"She escaped?"
Akainu's face darkened. His fingers clenched unconsciously, sinking into the iron railing of the battleship.
Hiss…!
A sharp pain jolted through his hand. He calmly pulled it back, glancing at the dented metal. This special alloy… was damn hard!
"Looks like… that's really what happened."
Bald Zero's expression wasn't any better. They had abandoned the frontlines to personally lead this operation, confident of an easy victory, yet things had turned out like this.
BOOM… RUMBLE!
On the other side, Momousagi was still commanding her soldiers to drop deep-sea bombs. But that was merely a futile, desperate attempt. From the look on her pale face, even she knew it was pointless. With the depth of the Adrian Trench, unless the Poseidon willingly surfaced, they had no way of reaching her.
"Let's go. It's time to return."
Masked Zero sighed heavily. "I wonder how things are in the Holy Land… Vegapunk's betrayal, Kaido's invasion, maybe even Orrick's involvement… things must be a mess."
The others nodded grimly. They hadn't forgotten why they had come out here in the first place, to chase the Poseidon because she posed a threat to the Holy Land! Now that the Holy Land itself was under siege, they couldn't afford to waste time here.
"You all go back. I'm staying."
Momousagi walked up and spoke in a tone that allowed no argument. "I'll release Territory Manatees throughout this sea. Unless she never surfaces again, she won't be able to escape detection!"
The Territory Manatee wasn't a machine, but a living organism. Once given a target, it would alert them the moment it detected her presence.
"No."
Bald Zero's low voice cut through the air like a blade. The atmosphere instantly turned heavy.
"The Marines secretly constructing a weapon like Pluton, that's a serious matter. We must return and let the Gorōsei decide!"
"You suspect that the Marines are planning to rebel?!"
Before Akainu could speak, Momousagi raised a cold, sharp eyebrow.
Bald Zero was taken aback. He took a deep breath, swallowing his sudden surge of anger, and shook his head. "My suspicions are irrelevant. What matters is that this isn't proper protocol!"
The Marines, rebelling? No. He wasn't that foolish.
Even putting aside whether the Marines had the desire, or Akainu the ambition, to rebel, if they truly wanted to, this one Pluton alone would be enough to decide the world's fate. What could the World Government possibly do to resist it? The Ark Maxim?
Don't forget, the Marines had Rowen, a man whose Goro Goro no Mi (Thunder-Thunder Fruit) could render all metal constructs useless. And their supposed trump card, Vegapunk, had already turned traitor.
Since the Marines had no intent to rebel, they still remained under the World Government's jurisdiction. And as long as that was true, the word "protocol" had to be obeyed.
Momousagi's face was covered with frost. She was about to argue, but Akainu raised a hand to stop her.
"He's right."
"Fleet Admiral!" Momousagi looked at him in disbelief.
Did he not understand what would happen if Pluton's existence was exposed? The Gorōsei would instantly grow suspicious and fearful of the Marines. When that happened, every high-ranking officer, starting with Akainu himself, could be purged, unless they truly chose to rebel.
"I believe the Gorōsei won't turn on the Marines in a time like this," Akainu said quietly. Then he looked directly at CP0's current chief, Bald Zero, narrowing his eyes.
"Besides, ensuring the safety of the Holy Land is the highest priority. No matter what the Poseidon intends, she has to attack the Holy Land to achieve it."
"With Pluton stationed along the Red Line, we can guarantee its defense."
The logic was sound, but would those self-important "Great Figures" up above listen to reason?
Momousagi was speechless. The Holy Land's officials had long been terrified of the Independent Commission Against Corruption the Marines had set up. Even the Gorōsei themselves had tacitly supported it. Who dared oppose the Marines now?
And yet, if they handed this weakness to their political rivals… there would be no mercy.
Unless…
Unless CP0 joined in and declared their support.
Suddenly, Momousagi's eyes lit up. It was ironic, really, even as CP0 faced disbandment, they still held dirt on nearly every government official.
Seeing the expression on her face, Bald Zero narrowed his eyes dangerously. "Are you threatening me?"
"Yes."
Akainu met his gaze without flinching.
"I've said it before, whoever stands in the way of Marine Justice is my enemy."
Absolute Justice, it wasn't merely cold or ruthless. It was something far more terrifying than that. Akainu, whose eyes could not tolerate even a trace of wickedness, could never tolerate anything that hindered the execution of Justice.
Sensing the atmosphere growing heavy, Masked Zero tried to smooth things over.
"Now, now… it's still too early to argue about this. We can discuss it once we're back… hmm? Look, a call's coming through, probably news from the Holy Land."
As he spoke, Masked Zero pulled out a Den Den Mushi and answered it in front of everyone.
"Moshi moshi… it's me. The Chief is right here beside me, go ahead."
"Yes, sir!"
The familiar voice that came through the Den Den Mushi made Bald Zero tense. It was one of his most trusted agents, his direct subordinate.
After taking a deep breath, the man reported: "Chief, the Holy Land crisis has been resolved. Admiral Soryu (Azure Dragon) repelled Kaido, and Admiral Kizaru has found Vegapunk and stopped the Peace Pacifista program."
"Whew…!"
Everyone collectively exhaled in relief. Soryu (Azure Dragon) and Kizaru, the two shining faces of the Marines. Their speed was unmatched across the seas, and they had never once let the Marines down.
However, Bald Zero's expression remained grim. All the glory had gone to the Marines again. And CP0? What did they have to show for it?
But the bad news wasn't over yet. Just as Masked Zero was about to say a few encouraging words and end the call, the agent's trembling voice continued:
"In addition, a certain Lord from the Room of Flowers has sent word, Admiral Soryu (Azure Dragon) has been appointed as the new member of the Gorōsei (Five Elder Stars) to take charge of the situation…"
"A certain Lord from the Room of Flowers?"
Everyone's expression turned grave, sharp breaths filled the air. Even that person had been alarmed?!
Of course. An event of this magnitude was far more serious than the night, more than twenty years ago, when Fisher Tiger freed the slaves. It was no surprise that even that being had been disturbed.
But…
"Rowen… has become one of the Gorōsei?!"
Bald Zero's eyes bulged like an old mob boss who'd just been robbed. "Then what about the rest of the Gorōsei?!"
He had clearly heard the phrase 'to take charge of the situation'!
Rowen becoming one of the Gorōsei wasn't entirely unexpected. Even a few years ago, the higher-ups had hinted at such a possibility, word had reached even him, the head of Intelligence. Supposedly, it was that Lord's will.
But to take charge? On what grounds?!
At that question, the agent on the line fell silent for a moment before answering in a trembling tone:
"All of the other Gorōsei… have met with an accident!"
"...Hiss…!!"
Everyone sucked in a cold breath, eyes wide with shock.
Masked Zero's expression hardened slightly, and he uttered a single name:
"Orrick!"
At this point, only a fool would accuse Rowen of plotting rebellion. The appointment came directly from Imu-sama, who could possibly question it? That left only one possibility: Orrick had purged the existing Gorōsei, forcing Imu's hand.
"Move out! We're going back!"
Momousagi released her grip on the ship's railing and shouted her order loudly:
"Target, the Red Line! Full speed ahead!"
The command made Bald Zero's chest heave with anger. Masked Zero and Akainu both twitched their mouths, turning their faces away, pretending not to notice her frantic energy.
There was no doubt now, something had happened to the other Gorōsei. And as the only one left to "take charge," Rowen was clearly standing on their side, not Orrick's.
Akainu muttered under his breath, a rare sly grin appearing on the usually stern face that could scare children silent:
"Well… at least the cannonball expenses will get reimbursed. Small blessings, small blessings…"
No one had yet cleaned the bloodstains. They lay vividly across the stone floor.
Standing before the doors of the Room of Flowers, Rowen glanced at the corpses covered in white cloth and spoke coldly:
"Take them away and prepare them properly. Leaving them like this is disgraceful."
"Yes, sir!"
Rob Lucci immediately obeyed, waving his hand for the CP0 agents nearby to move forward. One by one, they carefully began carrying the bodies away.
Zhiya…
As he turned, Lucci froze.
Rowen had just pushed open the great doors and walked straight in, without the slightest hesitation.
Lucci broke out in a cold sweat. That was the private residence of the highest sovereign of the Holy Land! Entering without permission… wasn't that far too bold?!
"What are you standing there for? Get in here!" Rowen stood at the doorway, frowning at him.
"I… yes, sir!" Lucci gave a wry smile and followed.
This wasn't Rowen's first time here, he walked confidently through the shattered halls, glancing briefly at the ruined gardens along the way. Then, reaching the inner chamber, he dropped to one knee.
"Lord Imu!"
Only then did Lucci notice the shadowy figure seated on the dais ahead, their back turned to them. His heart nearly stopped, and he immediately knelt as well.
"I seem to recall… I did not grant you permission to see me," came the calm, distant voice of Imu, "I ordered you to oversee the situation from outside."
The sound alone made Lucci's sweat drip freely.
But Rowen showed not a trace of fear. He raised his head, his gaze burning as he looked upon Imu's back.
"My Lord," he said, his voice steady, "the era has changed."
"The days when you ruled over everything… are over."
BOOM!
A thunderclap exploded inside Lucci's skull. His lips trembled violently as his eyes darted, already searching for escape routes.
What the hell, the era has changed?! He's staging a coup!!
(End of Chapter)
This novel is finished, and I have posted all the advanced chapters on my Patreon https://www.patreon.com/darkshadow6395