"It's finally over…"
At Marine Headquarters, as Water 7 gradually returned to calm, the people gathered in the conference room found their thoughts anything but settled.
The battle had been brief, yet the Sky Pirates had displayed an almost unbelievable level of combat power.
"Who would've thought even that Goro Goro no Mi user awakened Conqueror's Haki? On top of that, there's the fish-man Fisher Tiger, the swordsman Killmonger Erik, and those strange steel monsters. The Sky Pirates' threat level needs to be reassessed."
Fleet Admiral Kong sat in his chair, his expression grave.
Every single name he mentioned could have stood as a dominant force on their own. Now, they were all gathered under one banner.
Tsuru spoke up from the side.
"And we also need to confirm whether they really extracted Devil Fruits from other Devil Fruit users."
"Mm."
Kong nodded slowly, deep in thought.
At the moment, the Marines simply couldn't spare the manpower. If the Sky Pirates were to be eliminated, the World Government would have to take the lead.
"I'll report this to the Five Elders."
But just as he finished speaking, the Den Den Mushi on the table rang.
A call that could reach Fleet Admiral Kong's office directly left little doubt as to its origin.
Under everyone's gaze, Kong picked up the Den Den Mushi.
A deep, heavy voice came through immediately.
"We are already aware of what happened in Water 7."
Kong knew exactly who was speaking. The World Government's intelligence network far surpassed that of the Marines.
He went straight to the point.
"Are we going to initiate an elimination operation against the Sky Pirates? If necessary, I can have Sengoku lead the fleet and carry out a Buster Call immediately."
The reply that came back caught everyone off guard.
"No. It's not time to eliminate them yet."
"!!!"
Everyone in the room froze. Kong spoke up urgently.
"If we don't deal with them now and let them keep growing, they could become a problem on the level of Whitebeard."
But instead of agreement, a sharp rebuke came from the other end.
"Watch your tone, Kong!"
At that moment, everyone in the conference room could sense the anger Kong was suppressing.
The Five Elders, however, continued as if they hadn't noticed.
"The purpose of this call is simply to inform you that from now on, the Marines are to cooperate with CP and the World Government to erase every trace related to Roger from this world."
"Then… what about the pirates? Especially in the New World. The Marines and the World Government are already losing ground there. If we pull even more forces away—!"
Anyone connected to Roger was a serious problem. Dealing with them would inevitably require mobilizing a massive amount of Marine power.
Compared to Kong's urgency, the Five Elders remained completely calm.
"What are you talking about, Kong? As Fleet Admiral, can't you see the bigger picture? In the eight hundred years since the World Government was founded, countless great pirates have appeared, yet none of them truly threatened the world's stability. Only Roger shook the very foundation of the world itself. Those pirates are insignificant. What matters is that Roger's will must never be passed on. That is far more dangerous than pirates. It's something that could threaten the stability of the entire world."
When the Five Elders finished speaking, the conference room fell into silence.
Kong clenched his fist. Though his chest burned with anger, in the end, he nodded.
"I understand."
"Good. There's one more thing. Although we're not in a hurry to eliminate the Sky Pirates, we can't just let them run free either. Vegapunk's scientific division is very interested in them, so we'll deal with them the same way we handled Byrnndi World a few years ago. This time, however, CP can't spare any manpower, so you'll have to handle it on your own."
"Is that so?!"
At last, the Five Elders' words gave Kō a way to step back.
"I understand. I'll find a solution."
After the Den Den Mushi was hung up, Kong lowered his head and thought for a moment before looking toward Sengoku, who was sitting there in a daze.
"Do you think it's feasible to have Rosinante find a way to infiltrate the Sky Pirates?"
Sengoku froze. His first instinct was to refuse. No one understood his adopted son better than he did. In Rosinante's heart, bringing his brother Doflamingo to justice had always been his life's goal. Asking him to suddenly infiltrate the Sky Pirates wasn't just a question of success. There was no guarantee Rosinante would even agree.
But after thinking it over, Sengoku hesitated. If what Rosinante had said was true, if that Goro Goro no Mi user's Observation Haki really was that extraordinary, then Rosinante's own Devil Fruit ability did make him the most suitable candidate for infiltration.
"I understand. I'll talk to him and see if it's possible."
"Then I'll be counting on you, Sengoku."
After that, Kong turned his gaze to everyone in headquarters.
"The Sky Pirates will definitely head for the New World. Before long, they'll pass through the Sabaody Archipelago. That will be our chance. Have the intelligence division come up with a plan. Keep them under constant surveillance. They absolutely must not be allowed to enter the New World."
...
When everything in Water 7 finally settled and the vast sea washed away the traces of war, night had already fallen.
A banquet was in full swing aboard the Twin Goddesses.
Inside the spacious dining hall, laughter and cheerful voices filled the air.
There was simply too much to celebrate today.
As vice captain, Enel had defeated Chinjao and awakened Conqueror's Haki.
As navigator, Tiger had defeated Mad Treasure and seized all the treasure aboard his ship.
As swordsman, Erik once again displayed the elegance of a true swordmaster and flawlessly completed Yemu's mission.
The Kuro brothers' performance was equally outstanding, and the battle had also proven the stability of the first-generation Baku Baku Metal.
Baby-5 was shown genuine concern by Enel for the first time, and Ayala watched her brother find new life again.
Only Flare seemed to be missing something, but seeing that everyone was safe and happily enjoying her cooking, she wore a smile all the same.
In addition to the eleven members of the Sky Pirates, Tom, Kokoro, Iceburg, and Franky were also present at the banquet.
"I really have to thank you, Tom-san. If it weren't for the sea beasts you summoned, today's plan probably wouldn't have gone so smoothly."
Yemu raised his glass toward Tom, his gratitude clear.
Tom laughed loudly, completely unconcerned.
"No need to thank me, Captain Yemu. Scrap Island is my home. I wouldn't want them to blow it to the bottom of the sea either."
As he spoke, Tom downed the wine in his glass in one gulp.
Seeing this, Yemu raised his own glass and drank as well. After setting it down, he smiled and said,
"Still, those submarines gave me an idea. Do you think our pirate ship, the Twin Goddesses, could be modified to gain submersible capabilities?"
In the world of pirates, the sea itself was the natural enemy of most powerful fighters. If the Twin Goddesses could dive beneath the surface, it would add another layer of security for the future.
"That, huh?"
Tom thought it over carefully, a troubled look crossing his face.
"It might be a bit difficult. The Twin Goddesses' hull design is already fixed, so major modifications probably aren't possible. That said, improvements can still be made."
As he spoke, Tom looked toward the Kuro brothers, who had returned to their small robot forms.
"The success of the first-generation Baku Baku Metal shows my ideas were on the right track. Given a bit more time, I should be able to create a second generation with even better properties. On top of that, with the Skypiea technology you gave me, Captain Yemu, and the Dial technology, I should be able to make some modifications to the Twin Goddesses and improve her overall performance…"