"However, we cannot allow the Navy to suffer too heavy losses. If we mishandle this, we will repeat the mistakes made during Roger's era!"
The long-haired Elder stroked his beard and said, "And that one... let's send them too. Deal with that self-proclaimed 'Kel'Thuzad-dog' first!"
Hearing this, the other four were shocked. The golden-haired Elder frowned deeply. "Sending even one of them is an event that happens once every few decades. To send two at once... that is..."
"But the situation we face now is something that hasn't happened in decades, perhaps ever in history!"
The long-haired Elder continued, "This concerns the very safety of the Government and the Celestial Dragons. Lord Imu has decreed that no matter the cost, the situation at Mary Geoise must be resolved. The entire world is watching!"
After a deathly silence filled the office, the other four Elders slowly voiced their decisions.
"Agreed!"
"Seconded!"
"Agreed!"
"Agreed!"
The white-haired Elder nodded. "Very well. I will go and relay the order immediately!"
---
Meanwhile, Tsuru, who had finally arrived within the boundaries of Mary Geoise on the Red Line, leading elite Marines like Gion, Chaton, and Byako, suddenly received a call. It was a direct command from the Five Elders!
Stand by at the entrance. The World Government has already dispatched secret powerhouses to locate Grimm. Two other strongmen will engage 'Kel'Thuzad-dog'. Your mission is solely to prevent Grimm and his subordinates from escaping!
When the call ended, silence fell over the group. Gion frowned. "The highest authority... of the Government!"
Tsuru put away the Den Den Mushi and spoke gravely. "We simply carry out the orders given to us by the Five Elders. Say nothing more than necessary."
The Government had always treated the Navy as nothing more than a subordinate branch. If the Five Elders were the servants of Imu, then the Navy were the servants of the Five Elders. Their orders were absolute and could not be disobeyed.
"Those Government guys..." Byako, the youngest among them, couldn't help but speak up. "So we're just supposed to keep twenty thousand men standing here doing nothing? Marineford is being battered by a storm of attacks, and there are countless wounded needing help!"
"Calm down, little Byako," Chaton said in his usual lazy drawl, though his words held truth. "Back at HQ, we have 'Commandment'. You know what she's like. As long as it's not an instant kill, she can pretty much bring anyone back!"
"She's mastered the Healing Fruit to its absolute limit... Ahhh, I really want to merge with her~"
Tsuru shot him a sharp glance. "You can forget about that. You have no idea why Sally's codename is 'Commandment'. And stop changing the subject! The Government seems confident they can take Grimm, but remember, this is a man who has stood undefeated even against Whitebeard multiple times. And that Kel'Thuzad... he doesn't look easy to deal with either."
"These top-tier fighters hidden away for years are no joke. It is precisely because of them that pirates dare not approach the Red Line lightly."
Tsuru fell silent for a moment, then made her decision. She would not follow the Government's orders to the letter.
"Byako, Chaton, you take a hundred men and remain here on guard. Gion, you lead the rest back to Headquarters to reinforce them!"
Gion looked shocked. "Vice Admiral Tsuru! Are you... are you planning to disobey the direct orders of the Five Elders?!"
What were the consequences of defying them? No one knew, because no one had ever dared to do it!
Even Garp, the most unruly man in the Navy, never dared to oppose the Five Elders. He was forced to protect the Celestial Dragons despite his hatred for them—and this was the same man who openly ignored orders from Fleet Admiral Kong and repeatedly refused promotion to Admiral!
If the Hero of the Marines behaved like that, what chance did a Chief of Staff like her have?
Tsuru frowned and looked firmly at Gion. "I will take full responsibility for whatever happens. Gion, take the men back to base."
"I..."
Gion and Tsuru shared a bond like grandmother and granddaughter. She didn't know what to do.
BOOM!!!
Suddenly, a massive shockwave erupted, powerful enough to rival the quakes of Whitebeard, rippling outward toward them.
"What was that?!" Everyone widened their eyes and looked into the distance. A gigantic spike of ice, easily over two hundred meters tall, had erupted from the ground, piercing straight into the clouds.
An intense cold so terrifying it made their very souls tremble burst forth, spreading in all directions.
This was nothing like ordinary cold. The temperature in the air hadn't dropped at all, yet they felt an agonizing chill—not in their bodies, but deep within their spirits.
Their souls were shaking!
"Wh-What kind of ability is this?!" Gion stammered, forcing her body to stop shaking.
"It seems... only the absolute strongest forces of the Government are capable of fighting monsters like that."
Tsuru spoke again urgently. "Gion, take the men and leave now! Do not waste a single second!"
"Senior Tsuru!" Gion cried out in worry.
"Enough talk!"
Tsuru raised her voice, startling everyone present. Her expression turned dark and serious. "The Government does not care if we live or die. If we follow their orders blindly, after this war is over, the Navy will be crippled beyond measure..."
Gion finally gritted her teeth. "I will take half the force back to Marineford with me!"
"Hey, Gion... don't die out there. Wait for me!" Chaton winked playfully.
"Shut up!"
---
---
Several kilometers away from Mary Geoise, the massive Glacial Spike jutted from the earth. The freezing aura emanating from it forced the silver-haired elder to grit his teeth, fighting against the trembling of his very soul.
Kel'Thuzad floated in mid-air, two massive chains extending from his body and anchoring into the ice. From within the spike, countless other chains wriggled and shot outward, trying to ensnare the elder and bind him helplessly to the pillar!
I must not get caught by those chains! the elder screamed inwardly. He instantly activated his teleportation ability.
But the moment he reappeared and landed, a glowing blue chain shot out and wrapped tightly around his throat!
"Tr-"
Before he could even finish the word, he lost the ability to speak. The world seemed to fly backward at high speed.
As he was dragged helplessly through the air, right where he was about to collide with the spike, the air itself seemed to solidify into absolute zero.
"What is happening?! Why are my powers not working?!" the elder roared in his mind.
If Kel'Thuzad had heard him, he would have simply said: Foolish mortal... I have bound not your body, but your very soul!
CRACKLE-CRASH!
The moment the elder slammed into the Glacial Spike...
Frost Nova!
The cold exploded violently. Thousands of ice shards pierced his body instantly!
"GUAAAAH!"
The elder spat up a mouthful of blood, but the assault was far from over. Beneath his feet, a dark, corrupted pool of blood materialized instantly. Waves of shadowy energy erupted, bombarding his body relentlessly.
"AAAAAAHHHH!!!"
He screamed in agony. Although his physical body appeared unharmed on the outside, his soul was being shredded apart by frost and shadow!
Kel'Thuzad Standard Combo.
E + 1 + W + E + Q — The Four-Move Instant Kill. (For those who play Heroes of the Storm, you know exactly how broken and insane this combo is. It literally oneshots everything!)
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