At the same time—Holy Land Mary Geoise, Pangaea Castle, the Grand Hall.
The Five Elders, having nowhere else to be and avoiding the endless complaints from the various noble families, had gathered here once more.
Though irritated by the constant grievances, all five still stood impeccably dressed in their suits, their expressions stern and composed.
Yet today, the atmosphere in the hall was far from its usual solemn authority.
Instead… a suffocating tension hung in the air.
After a long stretch of silence—
Saint Ethanbaron V. Nusjuro was the first to break it.
He raised a hand, adjusting his glasses, his sharp gaze piercing straight across the hall at Saint Jaygarcia Saturn, who sat opposite him with both hands resting atop his cane.
"Saturn," Nusjuro said coldly, his tone edged with accusation,"His Majesty has already given explicit orders—'Do not descend.' We are forbidden from taking the initiative to engage the Marines… especially to confront Gern directly."
His eyes narrowed.
"And yet you privately dispatched CP0 to Egghead. What exactly do you mean by that?"
As he spoke, his gaze swept across the remaining three—
Saint Marcus Mars, the Warrior God of Environment.Saint Topman Warcury, the Warrior God of Justice.Saint Shepherd Ju Peter, the Warrior God of Agriculture.
His tone grew heavier.
"Do you really think… the four of us wouldn't know?"
Saturn, now directly called out, frowned deeply.
The muscles in his arm tensed slightly against his cane.
But he did not respond immediately.
Because—
Nusjuro's accusation had opened the floodgates.
If he spoke rashly now, he would lose the initiative.
And sure enough—
Warcury was quick to follow up.
"Saturn," he said in a grave voice, "CP0's operation carries immense risk. If exposed, Gern could seize upon it—escalate the situation further… perhaps even provoke His Majesty again."
His gaze sharpened.
"You… are going against His Majesty's will."
"Mm…" Mars sighed softly, shaking his head in clear disapproval.
Under the pressure of his peers' questioning and discontented gazes, Saturn's expression darkened slightly.
He drew a slow breath—
Then suddenly lifted his head, his gaze turning sharp as a blade—
And struck back directly at Nusjuro.
"Saint Ethanbaron V. Nusjuro…"
His voice was cold, laced with a mocking edge.
"…aren't you the same?"
He rose abruptly.
His cane struck the floor with a heavy thud.
"When you were ordered to intercept Gern and seize the Mother Flame, you returned in utter defeat!"
"Not only did you fail—you lost the Shodai Kitetsu to that man!"
"Even now, it's planted right in the plaza of New Marineford—paraded openly as a humiliation to us all!"
His voice rose, sharper with each word.
"And what happened afterward?"
"You didn't issue orders to CP0 in secret… trying every means possible to 'steal' it back?"
His gaze locked onto the blade at Nusjuro's side.
"You think…" he echoed coldly,"…that the rest of us didn't know?"
"You—!!"
Nusjuro's chest heaved violently.
The memory of that humiliation clearly struck deep.
But he was no fool.
He neither denied it… nor attempted to defend himself outright.
"Saturn," Nusjuro said at last, forcing his voice steady.
"The Shodai Kitetsu is a symbol."
"For it to remain outside… especially in Gern's hands, displayed publicly… is a sustained blow to the authority of the World Government."
"My actions were damage control."
His gaze swept across the others.
"But this time… your deployment of CP0 to Egghead…"
"…is a direct provocation against the Marines. Against Gern."
"Heh."
Saturn let out a low, cold laugh.
He tapped his cane lightly against the polished floor—tap… tap…
"And mine… is also damage control."
"The technological data on Egghead—Vegapunk's brain, his entire database…"
"…must not fall completely into Marine hands."
"Especially now that Gern's Marines have declared independence and are gaining unstoppable momentum."
"If they obtain Vegapunk's full technological legacy…"
"…the consequences will be catastrophic."
"The Marines' power will swell beyond our ability to restrain."
That argument caused subtle shifts in expression among the others—even Nusjuro.
It struck directly at their shared core concern:
Maintaining balance. Preventing the Marines from growing uncontrollably.
Saturn pressed on, his tone lowering as he introduced an even more critical point—
One that touched directly upon that person's most sensitive nerve.
"There is another matter… the most important one."
His gaze turned toward one side of the hall.
There, an unseen projection device displayed blurred imagery transmitted from Egghead.
Within it—
A figure surrounded by white steam, smiling with boundless freedom.
Gear Five.
Monkey D. Luffy.
"Straw Hat Luffy."
Saturn's voice turned cold.
"He has awakened his fruit."
"Nika…"
He spoke the forbidden name slowly.
The very air in the hall seemed to freeze.
"That… should not exist."
"This operation's true objective…"
"…is to eliminate the successor of Joy Boy."
"To erase the 'Nika' of this era."
His voice rang with finality.
"This is not aimed at Gern."
"Nor does it violate His Majesty's core decree of 'not descending'—which pertains primarily to direct confrontation with Gern."
He looked around at the others—especially Nusjuro.
"His Majesty… will not hold us accountable for this."
"And besides…"
A faint, knowing smile curved at Saturn's lips.
"Hasn't His Majesty already tacitly allowed—even guided—Blackbeard to appear at Egghead?"
"That alone proves…"
"…that dealing with Nika—and reclaiming Vegapunk—has His Majesty's implicit approval."
He straightened fully, sweeping his gaze across the room.
His voice carried both authority and persuasion.
"Before deploying CP0, I had already made secret contact with one of Vegapunk's satellites—'Desire,' York."
"She has agreed to cooperate."
"At the critical moment, she will disable Egghead's outer defensive laser grid… and open a path for our forces."
"And more—"
"Former Marine Admiral 'Ryokugyu,' Aramaki, has already received a classified order."
"He is en route to Egghead at full speed."
"His mission: assist CP0, capture the Straw Hat crew… and ensure the safe retrieval of Vegapunk's brain."
Then—
Saturn revealed his final trump card.
A cold glint flashed in his eyes.
"And on Egghead… there still remains…"
"…the 'Five-Pointed Star Summoning Array' we left behind."
"As long as it is activated…"
"…we can descend instantly."
He raised his voice.
"Gentlemen—my fellow Elders!"
"If we cannot deal with 'Heaven-Shaker' Gern—"
His tone sharpened.
"Are we truly incapable of dealing with a newly awakened, unstable 'Straw Hat'?!"
"Blackbeard and his forces…"
"Aramaki…"
"CP0 elites…"
"And, if necessary… our own direct intervention."
He spread his arms wide, as if the entire board lay within his grasp.
"Vegapunk's database…"
"…is merely a bonus."
"This time—we will extinguish the flame of Nika in a single stroke!"
"Reclaim the pinnacle of science!"
"And prove to His Majesty…"
"…that we still control the situation!"
Silence fell over the hall.
Saint Ju Peter.Saint Warcury.Saint Mars.
Even Nusjuro—who had been the one to challenge him—
All fell into deep thought.
Saturn's plan was tight.
Layered.
Convincing—at least on the surface.
And most importantly—
It carried the banner of eliminating Nika.
Backed by signs of Imu's tacit approval.
The risks were undeniable.
But the rewards…
…were immense.
Especially if they could erase Nika.
It would stabilize Imu's state… secure their own standing…
…and strengthen their position against Gern.
After a long pause—
Nusjuro slowly sat back down.
He tightened his grip on the Shodai Kitetsu in his arms.
His face remained dark, unreadable.
But he did not object again.
Ju Peter inhaled deeply.
"The operation must remain absolutely confidential."
"It must be fast, precise… and ruthless."
"We cannot give Gern—or the Marines—any time to react."
He paused.
"If possible… we should have Garling mobilize the God's Knights as well. Deploy them to Egghead."
Warcury and Mars exchanged glances—
Then gave cautious nods of agreement.
Saturn smiled faintly.
A trace of cold calculation flickered in his eyes.
The truth was—
His fixation on Egghead ran deeper than he had revealed.
Back then…
When the ancient robot attacked the Holy Land…
He had been ordered to destroy it.
But he hadn't.
He had left something behind.
And now—
The board was set.