly-haired Elder with the cane. "Before the Twelve Kingdoms Massacre, when Kong led the full force of the military, they witnessed Alucard using an army of the dead. During that time, he did not act personally but instead controlled the spirits to fight for him. That was the third instance."
"Counting these up, we have three distinct opportunities to kill him."
Pere pere pere...
The silver Den Den Mushi on the small round table between the sofas rang. The curly-haired Elder pressed the button on the shell, and a secret agent's report came through.
"Reporting! A message has been received from the Kings of the three North Blue nations, led by the King of the Harald Kingdom. They claim their involvement in the Immortal Pirates' invasion of Headquarters was entirely due to coercion and hope the World Government can grant them forgiveness."
The curly-haired Elder, known for having the worst temper among the Gorosei, turned red with rage. "Forgiveness? We deployed Mantra and lost eight Celestial Dragons, and all they have to say is 'we're sorry'? Is there anything so cheap in this world?"
"Tell them to get lost! Once this meeting is over, we officially declare war on the North Blue!" he roared.
"Wait," the long-bearded Elder interceded. "The 170 allied nations already know about this. Now is not the time to execute them; it would cause the unity of the various countries to crumble."
"Do you intend to let them go?" The curly-haired Elder couldn't swallow his pride.
"Of course not. There are as many crimes as one can invent to destroy a nation, but right now, we cannot afford to lose the support of the allied countries," the long-bearded Elder said flatly. "Once Alucard is dealt with, we will have plenty of time to handle them."
"Let's deal with the immediate issues first," the blonde Elder remarked, legs crossed. "We lost eight Celestial Dragons in one go. Those people up there are already causing a massive scene. we need to find a way to appease them."
The mouths of 170 nations could not be silenced. Soon, the news of another successful raid on Mariejois by the Immortal spread across the four seas. However, the Government released a heavily spun version of events to save face.
They claimed the Immortal had used "despicable means" to infiltrate by threatening the three North Blue Kings, and that the Government had merely been "caught off guard" before ultimately and "perfectly" repelling the pirates. This series of lies was transparent to the truly intelligent, but it was enough to deceive the vast majority of ordinary people.
Meanwhile, many pirates laughed, realizing the Government wasn't as invincible as once thought. If the Immortal could successfully invade Mariejois twice, it proved the Government was far from untouchable.
At the same time, a struggle for the Ancient Weapons was quietly brewing in Water 7, a conflict that was destined to explode.