Upon receiving Imu's command, the Gorosei had no time to deal with the smoke still rising from the Holy Land. They immediately set the vast machinery of the World Government into motion.
Ash's actions since his arrival had never been hidden. In a short time, the Gorosei compiled every detail and presented it to Imu.
Reviewing the gathered intelligence, Imu's expression darkened.
Diwen Village in North Blue now stood abandoned. The CP agents investigating it quickly deduced the true origins of the Dawn Faction. The fact that Sali, Pini, Youki, and the others all came from the same village was almost entirely exposed.
Yet even with this information, the Gorosei had failed to notice anything unusual. Worse, they had elevated Sali into the ranks of the Shichibukai. It was no different from inviting a thief into their home and nurturing a future disaster.
Seated upon the Empty Throne, Imu's fury erupted.
Below, the Gorosei knelt in perfect formation, their foreheads pressed against the ground, not daring to speak.
In truth, they felt wronged. Matters like recruiting Shichibukai were far beneath their direct involvement. Officials within the World Government merely submitted lists of notable pirates and rising powerhouses. The Gorosei would then select candidates based on strength and influence before forwarding the names to the Marines for recruitment.
As for Sali, Pini, and Youki sharing the same origin, even if they had known, it would hardly have seemed significant. After all, Garp came from the same place as the world's most dangerous criminal, even sharing blood ties, yet no one had ever moved against him.
These thoughts remained unspoken. The Gorosei continued kneeling in silence, awaiting judgment.
After venting his anger, Imu turned his focus back to analyzing Ash and the Dawn Faction's movements over the years. It did not take long for him to pinpoint their current base.
"Sky Island above Jaya."
Crushing the report in his hand, Imu looked down coldly. "Now that you know the location, activate the National Treasure immediately and erase it completely."
Saint Saturn hesitated. "My Lord, the Mother Flame developed by Vegapunk is not yet complete. Using it now may cause irreversible damage to the National Treasure."
"I said immediately!"
Imu's voice thundered through the chamber. "If the Mother Flame is not ready, use the reserve energy!"
"We obey your will," the Gorosei replied in unison, bowing deeply once more.
…
Beehive Island.
Ash and the others were watching Daly Jack's battle against Big Mom.
The fight had reached its final stage.
Jack's Night Howler Fruit possessed a natural advantage against soul-based abilities. Big Mom's Soul-Soul Fruit was nearly useless against him.
More importantly, Big Mom's power had never been stable. She had gained her ability by devouring Mother Carmel during a childhood frenzy. Since then, their souls had fused into one distorted existence.
Under Jack's relentless assault, the repeated soul shocks had begun to destabilize her very essence.
At times she shrieked wildly. At others, she screamed "Hungry! Hungry! Hungry!" as if she wanted to devour Jack whole.
Despite her overwhelming physical durability, her internal state was collapsing. It was only a matter of time.
Watching the battle, Ash suddenly frowned. "Wait… where's Hawkeye?"
Kirk and the others exchanged glances, exasperated. He had been watching the fight nonstop since returning, and only now remembered.
"He left," Decken said, pouting.
"Left?" Ash's eyes widened. "That bastard showed up and attacked us. If you hadn't insisted on using him to sharpen your skills, I would've killed him already. And now you're telling me he just walked away?"
"Shortly after you left, the God's Knights arrived. Hawkeye seemed to recognize them. He said he didn't want to deal with them. Before leaving, he said that if we survived this battle, he'd come find us again."
Ash's expression tightened. "Hawkeye knows the God's Knights…"
A distant memory surfaced in his mind.
In his previous life, there had been a theory, one he had nearly forgotten.
It claimed that Hawkeye, Doflamingo, and Shanks were once reserve members of the God's Knights.
The evidence was circumstantial but compelling. Hawkeye's eyes resembled Imu's. Doflamingo always kept his arm covered, as though hiding a mark.
The conclusion was that all three carried Celestial Dragon blood, though their paths diverged.
Shanks had left willingly, rejecting the Celestial Dragons' ideology. Hawkeye had departed in anger after being betrayed. Doflamingo had been cast out after failing to meet their expectations.
As for Hawkeye's past, the destruction of the Shikkearu Kingdom might not have been due to war at all. Instead, it may have been used as a training ground for the God's Knights, much like God Valley decades ago.
If that were true, then Hawkeye's departure was born of betrayal. His subsequent hunts against Marines were acts of retaliation against the World Government. Eventually, he grew tired of the pursuit and, understanding the difference between Marines and Celestial Dragons, joined the Shichibukai for peace.
Having shared similar origins, Hawkeye and Shanks formed a bond.
Doflamingo, on the other hand, concealed his mark out of shame.
As for Shanks, his freedom to leave stemmed from his father's position as the leader of the God's Knights. The mark he once bore was sacrificed to the Lord of the Coast, leaving behind a lasting impression on Monkey D. Luffy.
Ash muttered to himself, piecing together the theory, his brows furrowed in thought.
Kirk and the others glanced at him but said nothing.
At that moment, the battle reached its conclusion.
Big Mom, who had relied on her Iron Balloon defense to endure Jack's attacks, finally collapsed.
She did not fall to brute force. Instead, her already fractured soul shattered under the strain.
Jack stood over her, unsatisfied. Despite everything, he had never truly broken through her defense.
The battle was over.
As the group prepared to discuss Ash's next plan, Sali's Den Den Mushi suddenly rang.
"Fales? What's wrong?" Sali answered.
On the other end, panic filled the voice.
"Sali, it's bad! Sky Island is under attack!"