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''Holy Land, Mary Geoise.''
Inside the government headquarters' high-rise building, in the room of the Gorōsei (Five Elder Stars).
"Alright, you can leave now."
The bearded Gorōsei waved his hand, signaling Zero not to say more.
"Yes!"
Zero smiled slightly, somewhat unwilling, but faced with the authority of the Gorōsei, he ultimately nodded in agreement and exited the room.
After he left, the bearded Gorōsei turned to his colleagues, a smirk appearing on his lips.
"You were right, Ferrick… Soryu (Azure Dragon) is indeed very similar to Orrick."
As members of the Marine…
''Colluding with Shichibukai?
Connecting with the Gold Emperor?
This is a heinous crime!''
Didn't even the Gorōsei have an unfavorable view of Shichibukai and the Gold Emperor? Especially now that Kuma had been confirmed to have ties to the Revolutionary Army.
But "crime" is defined by people.
In other words, only they, and the shadowy ruler Imu, have the authority to determine guilt.
What they deem as guilty is guilty.
If the legal and moral standards of the world could be imposed upon them, then how could the Celestial Dragons possibly survive as a group?
In the eyes of the Gorōsei and Imu, as long as you continue to fight to uphold the government's rule and do not cross that absolute line, everything else is negotiable.
Rowen clearly understood this, conveying this message to the Gorōsei and Imu through his attitude towards Zero.
''I possess the power to change the world's structure; shouldn't I be granted the corresponding rights?''
"Although I find him quite unpleasant, we are currently in a rare period of upheaval over the past few centuries… We need Soryu (Azure Dragon) as a piece on the chessboard to deal with the aftermath left by Orrick."
The samurai-clad bald Gorōsei grunted, slightly softening his tone.
Whether it's the impending decisive battle with the Whitebeard Pirates, the lurking and unseen Orrick watching from the shadows, or the troublesome, ever-resilient Revolutionary Army…
They all needed a powerful piece to counter these threats.
And Soryu (Azure Dragon) was undoubtedly the most suitable candidate.
Moreover…
"By the way, have we still not developed an antidote?"
The Gorōsei in the wine-red suit, noticing the atmosphere had turned a bit depressed, cleared his throat and asked.
"No, Vegapunk and Caesar are hastening the modifications to Kuma, trying to retain his control over the Paw-Paw Fruit as much as possible, hoping it will have an effect."
"Let's hope…"
The ''Nether River Virus'' is not just a simple parasite; it is far from mindless destruction and corrosion.
It gradually replaces more than seven parts of the body's moisture while ensuring the human body's functions remain intact, first extending the human's life, then waiting for the opportunity to seize everything.
Even if Kuma's Paw-Paw Fruit could remove these "infected" liquids from the body, how could a person survive without seven parts of moisture?
This unknown virus is about to lead to the extinction of the Celestial Dragons, which is currently the most pressing issue for the Gorōsei.
No matter what, the Celestial Dragons must not perish.
At this point, the Gorōsei no longer spoke about Rowen.
Their stance was clear: as long as he did not cross that taboo line, they could turn a blind eye to Rowen.
---
Meanwhile, at Marine Headquarters, Marineford.
"It truly surprised me, this 'swordsman' thing."
Inside the Fleet Admiral's office, Rowen silently shook his head while holding the freshly received information.
Even Mihawk had died by his hand; logically, people should be even more afraid.
However, this intimidation did not produce any substantial effect; instead, it ignited a fervor among swordsmen, who rushed to set sail toward the Grand Line.
It resembled the chaotic situation at the dawn of the Pirate Era.
"You're underestimating the swordsmen at sea, Rowen!"
"Mihawk's significance to swordsmen is no less than that of 'ONE PIECE' to pirates. Even if someone wanted his life, it shouldn't be done so directly!"
Sengoku frowned, glancing at the young man before him, whose imposing presence radiated confidence.
Once, Rowen was merely an intimidating smiling tiger.
Now, he had transformed into a dragon soaring through the skies.
He was more assertive than Aokiji and understood the nuances better than Akainu; he was undoubtedly a talent. However, it was this ambition that made Sengoku feel uneasy.
What direction should the future of the Marine take?
Quickly shaking off those distracting thoughts, Sengoku continued, "The surrounding branches will handle the rising tide of swordsmen heading out to sea. Let's discuss the location for the execution."
"I think… there's not much to consider?"
Chaton, rolling a cigarette, tapped the back of his head. "The only public identity that can be revealed is that of the Second Division Commander of the Whitebeard Pirates."
Ace indeed had connections with the Revolutionary Army; many G-10 officers witnessed it firsthand, and some even participated in battles to prevent the Revolutionary Army from establishing a foothold in the port.
But just based on that, one cannot conclude that Ace is part of the Revolutionary Army to the public.
Therefore, his identity remains that of a pirate— he can only be a pirate!
Since he is a pirate, it is only natural for the execution to take place at Marine Headquarters.
"Don't underestimate Whitebeard, Chaton! Not even the current Whitebeard!"
Sengoku said sternly.
''Although the tiger is old, its might remains formidable.''
"Are you worried that Whitebeard's attack will cause severe damage to Headquarters?" Aokiji pondered for a moment and then asked.
"That's right!"
Once the aging Whitebeard fights for his life, considering the previous battles in the New World, it would definitely unleash catastrophic destructive power.
Sengoku did not want to see Marineford reduced to rubble after an execution.
"Ultimately, it's Whitebeard's Tremor-Tremor Fruit that is too terrifying, right?"
Suddenly, Rowen smiled and spoke.
"Then we just need to prevent him from unleashing that level of power, right?"
"Oh?"
Sengoku turned to look, asking, "Do you have any ideas?"
Regardless of Rowen's ambitions, Sengoku would never doubt his schemes and strategies… In fact, no one in the entire Sea dared to underestimate Soryu (Azure Dragon).
With G-10's Kuma being captured and the duel with Mihawk resulting in one captured and the other killed, the events occurred within a span of just two days, all linked to Soryu (Azure Dragon).
Such coincidences made it laughable to suggest that Soryu (Azure Dragon) hadn't played a role in it.
Conspiracy theories had already pointed out that everything was meticulously calculated by Soryu (Azure Dragon), using the Straw Hat crew as bait to lure them into a trap.
One must admit… that person was right!
So Rowen's objectives were achieved; besides inciting the swordsmen's rage, he had exceeded his calculations and garnered the awe of countless people.
"'Maelstrom Spider' Squard, 'Vagrant' Caspar Bellock, 'Sawtooth Shark' Riandel…"
Without directly answering Sengoku's question, Rowen took a sip from his teacup, cleared his throat, and leisurely listed a string of names.
Sengoku listened carefully and asked, "It sounds like they are all captains under the Whitebeard Pirates… What, are you planning to manipulate them?"
As the Marine Fleet Admiral, he was well aware of the Sanko forces, but he had one concern.
Sengoku frowned silently, reminding him.
"But Rowen, with the cohesion of the Whitebeard Pirates, the likelihood of them having traitors like the BIG MOM Pirates is negligible."
"Something like what happened with Katakuri will never occur among them."
"Exactly! It indeed sounds impossible… at least under normal circumstances."
Rowen did not argue against this but smiled and said, "However, according to the investigations by the Assassination Force, I found an interesting commonality among them."
The group became intrigued and asked, "What is it?"
Hearing this, Rowen grinned widely: "They all harbor an intense hatred towards the 'Pirate King' Roger! However, Whitebeard has obviously never told them that Ace is Roger's son!"
'Gasp…!'
In an instant, the office was filled with sounds of inhalation.
The generals immediately understood Rowen's implication; although they couldn't publicly disclose Ace's identity as Roger's son, as long as it wasn't made public, that was acceptable, right?
What problem would arise from revealing a little bit to these guys?
If it ignited their hatred, then…!!
"That's actually a good idea! But to avoid leaks, we need to carefully consider the candidates for defection; we only have one chance."
Tsuru's eyes lit up, casting an appreciative look at Rowen.
Even if his methods were a bit extreme, Rowen was still on the Marine's side!
Given his financial power, he could have easily distanced himself from the dangerous life of a Marine. Now he had deep connections with the Shichibukai, not to mention the strong support from the "Gold Emperor"…
As long as he did not rebel and continued serving the Marine, wasn't this a free boost to Marine strength?
"That makes sense, so…"
At that moment, there was a knock at the office door.
Sengoku frowned slightly; such meetings with high-ranking officials were not to be interrupted unless it was something important.
"Report!"
"What is it?"
"Vice Admiral Garp has turned back to Impel Down and said he would return later."
Such a minor detail wouldn't usually even reach the ears of the messenger.
But during this critical period, Garp's every action was magnified… it wasn't that Sengoku didn't trust his old comrade, but rather that the higher-ups were growing wary of Garp.
After Ace's true identity was confirmed by multiple sources, the countdown to Garp's exit from the power center and retirement had already begun.
"Let me go take a look, Fleet Admiral?"
Rowen narrowed his eyes and said.
Sengoku paused for a moment, then nodded: "Alright, after the combat orders are issued, I will notify you separately."
"Yes!"
(End Of Chapter)