"We really should have waited until that traitor beat you into minced meat before showing up that day!"
The Gorosei thought bitterly to themselves.
However, Garling was merely arrogant; the relationship between the two parties hadn't reached the point of internal conflict yet.
Warcury merely frowned before speaking:
"The Ope-Ope no Mi has appeared!"
Garling raised an eyebrow and remained silent.
Warcury briefly explained the situation, then said:
"Therefore, only the God's Knights are the most suitable now."
"You possess the power granted by Imu-sama, allowing you to arrive instantly."
"Our requirement is to bring back the Ope-Ope no Mi."
Mars added:
"And eliminate the informants as much as possible."
"That's all?"
Upon hearing this, Garling didn't think it was a big deal at all; instead, it was like he had heard an amusing joke. He leaned back on the sofa, chuckling softly and shaking his head:
"Tsk tsk tsk... Is this trivial matter really worth waking me up from my nap?"
He deliberately drew out his tone, his gaze sweeping over the Gorosei one by one, carrying undisguised pity:
"I say, gentlemen, the lives you lead... aren't they perhaps a little too tiring?"
Garling pretended to be concerned, leaning forward and lowering his voice, as if speaking intimately to the Gorosei:
"The Marines under your command... are they perhaps too useless now?"
"Counting on your fingers, who else is worth mentioning?"
"Garp, who causes trouble all day long, and his even more unreliable apprentice?"
"Oh, right, I almost forgot!"
"I saw in the newspaper last time that Sakazuki, the one who was promoted to Admiral first, seems to have defected too, right? Ah, really..."
He sighed heavily, his expression full of disappointment:
"The esteemed highest authority of the World Government, only having this much capability under your command?"
"You need us to handle even a single Devil Fruit."
"Those who know would say you are the Gorosei; those who don't would think you were kings from some small country."
"Tsk tsk tsk..."
It must be said that Garling had a knack for messing with people's minds.
This round of sincere passive aggression greatly angered the Gorosei.
However, his aggression wasn't strong enough.
For Garling, being the king of a small country was already a very low status; he genuinely struggled to imagine what people of lower status would be like.
Saturn forcefully tapped his cane on the floor:
"Now is not the time for this nonsense! Garling!"
"You should understand the importance of the Ope-Ope no Mi! We cannot allow it to fall into the hands of other powers in the sea!"
You're rattled, you're rattled, you're rattled!
Garling laughed inwardly, his face remaining impassive.
He spread his hands, wearing an extremely punchable smile, his tone infuriatingly sincere, still talking about the previous subject:
"I'm serious, if you gentlemen find this position too tiring to hold, and you can't manage things anymore, please don't push yourselves. Your health is important!"
"If it really comes down to it... I could reluctantly help you share the burden."
"Taking the position of a Gorosei is certainly not a problem."
St. V. Nusjuro had stopped wiping his sword, wishing he could just slash Garling across the face.
The rest of the Gorosei also struggled to suppress their emotions; Saturn gripped his cane until it creaked.
Garling casually finished his proposal—one that was enough to make the Gorosei's blood pressure spike—before slowly standing up and brushing off non-existent dust from his body:
"Alright then, the God's Knights will take this assignment."
The mocking smile remained on his face:
"Consider it... helping you maintain the bare minimum of dignity."
Before his voice faded, Garling's figure blurred, and the next moment, he completely vanished from the Room of Authority, leaving only his passive-aggressive voice seemingly echoing in the air.
Bang!
Where Mars stood, the smooth, mirror-like floor tiles were crushed beneath his feet, his face dark as water.
On the other side, Garling had arrived at the God's Knights' headquarters.
The cynical, mocking expression he wore when facing the Gorosei had faded from his face, replaced by his usual solemnity and authority.
"Commander!"
The Knights members who had been conversing immediately stood up when they saw Garling arrive.
Commander Shamrock quickly stepped forward to greet him:
"Father, what brings you here today?"
Since his strength was recognized, Garling hadn't appeared at the God's Knights' headquarters for a long time.
Now, he was more like a retired old man, strolling around the Holy Land all day long.
Everyone present was somewhat curious about his sudden arrival.
"The Gorosei have an assignment."
Garling spoke concisely, briefly outlining the appearance of the Ope-Ope no Mi and Garp's predicament, his tone steady and devoid of unnecessary emotion:
"We need to go to North Blue immediately to handle this matter."
"Shamrock, you stay here. Pick a few people to go."
"Understood!"
Shamrock responded decisively, turning his gaze to the members in the hall, and made a decision after a slight pause:
"Yeti, Shinigami, Number 46! The three of you, prepare for the mission."
The three who were called nodded in acceptance simultaneously:
"Yes!"
Garling had no objection to this. The men exchanged glances, and strange, eerie light from a teleportation array began to glow beneath their feet.
The ability granted by Imu allows them to reach almost any corner of the sea in a short amount of time.
Minion Island. The battlefield had completely expanded to cover the entire island.
Katakuri, Bogard, and Cracker had no choice but to move the fight to a nearby ship.
Suddenly, a circular pattern appeared on the heavily damaged ground.
The light of the Magic Circle rapidly dissipated like an outgoing tide, revealing three figures with distinct auras in its place.
The first to step out was Yeti, covered in thick white fur and built like a small mountain.
His scarlet eyes swept over the chaotic battlefield. The overflowing Haki, in his view, seemed like nothing more than a low-grade street brawl.
Cold air spread from beneath his feet, freezing the scorched earth into frost.
Shinigami, carrying a massive scythe, followed closely. His voice, transmitted through a terrifying mask, carried a hollow hum:
"Tsk... Do they really need to mobilize us for this level of minor trouble?"
His gaze fell upon the burly figure nearby who was punching like the wind among the crowd:
"Marine Hero? Heh, it looks like the Marines' reputation is going to be completely ruined today."
The green-haired man wearing the Number 46 gas mask stepped out last. He adjusted the position of his mask, his exposed eyes scanning the battlefield, his tone full of disdain:
"The air is filled with the stench and blood of inferior beings... truly a disgusting assignment."
Yeti let out a low sneer:
"It's good to stretch our muscles, at least."
"Let's get the item quickly; staying in a place like this for even one extra second is torture."
As famous members of the Gods Art Troupe who forget pain once the wound heals, whether they win or lose, they definitely can't drop the ball on style!
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