Tap.
Tap.
The blond Elder lightly tapped the armrest as he lounged on the sofa, one leg crossed over the other. His gaze remained calm and composed. After a brief silence, he finally said:
"Never thought Arthur Pendragon—that man—would change to such an extent."
"Indeed."
The curly-haired Elder lowered the document in his hand, matching the blond Elder's posture as he crossed one leg and pondered aloud:
"Genar is a meticulous man. With his composure and insight, he would never make an incorrect judgment.
If he has drawn such a conclusion, then it must be true."
"Quite so."
"Yes."
The others nodded in agreement.
Army Admiral,
Grey Rat — Genar.
He was someone the Five Elders trusted deeply. His calm nature, sharp intellect, and absolute loyalty made him one of their most reliable subordinates. That was precisely why Genar had been assigned to guard the God Valley region, overseeing its reconstruction into the future Army Headquarters.
Although unexpected events occurred, Genar would never panic—and certainly never lie.
"Islands… with life."
The long-haired Elder focused on the detail that concerned him most.
"What interests me most about this so-called 'Britannia Sea,' the Britannia Archipelago, is its islands—living islands.
Genar himself was unable to determine the exact number, but under the waterfall alone he confirmed two: a volcanic isle and a glacial isle."
"This is extremely interesting. Clearly, that boy named Arthur prepared everything ahead of time. His preparations were thorough—no, meticulous."
"He had set his sights on the God Valley sea long ago, and reshaped it entirely."
"Yes."
"Exactly."
All Five Elders nodded.
The scale of Arthur's preparation was beyond what any of them expected—clearly not something that could be done on impulse.
This was long planned.
"Can the islands be brought under our control?"
The curly-haired Elder asked:
"So the question is—can these special islands be brought directly under our control?"
The blond Elder shook his head.
"Impossible."
"These islands possess their own form of life. They can judge for themselves who is friend and who is foe. Under such circumstances, attempting to forcibly control them would be futile."
"Mm."
The curly-haired Elder accepted this conclusion.
Indeed—something so extraordinary not yielding to external control was the natural outcome.
If it could be easily controlled, that would be far stranger.
"Now then… Arthur Pendragon."
The sword-bearing Elder finally spoke:
"Let us discuss Arthur Pendragon. A boy we didn't even bother to view as a threat has accomplished all this in such a short time."
"Indeed."
"That was our mistake. We failed to evaluate the situation calmly."
"No doubt about it."
"We underestimated him."
The Five Elders spoke with rare seriousness.
This time, they did not only underestimate Arthur—but the entire pirate era.
Despite treating pirates like test subjects in a vast experiment, the Elders always evaluated the true nature and strength of each one. That was how they maintained balance.
Because balance was how the World Government ruled.
And maintaining that balance required clarity—never complacency.
...
"The Nine After Rocks."
The sword Elder listed them one by one:
"Arthur Pendragon.
Edward Newgate.
Ochoku.
John.
Silver Axe.
Charlotte Linlin.
Shiki.
Kaido.
Shakky."
"These nine have the highest status among the remnants after the Rocks Pirates' dissolution. Even if some were only apprentices, they cannot be taken lightly."
"And Shakky has already reached the Sabaody Archipelago, opened a bar, and become an information broker—clearly intending to leave the pirate life."
The blond Elder summarized, showing clear familiarity with Shakky's movements.
The bald Elder nodded.
"Continue monitoring her. If she behaves, do not touch her."
"Right now, the remnants of the Rocks Pirates are like powder kegs—igniting them brings unnecessary loss."
The long-haired Elder agreed:
"Exactly. There's no need to provoke those lunatics."
"Also, the new era is not just about Edward, Shiki, or Roger anymore—others must be observed as well."
The curly-haired Elder laid out a thick stack of intelligence files:
"Superpowers, underworld kings, shadow emperors, major pirate crews—everything is here."
"It was our oversight that caused the God Valley incident."
"Indeed."
"Yes."
The Elders accepting fault among themselves was something almost unimaginable.
But their ability to maintain a clear mind—even while holding absolute power—was precisely what had allowed them to rule for so long.
Power was poison.
But the Five Elders were the ones controlling the poison—not the ones being corroded by it.
"Arthur Pendragon's Devil Fruit…"
The sword Elder gently wiped his cursed blade.
"A peculiar individual."
"Whether his ability is a Mythical Zoan is uncertain."
"Wind manipulation… Those strange energy cannons… Too many unknowns."
The blond Elder nodded.
"He is unusual—but not yet powerful enough to warrant full attention."
"True."
"Of course, we must avoid complacency—our negligence is why God Valley fell."
"Agreed."
They acknowledged it without hesitation.
"Arthur has done nothing."
The blond Elder continued:
"Ever since turning God Valley into the Britannia Sea, Arthur has made no further moves. Nearly a month has passed. Other pirates are forming crews, expanding influence, and setting sail."
"But Arthur?"
"Nothing."
"He remains in Britannia with no signs of setting out."
He frowned.
"I reviewed all records. His background is bizarre. His identity and origins are unusual. His past can be traced, but it reveals nothing—highly irregular."
"He grew strong without any teacher.
By himself."
"Hmm?"
Even the Elders were surprised.
This kind of growth was inexplicable.
The long-haired Elder said:
"That must be taken into account.
Most importantly, he behaves differently from other pirates."
"Indeed."
"Yes."
"Mm."
All Elders agreed—Arthur was fundamentally different.
Not just in strength—but in temperament, attitude, and ambition.
He was an anomaly.
"Should we move against him?"
"No need."
"Explain."
"In the New World, acting rashly may cause backlash."
"And the Navy?"
"In chaos."
The Elders understood immediately.
Now was not the time to provoke another unpredictable force—not when the Marines were unstable and the New World volatile.
The bald Elder added:
"And more importantly—Arthur's power increases within the Britannia Sea.
If he becomes stronger on his own territory, the situation is completely different."
All nodded.
Genar's report indicated Arthur displayed Admiral-level strength while fighting in Britannia.
Impossible—unless something in that land was amplifying him.
Therefore, direct confrontation was unwise.
"Expose him."
The sword Elder concluded:
"Remove the fog around Britannia.
Release Arthur Pendragon's updated information to the world."
"Let the sea judge him."
"Yes."
"Agreed."
Like his early bounty of 550,000,000 beri, they would once again thrust Arthur into the spotlight.
Make him a target.
A rival.
A threat.
Finally, they stamped his classification:
[Arthur Pendragon — Threat Level: A]
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