Chapter 34: The Ruthless Admiral, Sengoku!

At the Holy Land Mariejois, on the top floor of the World Government headquarters, the Five Elders were gathered, discussing pressing matters.

The Five Elders were the true power behind the World Government. Above them was a figure known only as "Imu," an enigmatic individual whose existence even most of the Celestial Dragons were unaware of. Imu rarely intervened, only appearing when it was necessary to "extinguish" certain threats, to erase individuals or ideas deemed too dangerous. So, unless it was an existential crisis for the World Government, most decisions were handled by the Five Elders themselves.

These five men were the highest authority within the Celestial Dragons, often referred to as the 'Supreme Celestial Dragons.'

The Five Elders of today, though not as old and frail as they would appear in later decades, were still no longer in their prime.

"The intel has come in. Six months ago, the Roger Pirates had another encounter with the Whitebeard Pirates in the New World," the bearded Elder began with a grim expression. "But what's troubling is the presence of the Wanokuni samurai on Whitebeard's ship… Kozuki Oden has indeed joined them. We were right about the Roger Pirates."

The bald Elder sighed in frustration. "First Douglas Bullet, leaves the Roger Pirates, and now they've gained another powerhouse? It's like they're playing a game we can't win."

"That's not the real issue here," the Elder with the sword cut in. "The problem is that Roger's crew has been scouring the seas, seeking the world's secrets. They're after the final island, Raftel. Normally, this wouldn't concern us much since even if they found the historical Poneglyphs, they wouldn't be able to read them. But now… with Kozuki Oden aboard, that changes everything. He could be capable of deciphering the ancient text!"

"Then we must prioritize capturing the Roger Pirates," said the Elder with blond hair calmly.

"We've already ramped up our efforts, but unlike Whitebeard, Shiki, or Big Mom, Roger doesn't have a fixed base or territory. They're always on the move. Finding them in the vast ocean is like finding a needle in a haystack," said the curly-haired Elder gravely.

"And they don't just stay in the New World. They're all over the globe. Last we heard, they were spotted in the first half of the Grand Line, but we have no idea what they were searching for," added the bearded Elder.

"What else could it be? They're clearly after more Poneglyphs," the bald Elder replied with a deep frown.

In fact, the Roger Pirates were currently in Water 7, but not for anything related to the Poneglyphs. They were there to commission a ship from the legendary shipwright, Tom. Contrary to what Claudius had thought, the famous Oro Jackson hadn't been built yet, and that's what Roger and his crew were in Water 7 to get their new, faster ship.

The World Government's fear of the Roger Pirates had only grown over the last six months. With the addition of Kozuki Oden, who could potentially read the Poneglyphs, the Five Elders had been pressuring the Marines to intensify their efforts to capture them.

But the Roger Pirates were not only trying to stay ahead of the World Government. There was a deeper, more personal reason behind their urgency Roger himself was suffering from a terminal illness. While they had found a doctor at Twin Capes who could temporarily suppress his symptoms, Roger's time was running out. The crew needed a faster ship to complete their journey before it was too late.

"To make matters worse, it seems there are other groups trying to uncover the truth of what happened 800 years ago. Scholars and other scattered forces across the seas are digging for ancient documents some of which might include the Poneglyphs," the blonde Elder said grimly. "The Marines have been sent out to deal with them multiple times, but we still haven't been able to identify exactly where they're coming from."

The bearded Elder sighed. "Roger's crew is trouble enough. Now we've got these scholars sniffing around too. This is getting out of hand."

"Could it be Ohara?" the bald Elder asked after a pause. "After all, Ohara is the most renowned center for archaeological study. They might have the knowledge to decipher these ancient texts."

"I've considered that possibility as well," the blonde Elder responded. "But at this point, it's only suspicion. Ohara is an esteemed hub of history and culture. Moving against them without concrete proof could cause a significant backlash."

The truth was, they couldn't afford to act recklessly when it came to Ohara. The island had a prestigious reputation, and any rash actions taken without evidence would undoubtedly stir up problems, not only within the academic community but possibly across nations that valued Ohara's historical contributions.

While they suspected that Ohara scholars might be behind the recent archaeological expeditions, the Five Elders were hesitant to jump to conclusions. Ohara had been peacefully coexisting with the World Government for centuries, and they believed it was unlikely that the island's scholars would jeopardize that relationship. After all, the government had been funding Ohara's research generously, allowing them to delve into ancient history and culture.

But the Five Elders were underestimating the current generation of Ohara scholars. Unbeknownst to them, those scholars were more determined than ever to uncover the truth about the Void Century an act that would eventually pit them directly against the World Government.

"This is a delicate situation. We need to be cautious. I've assigned CP-9's Chief Spandine to investigate. Though he's not the strongest or the most upstanding individual, he's diligent. I'm confident he'll bring us satisfactory results," the blonde Elder added.

Spandine was, of course, the father of Spandam, who would later go on to become the infamous leader of CP-9. Claudius had encountered Spandine before, and he knew exactly what kind of person he was a sycophantic, cowardly man who would practically grovel before the Celestial Dragons. But despite his lackluster personality, Spandine was surprisingly competent when it came to investigative work. He would indeed uncover the truth behind Ohara, setting the stage for its eventual destruction.

However, expecting Spandine to find the Ancient Weapons? That was a long shot. Even the Five Elders didn't hold much hope in that regard.

The bald Elder suddenly spoke up, breaking the flow of conversation. "What about the other matter? You didn't just put Spandine on this case. What about the Ancient Weapons? Any updates?"

The blonde Elder shook his head. "No, nothing substantial. Finding an Ancient Weapon is no easy task. I've merely told Spandine to test the waters. If he manages to uncover something, great. If not, there's no rush."

"Well, since the Ancient Weapons are tied to the historical texts, it makes sense to let him handle both tasks," the bald Elder said with a nod.

Spandine's reputation wasn't great, but at least in this instance, he would succeed in exposing Ohara. Claudius knew all too well what kind of chaos Spandine's investigation would cause in the years to come. The Ohara tragedy was fast approaching, though no one knew it yet.

"So, moving on to today's main issue," the bald Elder said, pointing at a map on the table. "What do you think of Sengoku's proposal?"

The map showed an island, Cornillo Island, one of the famous hot spring islands in the New World. Coincidentally, this was where Claudius and Dragon were currently located.

"Is the intel solid?" asked the bearded Elder.

"It's been confirmed by CP-0," the bald Elder replied. "The remnants of Captain John's pirate crew have been hiding out there."

"Then, justice must be carried out. The fleet from Naval Headquarters has been stationed nearby for a while now, correct?" said the curly-haired Elder.

The phrase "carry out justice" in this context meant only one thing a Buster Call. Cornillo Island was about to be wiped off the map.

Captain John had once been a member of the infamous Rocks Pirates, before they were disbanded after the Battle of God Valley. After that, John went solo, but in recent years, he had been driven into a corner by Golden Lion Shiki. Shiki had been on a rampage, recruiting or destroying anyone who might oppose him, trying to recreate the fearsome Rocks Pirates of old.

So far, Shiki had crushed rival pirates like Ochoku and Silver Axe. Now, he was gunning for Captain John, who had narrowly escaped one of Shiki's attacks. But John was not one to give up easily. He had hidden a vast treasure across the world, and if he managed to regroup and recover, he could easily return to power in a short time.

But Admiral Sengoku wasn't about to let that happen. He had weighed the options and decided that the only way to deal with Captain John was to obliterate him and his crew. A Buster Call would ensure that no one, including John, could escape.

Sengoku, often seen as calm and collected, was ruthless when it came to justice. He always chose the most efficient path, even if it was brutal. His cold logic would later be seen in the destruction of Ohara, and even during the Marineford War, where he was willing to sacrifice the entire Naval Headquarters to crush Whitebeard's forces. Sengoku wasn't just ruthless toward his enemies he was willing to put everything on the line to protect the World Government's interests, even if it meant heavy losses for the Marines themselves.