Meanwhile—within the Holy Land of Mary Geoise, deep inside Pangaea Castle's Hall of Authority.
A heavy silence smothered the opulent chamber. Only the faint crackling of flames in the fireplace broke the stillness.
Five figures—the Five Elders, the supreme rulers of the World Government—were once again seated together.
Spread across the table before them lay the same thing:
A special extra edition of the World Economy News.
The headline announcing Gern Reginald Sigmar's defeat of Red-Haired Shanks had not only shaken the seas—
It had sent a bone-deep chill straight into the very pinnacle of world power.
After a long silence, Izanbaron V. Nusjuro, clutching the First Generation Kitetsu, was the first to speak. His voice was low and heavy.
"Gern… his strength is greater than we anticipated. And far more dangerous."
A faint gleam flickered in his eyes.
"To think that the sword of the man who died at God Valley has truly seen a second awakening.King-tier… he actually stepped into that realm."
"Hmph!"
A cold snort rang out.
Shepherd Ju Peter, blond hair and short beard neatly trimmed, slammed a finger down hard onto Gern's photo in the newspaper.
"Ever since the 'Holy Land Incident' back then, he and Sengoku have clearly reached some kind of filthy understanding!"
His voice trembled with barely restrained fury.
"Over the years, working in tandem, the two of them have steadily eaten away at what little authority over the Marines we had left—until it was completely carved up!"
"What's already lost isn't worth lamenting," Topman Warcury, the Elder with a birthmark on his forehead, cut in calmly.
"What matters now is that proposal raised during the Supreme Naval Authority Conference back then…"
He paused briefly.
"'Dual Governance as One.'Sengoku presides over the first half of the Grand Line, while Gern controls the New World."
"On the surface, it looked like a clear division of labor. In reality—"
His eyes hardened.
"It split the Marines in two, severing them from our direct control."
"And now, we can't even mobilize a single warship without layers of approval—without watching their faces!"
"And what did you expect?!"Jaygarcia Saturn rapped his cane sharply against the floor, irritation bleeding into his voice.
"In the past, a single order from CP0 was enough to make any naval base set sail instantly! Now? Hah!"
"Enough," the final Elder, Marcus Mars, his long beard flowing, said slowly as he summarized.
"This is no longer just a matter of divided authority. It's a deeply dangerous signal."
He swept his gaze across the other four, his voice dropping even lower.
"Sengoku's time in power is finite. His position as Fleet Admiral will eventually need a successor."
He paused—letting the thought sink in.
"If… if that arrogant madman Gern were to naturally ascend as the next Fleet Admiral…"
The room seemed to tighten around them.
"Then this fragile balance of 'dual governance' would completely collapse."
"From the first half of the Grand Line to the New World—every ounce of Marine power would fall, without restraint, entirely into Gern's hands."
The air froze solid.
The 'natural disaster' of the New World—combined with Marine Headquarters' vast foundation of Vice Admirals and the three Admirals…
If all of that were inherited by Gern—
And compounded by the World Government's steadily weakening influence…
For a moment, none of the five dared to continue the thought.
Damn it—he already dared to strike the Holy Land once.If he inherits everything… what next? Drag Im off the throne?
"Tell me," one of them muttered grimly,"What would a Gern—armed with such overwhelming military force, and utterly devoid of reverence for the World Government—choose to do?"
"He already shows no proper respect for the Celestial Dragons. He openly disobeys many of our policies in practice while feigning compliance in name."
"And now, with power great enough to suppress even the Yonko…"
Another Elder's voice dropped to a whisper.
"Where would the authority of the World Government stand?"
"And where… would we stand?"
"We must stop him," Nusjuro said sharply, without hesitation.
"Before he fully integrates the Marines, we must find a way to restrain him—or…"
His eyes narrowed.
"…a more 'suitable' candidate for Fleet Admiral."
"Agreed," Warcury concluded."We cannot allow him—or the G-10 faction under his banner—to continue expanding unchecked."
In silence, consensus formed among the five.
Yet immediately, a far darker shadow crept into their hearts.
Almost unconsciously, all five turned their gazes toward the deepest reaches of the Hall of Authority—
Toward the place that even they regarded with reverence and fear.
The Room of Flowers.
For a fleeting instant, they were tempted—to report this massive "instability" named Gern to that Lord.
To beg for guidance… or—
To have that supreme power erase him outright.
But the thought was snuffed out the moment it arose—by a chill that pierced to the bone.
Nusjuro, holding the First Generation Kitetsu, seemed to recall something. His voice turned faintly hoarse.
"Don't look."
"…Have you forgotten that Lord's warning?"
The other four fell silent at once.
Yes.
After Rocks' death at God Valley, those words—cold and utterly devoid of emotion—still echoed clearly in their minds:
"Internal conflicts are for you to resolve.If you cannot even handle your own affairs…Then you are unworthy of remaining in your current positions."
The implication carried by that single sentence was more terrifying than any overt threat.
It meant the incompetent had no right to rule.
And the fate of those deemed "unworthy" was far worse than simple removal from office.
The five slowly closed their eyes and drew deep breaths.
They all understood.
Reporting Gern would not solve the problem.
It would merely announce—to that Lord—their own incompetence.
That they were incapable of suppressing even a single Marine Admiral—
Even if that Admiral was a monster known as "Heavenquake."
That would be nothing short of suicide.
"So it seems…" Warcury said heavily, resignation lacing his tone,"Gern's problem can only be dealt with… internally."
They dared not report it.
Because the consequences of reporting—
Were far more immediate, far more terrifying, than an uncontrollable Gern.
It would be true annihilation made manifest—
And for them, real death.
The pressure—absolute, crushing pressure—settled squarely back onto the shoulders of the five Elders.
Within the limits of their own authority, they had to find a method—
One capable of restraining, or even suppressing, the man known as Heavenquake.
Because if they failed—
It wouldn't just be the chessboard of the New World that would be overturned.