Holy Land Mary Geoise.
Pangaea Castle, the Room of Authority.
At this moment, the Five Elders had gathered here, exchanging updates and discussing important matters concerning the World Government.
"This is intelligence Valthior sent back to me. They've already gone to Wano and are investigating the Poneglyphs. After they leave Wano, the Roger Pirates will head to the Big Mom Pirates' base—Whole Cake Island," Saint Saturn said, handing a document to Saint Warcury beside him.
Warcury glanced over it, raising a brow. "This is the first time you've brought up Valthior's activities in the lower world to us. So he really is your eyes within the Roger Pirates?"
"Not intentionally," Saturn replied calmly, smoothing over the story. "Back then, he left Mary Geoise simply because he found the sea interesting and wanted to play at being a pirate for a while. It just so happened he joined the Roger Pirates and learned of their goal to find the Poneglyphs and uncover the Void Century. After that, I arranged for him to remain there as an informant."
"Are Roger and his crew searching for the Poneglyphs to revive the Ancient Weapons?" Saint Mars asked.
"According to Valthior's reports, no. Their goal is simply to reach the final island," Saturn shook his head.
"The final island? You and I both know what that place represents. It is a taboo.…" Saint Nusjuro said, his expression darkening.
They all knew of it—but none had ever been there. Imu had strictly forbidden even speaking of it, hence why he called it taboo.
"I am naturally aware it is a taboo. But the Roger Pirates are searching for it—what would you have me do? Valthior doesn't have the strength to stop them. This report is simply to inform us of their location. If we can eliminate the Roger Pirates, then the problem solves itself," Saturn replied evenly.
In truth, he was deeply curious about the final island himself—but in front of the others, that was something he would never reveal.
Ironically, his straightforward attitude only made him appear more loyal, leaving the other Elders with no reason to doubt him.
"Saturn has a point. Even without Valthior, Roger would still pursue the final island. At least now we have intelligence on their movements. That gives us a chance to eliminate them before things escalate," Saint Ju Peter nodded after some thought.
"Whole Cake Island lies deep within the New World. That's a region where the World Government has limited influence. Sending the Marines rashly would be highly risky…" Saturn looked at the others. "What do you propose? Ignore the risks and deploy the Marines anyway? Or is there a better option?"
"Perhaps… we could send the Holy Knights?" Warcury suggested hesitantly.
"The Holy Knights?" Ju Peter's expression turned strange, as if he wanted to say something but held back.
Mars and Warcury shared similar looks. Clearly, despite their reputation—even being considered Imu's personal guard—they didn't have much confidence in the Holy Knights' actual strength.
Let's be real—someone like Figarland Garling and his lot might handle second-rate pirates just fine. But going up against the Roger Pirates? That would be suicide.
Immortality? So what? At best, it just meant they could take a few extra hits.
After all, the Roger Pirates were known for their elite lineup—few in number, but every single member was monstrously strong.
Still, Warcury's suggestion aligned perfectly with Saturn's own intentions.
"In that case," Saturn continued smoothly, "the Holy Knights alone may not be enough—but what if we add Harald into the equation? His strength is monstrous. Even Roger might not be able to defeat him. With Harald leading and the Holy Knights supporting, they should be able to contend with the Roger Pirates. And if that still isn't enough… we can always intervene ourselves."
For years, the Giant King Harald had sought to place himself under the World Government. He was someone they could readily deploy.
And his strength was undeniable.
After Rocks' death, Harald could easily be considered a tier above the rest of the world's strongest fighters.
Whitebeard, Shiki, Roger—all had great reputations. But in terms of pure strength, few would dare claim superiority over Harald.
In the original timeline, Kaido would later be called the "strongest creature" and the "strongest in a one-on-one fight," yet even then, many disputed it.
But right now? If Harald claimed those titles, hardly anyone on the seas would argue.
With Harald added into the plan, the other Elders began to see its merit.
With his power, supported by the Holy Knights, they might actually stand a chance against the Roger Pirates. And if things went south—the Elders themselves could step in.
Compared to sending the Holy Knights alone, this was far more reliable.
At the same time, this plan served as a safeguard for Saturn's future.
If even this failed, and the Roger Pirates still reached the final island, then the other Elders would have no grounds to blame him. After all, he had provided intelligence and proposed action.
If it still didn't work—well, that just meant they weren't capable enough.
At the very least, Valthior's involvement with the Roger Pirates wouldn't be used against him. It would mitigate any negative perception among the Elders regarding Valthior's role in the matter.
And if the Roger Pirates were actually wiped out?
Then Saturn lost nothing. At worst, it meant this particular "piece" had reached the end of its use. He could simply bring Valthior back to Mary Geoise and place him elsewhere on the board.
"Very well. Since we now know their intentions and future route, we can't just ignore it. If they truly reach that place… it would be difficult to answer to that person," Saint Mars agreed after some thought.
Roger's actions weren't something they could control.
But doing nothing at all would be unacceptable. If Imu learned of it and they had no justification, the consequences would be severe.
With their decision made, Saturn nodded. "Then I'll relay our orders to the Holy Knights. They are to proceed to Whole Cake Island in the New World."
The topic was dropped, and they moved on to other matters.
But not long after, Saturn's personal Den Den Mushi suddenly began to ring.
This was an extremely rare occurrence.
After all, the Five Elders stood at the pinnacle of the World Government. Very few people even knew their personal Den Den Mushi signals—let alone had the right to use them.
And those who did were usually residents of Mary Geoise itself.
In such cases, visiting in person was far more appropriate than calling.
As a result, their personal Den Den Mushi could go an entire year without ringing once.
Saturn paused briefly, then took the Den Den Mushi from his robe. After glancing at it, he hung up immediately.
"It's Valthior. Probably something he wants to tell me."
The gesture was obvious—he had no intention of letting the other Elders listen in.
Which was perfectly normal. Everyone had their privacy. If a grandfather and grandson wanted a private conversation, eavesdropping would be improper.
"Well, it could be important. What we're discussing here doesn't require all five of us anyway. If needed, you can go handle it first," Warcury suggested considerately.
Saturn didn't refuse. He nodded and stood. "In that case, I'll take my leave."
With that, he turned and walked toward the doors of the Room of Authority, no longer interested in continuing the discussion of these "minor matters."
...
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