Chapter 59: Buster Call!

After hanging up on Morgans, Edie dismissed the matter from his mind. He wasn't concerned about the immediate reaction of the Five Elders. His message had been clear: if they dared to meddle in his affairs again, they wouldn't be warned twice. The stakes had been laid out, and if they chose to ignore them, they'd face consequences they couldn't predict.

Edie knew, however, that mere words would likely not be enough to deter the World Government. A more serious confrontation was on the horizon, and he had to prepare accordingly. With that in mind, he dialed another number, summoning [Zishu], who was stationed in Wano, back to Beehive Island. Once his pieces were in place, Edie could finally focus on what truly mattered: elevating his power to new heights.

Meanwhile, high above the New World, Morgans leaned back in his chair, the phone snail in front of him having closed its eyes after the call. A grin spread across his beak-like mouth, and his wings quivered in excitement.

"Hohohoho… something big is about to unfold! I can feel it—this is going to be news!" His eyes gleamed with anticipation. As a self-proclaimed "King of News" and one of the six emperors of the dark world, Morgans thrived on chaos and spectacle. He was infamous for chasing stories that shook the world, often stretching the truth for the sake of sensationalism. His hunger for big headlines was insatiable.

"A direct warning to the Five Elders… brilliant! Brilliant!" he cackled. "Those five old geezers won't stay quiet. They're bound to make a move soon!"

Without wasting another second, Morgans reached for his phone snail again, eagerly dialing the numbers of the top executives of the World Government. After all, his "Big News" network had long-standing ties with the World Government, serving as a vital channel through which Marine-issued bounties were spread across the globe via his Newsbird Group.

Morgans, ever the opportunist, was ready to seize the moment. With the impending clash between Edie and the World Government, he knew this was the kind of story that could change the world's balance of power—and make headlines for months to come.

In the heart of the Holy Land Mariejois, inside the grand Pangaea Castle Atop the Red Line, sat the Hall of Power. The room was a reflection of simplicity, with only four sofas placed in the center—three singles and one double—encircling a small round table, just large enough to hold a few cups of coffee. The absence of any other adornments highlighted the gravity of the discussions that typically took place within these walls.

Four of the Five Elders, the most powerful figures in the world, sat solemnly on the sofas. The fifth, Saint Izanbalon V. Nusjuro, the God of Wealth and Martial Arts, was standing by the bay window, carefully maintaining his cherished blade with cotton balls. The serene atmosphere was suddenly interrupted by a subtle pause in Nusjuro's movements. He sensed someone approaching the door before a knock even sounded.

"Come in," he commanded, his voice calm yet firm.

The guards promptly opened the door, and a government official dressed in the signature black suit of the World Government entered, holding a phone bug.

"Lord Five Elders," the official began with a slight bow.

"What is it?" Saint Saturn asked, his tone measured but authoritative.

The official straightened, speaking clearly, "It's Morgans, the head of Big News. He says he has urgent information to share directly with you."

The mention of Morgans piqued the Elders' interest. Saint Saturn raised an eyebrow and, with a low hum of disapproval, took the phone bug. "Speak, Morgans. This better not be another of your frivolous reports, or—"

Before Saturn could finish, Morgans' gloating voice crackled through the line. "Hohoho, Lord Saturn, rest assured, this isn't your usual nonsense. This will definitely get your attention!"

The Elders exchanged glances, their silence signaling Morgans to continue.

"A few minutes ago, I received a direct call from Edie, the renowned scientist on Beehive Island," Morgans began. Immediately, Saint Saturn's expression darkened as he recalled the recent deployment of CP7 agents to Edie's territory.

He had a bad feeling about this "Message" by Morgan's.

"He said that after executing the agents you sent, he's returning their heads to Mariejois. Consider it a 'special delivery,' hohoho," Morgans exaggerated, his laughter barely contained. "And, as if that wasn't enough, he asked me to deliver a personal message: The World Government should stop interfering with his domain, or next time, he'll make sure to chop off more than just your agents' heads when he's angry! Hahahaha!"

Morgans' mocking laughter echoed through the room, but the Elders weren't amused. Saint Saturn's face flushed with rage, his fist tightening around the armrest.

"B*****d!" he spat, his voice seething with fury. The other Elders, equally enraged, sat in silent agreement. None of them doubted Morgans' account—The audacity to fabricate something like this was unthinkable, even for him. This was undoubtedly Edie's doing.

They had only sent CP7 to gather intelligence, yet Edie had the gall to send back a blatant threat? This insolence could not be ignored.

"He dares to threaten the World Government?" one of the Elders muttered, his voice dripping with disdain. "That wretched scientist has overstepped his bounds. We should've dealt with him after the Sabaody incident, but now he dares to provoke us directly?"

"This arrogance must be crushed," another chimed in, his tone filled with venom.

Without hesitation, one of the Elders proposed, "We should respond with a Buster Call. Wipe Beehive Island off the map!"

The mention of a Buster Call, a devastating military operation that could annihilate entire islands, stirred memories of Ohara, the last place to face such destruction. The Elders all knew the gravity of such an action.

"Wait," Saint Nusjuro interjected calmly, standing from his spot by the window. "Edie's strength is not to be underestimated, and neither are the Twelve Earthly Branches under his command. We lack sufficient intelligence on most of them."

The Elders nodded. So far, they only knew of four: [Shenhou], [Zishu], [Chen Long], and [Weiyang]. That left the remaining eight shrouded in mystery.

"If we initiate a standard Buster Call," Nusjuro continued, "it may prove insufficient. The Twelve Earthly Branches could turn the tide, and we can't afford to make a misstep."

After a brief exchange of glances, a consensus was reached. "Then we'll escalate the response," Saint Saturn declared. "We'll send one Admiral and five Vice Admirals. That should be enough to crush his defenses."

The decision was swift. Admiral Sengoku, along with Vice Admirals Garp, Kizaru, Aokiji, Momousagi, and Chaton, would lead the assault on Beehive Island. The operation would not be a simple Buster Call—it would be an all-out military strike.

"Make the arrangements immediately," Saint Saturn ordered, his eyes cold with determination.

The directives were passed down without delay. Soon, the full force of Marine Headquarters would be mobilized, and Edie's Beehive Island would feel the weight of the World Government's wrath.

Grand Line-Marineford

Fleet Admiral Kong was taken aback. A Buster Call on Beehive Island? And not just any Buster Call—this one came directly from the Five Elders, naming the specific Marines involved.

He couldn't make sense of it. Why Beehive Island? Why now? And why was it so personal?

Instinctively, Kong wanted to seek answers from his superiors. Yet, when he reached out, the commander-in-chief of the three armed forces responded curtly, advising him not to ask questions. The decision had already been made, and there would be no room for debate. Resigned, Kong had no choice but to summon the elite Marines mentioned in the order.

As the gathered officers assembled in the Fleet Admiral's office, an air of confusion hung over them. Each exchanged puzzled glances, wondering why such a drastic move was being initiated.

"Fleet Admiral Kong, is there something wrong with this mission?" Kizaru asked, scratching his head, his laid-back tone betraying the slight unease he felt. "Why did they have to drag me into this? I'm just a simple civil servant... not really looking to face that [Zishu] again. It's a nightmare dealing with him."

Garp let out a hearty laugh, the sound rumbling through the office. "What's gotten into the Five Elders? Are we really going through with this without solid intel?"

Sengoku, ever the serious one, spoke with a firm voice, "Whether we agree or not, the reason behind it no longer matters. The order came directly from the top. There's no room for hesitation."

Momousagi, the only woman among them, crossed her arms, her brow furrowed in concern. "Is this really wise? We're mobilizing such a large portion of our combat strength all at once. What if we're walking into a trap?"

"There's no other way," Chaton remarked, his voice low, almost lazy, as he took a long drag from his pipe. "Even Admiral Sengoku has been called to the front lines. The orders are clear. No choice but to comply." He then turned to Aokiji, his sharp gaze narrowing. "What about you, Kuzan? No thoughts on this?"

Aokiji shrugged, his expression one of indifference. "Ara~Ara... Does it even matter? My opinion's not going to change anything."

The room fell into a brief silence as all eyes shifted toward Fleet Admiral Kong, who stood behind his desk, his jaw clenched. He could feel the weight of their uncertainty.

"This is a direct order from the Five Elders," Kong growled through gritted teeth. "There's no room for maneuver. But Sengoku..." He hesitated for a moment before his voice became resolute. "You won't be leading this mission. I will."

The announcement stunned everyone, especially Sengoku. He blinked in surprise, then quickly realized what Kong was planning.

"Fleet Admiral Kong... are you sure?" Sengoku asked, his voice filled with concern.

Kong nodded, his face stern. He stepped forward and placed a heavy hand on Sengoku's shoulder. "The man we're up against is no ordinary scientist. Edie has risen to power in recent years, but everything about him remains a mystery—his origins, his strength, and those twelve earthly branches that follow him. We're going into dangerous territory, and I won't send you to your death."

Kong paused, taking a deep breath. "Before we launch this mission, I'll petition the Five Elders one last time. But if anything happens to me... Sengoku, you will take my place as Fleet Admiral."

The room fell deathly silent. Every Marine in the office understood the gravity of the situation. Kong wasn't sugarcoating it—this mission was dangerous. And even with their combined strength, failure was a real possibility.

Sengoku's chest tightened as the reality of the situation sank in. "Stop," he said, shaking his head in denial. "If we succeed, you'll return with honor, and I'll ensure your promotion goes through. We'll deal with this together."

Kong grinned at Sengoku, though it didn't quite reach his eyes. "Don't get in the way of my promotion, Sengoku. You're staying here, stationed at headquarters."

Sengoku stood tall and snapped a crisp salute. "Yes, Fleet Admiral," he replied, his voice steady despite the tension that lingered in the air.

A few days later in the New World, in the depths of Beehive Island, inside a special cloning laboratory, the atmosphere buzzed with anticipation.

The second cloning warehouse towered above at a massive height of over 20 meters, its enormous hatch slowly groaning open. From within, Edie emerged, his bare feet lightly tapping the cold floor. He stretched out his index finger, focusing for a moment. A red light appeared at its tip, pulsating softly—glowing, fading, and then shining brightly again, like the breath of something alive.

"Successful," Edie muttered to himself, a slight smile tugging at his lips. His eyes gleamed with satisfaction as he stepped over to a nearby table. There, neatly folded, were fresh clothes, which he donned meticulously, taking his time to ensure everything was in place.

Next, Edie reached for a pair of energy level detection glasses and slid them over his eyes. With a steadying breath, he prepared himself for the next step—unleashing his Haki in full force.

Boom!

The entire underground research institute trembled as if responding to his unleashed power. The sheer intensity of his Haki reverberated through the walls, making the structure quake. Elsewhere on the island, the five earthly branches of the research institute, including Hancock and others, paused, sensing the sudden surge.

Edie glanced downward, his gaze fixed on his own reflection in the glasses, as the numbers displayed rapidly accelerated.

"1001Z... 3000/Z... 10000/Z... 11000/Z... 12000/Z!"

As the numbers reached their final mark, his power peaked at an astonishing 120 billion. Edie exhaled deeply, a wave of satisfaction washing over him. He had done it—pushed his energy to a level he hadn't thought possible.

In just a few days, he had gone from a mere 3 billion to an overwhelming 120 billion. The success of his scientific breakthroughs stood before him, tangible proof that through the right methods, unimaginable power could be achieved. Compared to traditional Haki training, which would have taken years, if not decades, this path was infinitely faster.

It was all made possible through the power of the Soul-Soul Fruit, allowing him to push beyond his natural limits in record time. Of course, this meteoric rise didn't come without cost. Beehive Island's resource reserves were nearly depleted—eight billion worth of materials consumed to fuel this one monumental leap.

But as Edie stood there, his Haki simmering beneath the surface, the numbers still lingering in his vision, he couldn't help but feel that it was worth it. Finally, his energy level had surpassed the monumental threshold of 100 billion.

Science had won again.