Meanwhile, inside the Pangaea Castle in the Holy Land of Mary Geoise.
The Five Elders, led by Is and Yamamoto, were coldly staring at the figure standing below them.
An oppressive atmosphere filled the enormous hall.
Dressed in a kimono and carrying a sword, Yamamoto’s expression darkened as he angrily spoke first.
"Sengoku, you just said that Fire Fist Ace is actually the biological son of the Pirate King, Gol D. Roger."
"You’re joking, right?"
"Don’t tell me you’re trying to use some fabricated story to cover up the mistakes of that arrogant new Marine Admiral."
"Not only has he captured one of Whitebeard’s men, he’s also captured one of Kaido of the Beasts’ men. He’s provoked two Four Emperors at the same time, and he’s even attacked a member of the Seven Warlords of the Sea whom we recognized."
"He has completely ruined years of our plans."
"You should understand very well that once turmoil breaks out across the sea, if Marine Headquarters can’t deal with it completely, the World Government will lose all face."
"Don’t forget that Marine Headquarters is merely a public-facing piece on the World Government’s chessboard."
"Your job is to follow the arrangements of the Five Elders, not to act recklessly without regard for the rules."
"If something goes wrong, how will Marine Headquarters take responsibility?"
In the eyes of the Five Elders, the Four Emperors and the Seven Warlords of the Sea were not what truly concerned them.
There were only two things they cared about.
The first was whether Fire Fist Ace was truly Roger’s biological son.
The second was finding an excuse to suppress and rein in this arrogant new Marine Admiral whom they could not control.
Of course, Sengoku had already anticipated all of this.
His expression darkened slightly as he replied in a low voice,
"Yamamoto, let’s dispense with the unnecessary talk."
"I know exactly what you’re thinking."
"You also know whether Fire Fist Ace is Roger’s son."
"So I’ll ask you one simple question: are you going to publicly execute Fire Fist Ace?"
"As for Kaido of the Beasts, we’ll put that matter aside for now and find a way to deal with it later."
"You...!"
Yamamoto was rendered speechless for a moment.
He had completely not expected Sengoku’s response to be so sharp.
Is reached out and stopped Yamamoto.
"Enough, Yamamoto. Leave the rest to me."
"Sengoku, I know you want to protect that brat."
"But I want to know something."
"If Fire Fist Ace is publicly executed and Whitebeard and Kaido simultaneously declare war, are you confident that the Marines can withstand them?"
"If not, then I’m afraid that brat has caused a catastrophe."
Sengoku’s expression froze slightly.
One Whitebeard alone was already enough to put him on full alert.
If Kaido of the Beasts was added to the equation, the pressure would be far more than simply one plus one.
"What is it?"
"It seems you don’t have much confidence either."
A faint smile appeared on Is’s face, and he was about to continue speaking.
Suddenly, an urgent alarm sounded throughout the hall.
Spandine, who had already returned to Mary Geoise, hurried into the room.
"Five Elders, we have a serious situation!"
"Impel Down has sent an emergency distress signal. According to the images detected through the Transponder Snail, enormous tsunami waves have risen around the prison."
"It appears to have suffered some kind of terrifying attack."
Sengoku’s expression changed instantly.
Even the Five Elders were no exception.
Yamamoto noticed the change in Sengoku’s expression and couldn’t help sneering.
"Sengoku, I told you already."
"That brat refused to follow the orders of the Five Elders and recklessly sent one of Kaido of the Beasts’ men into Impel Down at a time like this."
"It’s only natural that Impel Down would come under attack."
"Now let’s see whether Kaido or Whitebeard launched a surprise attack on Impel Down, and whether that brat can survive it."
"Spandine, bring me Magellan’s Transponder Snail immediately. I want to ask him what’s happening."
Spandine froze.
He was already a man under punishment, waiting outside for an audience. The moment he heard the emergency alarm from Impel Down, he had rushed inside without hesitation.
He hadn’t expected the incident to be connected to the Marines’ newly appointed Admiral yet again.
A trace of unease emerged in Spandine’s heart.
He couldn’t help saying,
"Lord Yamamoto, perhaps we should wait for more information first."
"It could be a false alarm."
"A false alarm?"
Yamamoto’s expression darkened.
"Spandine, you’ve suffered repeated failures recently. You’ve certainly been lucky enough to crawl back alive."
"But that doesn’t mean you’re qualified to tell the Five Elders how to conduct our affairs."
"Impel Down has never had a false alarm."
"Bring me the Transponder Snail immediately."
"If you delay and Impel Down is breached, we may not even have the chance to ask Magellan what happened."
"In front of Whitebeard and Kaido, what can a newly appointed Marine Admiral possibly do?"
"He would probably be completely powerless."
Sengoku’s face turned livid.
He was naturally furious at such an assessment.
But at this moment, all he could do—and what he urgently wanted to do—was find out exactly what had happened.
Feeling everyone’s gazes fall upon him, Spandine was somewhat uneasy.
Nevertheless, there was nothing he could do except grit his teeth and comply.
He quickly took out the Transponder Snail and handed it over.
Yamamoto snatched it away and gave a disdainful snort.
"Sengoku, you should be hoping that brat hasn’t already died at the hands of Whitebeard and Kaido."
"Otherwise, he won’t even have the chance to receive his punishment."
"Magellan, this is Yamamoto of the Five Elders."
"Respond immediately after receiving this transmission."
"Tell us quickly—who is attacking Impel Down?"
"Is it Whitebeard or Kaido of the Beasts?"
"And is that arrogant new Marine Admiral still alive?"
A string of questions came flying out like cannonballs.
Everyone’s eyes were fixed on the Transponder Snail.
Even Is and the others couldn’t help showing a trace of urgency.
As the seconds ticked by, the sneers on Yamamoto and the others’ faces grew increasingly pronounced.
In their eyes, Marine Headquarters was already powerful enough.
If its strength continued to grow, it would eventually exceed their ability to control it.
At that point, completely bringing the Marines under their control would become extremely difficult.
If they could use this opportunity to eliminate Lucas, this unpredictable variable, it would be ideal.
However, just as this thought flashed through their minds, Magellan’s deep voice finally came from the other end of the Transponder Snail.
"Lord Yamamoto, I’m afraid there’s been a misunderstanding."
"The alarm just now was a false alarm. Impel Down was not attacked by any of the Four Emperors."
"The disturbance was entirely caused when Admiral Lucas was escorting Fire Fist Ace and Jack the Drought to the Sixth Level."
"He was confronted and provoked by Bullet and Red Count Patrick Redfield, who used their Conqueror’s Haki to block his way."
"In order to get off work on time, Admiral Lucas used his Conqueror’s Haki to suppress the entire Sixth Level."
"All of the prisoners on the Sixth Level have suffered serious injuries and are unconscious."
"There has been no prison riot or disturbance."
"I’ve already arranged for personnel to repair the damaged areas and return the prisoners to their cells."
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