70. The Five Elders, Luffy's Status

After some time passed,

Sengoku finished the call from Impel Down, feeling a bit relieved.

The situation at Impel Down wasn't as dire as he feared.

Blackbeard was after only the most notorious criminals on the sixth floor to recruit them.

Not many pirates from the first five floors had been set free.

Plus, those pirates from the lower floors couldn't muster the strength to steal a warship from the Marine garrison at Impel Down.

Most of those who escaped were Blackbeard's crew. Four of them were from the sixth floor, and they've all been captured now.

Except for some difficulty in transporting the massive battleships, the others can be detained with a bit of seastone.

Another concern is Byrnndi World and Douglas Bullet.

Honestly, the combined threat of these two isn't as severe as the four already caught.

Thinking of this, Sengoku still felt troubled.

"Report this to the higher-ups," Sengoku ordered a Marine sergeant after getting a grasp of Impel Down's situation.

Although he knew that the powerful Cipher Pol probably already briefed the Five Elders in detail.

Yet, the Marine's stance needed to be clear.

"Sengoku."

Garp sat next to Sengoku, feeling somewhat guilty, on a pile of rubble.

If Ace hadn't been rescued, Garp's heart would've been filled with rage.

But now that Ace was saved and Luffy escaped unharmed, his sense of familial relief was mixed with guilt for justice.

He hadn't performed exceptionally well in this war, to be honest.

His fighting spirit was dampened by Whitebeard's overwhelming strength.

"No need to say anything, Garp. I understand, and you've done all you could in this battle. The outcome isn't on you," Sengoku reassured his old friend.

It wasn't just words of comfort.

Despite Garp's struggles in the first half, his decisive action in stopping Whitebeard when things were dire saved the battle from collapsing earlier.

The failure of this war couldn't be pinned on Garp, no matter how you sliced it.

Underestimating the enemy's experience, underestimating the Straw Hat Pirates' significance, and Blackbeard's assault on Impel Down were the real reasons for the failure.

And then there was the timely arrival of Shanks.

"It would've been great if my attack had landed directly," Sengoku pondered, staring at his palm.

In a regular battle, the last chance would've been when Luffy was unable to move and Ace was restrained by seastone handcuffs.

If only his full-strength attack could've connected with Fire Fist Ace directly.

There was a significant chance he could've been killed right then.

If Fire Fist Ace had died here, Marine wouldn't have suffered such a heavy defeat.

No, it's not all despair. It's about winning in the long run.

Because their actions now are like those of the whole world, witnessing Marine publicly executing the evil legacy of the Pirate King, Gol D. Roger.

"But if you really think about it, it still wouldn't work," Sengoku carefully considered.

Words that could have led to Fire Fist Ace's demise.

Considering the fighting power displayed by the Straw Hat Pirates and the Whitebeard Pirates, plus those two old lunatics Blackbeard set free from prison at the end, this battle could truly turn into a life-and-death struggle.

Marines had a high chance of not emerging victorious, and the top fighters among the Pirates might triumph overwhelmingly.

In the end, the outcome would be even more dreadful than if Marine had executed Fire Fist Ace.

Marines would be in shambles, let alone venturing into the New World. Its control over the first half of the Grand Line and the world would diminish significantly.

The balance would be completely shattered.

Truly, it would mark the dawn of the era of the great pirates.

"Ultimately, we're still too feeble," Zephyr mumbled, taking a puff of his asthma medicine.

"The powerful figures on the Pirate side emerged too swiftly, and our Marine is already struggling. It's a crucial issue.

As a Marine recruit instructor, Zephyr was keenly aware of Marine's shortcomings.

The elite Vice Admirals in their department were mostly in their 40s or 50s.

Kizaru was fifty-six, Akainu was fifty-two, and Aokiji was forty-nine.

These were the ages of the current Marine Admirals. To put it mildly, they were middle-aged, if not on the brink of old age.

Not to mention the Marine pillars of their generation. Garp was in his 80s, and the rest were over 70.

Further down the ranks, Gion wasn't much younger than Aokiji.

Looking ahead, Marine had few promising prospects left.

When Zephyr was a recruit instructor, Kizaru, Akainu, and Aokiji were barely in their twenties, already hailed as prodigies.

Genuine geniuses.

And now?

As far as Marine was concerned, there was barely one, Smoker, who could be considered a promising recruit.

There was simply no comparison between Smoker and the three Admirals.

And what about comparing with Pirates?

Red-Haired Shanks was only in his thirties, already one of the Four Emperors.

Fire Fist Ace was in his twenties, nearing a legend.

Not to mention the crew of monsters known as the Straw Hat Pirates, who were remarkably young.

Among them, the Straw Hat Boy had a record of facing Admirals head-on.

Moreover, Sabaody had over ten supernovas this year alone, which spoke volumes about the situation.

If no changes were made, it was estimated that in the next ten years, when the older generation of Marines retired, Marines would be completely overshadowed by pirates.

"This is a major issue. I've reported it to the Five Elders," Sengoku muttered, troubled by Zephyr's words.

These matters weren't significant when the Marine believed itself to be the strongest. However, facing a direct hit, they realized the gravity of this problem.

"Hey, Zephyr, I heard you got beaten by the pet on Luffy's ship, and its bounty is only fifty Baileys?" Garp teased, pinching his nostrils.

"That pet definitely isn't worth just fifty Baileys. When have you ever seen a fifty-Bailey pirate able to go head-to-head with an Admiral?" Zephyr retorted, looking annoyed.

"You used to be an Admiral, and yet you got taken down by a fifty-Bailey pet instead of facing it head-on," Garp needled, rubbing salt in Zephyr's wounds.

"Damn you, I'll get you for this!" Zephyr yelled in frustration.

"Do these guys have no shame? Honestly," Tsuru sighed, watching Zephyr and Garp squabble not far away.

But truth be told, compared to the Marine soldiers who had lost their way, these older Vice Admirals, though frustrated, were handling it relatively well.

They hailed from the legendary era of pirates, where there were more and stronger legends than today—Peak Whitebeard, Rocks, Gol D. Roger, Golden Lion Shiki, and more.

Yet, the Marine back then was weaker than it is now. They faced failure repeatedly, witnessing pirates dominating the seas time and again.

But through countless setbacks, they endured.

The Rocks Pirates, nearly able to conquer the world, had vanished. The Golden Lion Shiki was captured at Impel Down and disappeared after breaking out, crippled. Byrnndi World had narrowly escaped trouble and might pass away in Impel Down in a few years. Gol D. Roger was executed.

Amidst these failures, they buried that legendary old era.

"Rise up! Failure doesn't mean losing everything, and setbacks are part of the journey. Justice—what kind of justice? Think carefully about what burdens we carry," Tsuru rallied the distraught Marine soldiers around him.

Her words sparked a glimmer of hope in the eyes of some nearby soldiers.

Of course, Tsuru knew well. Soldiers with righteous hearts were easy to motivate. The real challenge lay with the higher-ups.

Meanwhile, as Marines diligently went about their post-war tasks,

Akainu lay unconscious on a piece of rubble, forgotten as the currents carried him away.

In the Holy Land of Mariejois,

the Five Elders looked grim. They were already aware of all the details of the war.

"Marine is a bunch of fools!" the blond Elder roared in frustration.

It was the second time the Elders had lost their composure—the first being when Ohara was obliterated twenty years ago, prompting them to urgently eliminate all the scholars.

And this wasn't the first time.

Despite their usual disdain for Marines,

even publicly humiliating Marine Admiral Sengoku multiple times,

when Marines faced failure, it was the Five Elders who panicked the most.

Marine was the strongest militant organization under the World Government, the foremost force in upholding the Government's rule.

While the Cipher Pol had formidable players at the Admiral level, they couldn't match Marine. After all, the CP was primarily a spy organization, while Marine was a true military force.

This time, when Marines suffered a defeat despite having all their combat power intact, it rattled the Five Elders seated at the pinnacle of world power.

Even the blond Elder, usually so composed, could only express their anger and humiliation towards Marine, hiding a hint of fear that hadn't surfaced in years.

"The crux of this war lies with the Straw Hat Boy," analyzed a long-bearded Elder with a grim expression. "If the Straw Hat Pirates hadn't blocked the four Admiral-level fighters, Marine wouldn't have suffered such a heavy defeat."

Shortly after the defeat, the CP organization delivered all the war's information to the Five Elders.

They were fully aware of the war's details and its implications.

The issue of Impel Down's breach and the Red Hair Pirates' intervention weren't the primary concerns.

It was the Straw Hat Pirates who held the key.

If not for them suddenly appearing with four fighters strong enough to rival Admirals, if not for their ability to hold off Akainu long enough to save Fire Fist Ace, the Whitebeard Pirates wouldn't have lasted against the Imper Prison monsters, nor would they have waited for Red-Haired Shanks' support.

The catalyst for all this was the Straw Hat Boy.

"Is that fruit truly so powerful?" the Elder holding the demon sword grimaced.

"Don't forget, it's a fruit named after a god, a genuine miracle fruit," added the bald-moustached Elder.

"Hito Hito no Mi: Nika—it's not to be underestimated. The Straw Hat Boy has fully matured, and dealing with him is as challenging as facing one of the Four Emperors," sighed the Elder in the black cap. "What I fear most now is that the straw hat kid is that man."

"Joy Boy."

At the mention of this name, a taboo seemed to be invoked, and the breathing of all Five Elders present grew heavy instantly, veins bulging on their foreheads and arms.

Their emotions were complex—a mix of fear and anger.

It was astonishing that in this world, something existed that could utterly unnerve the Five Elders, who held the highest power.

"Should we report this to Lord Imu?" suggested one of the Elders.

"No, we now have a grasp of the Straw Hat Pirates' full combat power, equivalent to that of a Four Emperors-level pirate group. There's no rush to report to Lord Imu. Let's keep it within our control for now," retorted another Elder.

Even when discussing this matter, their faces showed reverence and, of course, even more fear toward Lord Imu.

They were hesitant to disturb Lord Imu, even with such significant news.

"But if necessary, we mustn't hesitate to ask Lord Imu to eradicate the Straw Hat Crew."

The Five Elders in black caps weighed the matter carefully.

"Since we don't want to trouble Lord Imu, then we must consider the next issue of maintaining sea balance," the blond Elder said gravely.

Their previous objective was to publicly execute the Fire Fist, the bloodline of Gol D. Roger, and swiftly defeat Whitebeard, one of the Four Emperors, at Marineford.

This plan aimed to significantly deter pirate strength and allow Marine to take proactive measures in clearing out pirates in the following operations.

However, the plan had utterly failed.

In this global broadcast, Marines and the World Government had become laughingstocks, and their prestige diminished.

It could be foreseen that their control over the seas would decline for some time.

Due to the Marine's humiliation, many might be inclined to take to the seas and join the ranks of pirates.

Moreover, this battle revealed that Marines were not as formidable as believed. Its current power was insufficient.

"Whether facing the surge of new pirates or the formidable Straw Hat Crew, we must bolster our forces," the bald-headed Elder stated calmly.

"Do any of you have suggestions?" asked the Elder in the black cap.

"Request military funding from each allied country for Marine expansion and conduct widespread conscription, prioritizing strength," one proposed.

"With many vacancies among the Warlords, it's time to appoint new ones," suggested another.

"Allocate more resources to Vegapunk to expedite Seraphim research and development. We don't have time to waste," added a third.

Suggestions were offered one after another, each deemed feasible, with some already in motion.

This was the essence of the World Government—they controlled most of the world's resources, talents, technology, and funds. Once they committed to a task, results followed swiftly.

"Also, we must address the issue of the Straw Hat Boys' bounties and classify the Straw Hat Pirates' danger level," the blond Elder interjected.

To be honest, discussing a pirate's bounty on the Five Elders' table was a significant honour for pirates.

"Do they have a bounty? Kaido's is the highest besides Whitebeard's. Set the Straw Hat's bounty slightly higher than Kaido's to stir up the New World," proposed the long-bearded Elder.

"As for their status, pirates enjoy their infamous titles, don't they? Let Morgans spread the word and sow chaos in the New World because of the Straw Hat Boy," he continued grimly.

Originally meant to attract bounty hunters, high bounties had limited effectiveness against pirates whose bounties exceeded one billion.

Thus, the bounties offered for the Four Emperors had become tools for the World Government, often easy to wield.

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